Soccer / Liam Miller Testamonial

Just looking and reading about this, obviously the GAA have handled this and other situation like us this year in a bad way and the right thing is to host this in Pairc UiCaoimh.....

But it begs the question why have the FAI not done more to improve their facilities and grounds around the country and why do they have to lean on the GAA for such events when they are the professional organisation.......

I would like to ask Damian Duff instead of calling the GAA dinosaurs why he is not asking why the FAI don't have the facilities to run such an event when they are the professional organisation and the likes of him and other have made multi millions out of soccer!!

I was thinking the same thing Micky. The FAI have been extremely quiet on this. Given the level of interest in the match why haven't they come out and offered the Aviva to host the event.

That said the PR from the GAA not for the first time this year leaves a lot to be desired. What they should have come out and said was "Yes we're sympathetic to your cause and would like to help but our rules prevent us from hosting a soccer match in Pairc Ui Caoimh. However, we'd be happy to stage the event in Croke Park or alternatively host a charity GAA match in Pairc Ui Caoimh if that helps."

well said micky and the main man in the FAI is on €350k a year . They should take a long hard look at themselves

Hang on, this has nothing to do with the FAI. And they do have a stadium fit for purpose in Cork. It's called Turner's Cross, is perfectly sized for good atmospheres for the local club side and is actually of a quality to host senior internationals, as with Ireland's send off game to Euro 2016.

This is a one-off event of an unusual kind that really has next-to-nothing to do with soccer. It's a game to raise funds for cancer research and a local hospice that local people are thankfully buying into in huge numbers. Again, as they did with us around the Mayo game, the GAA actually lied about their own rules in order to not host it. Just think about that mindset for a minute. They don't need to offer Croke Park. Their own rules as shown by sports lawyers say they can open the gates in Cork without any hesitation.

Also, not sure what John Delaney's wages have to do with it, however absurd. If you want to go down a tit-for-tat road (while using a game of fun sport around a widow, grieving children, and a young former GAA and soccer player dying in his 30s of a terrible disease to have a go) you could pay Delaney's wages for the next 100 years with the money given by the taxpayer to the GAA to build PuC.

Lastly, it's in Cork because that is the community he was from and is giving all the support. After the Newbridge or Nowhere arguments on here, that is an astounding point of view. And just to show the hypocrisy, why wasn't anyone on here saying why don't the GAA have a ground in Belfast capable of staging the great Anto Finnegan's motor neuron disease fundraiser and why didn't the IRFU make a big deal of handing over Ravenhill?

I can tell you why. Because it is sport being used for important good around terrible diseases and that isn't a time to compare the sizes of your m**keys lads, and to play politics. For shame.

TommyKeegan wrote:

Hang on, this has nothing to do with the FAI. And they do have a stadium fit for purpose in Cork. It's called Turner's Cross, is perfectly sized for good atmospheres for the local club side and is actually of a quality to host senior internationals, as with Ireland's send off game to Euro 2016.

This is a one-off event of an unusual kind that really has next-to-nothing to do with soccer. It's a game to raise funds for cancer research and a local hospice that local people are thankfully buying into in huge numbers. Again, as they did with us around the Mayo game, the GAA actually lied about their own rules in order to not host it. Just think about that mindset for a minute. They don't need to offer Croke Park. Their own rules as shown by sports lawyers say they can open the gates in Cork without any hesitation.

Also, not sure what John Delaney's wages have to do with it, however absurd. If you want to go down a tit-for-tat road (while using a game of fun sport around a widow, grieving children, and a young former GAA and soccer player dying in his 30s of a terrible disease to have a go) you could pay Delaney's wages for the next 100 years with the money given by the taxpayer to the GAA to build PuC.

Lastly, it's in Cork because that is the community he was from and is giving all the support. After the Newbridge or Nowhere arguments on here, that is an astounding point of view. And just to show the hypocrisy, why wasn't anyone on here saying why don't the GAA have a ground in Belfast capable of staging the great Anto Finnegan's motor neuron disease fundraiser and why didn't the IRFU make a big deal of handing over Ravenhill?

