Monthly expenditure

[old yellar]

"The cost of running the Offaly senior hurling and football teams for the month of January reached a staggering €63,467.

Delegates were left shocked at the March meeting of the Offaly County Board when treasurer Andy Gallagher read out the figures and it raised a great debate.

Gallagher admitted that a number of cuts would have to be made with travelling the biggest expenditure in both codes, while chairman Pat Teehan agreed that there needed to be savings made.

A breakdown of the expenses show that the senior hurlers outgoings were: Players Travel Expenses: €9,434. Meals €8,552. Manager & Admin €4,295. Physio €2,425. Trainers & Coaches €6,225. Gyms €2,997. Gear Van €560.

Senior football: Players travel €8,600; Meals €5,160; Manager & Admin €6,976; Physio €3,260; Trainers & Coaches €2,410; Gym €1,913; Gear Van €560. " Hoganstand

What do you think of the figures?

[Lone Shark]

Needless to say those sort of numbers are hugely unsustainable. They'd need to be broken down even further before it would be possible to make any real comment though.

[kingscounty]

yes the cost is high but i wouldnt cut back to much.i know the teams are not winning much lately but surely no one would deny the lads a decent meal or proper training and physio.theses guys are picked to play for offaly so the least the county board can do is look after them.they dont get paid for playing and get enough abuse when things go wrong so i would cut them some slack on this at least.

[durra1]

..Manager & Admin €4,295.

Does anyone seriously believe this figure?

It's no slight on the current managment - they are only woking according to the system.

It goes on in all counties and clubs but its high time payments to managers came out into the open. I have to declare all of my private sector income (less 20% pay cut) with no pensions / benefits for the full rigour of the taxmans axe.

Why should payments to sports mangers be out of the revenue loop ??

[bracknaghboy]

Jaysus there must be professional soccer and rugby clubs out there that wouldn't have them type of running costs for a month!
I'm a little confused by the figures below:

Hurling
Manager & Admin €4,295. Trainers & Coaches €6,225.

Football
Manager & Admin €6,976; Trainers & Coaches €2,410.

Are these blatant out in the open declariations that team managment are getting paid or am I missing something?

[Long John]

Jaysus there must be professional soccer and rugby clubs out there that wouldn't have them type of running costs for a month!
I'm a little confused by the figures below:

Hurling
Manager & Admin €4,295. Trainers & Coaches €6,225.

Football
Manager & Admin €6,976; Trainers & Coaches €2,410.

Are these blatant out in the open declariations that team managment are getting paid or am I missing something?

I have to agree totally, these figures are ridiculous. So over seven months your looking at €70k being spent on both hurling and football management/admin/trainers/coaches so you'd be looking at a staggering €140k between them for 7 months. I think this should be looked at in greater detail per person in these management teams. I have a feeling that mileage will be the response the county board will give. If its based on revenue rates as in business mileage then the first 6000km in 2011 will be at higher rate. But even so these "salaries" are a joke.

[townblue]

is this some joke !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! a discrace thats what it is .. i no for a fact that the hurlers trained in crinkle a couple of weeks ago on a fri night for half hour thats all . some expensses that night . could they waste much more and ive today heard that the team now have a chef who will deliver meals to them ...... with respect we have no hope of winning major titles so why waste the money

[Plain of the Herbs]

How'rya Jody . . .

Shure the duration of the session has no bearing on the mileage travelled to get there.

is this some joke !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! a discrace thats what it is .. i no for a fact that the hurlers trained in crinkle a couple of weeks ago on a fri night for half hour thats all . some expensses that night . could they waste much more and ive today heard that the team now have a chef who will deliver meals to them ...... with respect we have no hope of winning major titles so why waste the money

[old yellar]

i didnt put this up as a awipe at anyone. Just staggered me the amount of money involved. I certainly wouldnt argue with the players etc getting good dinners, gear, mileage, medical expenses. And lets face it nearly all managers (not done in kk i know for a fact) are getting more than the basic mileage etc. i know its a tough job. suppose we all do, if we ve even been involved in a club team. it can mentally wreck you! there is some serious money still about there.. i m actually part of a club panel going interviewing 3 potential club trainers/managers tommorrow night. I m looking forward to hearing the new recessionary rates they ll look for!
It still amazes me that in all our clubs and counties, we still lash the money at the senior set up, who are meant to have basic fitness levels and meant to have mastered the skills, yet we cant find 3 lads to look after the u12s! and when we do, 2 of the 3 mighntnt have any interest or knowledge of the game and are only there cause the kid is playing! suppose thats the way we all learned!

