I have serious issue with it. Itās the antithesis of team sports and an amateur association imho.
Cooper would have no profile but for the fact he played and won on great Kerry teams. If he was born from another/weaker county he would have no where near the status he holds today.
I canāt believe anyone would fork out ā¬5,000 for a table was my first reaction.
Iām not a fan of mixing up charity in these things. Full duck or no dinner. If heās doing it for the money let it be so instead of muddying the waters.
Itās not something Iād be comfortable doing myself but if people are willing to give him money then let him off.
Same. Donāt understand that
Tax write off?
A lucrative testimonial for a retired intercounty footballer is as daft as an intercounty hurler hosting a press conference to announce his retirement.
Brolly is on the money here, pardon the pun. The GAA is becoming more and more elitist with every passing year. This is another example of it.
The GAA has become a cash cow now. A means to earn some serious coin. You see it with players coming towards the end of their playing careers who actively court media gigs through their twitter account, the blogs, the autobiography, becoming Croke Park company men (Mr D Clerkin) etc. Once they put themselves out there initially and gain some traction the newspaper column, the Sunday Game gig, the radio punditry role all follow.
Fairly dubious that thereās no clarity on what percentage of the money from this dinner is going to the charities. Looks like another junket to me, with the token nod to the charities to ward off any criticism and garnering a bit of PR in the process.
Fair play to Brolly for telling it like it is.
Hard to blame them. This country is getting more expensive to live in year on year. They should milk as much as they can for the effort they have given. That said a group testimonial is probably the way to go.
Yeah thats fair enough. Wonder what his former team mates think about it?
This is nothing to do with the GAA though or elitism. Some buddy of his suggested it. Itās cashing in on his fame the same as endorsements or punditry.
No one is compelled to buy a table.
The ācharityā bit is just a smokescreen to stop people complaining about this fuckers greed.He should be made split it with whoever retired from the kerry squad the same year as he did.
Thatās just not the way the world works though is it? Itās naive to think that it is.
Lots of little green men on tfk.
On a related topic, my life partners first cousin is going out with a professional rugby player who has been capped by Ireland. Was shocked to find out that he earns about as much in a year as I do.
He has no qualifications behind him and I doubt he would be a big enough name to get a media role. By the time he gets to the end of his rugby career he will have fuck all to show for it and nothing to fall back on. Iām sure being a professional sportsman is great and I wouldnāt begrudge any success but by the time he is finished he will be broke up from playing and still have a fine big mortgage to pay.
A lot to be said for the amateur status of the gaa when you can build a career outside of it while playing and also get a few euro out of the game be it expenses, media or coaching once retired.
Sure youāre creaming it mate 
OāGara did one in Cork and a second in London. Dont think tickets in Cork were 500 maybe 250 a head I think. Was about 1000 at each of them. Part proceeds to charity as well
If only more children aspired to work in information systems rather than thugby the world would be a better place
Thatās my issue with it too. Either be a greedy cunt or give it to charity. Half measures seems a way to try keep people happy when it actually makes it worse. Itās now like being a greedy cunt under the pretence of it being charitable.
He must be a right thick bollocks. Very few of them dont finish the degree even if it takes them 5 or 6 years.
Money is very moderate really in Ireland if not on an international contract
Selectively quoting to demonstrate why Iād be uncomfortable with Brolly being the one making the criticism. Presume he earns a nice little wedge from his status as a GAA personality through newspapers and RTE. I would see the differential between that and a testimonial dinner as only a matter of degree.
Was given the opportunity to do one but never did
What would a squad player in England or France get as a matter of interest?
Two fingers up the holeā¦