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“This isn’t just going to go away”  It’s
the argument which refuses to subside.
A group opposed to players receiving Government grants is demanding the
GAA’s Disputes Resolution Authority (DRA) rule on the issue.
Tyrone duo Donal McAnallen and Mark Conway along with Longford’s
Joe O’Brien are the high-profile members of a group who claim the
decision reached by the Government, GPA and GAA last month is against
the GAA’s rules regarding amateurism.
Their submission was filed on Thursday by Tyrone solicitor Paddy Fahy.
The group is optimistic the case may be heard before Christmas.
Mark Conway believes the deal which was passed at a Central Council meeting
is illegal.
He said: “The only body that can make an alteration to Rule 11,
or any rule, is congress.
“We’ll take this as far as we can take this. This isn’t
just going to go away.”
They are adamant that the DRA can rule fairly on the matter, citing a
statement the body made in the aftermath of a case taken by Dublin’s
Mark Vaughan two years ago.
It stated: “The tribunal is bound to interpret the rules as they
are, not as it might wish them to be; to do otherwise would be an abdication
of our obligation as an arbitral law tribunal.”
Meanwhile, opponents of the GAA’s player grants scheme are to hold
a second meeting next week.
The grassroots campaigners will reconvene in the Cavan Crystal Hotel on
Wednesday.
Spokesman Joe O’Brien said unrest over the proposals is growing
rapidly.
“The voice of the grassroots supporting the retention of the GAA’s
amateur ethos has greatly strengthened and the phenomenal backing the
group has received indicates a great unrest,” he said.
Around 400 people attended last week’s meeting in Toomebridge.
GPA president Dessie Farrell initially dismissed the meeting as “a
small rump of malcontents” but since then there has been a growing
whisper of dissent from around the country and the palpable fear remains
that it may yet develop into a full-scale rumpus if the voice of the GAA
rank-and-file is not heard.
Mark Conway, one of the organisers of the Toomebridge meeting, quit his
post as secretary of Club Tyrone and Donal McAnallen also stepped down
as secretary of the Higher Education Council of the GAA. Now they lead
the charge for the preservation of amateurism.
Regardless of what is decided by the DRA and whatever kind of turnout
the protesters can garner in Cavan one thing remains clear.
This argument, which has dominated the GAA agenda in the latter half of
2007 will rumble on well into 2008. |
