DISAPPOINTMENT VOICED AT GAA DECISION
Disappointment voiced at GAA Decision
BY: ADRIAN MULLAN
IT is final, there will be no soccer match held in the GAA's Healy Park in Omagh Or will there? GAA headquarters has conclusively dismissed a request from Omagh Town football Club to stage a match between a major British football team and a select Omagh Town side to raise money for the Memorial Fund.
But the decision taken by officials at Croke Park was taken without consultation with the local club and its supporters and the mood amongst many local GAA people is that the match should go ahead as a one off.
Speaking about the decision made public on Wednesday the Chairman of St. Enda's, said the decision announced by Danny Lynch was in contradiction to the feelings of the local members.
Moreover, he said that Croke Park was not in a position to make such an announcement since the local club had not applied for a change of use of the ground, and therefore that no application had been made to the GAA H.Q.
Brendan McAleer said that the local club had been kicked about a bit by both the authorities at Croke Park and certain elements of the media who did not make contact the club in respect of this matter.
He added that in spite of what had been said the authorities at Croke Park, St. Enda's will be putting forward an application for a change of use of the grounds for a one-off non-competitive charity event, namely a soccer match between an English or Scottish League Club and a local club.
He said that the rule was out-dated but that its future should be discussed by the body as a whole, on the other hand, he was fully behind a one-off match that would be in keeping with feelings of the people of Omagh.
"We will be asking Croke Park to look at the matter as compassionately as we are feeling it at the moment."
He confirmed that he had received a letter from the manager of Omagh Town asking about the possibility of such a match and that he had informed Mr. McCreadie that he would be taking the issue up. However, the advent of the County Finals, had meant that everything was put on hold.
"My feeling is that the committee should pursue the matter, I would be very disappointed if the view of the total membership was different from our own. I would like to talk to Croke Park and bring the views of the people there back to an extra-ordinary general meeting."
Though unwilling to comment on the prospect of the club taking the decision against the ruling of Croke Park, he did not rule out the possibility, however, he stressed that he would prefer approval from Croke Park.
If the club were to decide to stage the soccer match, there could be repercussions, and in theory at least, Croke Park could institute disciplinary proceedings against the local committee. However, that move would be massively unpopular, and it seems certain that the committee would have the support of the majority of local members and the people of Omagh as a whole. The match was the brainchild of Omagh Town manager, Roy McCreadie who said the club had tried to maximise the financial benefit of the charity soccer match by holding it in Healy Park which holds around 20,000 people.
Commenting on the decision, he said that in the present circumstances the decision represented a "Sorry state of affairs", but he insisted the match would go ahead at Omagh Town's home ground at St. Julian's Road. A number of callers to the Ulster Herald this week expressed disgust at the decision and said that the proposed match should go ahead, regardless of what the Croke Park officials have decreed. One man, a GAA supporter for sixty years said that he always believed that the Association was there for the people but this decision showed that they were not.
A spokesman for the GAA, Danny Lynch, said that the use of a GAA ground for a soccer match would require a change in the Association's rules and that such a decision could only be taken by a vote at its Congress. He stressed that next month's special congress could not be used to change the rules.
Following the bomb, two British teams such as Liverpool, Manchester United, Rangers and Celtic had indicated that they would take part in a match against a local select side.
The Association's decision not to let soccer matches be played in GAA grounds has been criticised by some who believe that special circumstances warrant special responses.
The decision to prevent GAA grounds being used for foreign sports is enshrined in that body's constitution which is over one hundred years old.
However, that rule was initiated to protect Gaelic sports and pastimes at a time when Gaelic sports were facing serious competition. The situation
has changed considerably since the nineteenth century, Gaelic sports are the most popular in Ireland and the GAA is the most popular amateur sporting body in the world. The rule, therefore, would seem somewhat obsolete, especially in the light of the act that, in the recent past, the Association has permitted Croke Park to be used for American football and Australian rules football.
Despite the GAA's decision this week, the Association has expressed an intention to raise a substantial figure for the memorial fund and plans are already under way for special all-star challenge involving Gaelic sporting stars from all over Ireland.
The Association also donated the proceeds from the recent All-Ireland hurling semi-final between Clare and Offaly to the fund.
Additionally, around 2,000 clubs throughout Ireland are to run a series of fund-raising events which, it is believed will bring that body's contribution to the Omagh Fund to over one million pounds.
