Former Antrim captain Neil McManus expects some form of player protest during the National Leagues because of the GAA’s decision to maintain its sponsorship agreement with Allianz.
The GAA’s Management Committee, after discussing the Ethics and Integrity Committee (EIC) report on the matter, last month voted to accept the EIC’s recommendation to maintain the association’s commercial relationship with Allianz.
The EIC’s report is expected to be released before the end of January.
The GAA’s sponsorship arrangements with Allianz have come under scrutiny in recent months after the global insurance firm was named in a United Nations report as one of the companies linked to Israeli war bonds.
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McManus was one of almost 800 current and former players who last August signed an open letter asking for the GAA to cut ties with Allianz.
The first round of the hurling and football leagues take place on the weekend of January 24th/25th, and McManus feels some players and teams will make a stance on the issue.
“I think you will see protests. You will find that some groups of players are more politically aware than others,” says McManus.
“Depending on the leadership of a group, that will dictate what groups actually protest. I wouldn’t bet against anything really because it’s the issue of our time, let’s be honest.”
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On Thursday night Down GAA will discuss a proposal from the Saval club calling for the withdrawal of the county’s senior intercounty hurling and football teams from ‘competitions that bear Allianz as lead sponsor.’ Effectively, Saval want Down to withdraw from the upcoming National Leagues.
Irrespective of whether the proposal succeeds, Saval’s motion indicates the level of anger among some within the GAA at the continuation of the partnership.
“I support it (Saval motion), 100 per cent,” McManus adds. “I don’t think we should have any involvement with Allianz, just to be crystal clear about it.
“I haven’t read the report (by the EIC) because I don’t believe it’s published yet. I will read that at length whenever it is published. The GAA did the right thing a couple of years ago, they constituted the Ethics and Integrity Committee and you have to trust that the people in there have looked at things in a matter of detail and have come to the best solution possible.”
He says he was disappointed by the EIC’s recommendation to continue the relationship with Allianz, adding: “I don’t believe the values that make the GAA what the GAA is have any alignment with Allianz.”
McManus was speaking at the launch of the 24th series of TG4’s celebrated Laochra Gael programme, being one of eight players featured in the new series.
“I was totally honoured to be asked because obviously my career was very different to most of the careers you’ve seen on the show – there were no All-Ireland medals, no All Stars, nothing like that,” he says.
“And to be in that company, it’s an honour for me and for Cushendall, and for Antrim as well.”
♦ Neil McManus was speaking at the launch of the 24thseries of TG4’s celebrated Laochra Gael programme. He is one of the eight players featured in the new series – alongside Conor McManus, Cyril Farrell, Grace Walsh, Pádraig Horan, Neil McManus, Louise Ní Mhuircheartaigh and Kevin McManamon. The first episode, with Conor McManus, will be broadcast on Thursday, January 22ndat 9.30pm.
