A Roscommon club has decided to form the first local branch of the National Club Player’s Association (CPA) after what they claim were “utterly unacceptable circumstances” surrounding their fixtures at the weekend.
Kilmore GAA club were forced to play their Intermediate Connacht quarter-final less than 24 hours after victory in the replayed Roscommon decider against Oran, which required extra-time on Saturday.
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Monivea-Abbey emerged victorious on a 1-16 to 0-09 scoreline and in a strongly-worded statement, the club said they are no longer able to accept structures that expose players to “unjustified and unwarranted physical and mental demands”.
"We are appalled at the downward spiral within which club fixtures have existed over recent years"
Former Monaghan selector Declan Brennan is part of the group behind the CPA, which has been created in response to the frustration with the increasingly demanding GAA season.
Brennan has said that the new organisation is keen to support any moves to revamp GAA fixture lists to the benefit of the club game and in an open letter, Kilmore GAA has said it will form the first local branch.
“We are appalled at the downward spiral within which club fixtures have existed over recent years,” the statement read.
“We have reached a point where our club is no longer prepared to accept competitions structures that gives no certainty or regularity to club games and exposes club players to unjustified and unwarranted physical and mental demands.”
Kilmore stated the matter was “brought to a head” at the weekend following their County title success on Saturday.
"Can anybody with a single functioning brain cell justify this?"
“We were then forced to play a Connacht Quarter Final the following day in utterly unacceptable circumstances.
“We left the dressing room in Strokestown at 4.30pm on October 22nd and took the field for a warm up 19.5 hours later in Tuam with players who were physical and mental wrecks from the day before.
"Can anybody with a single functioning brain cell justify this?
"It proves that the spin we hear about the physical and mental well fare of players and the importance of club games is nothing more than that; SPIN.”
The club also voiced their disappointment that the Connacht Council refused a request to have the match postponed following the death of their Honorary President Frank Dennehy, who was also Roscommon GAA President.
The CPA is set to be officially launched in the coming weeks and Kilmore believe that the lack of a clearly defined national strategy has pushed the club game to its limits.
“Club games have been marginalized; Co CCCC’s have been forced to squeeze them into ever tighter schedules; club players have been exposed to unjustified, unmerited and unacceptable physical and mental pressures.
“Because of this Kilmore GAA is no longer prepared to allow this utterly unacceptable situation to continue. We have decided to form the first local branch of a National Club Player’s Association that we know will be formed soon.
Donegal intermediate side Beart experienced the same scenario recently, where they were defeated in Ulster less than 24 hours after their first ever County title and Brennan says that the CPA will campaign for a fairer club calendar.
Speaking to the Jones' Road podcast, Brennan outlined more details on their plans.
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“I’m appalled,” he said when discussing the plight of the club player.
“It’s rampant [congested fixture calendars], it’s not right but nobody is doing it on purpose,” while adding he has “huge respect” for GAA Director General Paraic Duffy.
“There’s a reality check that some people are so far removed from what is actually going on.”
