‘They don’t care about club players’ – Gormley

Niall Gormley helped Trillick win the Tyrone Championship last year

Trillick footballer, and former Tyrone county player, Niall Gormley believes that the GAA doesn’t care about the grassroots club player.

Gormley made the comment this week when asked for his thoughts about Congress, and their decision not to curtail the county season to create a larger window for club players.

Gormley, who has played intercounty football with Tyrone, helped Trillick win the county championship last year, but he revealed that in order to save the game at club level, the intercounty season must be curtailed.

“To be honest I don’t think they care about club football,” he said.

“There is more money and publicity in county football. Younger club players nowadays plan trips to America and football is an afterthought. Most will play very little league games if any, but might still be back for championship. Shortening the intercounty season is the only option.”

These comments came in the same week that the Tyrone county board voted to push the club championship back to September, when it will be played in five consective weeks.

Gormley explained what happens at club level when the intercounty season takes over:

“Club football is struggling at the minute as players are in limbo around Intercounty championship time as clubs really don’t know when the next game is.”

Gormley accepted that some county boards have adopted measures to address the down time of their club footballers.

“In fairness Tyrone club games do seem to benefit from the starred games, but on the other hand clubs like ours struggle when we are missing four county players and maybe two more u-21s.”

And Gormley, who lives in Trillick which is on the border with Fermanagh, knows that this is an issue that affects lots of counties.

“I know from speaking to Fermanagh club players that theirs is a disaster as club football shuts down altogether for nearly two months depending on how county does. Hard to know how to solve the problem.”