Ian O'Riordan reports from what may prove to be a watershed meeting in the history of the GAA

The pressure on the GAA to recognise the Gaelic Players Association (GPA) has reached a new level of intensity after a remarkable demonstration of player power on Saturday night.

By the time the GPA concluded their emergency general meeting it was close to midnight, but by then their strategy to improve negotiations with Croke Park was as clear as daylight. The GPA must now be recognised as the official players' body or else the players are prepared for a complete withdrawal of services, otherwise known as a strike.

It was clear, too, that the GPA is now the truly representative players' body.

On the night, 171 intercounty players showed up - most of them well known - so that 23 counties were represented. Another 10 panels sent letters of apologies for their absence.

When GPA chairman Dessie Farrell eventually sat down to brief the media on the night's debate, he was visibly drained and yet afforded himself a smile too. One evening in the Killeshin Hotel in Portlaoise had just brought a major leap forward in the status of the GPA.

In essence, there were two motions passed, with one coming off the back of the other. Firstly, resulting from the undemocratic manner in which Croke Park's players' committee was established, and its perceived failure to represent player views, the GPA proposed a motion of no confidence in said body and called on the GAA to recognise the GPA as the official players body.

Secondly, following the GAA's again perceived failure to positively engage with the GPA's agenda, the national executive committee sought sanction for a campaign of national protest. The national executive committee also sought sanction for a national membership ballot and a complete withdrawal of services if deemed appropriate.

Both motions were raised from the floor - and both were unanimously supported.

With GPA spokesperson Donal O'Neill alongside him, Farrell proceeded to outline the consequences of the motions.

"Again the onus is on the GAA here," he said. "But we want no confusion about who is representing the players. The GPA has sent out a clear message here, and hopefully Croke Park will take heed of that now. We're here to stay and we mean business, and we'll be taking the appropriate action from here on if negotiations are not met."

Certainly the player power on the night was impressive. In the front row sat DJ Carey and Charlie Carter and fellow Kilkenny hurlers, and behind them was the entire Dublin football panel.

Brian Whelahan, Diarmuid O'Sullivan and Ciaran Carey were just some of the other big name hurlers, while Anthony Tohill, Kieran McGeeney and Mickey Linden were there from the football front.

Farrell acknowledged that the GAA won't be too enamoured by the motions, but with the next meeting scheduled with Croke Park officials for May 13th, there was ample time to digest their content.

But he didn't believe that Croke Park's players' committee was a soft target: "That was the opinion that came very strongly from the floor, and was unanimously adopted. It was pointed out too that it wasn't any disrespect to players on that particular committee, it was just the perception that it was not the democratic body of the players.

"And it was the motion of the GPA being recognised that got the ball rolling, because until we reach that stage we're really at nothing. That was seen to be paramount to our progress."

Earlier in the night there were presentations from the Minister for Finance, Charlie McCreevy, and Brendan Batson of the Professional Football Association in England.

Both men helped set the mood for revolution. McCreevy confirmed that players would not be benefiting from any tax break as long as the association remained amateur, and Batson outlined how strike threats proved crucial in progressing player demands in soccer.

Farrell wasn't hiding the fact the GPA is ready now for more aggressive tactics.

"Well you have to learn to crawl before you can walk. We were testing the waters a bit at the start, and we didn't realise too the strength of our own association. Now that we've got a handle on that we can make these sort of declarations.

"But this radicalism is coming from the players themselves. It's their association, and we made that clear from the start. But this sort of turnout has been hugely encouraging. And it can give us the strength and confidence to go forward and address the issues on behalf of the mandate.

"Perhaps to date we were somewhat reticent to push the boat out. As you can see here, though, we've come full circle on that."

The GPA is also clearer now on what exactly their agenda is all about. It's not just about the €127 a week now thrown up as representing their demands; it's a more simple matter of reimbursement for financial losses.

"There were a whole host of other issues raised from the floor," said Farrell, "from the gear situation, to tickets, to adequate meals. In a lot of counties these needs are being catered for, but it became apparent here that in a lot of other counties they are not.

"But we've gone on the record to state we're not about pay-for-play. I can't tell you how things will evolve over the next 10 or 12 years, but I can tell you now that our agenda is reimbursement for financial losses. It's not a matter of contracts and €50,000 salaries a year or whatever. We're talking about the losses incurred by players because of their commitments to county panels."

It was also revealed that, following the motion passed at last November's a.g.m. to appoint a full-time administrator, the process is nearing completion and an appointment is expected within the next few weeks.

For now though, when the GPA sit down again with Croke Park they clearly hold a stronger hand than ever before.

"Members have empowered the executive now to decide when and if they want to hold a strike ballot," said Farrell.

"If there is no movement to recognise us, we have our second motion here to progress that issue."