GAA must slow 'runaway train' of intercounty game, says Connacht secretary John Prenty
John Prenty writes in the Connacht GAA annual report, "hopefully the runaway train of previous years can be slowed down to keep within the speed limits", as he advocates for training and panel-size limits for intercounty teams.
Monday 25 January 2021 21:53, UK
Connacht GAA secretary John Prenty believes that the challenges brought by the coronavirus in 2020 forced the GAA to stumble onto a formula which slows the 'runaway' costs and demands of intercounty team preparation.
With county teams continuing to look for an edge in terms of preparation, financial costs and commitment levels have risen in recent years.
However, the unique challenges which came with 2020 ensured the GAA top brass drew a line in the sand between the club and intercounty games, forcing county teams to abide by certain restrictions.
Matchday panels were limited to 26 for the majority of the championship, while there was a training ban until mid-September, freeing the summer for club activity.
Writing in the provincial council's annual report, Prenty feels that the balance found in 2020 should be implemented on a permanent basis.
"For a number of years I have decried the excessive costs of the intercounty game in particular with year-on-year increases in expenditure," he detailed.
"The way that the year panned out meant that the previous demands of intercounty team managers and players to train more, have more professional staff involved and consequently spend more, could not be accommodated as 2020 had to be different and we managed to have a very exciting, high quality intercounty championship with county team costs at a fraction of the year before. Maybe we have stumbled onto a formula for the future:
- Split season
- Match day panels of 26
- Senior team panel expenses for 32 (all counties should be confined to 32)
- Team expenses paid centrally with additional costs confirmed by auditor
- Teams allowed to train on a maximum of 3 times per week. Two sessions plus a game. GPA cooperation is required to police this.
- Official off-season enshrined in fixtures calendar
- Back room size confined to 12 officially. Counties carrying huge backroom teams has shown to be unnecessary, in my opinion, whereby some counties have almost a back room panel on a one to-one ratio with the players. Reduction measures are required to be done in this area.
- To fully comply with the above it may be necessary to confine the Injury Benefit Fund for intercounty players from the official return to play dates until the end of competition for each squad.
Hopefully the runaway train of previous years can be slowed down to keep within the speed limits.
"Hopefully the runaway train of previous years can be slowed down to keep within the speed limits," he continued. "From a Provincial Council point of view the greatest threat we face in the new decade, because of Covid19, will be the challenges that the lack of attendances and consequent lack of finance that the pandemic has imposed.
"At the minute there is little or no prospect of attendances at our championship games and it is important that the council is allowed to avail of any streaming opportunities which are available for non-live-televised games. Our financial situation will place a significant pressure on the council and it will have a huge impact on our operational capability long into the future. There will be a need for the incoming council to examine our financial situation, going forward, at an early date."
The GAA plans to run the intercounty season first in 2021, before club campaigns take over the second half of the calendar.
