Meddling sponsors could kill GAA

AT LAST the cat has poked its nose out of the bag and, being a vet, Jack Boothman has reacted quickly. He has announced that a committee will be set up within the next couple of weeks to take a new look at the question of GAA players and payments to them from any source, - particularly if they are being paid for playing the game.

Presumably, the traumas which have rocked rugby union in recent times have alerted all-concerned to the pitfalls which the introduction of so-called open rugby brought in its train. Those difficulties, however, while being of relevance, are not completely at one with the situation in Gaelic games.

For a start, and probably crucially, Gaelic games are not international games, which gives the GAA a definite advantage. It means that whatever pressures it has to endure come solely from within the organisation itself and outside influences from other organisations will not come into play.

That is not to say that dangers do not lurk. They do! In fact these dangers have been outlined in this column and elsewhere over a considerable period of time and little has been done until now to face up to them.

The affairs of the GAA are being scrutinised at all levels of society. The furore over the replay of this year's All-Ireland football final spread far beyond the confines of the GAA itself. It became a national talking point. For that and other reasons the GAA has to take a close look at itself and review its approach to the changing times. The Boothman committee is part of that look in the mirror.

For a considerable time the GAA has been aware that its rules on amateurism as far as playing and promoting the game have been flouted. We have all heard of the incentives which have been offered to prominent figures to become managers of teams.

The fact of the matter is that the word manager in this context is misleading. Many of the people described as managers have not done any managing whatever. They have recruited, coached, trained and organised teams but the management of the affairs of clubs and counties has continued to be done by voluntary, elected officers.

Several managers have handled more than one team, not at the same time of course, and it would be foolish to think that they did all this for nothing or simply for the love of the game. We have all heard about mileage allowances, cars, sunshine holidays and the like and to be quite honest most managers have done extremely valuable work and have made the games more attractive and efficient.

There has also been a significant movement among current or recently-retired players to become analysts of the games in broadcasting and in the print media. Much of that has helped to give a higher profile to the game.

It is only natural that players themselves have taken a look at other sportsmen who are getting paid to actually play the game while they may, in fact, be losing money in order to devote the necessary time to their preparation.

Then there came the whole tangled web of sponsorship and it is herein that a serious problem has arisen and will continue to arise. For obvious reasons it is difficult to pin down some recent rumours but their persistence lends them some credence.

The rumours suggest that some prominent sponsors of teams have not merely signed cheques to support team training but have shown an interest in having a `quid pro quo' say in the affairs of certain teams including the selection of players and even the choosing of a team manager.

While many would regard the paying of players to actually - play the game as a very serious threat to the integrity of the GAA and its entire organisation the fact is that attempts by commercial firms to interfere in the running of teams would be a lot more serious.

It is well known that people who have control of big companies frequently attach themselves to show business and sporting activities in order to indulge their personal egos. Forgive me if I don't give a list, but people will know what I mean and I'm not talking about Guinness or the Bank of Ireland or Church and General.

All one has to do it to look at the chaos in English rugby at present. The manager of the team which will tour as the British and Irish Lions next year, Fran Cotton, has called for the expulsion of some of the most prominent teams in Britain from the English union.

These are teams which have been taken over by businessmen whose ambitions outstrip their commitment to rugby.

If certain businessmen were to adopt that approach here and try to influence the selection of managers and players the GAA could give up.

It is comforting to know that the GAA recognises the problem. One can only hope that they are aware of all of the dangers and that when decisions are made everyone will know precisely where they stand and that there will be no fudging.