Dessie Farrell is some fool in fairness. I think it’s blatantly ridiculous to link the issues of government grants with drug testing and it undermines the credibility of the whole campaign for grants in the first place.
I think the grants were and are a good idea and Martin Cullen is a gobshite for speculating about them in public, but they’re not in any way linked to drug testing. GAA players are not the only amateurs in the world to subscribe to drug testing, contrary to Farrell’s protests.
The question the GPA asked its members was:
“Due to the threat of grant withdrawal and recent positive drug test, players suggest we should boycott anti-doping code. Do you agree?”
What sort of way is that to canvass opinion? First of all, it tells the players what the players are already suggesting (to lead them to the right answer) and it somehow links the grant withdrawal with the recent positive drug test.
Sean Potts came out with the following incredible statement:
"Players have been uneasy with the anti-doping code but have gone along with it. “Nobody has objected but that unease was dealt with by government funding.”
Are the players (or the GPA) playing us for fools? They don’t get money for complying with anti-doping codes. And the anti-doping codes are there to protect those players in the first place.
If the GPA wanted to do positive work for its members it should:
Make it absolutely clear that the handling of the O’Mahoney case was completely wrong and that no details of the test should have been released until the breach had been established and the circumstances explained - particularly given the offence involved.
Campaign vigorously in public and behind the scenes for the grants to be paid in full.
I think it’s safe to say that the GPA would never have been formed had Dessie not been best mates with Kenny Cunningham in secondary school and become insanely jealous of his professional footballer friend’s wealth. Thoroughly agree on the point about trying to link grants to doping - truly ridiculous.
[quote=“therock67”]"Players have been uneasy with the anti-doping code but have gone along with it. “Nobody has objected but that unease was dealt with by government funding.”
[/quote]
That’s feckin gas. Their whole attitude to this drug testing and the way it’s strangely linked to the grants is totally fucked up. It (drug testing) should obviously be a positve (no pun intended) addition to the game, creating a level playing field for all players not a incentive to make money. The issue of the grants should have nothing to do with doping.
I think its really important the players get grants - I mean so what if a few young girls die in the future of cervical cancer the important thing is that the amateur GGA players get paid
[quote=“dancarter”]Was GPA not founded by Donal O Neill?
In response to your sig
Celtic TV[/quote]
Donal O’Neill founded it in conjunction with a number of players and Dessie was one of the main movers. He was their first Chairman and progressed onto Chief Executive from there.
I believe Donal O’Neill didn’t like the direction the association went in.
It is funny to see Dessie blaming everyone else about dope testing now whereas on the GPA website the link to info on it is labelled “Drug Testing. It’s your responsibility”. He’ll be against bagging drink drivers next.