BY: ADRIAN MULLAN
IT is final, there will be no soccer match held in the GAA's Healy Park in Omagh Or will there? GAA headquarters has conclusively dismissed a request from Omagh Town football Club to stage a match between a major British football team and a select Omagh Town side to raise money for the Memorial Fund.
But the decision taken by officials at Croke Park was taken without consultation with the local club and its supporters and the mood amongst many local GAA people is that the match should go ahead as a one off.
Speaking about the decision made public on Wednesday the Chairman of St. Enda's, said the decision announced by Danny Lynch was in contradiction to the feelings of the local members.
Moreover, he said that Croke Park was not in a position to make such an announcement since the local club had not applied for a change of use of the ground, and therefore that no application had been made to the GAA H.Q.
Brendan McAleer said that the local club had been kicked about a bit by both the authorities at Croke Park and certain elements of the media who did not make contact the club in respect of this matter.
He added that in spite of what had been said the authorities at Croke Park, St. Enda's will be putting forward an application for a change of use of the grounds for a one-off non-competitive charity event, namely a soccer match between an English or Scottish League Club and a local club.
He said that the rule was out-dated but that its future should be discussed by the body as a whole, on the other hand, he was fully behind a one-off match that would be in keeping with feelings of the people of Omagh.
"We will be asking Croke Park to look at the matter as compassionately as we are feeling it at the moment."
He confirmed that he had received a letter from the manager of Omagh Town asking about the possibility of such a match and that he had informed Mr. McCreadie that he would be taking the issue up. However, the advent of the County Finals, had meant that everything was put on hold.
"My feeling is that the committee should pursue the matter, I would be very disappointed if the view of the total membership was different from our own. I would like to talk to Croke Park and bring the views of the people there back to an extra-ordinary general meeting."
Though unwilling to comment on the prospect of the club taking the decision against the ruling of Croke Park, he did not rule out the possibility, however, he stressed that he would prefer approval from Croke Park.
If the club were to decide to stage the soccer match, there could be repercussions, and in theory at least, Croke Park could institute disciplinary proceedings against the local committee. However, that move would be massively unpopular, and it seems certain that the committee would have the support of the majority of local members and the people of Omagh as a whole. The match was the brainchild of Omagh Town manager, Roy McCreadie who said the club had tried to maximise the financial benefit of the charity soccer match by holding it in Healy Park which holds around 20,000 people.
Commenting on the decision, he said that in the present circumstances the decision represented a "Sorry state of affairs", but he insisted the match would go ahead at Omagh Town's home ground at St. Julian's Road. A number of callers to the Ulster Herald this week expressed disgust at the decision and said that the proposed match should go ahead, regardless of what the Croke Park officials have decreed. One man, a GAA supporter for sixty years said that he always believed that the Association was there for the people but this decision showed that they were not.
A spokesman for the GAA, Danny Lynch, said that the use of a GAA ground for a soccer match would require a change in the Association's rules and that such a decision could only be taken by a vote at its Congress. He stressed that next month's special congress could not be used to change the rules.
Following the bomb, two British teams such as Liverpool, Manchester United, Rangers and Celtic had indicated that they would take part in a match against a local select side.
The Association's decision not to let soccer matches be played in GAA grounds has been criticised by some who believe that special circumstances warrant special responses.
The decision to prevent GAA grounds being used for foreign sports is enshrined in that body's constitution which is over one hundred years old.
However, that rule was initiated to protect Gaelic sports and pastimes at a time when Gaelic sports were facing serious competition. The situation
has changed considerably since the nineteenth century, Gaelic sports are the most popular in Ireland and the GAA is the most popular amateur sporting body in the world. The rule, therefore, would seem somewhat obsolete, especially in the light of the act that, in the recent past, the Association has permitted Croke Park to be used for American football and Australian rules football.
Despite the GAA's decision this week, the Association has expressed an intention to raise a substantial figure for the memorial fund and plans are already under way for special all-star challenge involving Gaelic sporting stars from all over Ireland.
The Association also donated the proceeds from the recent All-Ireland hurling semi-final between Clare and Offaly to the fund.
Additionally, around 2,000 clubs throughout Ireland are to run a series of fund-raising events which, it is believed will bring that body's contribution to the Omagh Fund to over one million pounds.
Further Information
Publisher: ULSTER HERALD
Ref: UH/1131
Published Date: 17-Sep-98
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