The hole has been made in the dyke

It is difficult to know how to react to the decision made by the GAA last weekend in regard to amateurism in the noble games. This observer was violently torn between amusement and bemusement - and not without good reason.

As things stood before the special congress, the rule governing this matter was quite stark in its language and its meaning. It read: "The Association is an amateur association. No player, team, official or member shall accept payment in cash or in kind or other material reward in connection with his membership of the association nor shall he be associated with any commercial enterprise in connection with membership of the association".

That was pretty straightforward. Sadly it was totally ignored for more than two decades with some quite hilarious blips in the interim. There was the farcical event in Cork when there was a mighty bust-up when a Cork team proposed to wear shorts with three stripes down the sides.

All hell broke loose and there were threats that the last sentence of the rule would be enforced. It read: "Penalty: Six months suspension or expulsion".

On that occasion a Cork team preparing for a major match were all being faced with expulsion if they wore the offending shorts. Then there were two big uproars in Kerry, when some players were photographed standing wrapped only in towels beside a washing machine, waiting for their washed and dried kit to be churned out by the machine. Mayhem.

Then there was the clash of colours in the 1982 final between Kerry and Offaly when Kerry had made an arrangement with a commercial company to wear an alternative strip featuring a green jersey with narrow, gold stripes which did not meet with the approval of the moguls at Croke Park and they were forced to change on the morning of the match under threat of being severely punished for some, now obscure, reason or other.

Of course this was merely another outburst of pompous bureaucracy by people who knew more about the rules than about the games. What it taught some players and administrators, however, was that there were ways around the rules which could be exploited and that straight-forward honesty would only lead to trouble. Instead ways were found to circumvent the rules and eventually to defy them.

It was about the same time that the `pundits' came into their own and the `cult of the manager' came into play. Players and former players realised that, with sponsorship coming more and more into play (so to speak) there were opportunities out there in the market place. Newspapers and broadcasting outlets also became enamoured with the idea of the `analysis' from present and former players and managers.

The result of all of this was that the rules of the GAA, as quoted above, were being widely flouted. As far as I can remember not one player or manager or administrator was ever even threatened with Rule 12 let alone found in breach of a rule which carried a six-month suspension or expulsion. The fact of the matter was that the GAA `authorities' knew all along what was going on but realised that it couldn't be stopped.

What last weekend's decision amounts to is merely a damage limitation exercise and I fear, in common with many more, that the damage has been done and that, although the floodgates may not have been fully opened, the hole is in the dyke and that it will inevitably expand and lead to more and more abuse. What concerns many, including this writer, is what will the longterm effect be. Surely this opens up possibilities of an "under the counter" transfer system. There have, of course, been several instances of players switching club and county affiliations in the past but, by and large, these have been genuine cases.

The recent transfer of Declan Darcy from Leitrim to the Dublin colours need not be seen in these terms. The fact of the matter is that Darcy remained loyal to Leitrim when things were not going well. His transfer to Dublin in the autumn of his career is both understandable and acceptable given that he was born and reared and lived all of his life in Dublin.

But what of other situations where the lure of an attractive job and other sweeteners are concerned? What effect will such a situation have on weak clubs and weak counties. Surely, if a club or a county produces a star player the temptation for that player will be to offer his services to another club or county for personal gain either in cash or in kind.

When that attitude invades, as it surely will, the transfer system is just around the corner.

If anyone has doubts about that scenario coming to pass then it requires only a brief glance at what has happened in Rugby Union within the past two years to show how serious all of this is.

Down the road there is an even more stark future beckoning. When all of this pursuit of money and power has been satisfied, if that can ever happen, the question will arise about what the people who have kept the game alive for more than a century do?

Will they still mow the pitch and wash the jerseys, hang the nets and place the flags and draw the field markings on a Sunday morning or will they shrug their shoulders and simply give up in despair?

The GAA has taken a step which can lead to massive abuse. Only the most vigilant of administrators ensure the health of the GAA. Time alone will tell if such vigilance can be achieved.