Ryan gives details of €7 million in payouts

GAELIC GAMES NEWS:OVER €7 MILLION will be paid out to provinces and county boards at the end of the 2008 championship under the GAA's new sponsorship deals and television rights.

The actual breakdown of that amount was clarified yesterday after certain county boards expressed concerns over how the new sponsorship deals and television rights would impact on their own advertising deals.

The GAA finance director, Tom Ryan, outlined the amounts at a press briefing at Croke Park, a response to requests for clarification at last Saturday's Central Council meeting.

The total television and sponsorship payments to provinces will exceed €3 million, up from €1.9 million in 2007. A similar payment to counties will exceed €4 million, up from €3 million in 2007.

Part of these payments is the new bonus of €20,000 per year for each county signing up to the new sponsorship presentation charter, which gives the GAA's new headline sponsors exclusive rights to pitchside advertising on three sides. In addition, any county that hosts a live championship game in full compliance with this charter will receive a once-off bonus of €40,000 per year.

"Most of these payments were in fact in operation last year," explained Ryan. "There are increases, and each province now receives a basic dividend of €250,000 per year. There is also €140,000 for each county. That was provided for in our budget at the start of the year and represents a significant enough increase on last year."

Each province now also receives event-specific television payments for live-broadcast games in the provincial championship. Payments range from €65,000 to €100,000, depending on the stage of the championship and adherence to presentation criteria.

"The financial impact of all of this is the TV and sponsorship payments we make to the provinces will exceed €3 million this year," added Ryan, "and the similar payments to be made to the counties in the course of the championship season will exceed €4 million.

"Individual counties, if they sign up to the presentation charter, get €20,000, and when hosting a live game, and adhere to all criteria, receive another €40,000 - effectively a €60,000 bonus per annum, but not per game."

The issue of how the new charter would impact on local advertising deals was raised by the Longford board ahead of their hosting last Sunday of the first round of the Leinster football championship. A compromise was reached whereby the local advertising remained in place, behind that of the new headline sponsors.

Ryan was unable to confirm whether Longford adhered to the new charter: "To my mind, it was not, but it would be a matter for the GAA commercial and marketing people, and Dermot Power, who will adjudicate on that . . . and decide if they are fully adhering."

GAA director general Paraic Duffy said the issue was bound to need a period of adjustment: "I wouldn't like to express a personal view on that (Longford). At the end of the championship, the commercial department will review how this has gone in all the venues, and make recommendations. And at that stage decisions will be made. I haven't spoken to all the sponsors, but I have spoken to at least one, and I think their view is they were expecting some teething problems at the start of the championship but are taking the longer view and wouldn't expect those difficulties to arise as the championship goes on."

There will be 26 live championship games played outside Croke Park this summer, and it was clarified that games played in Croke Park, traditionally seen as a home venue for Dublin, will not entitle Dublin to the sponsorship bonus.

Meanwhile, Duffy expanded on several other items raised at Saturday's Central Council meeting.

The Wexford County Board could yet be charged with bringing the association into disrepute by the statement issued in the aftermath of the Disputes Resolution Authority hearing on the National Hurling League outcome and their relegation to Division Two.

"Management Committee discussed the statement," explained Duffy, "and I've been instructed to write to the Wexford County Board . . . Everyone is entitled to disagree with the decision, but it was the nature of the comments Choiste Bainisti have taken exception to."

Match regulations were reviewed at end of the league, and the number of water-carriers permitted at championship matches has been reduced to two, starting from next Sunday.

It was also confirmed the committee set up to oversee the implementation of the players awards scheme will be chaired by Con Hogan and include Gene Duffy of Armagh, Fergal McGill of Croke Park, and one member nominated by the Gaelic Players Association.

Finally, it was agreed a new Rule 11 task force, set up to examine all angles of the GAA's amateur status, will be chaired by Danny Murphy of the Ulster Council, and another new task force, on the back of the special congress that looked into club-county charter, and relationships between players and county boards, will be chaired by Liam O'Neill of Laois.