As the GAA prepares to convene a Special Congress to vote on a restructured senior football championship, the Club Players Association have outlined their disappointment at the GAA's decision to bring these talks forward.
In a statement released on Tuesday afternoon, the association explained how the GAA's decision contradicted the timeline offered to the CPA's Fixtures Calendar Review Taskforce.
Chairman Michael Briody stated:
"We are very concerned and disappointed that the GAA central management committee has decided to bring forward proposals for the Tier 2 competitions to Special Congress in October while the Fixtures Calendar Review Taskforce has not yet made its report, recommendations and options as directed when it was established in June.
"The Taskforce was asked to report by November and its work is ongoing.
"Since our earliest engagement with Croke Park we have argued against this sort of incremental change which has hampered real progress in improving the lot of all players.
"Now that we have in place a Fixtures Taskforce, surely we must give the people involved the respect to let them bring forward their considered recommendations within the agreed timeframe so our fixtures problem is addressed for all our players."
On Monday afternoon, the GAA revealed that Central Council had met over the weekend to discuss a pair of two-tier proposals, as well as a number of potential football rule changes.
These discussions will now lead to a vote on proceedings next month.
In accordance with the CPA's disappointment, the Gaelic Players Association had urged the GAA to delay Saturday's talks before they too could report on their findings regarding the scheduling of fixtures.
By way of the concluding remark on this afternoon's statement, the CPA explained:
"The CPA has engaged fully with the Fixtures Taskforce since its formation contributing feedback and analysis, and making available all materials and proposals that we have developed to date.
"This has all been done in good faith in the assumption that the Taskforce would be allowed to complete its work unhindered as directed. That appears now not to be the case.
"While we are disappointed that Special Congress is going ahead, we will continue to work within the Fixtures Taskforce to try and find a workable solution for club players from 2021."
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