I can tell you why. Because it is sport being used for important good around terrible diseases and that isn't a time to compare the sizes of your m**keys lads, and to play politics. For shame.

Well said.

Hang on here lads.... get down off the high horses nobody questioning the merits of the event...... read the post the 1st line clearly states the GAA have handled this incorrectly and the right thing is to have this in Pairc UiCaoimh....... or wherever I am as aware and have been affected by similar circumstances as much as anyone....

The point is why have the FAI not done more to improve their facilities and why have we never heard Damian Duff come out and question the FAI over this......

Because the FAI only care about the National team and not the problem child (delaneys words) i.e. the domestic league. Hence the annual debacle over payment of players and financial scandals and the general state of playing facilities for most clubs.

The clubs are left to their own devices and some can manage but most can't. The facilities in general are shocking and soccer certainly suffers at the hands of the GAA and Rugby in terms of corporate sponsorship.

The Liam Miller fundraiser should not be about the GAA or the FAI. Its simply a charity event looking for a venue which should be in Cork considering Liam's background.


As usual the GAA made a mess of simple situation and have once again spectacularly shot themselves in the foot.


As for Duffer he is the same as any sports pundit or commentator in the media. They all have opinions and bias and will not please all of the people all of the time. Plus he is employed by Shamrock Rovers and I am sure digging into the FAI is probably not in their best interests.

micky murphy wrote:

The point is why have the FAI not done more to improve their facilities and why have we never heard Damian Duff come out and question the FAI over this......

The FAI don't need anything bigger than an 8,000 or 10,000 capacity stadium outside Dublin though.

Turner's Cross is more than adequate for the vast majority of matches it's ever likely to host.

There's nothing the FAI need to do on this issue really, everyone who follows the game knows the problems clubs and the league have with the FAI - but these issues are completely irrelevant to this fundraiser game.

TommyKeegan wrote:

Hang on, this has nothing to do with the FAI. And they do have a stadium fit for purpose in Cork. It's called Turner's Cross, is perfectly sized for good atmospheres for the local club side and is actually of a quality to host senior internationals, as with Ireland's send off game to Euro 2016.

This is a one-off event of an unusual kind that really has next-to-nothing to do with soccer. It's a game to raise funds for cancer research and a local hospice that local people are thankfully buying into in huge numbers. Again, as they did with us around the Mayo game, the GAA actually lied about their own rules in order to not host it. Just think about that mindset for a minute. They don't need to offer Croke Park. Their own rules as shown by sports lawyers say they can open the gates in Cork without any hesitation.

Also, not sure what John Delaney's wages have to do with it, however absurd. If you want to go down a tit-for-tat road (while using a game of fun sport around a widow, grieving children, and a young former GAA and soccer player dying in his 30s of a terrible disease to have a go) you could pay Delaney's wages for the next 100 years with the money given by the taxpayer to the GAA to build PuC.

Lastly, it's in Cork because that is the community he was from and is giving all the support. After the Newbridge or Nowhere arguments on here, that is an astounding point of view. And just to show the hypocrisy, why wasn't anyone on here saying why don't the GAA have a ground in Belfast capable of staging the great Anto Finnegan's motor neuron disease fundraiser and why didn't the IRFU make a big deal of handing over Ravenhill?

I can tell you why. Because it is sport being used for important good around terrible diseases and that isn't a time to compare the sizes of your m**keys lads, and to play politics. For shame.

