Seán Moran on another bad night for the reformers in the association

The GAA have closed the door on the Government's request that Croke Park be made available for the joint FAI-Scottish FA Euro 2008 bid.

Venues have to be confirmed to UEFA by the end of the year, and as things stand Ireland have no stadiums, let alone the two the FAI and Government agreed to provide.

Before last night's opening of the association's special congress to debate the report of the Strategic Review Committee (SRC), a statement from the GAA's Central Council was issued.

"The formal request from the Government with regard to the use of Croke Park for the Euro 2008 soccer tournament was brought to the Central Council, where it was discussed. The council re-affirmed the views of the association that the request was a matter that could only be considered at the annual congress."

With Croke Park off the menu until next April's annual congress at the earliest, Stadium Ireland in a limbo between the Government's abandonment and tentative private sector interest and Lansdowne Road in need of extensive renovation, there will be no venues available for the bid when the UEFA deadline falls.

When the congress opened, SRC chairman Peter Quinn gave a strong speech in general support of the report. It contained the startling admission that during his presidency 10 years ago Quinn had been distracted by one project - the Croke Park redevelopment - from appreciating the gravity of the problems facing the GAA.

"I now realise that I was sleep-walking through a serious decline in our competitive position through a failure to react to changing circumstances around us," he said, before adding that his work with the SRC had convinced him that not only had he been sleep-walking, "but the entire association was failing to build on the successes of our inter-county competitions, of our investment programme, of our massive development initiative.

"I, together with the rest of the association, failed to recognise our loss of market share and of our position on the ground, failing to acknowledge the level of dissatisfaction among our young members and our players, failing to counteract the criticism by members of our own structures, the distrust of officialdom within our association and, most importantly, the reason why our young people are refusing to get involved in running the association. Those are failings which I now profoundly regret."

Despite Quinn's eloquent endorsement of change, as the congress unfolded it became clear that it was shaping up as a horror beyond the most pessimistic reformer's nightmare. One by one the SRC motions taken last night were thrown out. Even the enabling motion, number one, was withdrawn in favour of a recast provision from Cork, setting up an implementation committee along slightly different lines to those recommended by motion two.

Of the substantive issues, the first sought to vary the Tyrone motion of two years ago, which meant the playing rules could be changed only every 10 years. But the more restrictive provision was endorsed.

Proposals to reform annual congress were referred to the implementation committee. In the prevailing climate, it was hardly surprising Quinn's proposal to experiment with 13-a-side in next year's national football league - to create extra space for players - was rejected, with only former president Joe McDonagh voting in favour.

A further proposal to introduce the concept of unlimited inter-change, familiar from International Rules, to senior inter-county matches was also rejected. One of the speakers in favour was Mayo footballer James Nallen, but his intervention made no difference.

It wasn't a good evening for players, with Cork delegate Bob Honohan accusing the framers of a motion to extend senior inter-county panels to 30 of being influenced by the unofficial players union, the GPA.

This was rejected by McDonagh, who had proposed the motion. He pointed out that the idea had the backing of SRC member Nallen.

Emphasising what "great contributors to our association" players were, McDonagh's rousing response to the debate led to an unanimous acceptance of the motion - a rare occurrence on the night.

The only other SRC proposal to be accepted was one that will eliminate the controversies that have arisen over substitutions. A designated official will now have authority to monitor the number used.