ANNUAL REPORT:The GAA's director general rejects the widespread charge of a lack of leadership, writes SEÁN MORAN

GAA DIRECTOR general Páraic Duffy has strongly defended the association’s handling of last year’s controversial Leinster football final and rejected the widespread charge that Croke Park showed no leadership on the matter.

Describing, in his report to next month’s annual congress, what happened as “for me, the low point of our activities in 2010”, he went on to suggest that the GAA needed to look at the way referees and umpires co-operate in the officiating of a match.

The episode was triggered by the allowing of a clearly invalid goal for Meath in the final seconds of last July’s Leinster final. Referee Martin Sludden failed to consult with his umpires beyond asking them to raise the green flag and the goal, which had been carried across the line by Joe Sheridan, prevented Louth winning a first provincial title in 53 years.

“Given the context both of our rules and that 2005 DRA adjudication (which said that a match result couldn’t be overturned because of a refereeing error),” Duffy says in his report, “Central Council and the Leinster Council, in the aftermath of the Leinster final, made two relevant and important points to the counties involved: that a replay could not be ordered but would, with the agreement of the counties, be facilitated.”

The aftermath of the final created a lingering controversy. Meath resented being obliged to decide whether Louth got a re-fixture or not. In the event a few days later, with it known that their players were opposed to offering a re-match, they voted not to do so. After the decision county secretary Cyril Creavin criticised the GAA for not providing more direction.

In his annual report Duffy takes issue with this and similar comments along the same lines.

“In this context, it is difficult to accept either the expressed disappointment at Croke Park’s alleged lack of leadership, or the criticism from officers in both counties.

“We remained in ongoing contact with both counties, both of which were fully aware of the rules and of our views on the issue. We issued a public statement that made it clear that our rules did not provide for a replay by right and we also made our views on the issue of an agreed replay known to the counties.

“I accept that Meath County Board found itself in a very difficult position and that it was fully entitled to decide that it would not offer a replay. However, I reject utterly the criticism that Croke Park failed to offer leadership and direction.”

Duffy also accepted that the current prohibition on collective inter-county training in the close season of November and December was not being observed and said that he would prefer there to be a compromise on the close season and for everyone to observe it rather than the current situation to continue. A motion from Laois proposes that the two months of inter-county inactivity be reduced to one, November, and Duffy gave it a guarded welcome.

“I wouldn’t be opposed to November but I think that the 10- or 12-day period around Christmas should also be included.” In his report he says that “there is general support among our players for the principle of a closed season, and, while there may not be unanimity about the best way to provide it, I believe that players welcome the protection provided by our closed-season rule.”

Asked was he disappointed with the slow progress of his discussion paper on amateurism and under-the-counter payments to managers, which was submitted to the GAA’s Management Committee last November Duffy said that whereas he had hoped for more progress, the issue was a difficult one. “The trick is to get consensus going forward and we must try to achieve that. I accept that to date, we’ve made no obvious progress. What I produced for the management committee was a discussion paper. That was my responsibility. It was then up to them to look at it then.”

In the annual report Duffy deals with the issue of the use of GAA property, clarifying the situation in light of controversies involving clubs letting out their facilities for the playing of other sports.

“It is GAA policy not to allow the use of its grounds or facilities by rival field sports with which the Association is in competition for membership and participation.” He points out that the position of Croke Park was declared different by the 2005 Congress and rugby and soccer matches allowed to take place there.

“Central Council in August 2010 clearly distinguished between ancillary facilities and playing pitches,” Duffy’s report states. “Central Council stated that the GAA does not permit use of such ancillary facilities either by other sporting associations (or units of same) promoting field sports, or for party-political or other purposes that are clearly politically motivated or linked to a politically motivated group.

“It went on to say that clubs, at their discretion, and as part of their role as a community-centred organisation, may permit the use of such ancillary facilities to groups of individuals for recreational purposes.”

Duffy said at the media conference that his biggest worry at present was the financial state of clubs and not those units who have got into property-market difficulties on the back of planned expansion of facilities but those who are simply struggling to manage day-to-day affairs. Nonetheless he reiterated that the GAA would not be in a position to under-write losses made by individual units.

Selected motions for GAA Congress

27.Any unit that breaks the rule on letting its property to rival sports be subject to a fine rather than suspension, (Central Council).

31.Replace minor level with under-19, (St Joseph's, Clare).

36.Completing the All-Ireland club championships within the calendar year rather than having the semi-finals in February and the final on St Patrick's Day, (Robert Emmets, Antrim).

38.Provincial runners-up to be allowed a guaranteed 13-day break between the provincial final and the All-Ireland qualifier series, (Donaghmoyne, Monaghan).

39.Introducing a qualifier series for the under-21 football championship, (Kiltegan, Wicklow).

43.Restricting the inter-county closed season to November instead of November and December,(Portarlington, Laois).

45.Introduction of match bans rather than time-based suspensions, (Central Council).

46.CCCC to act as a citing authority for infractions insufficiently punished by a referee – instead of asking the match official to reconsider his decision, (Legan Sarsfields, Longford).

48.Restoring replays to those championship matches in which extra-time is currently played in the event of teams being level after normal time, (Liam Mellows, Wexford and Urney, Kildare).