Tommy, my reasons for suggesting the FAI or GAA should have offered the Aviva or Croke Park for the match are twofold. Firstly, the GAA rulebook prevents the playing of a soccer match in Pairc Ui Caoimh. If you can quote me the rule that says "they can open the gates in Cork without hesitation" I'll stand corrected on that point. Secondly, it's a fundraiser where the primary aim is to raise as much money as possible. If you can fill an Aviva or a Croke Park then that's where you should go. To try and compare Newbridge or Nowhere (a competitive match where one team has home advantage prescribed in rule) to a fundraiser is what is "astounding" to me. It's not just people from Cork that would go to this match. The support that Celtic and Man Utd. have nationwide would surely see a huge turnout if the game was in Dublin too.

Like Micky I never questioned the merits of the event. If fact I suggested a charity GAA game in Pairc Ui Caoimh could also take place to help support the cause. And just so you know I won't be feeling any shame for my views on the matter.

Wouldn't get that crowd in Dublin as a local event. Cost too and from Dublin would turn many off. As per rule, told by legal minds that there are three ways by which GAA could sanction an event.

Rule 5.1a (as charity event)
Rule 3.44 (by DG)
Rule 3.59b (in tandem with a GAA game)

TommyKeegan wrote:

Wouldn't get that crowd in Dublin as a local event. Cost too and from Dublin would turn many off. As per rule, told by legal minds that there are three ways by which GAA could sanction an event.

Rule 5.1a (as charity event)
Rule 3.44 (by DG)
Rule 3.59b (in tandem with a GAA game)

Personally I would have thought there would be a big interest in this game even outside of Cork. I'd have thought given the teams participating in it and the cause it would have been guaranteed a large attendance wherever it was held, even allowing for the fact that the Cork public would have a greater affinity with Liam Miller.

With regards to the rules you've quoted I've have a read of them and while I accept I'm not a legal mind I wouldn't be at all certain that the game could be sanctioned under these rules. If it was that clear surely it would have been done by now. For clarity the rules read as follows:-

5.1 (a) All property including Grounds, Club Houses, Halls, Dressing Rooms and Handball Alleys owned or controlled by units of the Association shall be used only for the purpose of or in connection with the playing of the Games controlled by the Association, and for such other purposes not in conflict with the Aims and Objects of the Association, that may be sanctioned from time to time by the Central Council.

3.44 (a) The Central Council shall appoint a Director General, who shall be the Chief Executive of the Association. (b) The Director General may enter into any contract
or transaction on behalf of the Association which is in the ordinary course of the business of the Association or which has been approved by the Management Committee. (c) The Director General may from time to time delegate such power as is set out in clause (b), in whole or in part, to any person or persons nominated by him for that purpose. (d) The Secretary of an Administrative Unit may enter into any contract or transaction on behalf of that Unit which is in the ordinary course of business of that Unit or which has been approved by the Management Committee of that Unit.

3.59 (b) A County Committee or Higher Council may apply, in writing, to Central Council for permission not to exercise, within its jurisdiction, the strict application of a Rule, where strict adherence to the Rule may not be in the best interests of the Association within that
jurisdiction. Such permission may only be given in exceptional circumstances in the interests of the promotion of Hurling/Football.

All of those reasons could have been argued, and while there as with most GAA rules may be grey areas, no one would have come out shouting it down if GAA had just given go-ahead. But they literally lied and said this wasn't possible. Think about what they lied over and about the mindset in these circumstances.

If they are precluded by rule from hosting the game, why does their most recent statement say they are going back to "consider" what came out of the recent talks. There is nothing to "consider" if they can't have the game.

Listen, FAI is the greatest basket case of all time, this latest shenanigans with the PFAI is staggering even by their standards. Delaney is a charlatan. But this is about a charity event in Cork, and attempting to do good - as Donal O'Grady said, they can play Gaelic for five minutes if that's how they need to get around it. It's not rocket science. This has to be in Cork, it would fill Páirc Uí Chaoimh and could look after the Miller family. And much like opening up Croke Park, the goodwill won by the GAA in the process - while that should never be the motivation - would be massive.

