Britain needs the GAA

THE standard of intelligence in our modern day idiot is decreasing. Last week some clowns put up a sign in north Belfast that stated that Anti British GAA was not welcome. I applauded the message initially. The plight of the British GAA is one that needs support. If GAA could grow in Britain then it would be a fantastic thing for Britain as much as it would be for the GAA. But then I was told that the message actually was misspelt, and that Anti British should be hyphenated. Anti-British GAA, not Anti British-GAA. Okay, so it’s a sectarian issue. North Belfast has sectarian issues and some very serious problems. The area suffers from economic and social depravation. If there is a place that needs the GAA, an organisation that has shown during the pandemic that it can reach out and help the community, then it is there. Okay, I realise that’s a leap that probably can’t happen now because currently the GAA is weak in north Belfast where there are only two clubs if you don’t count the Glengormley outfit. It’s unlikely thatclubs are going to be taking care packages into Tiger’s Bay, but a guy can dream.

RONAN SCOTT

New rules should have been deferred

SO the new rules set to come into play this year are still going to be in place despite the coronavirus outbreak. It means that we will be seeing the likes of the advanced mark and the sin-bin. Surely though this move should have been delayed until 2021. There will be enough confusion to deal with when the action does return, and this is just an extra layer of uncertainty. Clubs simply will not have enough time to plan accordingly and God help the officials trying to work it out too. The GAA have been (or will be when the plans are finalised) flexible, and they should have been on this issue too.

NIALL MCCOY

Training club coaches?

WE had a good debate last week when we dusted off the inside/outside managers’ conversation. It’s a trusty one, because folks have strong opinions on both sides. The players all said that outside managers are better because they bring less baggage with them. Those who are against the practice tend to have a problem with the idea of paying managers to take teams. They feel that there is a carpet-bagger element to the practice. Yet the players counter that with the argument that a manager who gets involved with teams for selfish reasons won’t last long. For me, it is a resources issue. The GAA, whilst being a massive organisation, has limits on its personnel due to strict club and county rules. Clubs can often struggle to field underage teams due to lack of players. So it can often be a battle getting a team out. I0f there was a rule that forced them to have an inside manager that would only create greater strain. The dream is clubs coaching coaches, but is that feasible?

RONAN SCOTT

League finish is right call

THE noises emerging from the corridors of power seem to suggest that finishing the National Leagues is becoming an increasing priority. For me, this is a massive plus. The football and hurling leagues are brilliant, and for many counties the main chance of tangible progress. Crucially, both codes were very near completion – on the assumption that finals would not be played. Even if it happens just before the start of the 2021 league, I think it’s important that the National Leagues are finished out.

NIALL MCCOY