[Lone Shark]

Players have to get a reasonable mileage rate, as do managers, and everyone needs to get fed. That's only reasonable. Theres no point in trying to pick holes in a fashion like this.....

ive today heard that the team now have a chef who will deliver meals to them

...all I can say to that is that it probably beats the alternative of foraging in the bushes for a few berries and nuts. Or maybe it's not the delivery, but the chef you object to - as in it would have been better if it was an unemployed carpenter?

However, what I would hope is NOT happening is things like the following, and that's why I'd want to be in a position to see what the cheques were written for before judging anything......

(1) Three/Four lads claiming mileage for travelling from the same place where car pooling is realistic. No-one should be out of pocket, but nobody should be profiteering either. I know of one instance here in Galway where there are three lads studying in NUIG are on a county hurling team in a non-Liam McCarthy county are all travelling together to training but claiming mileage individually.

(2) Ridiculously excessive rates for managers/trainers. Again, you'd need to see what's going on, but it's long past the time to call a halt on any substantial payments to individuals over and above expenses incurred.

(3) Meal provision etc being given to the same people without any investigation as to whether cheaper options are available. Times are tough out there and I do know of instances where meals were being provided out of a large pot and being charged at upwards of €7.50 per head. The quality was fine but we all have to work within means these days and it's not difficult put together healthy and protein rich meals for much cheaper. Steak after match day is fine if you want to push the boat out but I guarantee you there are those who will put together meals for a fiver or less that would be very decent.


As for clubs, well any club still spending money on extortionate manager mileage rates in this day and age needs their head examined. Cover costs by all means but this carry on of €150 a night for club managers is a relic of the Celtic Tiger era and needs to be put to bed. If sponsors are still dumb enough to put money in for that so be it, but I'd say those kind of sponsors are pretty rare these days.

[old yellar]

Yeah the outside caterer is used a lot by counties. We use one even for away matches in neighbouring counties as it's a cheaper alternative and you know what your getting evert time.. As for the multiple mileage claims, well we lost a v high profile player to a neighbouring county not so long back and this issue was one that came up.. I agree with you that no player should be out of pocket but it shouldn't be seen as a way to extract a few pound either..

[Lone Shark]

As for the multiple mileage claims, well we lost a v high profile player to a neighbouring county not so long back and this issue was one that came up.. I agree with you that no player should be out of pocket but it shouldn't be seen as a way to extract a few pound either..

Am I getting this right - a player was complaining that he couldn't claim expense even though he was travelling with someone else and not incurring them?

That's incredible neck if that's the case.

[old yellar]

It was one part in his leaving..

[hectors horse]

The Co Board have asked to players to car pool as if this is going to cure all..... what a f*cking disgrace. The players are not receiving gear and are not being paid their expenses on time or being given the right amount so it's not costing them anything anyway. The hurlers have difficulty getting hurls to replace ones broken. The outside caterer is being brought in to save money on hotels and elsewhere so I think we'll all agree that makes perfect sense (unless you're Jody Gunning and you think a bottle of milk and a salad sandwich is all they should be getting)

All this while thousands upon thousands of euros per month is being pumped in the one direction... this would be laughable only it's not funny!!

I'm sick of my club having to beg people to buy €100 tickets to see the money go this way.... they can f*ck right off this year.

I love Offaly and will never stay at home from a game but this is sickening. We give out about our players but they are quite evidently the only one's gaining nothing from representing the county

[clubman]

its the same in every walk of life, someone always abuses the system.having said that our players need to be looked after,physio/meals etc. these lads give up a lot of time for offaly and get a lot of abuse .managment is where we should look to cut cost and that applies to club teams too.