Of course it shows up the absolute absurdity of the rule anyway in this day and age. It is not reflective of modern society. How many GAA clubs have the local soccer teams training on their all-weathers during the winter - or just have the all-weather being rented to play soccer? It's absurd. The days of fighting rugby and soccer are gone, have to work with them for the good of the youngsters, because what's happening at club level now, if people have a gun put to their heads, more and more are inclined to go with the sport they know is on a particular time on a particular day every week, then the one they haven't a clue and might have to train two months between games. It's much better, in community spirit and for self-preservation to work together.

I have retired relatives of the old stock in Cork, would have been anti-strike, never forgave the players even though they became legends and that are just absolutely mortified and disgusted by this.

There’s so much irony around this. Firstly You can’t play “Foreign Sports” in any GAA GROUND other than Croke Park because the rules state it.... The theory than young players in their droves will give up GAA and take up same said “Foreign Sport”...... BUT and there’s a BUT.... The rule allows us to deem Croke Park different so we can allow “Foreign Sports”

I wouldn’t be jumping around praising Damien Duff and Co as stated above for their intervention but it does ask the question what the brass at the top think at times. We can bend the rules if we get away with it for Newbridge but we can’t bend the rule as the influx of “Foreign Sports Stars” to our playing fields would be harmful to the Association.......

Even at this stage they will leave this saga with egg on face and they’ve no one to blame but themselves.
We have a small pool of players which cross over numerous codes and even if it’s only to acknowledge the fact Liam Miller actually played GAA they should have dealt with this issue better.

I forgot to add that the optics aren't helped when grounds are unavailable for what they're intended for due to money-making concerts and then when they are available, are not in the condition they should be. And then you say no to hosting a charity event.

Embarrassing.

This is all about the FAI.

This is a soccer game, nothing to do with GAA.....

It shows that the FAI were too concerned with paying big salaries to Executives ( was one lad not on half a mil a year) and bailing out broke clubs who contracted to pay managers and players money they never had or could realistically hope to have....rather than spending on a proper soccer venue in the Real Capital.

I read reports that the GAA have offered The Park FREE FOR a Charity match to the Millar Fund, just not a soccer match !!!!

And that they even offered the dining/reception facilities of the Stand in The Park for the day of the soccer game

This sort of whispering campaign of "why wont they gis us a pitch" is an old chesnut that the soccer lads wheel out at any opportunity..........Lots of clubs have been victims of this sort of thing so I have no sympathy..... Let then ask the IRFU for Lansdowne Road........

Newbridge or Nowhere!! We'll accept any game...............

Newbridge or Nowhere!! We'll accept any game...............

kelf wrote:

This is all about the FAI.

This is a soccer game, nothing to do with GAA.....

It shows that the FAI were too concerned with paying big salaries to Executives ( was one lad not on half a mil a year) and bailing out broke clubs who contracted to pay managers and players money they never  had or could realistically hope to have....rather than spending on a proper soccer venue in the Real Capital.

I read reports that the GAA have offered The Park FREE FOR a Charity match to the Millar Fund, just not a soccer match !!!!

And that they even offered the dining/reception facilities of the Stand in The Park for the day of the soccer game

This sort of whispering campaign  of "why wont they gis us a pitch" is an old chesnut that the soccer lads wheel out at any opportunity..........Lots of clubs have been victims of this sort of thing so I have no sympathy..... Let then ask the IRFU for Lansdowne Road........

Which reports? Have you a link to that?

'They even offered the dining/reception facilities...'. Well why not the pitch then? It's all part of the one complex. Owned by the GAA. Or is the only the hallowed turf that the soccer lads (your words) are not allowed on?

It's a Cork event to be held in Cork. Liam Miller is a Corkman. He won a Sciath na Scoil medal in the old PuC. Marymount is a very well known Cork institution who do fantastic work.

This is not a whispering campaign - it's a campaign very much out in the open. Have no doubt about it, this is a PR disaster for the GAA no matter what the gaa heads tell you.

kelf wrote:

This is all about the FAI.

