WITH the public face of sports organisations coming more and more under scrutiny, the profile of the presidency of the Gaelic Athletic Association is now more important than ever. This is something which the delegates to the annual GAA Congress in London at Easter will surely take into account when they vote for the man whom they wish to succeed Jack Boothman, who steps down in a year's time.

The GAA has often been wise in its choice of presidents. Although the very nature of the position requires a certain gravitas bordering on conservatism there have been occasions in the past few years when the mask has slipped.

Jack Boothman is the kind of genial countryman, a vet by profession, who at times simply could not resist a ready quip and frequently used the carrot and the donkey routine to achieve his aims.

But nobody who has presided over the scheme to rebuild Croke Park can be easily dismissed merely as a teller of jokes. Boothman is generous in his contention that much of the spade work was done by a predecessor, John Dowling and that the GAA's director general, Liam Mulvihill was also a major influence on the planning and execution of the scheme.

The fact of the matter, however, is that the buck stopped on Booth man's desk. If you want to see his monument look about you the next time you go to Croke Park.

Perhaps it is in this area that Jack Boothman's successor will be under the severest of pressures, as he will have to look after the bringing of the vast scheme to a successful and fruitful conclusion.

The new man, too, will be faced with other serious challenges. The impositions of television on all major sports events is not going to by pass or overlook the GAA. Nor will the sometimes strident whingeing demands from certain quarters that players be paid to play football and hurling be easily resisted, although resisted these demands must be, and vigorously at that.

Television presents many opportunities for the GAA. It also presents challenges and sets dangerous traps.

Rugby Union football is going through a very important phase in its development right now because of the regrettable decision to pay players for playing. The GAA must, and I am sure that it probably already is, keep a weather eye on what happening in rugby. There are many signs that control of the game may be slipping out of the hands of the various national rugby unions and into the greedy maws of television companies. Professionalism on the field of play would be sure to bring these same problems to the gates of Croke Park.

The new GAA president should consider lobbying our parliamentarians on this matter so that events like the All Ireland championships in football and hurling can be saved from these malign influences, by legislation if necessary.

The GAA has weathered many storms in its 112 year history and can survive the present challenges also, but sound guidance and a steady nerve will be needed in these two particular areas.

The challenge which a completed Croke Park development will set is no less important. It will have to be accepted that to have a stadium of this magnificence and quality seriously underused could, in the long run, be an albatross around the neck of the GAA.

Moulds will have to be broken and old notions will have to be confined to history.

As things stand at the moment the candidates are Joe McDonagh, the former Galway hurler who ran Boothman close last time out, Sean McCague, a successful Monaghan trainer/ coach, Jimmy Grey, a former Dublin hurler now in charge of the Dublin team and a former Dublin and Leinster Council chairman, and Noel Walsh, the current Munster Council chairman.

The man who takes over from Jack Boothman (all the candidates are men) will have to be a diplomat and a skillful negotiator, but above all a leader whose vision is understood and welcomed. All of the candidates possess these qualities in one form or another. What the delegates have to do is to weigh everything in the balance and appoint a man who can combine these qualities and has the charm and charisma to put them into effect.

The GAA has already set its face to the future. What happens within the next four years will inevitably, the calendar being the way it is, bring the association into a new century. No effort must be spared to ensure that the vision of those who founded the GAA must inspire those whose responsibility it now is.

If that can be achieved the future is bright, but the obstacles must be identified and dealt with determination and an acceptance that, although we live in a fast changing world, all change is worse than no change at all. Steady as she goes must be the motto of the new captain.