Former Donegal ace, Brendan Devenney, has strongly criticised the GAA for ignoring the needs of clubs and weaker counties, saying that money is driving the attention elsewhere.
Devenney told the Irish Examiner:
Elite county teams is what is driving the GAA
You look at the Sky broadcasting deal and the most pick-ups are going to be in the city, particularly Dublin. You would think that Sky will get behind Dublin GAA then in the near future and that they will be their target. The profile of the Dublin players will go through the roof and all this is taking from the club player, from other counties.
He made the point that the gap in standards between counties has lessened the inter-county competition and that focus should instead switch to club teams:
I think the GAA needs to decide are they pushing for a money agenda or are they playing these games for the people involved, 90% of whom are club players. Where are we going?
The club championship should be pushed up to the top of the agenda. Instead it is being pushed back. Club players are being pushed down the ladder. I think the club competition is the only real one left. For me there’s a row between club and county, and money is at the heart of it.
Devenney is of the belief that club teams are treated like a 'poor relation' in comparison to their county sides. Coincidentally, Donegal postponed all their club games yesterday at wishes of county management. A move which sparked outrage from another former player.
Club players in Donegal told once again by Senior team management to put away your boots we will decide when you play crazy stuff
— Kevin Cassidy (@KCASS7) April 16, 2014
@JoeBrolly1993 @winkell I would imagine after this Joe Croke park will come down hard on our Co Board they weren't happy as it was
— Kevin Cassidy (@KCASS7) April 16, 2014
@KCsixtyseven @johnjazzharan @chrismcnulty86 if clubs accept it this weekend it will be the norm for the rest of the year
— Kevin Cassidy (@KCASS7) April 16, 2014
Read the rest of Devenney's comments to the Examiner here.