This is a soccer game, nothing to do with GAA.....

It shows that the FAI were too concerned with paying big salaries to Executives ( was one lad not on half a mil a year) and bailing out broke clubs who contracted to pay managers and players money they never  had or could realistically hope to have....rather than spending on a proper soccer venue in the Real Capital.

I read reports that the GAA have offered The Park FREE FOR a Charity match to the Millar Fund, just not a soccer match !!!!

And that they even offered the dining/reception facilities of the Stand in The Park for the day of the soccer game

This sort of whispering campaign  of "why wont they gis us a pitch" is an old chesnut that the soccer lads wheel out at any opportunity..........Lots of clubs have been victims of this sort of thing so I have no sympathy..... Let then ask the IRFU for Lansdowne Road........

Except this once off charity game is nothing to do with FAI...

There's no need for any stadium bigger than 10,000 anywhere outside of Dublin. Turners Cross is perfectly acceptable for 95% of the matches it will ever need to host, it has proven capable of hosting title deciding matches, European games and internationals.

A lot of people defending the GAA on this and having a go at Damien Duff, are of the opinion the FAI should be building big stadiums around the country. There's simply no need for them to do that, league attendances certainly don't justify it and anything that size outside of the greater Dublin area would just become another white elephant and a waste of money.

Let them ask to use the Aviva... the same way we should have asked to use Páirc Uí Chaoimh to allow more fans into the Mayo and Galway games?

kelf wrote:

This is all about the FAI.

This is a soccer game, nothing to do with GAA.....

It shows that the FAI were too concerned with paying big salaries to Executives ( was one lad not on half a mil a year) and bailing out broke clubs who contracted to pay managers and players money they never  had or could realistically hope to have....rather than spending on a proper soccer venue in the Real Capital.

I read reports that the GAA have offered The Park FREE FOR a Charity match to the Millar Fund, just not a soccer match !!!!

And that they even offered the dining/reception facilities of the Stand in The Park for the day of the soccer game

This sort of whispering campaign  of "why wont they gis us a pitch" is an old chesnut that the soccer lads wheel out at any opportunity..........Lots of clubs have been victims of this sort of thing so I have no sympathy..... Let then ask the IRFU for Lansdowne Road........

This has nothing to do with the FAI. The FAI is a basket case, that's a given but this is not about soccer, it's about charity, doing a good and decent thing. The game has to be in Cork, it can't be in Dublin, for very obvious reasons. And Páirc Uí Chaoimh is the largest stadium in Cork that will easily be filled. This is all clearcut, before you even get into the significant taxpayer money that went into building the stadium.

Sorry, jumped in without seeing other people replying and thus my contribution not required.

Except this once off charity game is nothing to do with FAI...

So this soccer game has nothing to do with the body in charge of all soccer in the ROI !!!!!

Pull the other one !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

kelf wrote:

Except this once off charity game is nothing to do with FAI...

So this soccer game has nothing to do with the body in charge of all soccer in the ROI  !!!!!

Pull the other one !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Of course it doesn't. So if there's a game of hurling on before it now and then a soccer match, how would you define who should be responsible? It's not a competition, it's not an officially sanctioned game, it could be like the game we have in the club for charity that could turn into rugby, soccer or basketball at any notice. God knows, it rarely looks like football. This is a charity event, could be a concert, could be a game of tiddly winks and it just needs a venue. It's actually very straightforward.

It's sorted, surprise, surprise and credit the GAA for getting there in the end. A spot of semantics to include a Gaelic games event but so be it, if that's what it needed. Will they have a game before the next Rolling Stones concert at Croker? Anyway, this was always happening and it's a pity the organisation we love had to bring such negative publicity on itself for the second time in a month, when there was a penalty kick for a love-in presenting itself. Really hope they learn the lessons but better that they row back than be pig-headed. The important thing is that the Park will be thronged and the Miller family will be set.

Well done everyone.