Kilmore GAA club will form the first local branch of the National Club Player’s Association (CPA) after what they claim were “utterly unacceptable circumstances” surrounding their fixtures at the weekend, writes Gavin Spillane.
The Roscommon club were forced to play their Intermediate Connacht football quarter-final on Sunday just 20 hours after claiming victory in the Roscommon Intermediate football final replay against Oran, which required extra-time.
Galway outfit Monivea-Abbey emerged victorious against an exhausted Kilmore side on a 1-16 to 0-9 scoreline in Sunday’s provincial game.
So much for fair play in the Gaa, Oran or Kilmore expected to play in Connaught the day after their intermediate replay#burnout#unfair
— John Casey (@jc1600sport) October 13, 2016
In response, a strongly-worded statement was issued, calling into question player welfare as a priority for the GAA.
“We left the dressing room in Strokestown at 4.30pm on October 22nd and took the field for a warm up 19.5 hours later in Tuam with players who were physical and mental wrecks from the day before,” it stated.
“Can anybody with a single functioning brain cell justify this?
“It proves that the spin we hear about the physical and mental welfare of players and the importance of club games is nothing more than that; SPIN.”
They stated will no longer expose their players to “unjustified and unwarranted physical and mental demands”.
Kilmore were 8 down but they won by 8. ft after et Kilmore 2-16 oran 1-11 #rosgaa pic.twitter.com/QoXt0fWlFy
— Seamus Duke (@SeamusDuke) October 22, 2016
Former Monaghan selector Declan Brennan is part of the group the CPA, which has been created in for player welfare in a taxing GAA season.
Brennan stated that the CPA will strive to make the GAA calendar more accommodating.
Speaking to the Jones’ Road podcast, Brennan blasted the current congestion of games on the GAA calendar.
“It’s rampant [congested fixture calendars], it’s not right, but nobody is doing it on purpose,” while adding he has “huge respect” for GAA Director General Paraic Duffy.
“There’s a reality check that some people are so far removed from what is actually going on.”
“We are appalled at the downward spiral within which club fixtures have existed over recent years,” the statement read.
Kilmore stated the matter was “brought to a head” at the weekend following their County title success on Saturday.
The club also expressed their disappointment over the Connacht Council rejected their request to have the match postponed following the death of their Honorary President Frank Dennehy, who was also Roscommon GAA President.
Blue is the colour today! Bitter sweet day for our club as we bid farewell to our club president Frank Dennehy. A mighty man. 💙💙 pic.twitter.com/dRFCviPwdT
— Brian Carroll (@bcarroll17) October 23, 2016
The CPA is set to be officially launched in the coming weeks and Kilmore believe that the lack of clarity around the national calendar has pushed clubs to their brink.
“Club games have been marginalized; club players have been exposed to unjustified, unmerited and unacceptable physical and mental pressures,” the club stated.
“Because of this Kilmore GAA is no longer prepared to allow this utterly unacceptable situation to continue.
“We have decided to form the first local branch of a National Club Player’s Association that we know will be formed soon.”
Donegal intermediate side Beart experienced the same scenario recently, where they were defeated in Ulster less than 24 hours after their first ever County title.
