Inside Track: Allianz’s withdrawal of sponsorship could ease tensions

It’s safe to say there’s not a single person among the many thousands in the GAA fraternity that wouldn’t condemn all that is happening in Gaza – and has been for the past couple of years.

How could anyone not be moved by the slaughter of innocents, vividly shown on television and in newspaper photos?

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Think of children in this country involved in nurseries and underage games, and then picture their counterparts in Palestine, not playing sport but lying dead or dying in their mothers’ arms, or being carried to their graves.

The GAA’s sponsorship deal with the insurance giant Allianz has been in sharp focus ever since it was established that the German-based company had bought £1 billion of Israeli government bonds, thus helping fund Israel’s assault on the Gazaan people.

Allianz have been sponsoring the GAA’s National Leagues for a number of years and are set to continue until 2030. This doesn’t sit well with many in the GAA.

Here in this county, former Oliver Plunkets and Louth footballer, Paddy Matthews, has been prominent in support of Palestine. Among his activities has been organising a fundraising walk in Drogheda.

More recently, Paddy backed the protest campaign organised by prominent former footballers, among them Down’s Colm McElarney, Peter Canavan, Tyrone's Dr David Hickey, Dublin, and another All-Ireland winner, Meath’s Colm O’Rourke.

There was a march to the recent GAA Annual Congress in Croke Park, and Paddy was among the hundreds who took part.

A number of counties had submitted motions on the Allianz issue, hoping to have them debated at the Congress. However, having been considered by Croke Park’s Ethics & Integrity Committee, the decision was taken not to allow the motions onto the Congress agenda.

It was this that provoked the protest outside the meeting room, and also the subsequent gate-crashing of the hall in which the Congress was taking place. (It hasn’t been said if there were any of the protest organisers were involved here.)

The Congress was postponed, and when it resumed, GAA President, Jarlath Burns, condemned this part of the protest, saying “a line had been crossed”.

Since then, the issue has remained ‘alive’, newspapers, in particular, continuing to cover the issue. That’s likely to continue; and there could be further protests organised by the player and other groups.

Those, in particular GAA members, who have taken out insurance with Allianz might want to get involved by switching to another company.

If that were to happen in its hundreds, Allianz might want to pull their sponsorship. It’s a surprise this hasn’t already happened.

Such an outcome would justify the player group’s campaign, get the GAA off the hook, and open the door for any other concern that might want to come in with backing for the leagues. If Allianz have any face to save, its withdrawal could provide it.