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Liam Griffin urges "radical overhaul" to speed up GAA democracy

Former Wexford hurling manager Liam Griffin feels a "radical overhaul is needed within the GAA. T...



Liam Griffin urges "radica...
Football

Liam Griffin urges "radical overhaul" to speed up GAA democracy

Former Wexford hurling manager Liam Griffin feels a "radical overhaul is needed within the GAA.

The Club Players Association fixtures co-ordinator was speaking to Off The Ball in relation to the talk of proposed changes to the structure of the All Ireland Senior Hurling Championship, with the potential for a round robin format to be introduced in line with the future Super 8s in Gaelic football.

"The GAA needs to look at itself and examine itself. If it was a business it would have to re-examine itself and say 'how are we going?'" said Griffin when asked about the need for a revamp at an organisational level within the GAA's operational system.

"We've 24,000 people outside the door and by the way that's not going to last. I mean, that's a dangerous situation to leave out there. But at the end of it all, I think a radical overhaul is needed because the democracy is working too slow.

"We're in a modern world where things move fast. Why would we (CPA) have 24,000 people as members if the system was working well.

"For example, because we wanted a two tier system, we were told this wouldn't be possible and we couldn't come back with our proposal until 2019. Now, 2019 for 2020 to implement the plan, that puts a player of 27 at 31 years of age. That's him almost finished in his sport. Is that fast enough?" 

"If that is a fair system, I don't know a precedent for it anywhere else. People could spend their youth for the system to change and that's democracy at its worst."

He added that one part of the solution would be an "olive branch" extended towards the CPA and other representative bodies like the GPA from the GAA.

"We are not the enemy within. We are hopefully people who can solve problems," he said. 

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