An amateur organisation run by.....

professionals.

we often hear this mantra before hearing that the FAI is a professional organisation run by amateurs.

However there is a lot of things about the GAA that I am not happy with.

What, if any changes would you like to see with how the organisation is run.
What ideas would you like to float that you don't have any firm opinion on yet?

What are the biggest threats to the organisation and how do you see them being resolved?

The biggest threats to the organisation? For a start there's Cooney moaning about managerial payments when he's on god knows what himself. I'd like to see a restructuring of the GAA calendar so that some teams have more than one or two championship games per year. I know they're giving a lot already as they are amateurs, but there is the other side as they are doing all that training and only playing a minimum of two games if they don't manage to progress- everyone should play the same amount of games before the all-Ireland series imo.

Also what's with the national anthem at Ulster games now, they bring in some wee lass to sing it in a melodic way. Go back to the Irish army bands and the crowd belting it out at the top of their lungs in a rousing rendition!

me too GW. The calendar is the most obvious and most important thing.

The tickets,

the websites.

Grants is a hot issue, but it really is a mile down the list of priorities.

Yup, GW has hit the nail on head here, the calendar needs to be looked at closely.

Open draw!! Open draw!! Open draw!!

I am gonna come up with a calendar....then you can do the 'what about'..... bit. I am gonna really put my mind on it.

I'd already come up with an idea back in the other place, it's flawed, but aspects of it could work. I'm gonnae go back to the old derelict 606 to find it..... now where did i put it.....................................................................ah ha!

Here it is, my first article in the old place in fact *blows dust off*, its a bit long winded though..

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/606/A69705796

Not long winded at all

Nothing we come up with is going to be perfect, but we will all champion something that we favour the best.

I think we'd need to consider the following:

Schools
Underage at clubs
senior clubs
County minors
county u-21
county seniors.

someone is gonna be upset at something.

and and and....the ability to let players be dual players should they so wish.

Imagine being an u-21 dual player who is good enough to play for the club and county in both codes......

there literally isn't enough time in the week... I say literally in the literal sense of the word. Thank God for the recession that this young fella doesn't have a job to go to to waste a few more hours he doesn't have.

GW
There was an awful rendition in Armagh on Saturday night. Should have let St Michaels band get on with it.
On another note compulsory change of officers on County and Provincial boards, elections return the same old faces year after year.
I think it is time for the open draw or mini league with last 16 etc like the foreign code.
If we are changing calendars can I have a Pirelli please

True story
Down county board decided to embrace new technology this year and stream the draws for Senior, Intermediate and Junior club championships this year.
As all good organisations know a trial run is essential and all went well.
The "real draw" took place shown live on line and to date the Junior championship has had to be redrawn as one club was named twice in the draw.
The senior draw is due to be redone next week as somebody fogot to put one of the balls in the bag for the draw!
Amateurism at its very best

Ar aghaidh le cheile wrote:GW
There was an awful rendition in Armagh on Saturday night. Should have let St Michaels band get on with it.

jarlath wont be happy if he see's that.

That sounds more like shamateuterism, Ar aghaidh le cheile. Good call on the county elections, like all elected figureheads, they can become far too powerful if in the job too long. We need fixed terms for county officers so they can only be returned a certain amount of times. We don't want to turn into FIFA- democracy is what seperates us from the foreign games.

The rendition of Amhrán na bhFiann was pretty awful. I could swear it went out of tune at one point. I've got nothing against those singing the anthem (in fact some of the lassies I've seen are quite attractive), but the national anthem is supposed to be rousing and inspirational, not inspiring me to reach for the mute button.

That idea of mine could be adapted for dual players, there can be a certain amount of regular season games that ensures bye-weeks every now and then for dual players to have a chance to play one code or the other. The main strength of it though I think is that you are getting more games, everyone plays the same amount and you're getting both an open draw and provincial format at the same time.

Sometimes I fell like that about the recession too.....until I realise I'm tottaly skint.