Result of ballot to be known tomorrow

One of the potentially defining moments in GAA history will be known at noon tomorrow with the result of the Gaelic Players Association (GPA) ballot on strike action, stemming from the ongoing impasse over the implementation of the proposed Government player welfare grant.

The submission of ballots closed at 5.30pm yesterday, and they were sent to the GPA auditors for verification and counting. That process will continue throughout the day, with the GPA announcing the outcome of that ballot at a press conference in Dublin at noon tomorrow.

In total 1,881 ballot papers were sent to intercounty players, and along with the outcome of the call for strike action, the number of respondents will be quite telling. GPA chief executive Dessie Farrell has admitted the difficulties in predicting the actual uptake of ballot papers.

"By and large response to questionnaires sent out previously, either by ourselves or the GAA, to players have been apathetic enough," he said. "This is a more important issue, so it remains to be seen."

After several months of rumour, confirmation that the GPA had issued its members with a ballot for strike was announced on October 17th, with the action due to the "ongoing failure of the Government and the GAA to implement sports grants for intercounty players".

In a statement, the GPA added: "This significant action is being taken by the GPA following an extensive process of negotiation with our members; four provincial meetings were held followed by a period of consultation where every county squad in Ireland was contacted to gauge the mood in regard to the grants issue and any potential protest.

"The GPA executive has advised its members to vote in favour of the action which will consist of a removal of players from all intercounty competitions next season."

Ironically, one of the first competitions that would be hit should the strike go ahead is the O'Byrne Cup, Leinster's pre-season competition, which sees all the proceeds go directly into a player hardship fund.

However, Farrell remains optimistic such action can be averted as the GPA, the GAA and the Government have since called in the Irish Sports Council in an effort to the resolve the impasse, which effectively is over how to satisfactorily distribute the grants.

"It would be a great tragedy if drastic action had to be taken because the finer details could not be sorted out," said Farrell at last weekend's GPA awards.

"Nonetheless, I believe goodwill does exist on all sides to resolve this impasse . . . The clock is running and we are heading into injury time. Let's hope that a resolution can be found before the final whistle is sounded."

It's also a little ironic this potential strike over improving player welfare comes at the same time the GAA sealed their latest commercial venture with Sony Computer Entertainment Ireland, details of which were announced yesterday.

From tomorrow, the new Gaelic Games: Hurling will be available exclusively for PlayStation Two, with the new edition of Gaelic Games: Football Two also being launched. It's the first such hurling game for the PlayStation generation, and allows users to play a single game, or follow an entire GAA season, including the National Hurling League, Provincial and All-Ireland Hurling Championships, and the Nicky Rackard and Christy Ring Cups. There is also a training mode.

GAA president Nickey Brennan said that, as the first licensing of a hurling computer game, it marked an important development in the promotion of Gaelic games: "The promotion of Gaelic sports is, and always has been the raison d'être for the GAA and what better way to get our national games into the mindset of the population than through the vehicle of Playstation. We are delighted to work with Sony as they strive to bring two of Ireland's national sports to a medium that many individuals can enjoy."

With the issue of player image rights still unresolved between the GAA and the GPA the games don't actually feature any recognisable intercounty players, and the names of the managers are also fictional.