GPA warns of more 'ambushes'

The Gaelic Players Association (GPA) has warned of further "ambush" marketing techniques such as players displaying advertising logos on their boots.

While the GAA continues to examine Sunday's incident where two Cork hurlers displayed a beer logo on their boots - which rivalled the Guinness hurling championship sponsorship - the GPA came out yesterday with their concerns about the wider implications.

"It's indicative of a much broader issue," said the GPA commercial director Donal O'Neill. "It's two years since the last incident of this kind, and there was all kinds of kicking and screaming over that. We've been trying to sit down and talk with the commercial department of Croke Park for several years now, and it hasn't happened.

"This whole commercial merry-go-round is just getting bigger and faster, and to suggest the players can't accept an endorsement from a company that conflicts with one of the GAA's own sponsors is nonsense. If you took that across all levels there'd be no companies or categories left for players to pursue. So that's not realistic."

O'Neill called on the GAA to clarify the issue, while also engaging with the GPA on establishing commercial responsibilities of players: "The GAA are always talking about these lines of demarcation, but we've been asking them to show us what they are. And they haven't engaged that. So you can't expect the players to go bowing to the GAA's sponsorship deals when there's nothing in it for them.

"So although these are fairly isolated incidents I think other companies are going to look at this and think if they can get €250,000 worth of exposure for a deal that's going to cost them €1,000, then I certainly think they'll give it a shot."

Guinness have refrained from getting involved in the matter, saying it's up to the GAA to confront any potential clash of sponsorship. In the meantime GAA president Seán Kelly has clarified the next course of action, which is unlikely to result in any players suspension.

"This is a situation which is not going to be tolerated by the Association," said Kelly, "and it's a matter that will be looked at seriously as soon as we can establish a few facts. But we will be doing everything possible to make sure that rules and regulations of playing are adhered to."

The matter is likely to be first discussed under "match regulations" and then possibly by the new Central Discipline Committee, before eventually ending up before the Management Committee.