As Bill Shankly once said, “Club GAA is not a matter of life and death; it’s far more important than that.”
OK, we may have been paraphrasing there but you get our point.
Journalist Ewan MacKenna has shared this player/coach contract from the St Brigid’s Senior Football Team and to say it’s putting quite a few demands on the club’s players is a bit of an understatement.
This is the document the players need to sign before they even think about kicking a ball in anger.
- I will respond to all notifications on Teamer
- I will come to all games and training on time
- I will tog out in the dressing beforehand and go back to it afterwards
- I will notify my coach in advance if I cannot attend training or team related activities
- All holidays must be agreed in advance with management and only taken during breaks in the season
- All team events are compulsory unless agreed in advance with management
- I will be available for all league games, unless agreed in advance with management
- I will attend all club matches (whether I am playing or not) unless I have the prior permission of management
- I will give 100% at each and every training session
- I will make all sacrifices required to make St. Brigid’s, my team and myself successful
- I will congratulate my teammates chosen on match days, if I am not in the starting XV and encourage them on the pitch and be ready to give my all for the team if called upon.
- I agree to play for whichever Brigid’s team I am asked line out for
- I will go into clubhouse with my teammates after every game
- I will wear my Brigid’s training gear to all session and full tracksuit to all matches
- I will be rostered to help out with the Brigid’s Academy
- I will bring a positive attitude and influence to this group
And that’s all.
Remember a time when GAA used to be fun, not farcical? Me too! Have a read of this from St Brigid's and try and keep your jaw from dropping. pic.twitter.com/Up4fHbCesF
— Ewan MacKenna (@EwanMacKenna) January 9, 2017
Even Joe Brolly – as much a perfectionist as anyone in the GAA world – felt it was all a bit much.
sweet mother
— Joe Brolly (@JoeBrolly1993) January 9, 2017
