The topic that has been on everyone’s lips for the past few months will top the agenda at Derry’s Annual County Convention at Owenbeg this Sunday (5pm) after one club proposed a motion to block grants being paid to county players.  

St. Mary’s Faughanvale, who have no current representative on the Derry senior panel, have submitted a motion to go before the board at Sunday’s meeting to stop the payment of grants which were released by the Irish Government this week and will see each player pocket in the region of €1,200 per year.

The North Derry club claim that the receipt of grants by players is in breach of Association rules.

They have proposed that “the GAA shall not administer grants of any form to any player within the Association and shall not officially recognise the so called ‘Gaelic Players Association,’ whose activities and actions are in breach of Rule 11 of the Official Guide.”

The said rules states that “a player, team, official or member shall not accept payment in cash or in kind in conjunction with the playing of Gaelic Games.”  The maximum possible punishment for breaking the rule is expulsion from the Association.

In his report, county secretary Danny Scullion will tell those present at the Owenbeg Centre of Excellence (which may be renamed the Eamonn Coleman Centre of Excellence if motion 4 is passed) that the current situation surrounding the grants impasse, which was finally cleared last week, is ‘saddening’.

The Ballinascreen clubman, who will step down from his role to be replaced by a new full-time administrator in the coming weeks, will affirm his belief that county players are presently well treated and insists that players were ‘encouraged’ to fall into line and support the potential strike action that was averted last week.

“Many players are uncomfortable with what is happening.  They have witnessed and appreciate that the greatness of the GAA lies in the community spirit generated by volunteerism.  However, they are being encouraged to look on the game from a purely selfish perspective.

“I personally would be very disappointed if players refused to represent their county when selected.  All players deserve to be looked after and I believe that all members of our county squads are well treated and receive appreciation for their contribution to the GAA in Derry,” he states.