Joe Brolly as the voice of calm and reason. It has been a crazy couple of days.
Fans of all sporting preferences, across the country, are up in arms over the GAA’s decision to deny those organising a fundraising game, in memory of Liam Miller, the use of Páirc Uí Chaoimh.
Organisers of the game, which is set to feature the likes of Roy Keane, Paul Scholes and Rio Ferdinand, had happened to get permission from the GAA to use the Cork ground (capacity 41,000) to the game. Miller, a former player with Cork City, Celtic, Manchester United and Ireland, passed away earlier this year and funds raised from the match would go to his family.
As it stands, the game will go ahead at Turner’s Cross on September 25. As that ground has a capacity of 7,000, the in-take of funds would be significantly lower.
Back in February, the Cork footballers stood in respectful silence to pay tribute to Miller not long after he had passed away from cancer. The desire to stage his fundraiser at the home ground of those footballers seems to have hit a brick wall, with the GAA stating they had sought legal advice to ensure they could turn down the request.
The GAA claim they must abide by the rules and that such rules can only be put up for discussion, debate and votes at Congress, next February.
Rule 5.1 of the GAA guide states that all GAA property shall ‘be used only for the purpose of or in connection with the playing of the games controlled by the Association’, with the exception of Croke Park.
Former Derry star, and current RTE pundit, Joe Brolly has studied the rule further and believes there is a simple solution to what has rapidly turned into a lamentable fiasco.
Brolly feels the charity match in Miller’s honour would surely not be in conflict with the aims and objects of the GAA. He makes a further point about the “discretionary” sanctions that currently exist for giving such a game the go ahead.
Rule 5.1 (a) allows GAA pitches to be used for "purposes not in conflict with the aims and objects of the association.." So, the Liam Miller game could easily be sanctioned. In any event, the penalty for a breach is discretionary R5.1(b) so a blind eye should be turned.
— Joe Brolly (@JoeBrolly1993) July 20, 2018
Well put by Brolly.
Not for the first time this summer, public opinion is firmly against the association. The charity match is over two months away so there is still time for the sands to shift on this matter.
