The Gaelic Players Association (GPA) is urging GAA Central Council to postpone Saturday’s planned vote on Tier Two football championship proposals to allow the Fixtures Task Force the time it needs to develop recommendations, which will benefit all units of the association.

The GPA has been encouraged by the work of the GAA’s Fixtures Task Force to date and has representatives from all key stakeholder groups in the GAA working together to remedy the long-standing fixtures and structural issues that currently impact player welfare.

This group have discussed the Tier Two football championship structure on a number of occasions and have also highlighted their concerns with passing this motion, without allowing them to finalise their recommendations.

Additionally, the GPA has established a working group of current players who have been meeting on a regular basis in recent months. This group have been engaging with the Fixtures Task Force through Ronan Sheehan, GPA Representative, to provide feedback on proposals to ensure the views of current players are clearly represented.

The GAA Fixture Task Force needs time to review the overall structure of Tier Two football championship. Time is needed to listen to the views of players and other GAA stakeholders, before putting the question to a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ vote and potentially a vote on the defined structure at tomorrow’s Central Council.

The GPA has formally outlined these concerns on several occasions in recent days, weeks and months through discussions at management level and are now calling on Central Council to consider the views of GPA members to allow the Fixtures Taskforce the necessary time it needs to develop proposals in advance of Congress 2020.