Profit-sharing appeals

Sportswear Deals: Several county boards are on the verge of joining a new profit partnership introduced by Gaelic Gear, the latest sportswear company to be granted a licence by the GAA to supply inter county teams. Last week Wexford became the first county to sign a deal with the Armagh-based company, and four other counties are considering a similar deal.

Gaelic Gear joined the market in the new year, having previously had their licence limited to clubs, schools and universities. Waterford firm Azzurri are also recent additions to the market, and have deals with Laois, Waterford, Louth and Donegal, which means O'Neills continue to lose their grip on the market.

The profit partnership offered by Gaelic Gear is a new concept. In addition to offering a significant initial payment to counties (in Wexford's case believed to be a five-figure sum), it also allows the county board to claim a share of the profits from the sale of all gear products within their county boundaries.

According to Danny Stewart, the managing director at Gaelic Gear, the concept is part of the continuing changes in the area of GAA merchandising.

"People are aware of the spiralling expenses of county boards," he says. "Right now almost half the county boards in the country are operating at a loss, and traditionally there was not much going back to the county boards from the sale of gear.

"This partnership allows the county boards a share in the profits generated from the sale of football, hurling, camogie and ladies football gear, creating a fund for games development within each county.

"We've taken the idea to every county in the country, and they've all taken it very seriously. Wexford certainly thought hard about it before coming on board, but other high-profile counties are in the process of getting approval to do the same."

Also joined up to the Gaelic Gear partnership is the Australasian GAA board and the British Universities GAA, with the North American board and the Irish Universities considering the scheme.

In addition, Stewart says, part of the appeal of Gaelic Gear will be the provision of new GAA products to satisfy the needs of players and supporters.

"We started out making sliotars," he says, "and last month supplied the footballs for the All Star tour to San Diego.

"And we are always looking at new products. We actually produced a grip football, similar to what you have on an American football, but that appeared to be a little before its time."