Kelly preparing to open talks with GPA

Despite the distinct clash of interests, with the announcement of a new official telecom partner, the GAA remains intent on improving their relationship with the Gaelic Players Association (GPA).

Details of the new Gaelic Telecom deal were presented in Croke Park yesterday, and were almost exactly the same as the GPA's deal with ClubTel, announced last month.

Aimed at GAA club members and supporters on a 32-county basis, the agreement offers a reduction in call costs, and also a donation of 10 per cent of call charges to the club and five per cent to the county players' training fund. Alternatively the full 15 per cent can be donated to either club or county.

As the "official telecom partner for the GAA", Gaelic Telecom has a clear advantage on the GPA's venture, which is seeking to draw on the same market. Yet such a conflict, said GAA president Seán Kelly, was unavoidable under the current circumstances.

"We didn't consider going in with the GPA simply because they are still not officially recognised by us, and we can only support and look after our GAA members, which we are responsible for around the world. And this deal was initiated in 2002 and has been ongoing since."

Afterwards Kelly indicated he would be writing to GPA chief executive Dessie Farrell within days to set up his first formal meeting with the players' group under his presidency. Earlier this month it was announced Kelly had abandoned his plans to redevelop a Croke Park players' body and Farrell was likely to gain some official voice within the GAA.

"How that relationship can develop in the short term is difficult to know," added Kelly. "I think the Telecom deal bears that out, that the GPA will need a clearer understanding of where their responsibilities lie, and where ours do. And I think there is some muddying of the waters that will have to be cleared up.

"Of course the GPA will have to have a revenue stream that will have to be guaranteed as well. So there are an awful lot of issues we'll have to talk about. But the GPA at this point in time haven't really defined where they stand commercially."

One of the stumbling blocks is the GPA's desire to hold on to their autonomy from Croke Park. The GAA's Gaelic Telecom deal, which will send clubs around the country the information required to sign up, emphasises that such a detachment won't always work to the GPA's advantage.