Dinosaurs in GAA all but extinct

FOR THOSE of us, who have lived a lifetime with the GAA, surprise comes as seldom as snow in August. That is why the recent pronouncement from Croke Park that radical measures in the administration of the game are being attempted, came with relief rather than amazement.

Some years ago my now-retired colleague Paddy Downey, in a moment of vivid frustration, referred to the Games Administration Committee at Croke Park as "the dreaded GAC" which he pronounced as "gack".

The GAA will never change in a sudden or radical way. It is far too democratic for that, but change it has and it will continue to change. The superb stadium being developed at Croke Park is evidence enough of this.

The proposed changes which were announced this week in matters regarding the administration of hurling and football not only represent part of the changing attitudes within the GAA but also within our society as a whole. These changes were outlined in detail in these pages earlier in the week by my colleague, Sean Moran. From his long experience of the GAA it comes as no surprise that he says: "This year's battle for hearts and minds will be waged chiefly at provincial level."

That caveat is based on experience of how the GAA works. What is being advocated is that the powers of the provincial councils would be centralised so that (in particular) discipline and the appointment of referees for championship matches should be removed from the provincial councils and vested in a centralised system at Croke Park.

There is a very strong argument for these changes to be put into effect. There has been an extraordinary lack of consistency. The fact that players were tried by bodies in different "jurisdictions" (and that is not too strong a word) resulted in some crazy decisions. These inconsistencies can be avoided by centralising the system. Decisions should be made in an atmosphere in which regional, county or club loyalties are not allowed to intrude on the facts of the case.

Another good proposal is that a referee's report will now be required to reach headquarters with three days or even 24 hours in certain cases. In the modern world there is no reason whatever for referees to be given seven days to send in a report in a situation where fax messages or e-mail are widely available. In the past, delays in the presentation of a referee's report have put enormous pressures on players, on referees and administrators. Controversies rage on for weeks in the media and it can be extremely difficulty for justice to be done and seen to be done.

Further good news for players is that a player sent off will not be automatically suspended for two weeks as at present but will merely serve the rest of the match in which he has been dismissed. Another progressive proposal is that suspensions should have more relevance to matches and that suspensions would not be served in the closed season.

"Hard men" who are frequently booked could be suspended for frequent fouling, another good measure.

The proposals revealed during the week are complex and rule changes will be needed - a total of 21 rules in all are affected. The recommendations contained will need to be studied carefully and past experience of the "barrackroom lawyers" within the GAA can be trusted to do so with diligence. As in the past, some may delight in shooting them down.

What is most welcome, however, is that the GAA is taking stock of the fact that it is being scrutinised by people who, 10 or 15 years ago, believed that, like myself, the dinosaurs were in control.

This has changed. The association has not forgotten its roots but it has recognised that it has a lot of competition out there for the hearts and minds of young people and it has drawn to it a new and vibrant player base. The people who have drawn up the new proposals are to be congratulated on their trojan efforts. Let us hope that the number of dinosaurs has diminished sufficiently to bring them closer to the extinction which they deserve.