GAELIC GAMES:YESTERDAY, AT Croke Park, GAA president Christy Cooney unveiled the association's initiative "Respect" which he described as "the most important launch" of his presidency.

Intended to foster “a new approach of fair play, mutual respect and goodwill to Gaelic football and hurling across all grades” the programme has been piloted in a number of counties already and will be rolled out nationally this year at under-12 level with other levels following over the next five years.

It includes information evenings, coach and referee training programmes as well as the provision of a separate viewing area on sidelines for spectators and a national advertising and promotion campaign.

The initiative will be supplemented with the introduction of a “Fair Play” index in this season’s national leagues. Counties will be ranked according to a points system based on the accumulation of yellow and red cards with the winners being the team with the lowest average of points over the course of the competition.

Winners will receive a donation to their training fund of €10,000.

There will also be a promotional campaign highlighting the importance of positive behaviour by adults towards children playing the games. The campaign DVD was shown at the launch and will, according to co-ordinator Micheál Martin from Wexford, feature on national television as well as on the big screen in Croke Park in the year ahead.

“I think it’s badly needed,” was the reaction of Kerry All-Ireland medallist Micheál Quirke, who is a games development officer in the county. “You go to games and listen to parents on the sideline and mentors and coaches and what they’re shouting at kids. Some of the stuff is crazy.

“A lot of the responsibility is going to fall on the parents to take a lot of this stuff on board and act on it. Referees too will have a major part to play and guys at the top must set the example. But it all starts at club level at under-10s and -12s and that’s where it needs to be successful.

“If you go a game with which you have no involvement and just stand behind the crowd of parents and listen to some of the stuff that’s being said to the kids, it’s certainly not positive.

“It needs to be addressed and even small things like getting the kids to line up and shake hands with each other after the game can help in that it will be second nature to them by the time they get to under-16s and minor to shake hands with the guy you’ve just been trying to beat for the past hour.”

Questioned about the scale of the task of inculcating respect and sportsmanship in the light of last weekend’s fracas in Portlaoise, president Christy Cooney replied: “I don’t believe it’s going to be a difficulty. Last season proved that we’re well-equipped to deal with situations. Players and referees performed exceptionally during our season and I don’t see a problem.

“And I don’t believe either that last weekend should be blown out of proportion. It was a single incident and let the Leinster Council deal with under the rules. Generally I don’t see a difficulty in keeping high standards this year.”

Commenting separately on the Eamonn Fennell transfer controversy in Dublin, the president said that one incident in Dublin didn’t mean that there was a problem with the transfer system.

“I don’t know exactly the circumstances in Dublin. Different counties have different regulations. Nobody wants to see a player on the line in Dublin and I would hope that whatever issues have arisen can be resolved – if that means the player continues to play with the club he’s with currently or his transfer is allowed and meets the requirement of the relevant Dublin bye-law.

“I’m not getting involved and I’m sure the Dublin County Board will be making every effort to resolve it. It is from a player’s perspective a bit much that he’s been on the line for three years.

“That’s unsatisfactory and needs to be sorted out, but the player has a role in that as well.”