Drink stand-off fuels sense of division

The extent of the divide between the Gaelic Players Association (GPA) and the GAA was brought into focus again yesterday, when the GPA unveiled a new television advertisement for the sports drink Club Energise, which they endorse. The ad features several leading county footballers and hurlers, and yet the GAA authorities continue to ban marketing and promotion of the drink at all their grounds.

After the success of the initial television ad, shot two years ago, the new campaign has a budget of €2.5 million. Ten high-profile players feature in the ad, and another six will feature in a poster campaign, with funds generated from the sale of the drink going straight to the GPA.

According to their chief executive Dessie Farrell, the GPA are continually seeking to expand their commercial interests to help improve player welfare.

"We have to be very commercially proactive," said Farrell, "because we don't have the backing of the governing body that (other) codes across the world have. But we'd like to move to . . . that level.

"The ban on Club Energise is definitely something we want addressed sooner rather than later. There's a real anomaly there because this is a 100 per cent Irish product which is being discriminated against purely because of its association with the GPA."

Last week Farrell held his first formal meeting with new GAA president Nickey Brennan, and though their discussions are ongoing and confidential, Farrell yesterday made it clear definite progress would have to be made soon.

"We'll be meeting again within the next fortnight or so," added Farrell. "We stressed it last week that the schedule of meetings will have to be within weeks, not months. Our plan is to have some very real progress on the issues at hand by the end of the summer.

"We're not prepared to let this develop into another talking shop. We've been down that road and it served no purpose. So we're acutely aware that can't happen again."

One of the players featuring in the television ad - filmed as a sort of epic mini-adventure in the Dublin docklands - is the Galway hurler David Collins, and he fully backs the GPA's stance.

"To me the GPA are a pleasure to be involved with," said Collins. "They've provided me with a scholarship at GMIT in Galway for the last two years, and I couldn't afford to do that degree without them.

"I think there's plenty of room to develop more opportunities like this. But right now, without the GPA, I can say that personally I'd have got nothing. I can just hope now that the GAA will support them on their proposals.

"And to be honest with you, the issue is talked about a lot among the players. Every player I know on the Galway panel is part of the GPA, and all want to be.

"All we want is what's best for the players, and it certainly has nothing to do with major money or anything like that."

Brennan has announced some player-welfare plans of his own, including payment for promoting the games. The GPA's commercial director, Donal O'Neill, welcomed that, but cited the Club Energise stand-off as an illustration of continuing differences.

"That (payment for advertsing) is something we've been pushing for a long while," said O'Neill, "so we have to welcome it. I think it's fair to say the GAA have been a little bit slack in that regard. So I think when we beat down the door a few years back to get the rules changed on the issue of players engaging in commercial activity I think we've been proven right.

"I think there is some acceptance on both sides, with the GAA accepting that we're here to stay, and us accepting that we've matured enough now to get down to some serious negotiations.

"But it's still very lamentable that the GAA still choose to hold a ban over this product, as it's the only Irish product operating within the sector, and their rule 4C says the association should be supporting Irish industry."