Former Waterford defender Brian Flannery thinks that a revolution is needed in relation to behaviour at GAA matches. He spoke strongly about the subject on WLR's Lár Na Páirce show after a spate of ugly incidents over recent weeks.
"We've lots of nice slogans like 'Give Respect, Get Respect'; there's more than slogans required at this stage. I think that clubs, Munster Council and Croke Park have to do more in relation to it. We have a code of behaviour in the GAA. I can guarantee you that there are parents who have never been given a copy of the GAA code of behaviour or never heard of it. We don't do enough in general. If we're going to change the culture in the GAA, we need to embed that code of behaviour. Every club, every team, every parent, every coach, every player. There needs to be a revolution in relation to behaviour. It has gone out of hand."
Flannery was shocked by incidents he witnessed at underage games. "At games as low as Under 10, poor behaviour by parents, shouting abuse at opposition kids. I've seen an eleven-year-old child pushed by an adult. These are all within our own county. When it's happening that regularly and when it's happening in all our different codes, you have to say there's something wrong with the culture in the GAA. We're not doing enough to correct it. If I was talking to Larry McCarthy, every club needs to attest that they have embedded this code of behaviour with everybody involved. But it needs to be every year. It needs to be certified. Sometimes we take it for granted in the GAA that people know how to behave properly."
Listen back to the full piece with Brian Flannery from Friday's Lár Na Páirce.
