We were all intrigued to receive news on Sunday that a "significant joint-announcement" by the GAA and GPA was to take place the following day. Would it be one of those popular commercial partnerships through which, say, Zip firelighters would be declared the intercounty player's method of choice to fend off the chill of winter's onset?

As it turned out, the news was the slow-burning framework agreement on relations between the players' body and Croke Park.

All in all, it was more of a housekeeping document than a revolutionary manifesto but it had taken a long time to thrash it out after the previous and original five-year agreement had expired last year.

It doesn’t appear to be particularly controversial. Central Council was supportive last weekend and players have indicated their approval.

Times change. The fractiousness, which was generated when the GPA set up nearly 17 years ago, has all but dissipated and the decision six years ago by Congress to grant official recognition to the organisation as the representatives of intercounty players largely signalled the end of hostilities.

There remains a certain level of resentment directed at the players’ group but it’s difficult to grumble about the provisions of the agreement. The money sounds like it’s spectacularly up on the original agreement – €18.6 million over three years compared with €8.75 million over five years – but the actual funding for the GPA, as opposed to various other initiatives, hasn’t changed as dramatically.

Mileage rates

Of the accepted €6.2 million per annum, €2.7 million is for vouched expenses incurred observing whatever dietary prescriptions are handed down by management and includes a top-up for mileage rates, which haven’t been increased since 2003.

Another million comes from joint-commercial ventures with the GAA as part of the Le Chéile initiative (which was part of the previous agreement but is generally agreed to have greater potential than it has so far demonstrated) and from a fund for former players who require surgery as a result of career injuries.

That leaves €2.5 million, which is 20 per cent up on the last year of the old agreement.

Controversy may yet arise over the guarantee of that figure or 15 per cent of commercial revenue, whichever is greater (on last year’s figures it’s €200,000 greater), because it’s the first time that Croke Park has conceded a percentage share of its revenues and there will be concerns that this could increase or, more alarmingly, be spread to encompass gate receipts, which is the GAA’s main revenue source.

There was, after all, a time when talk of the GPA getting a slice of the media rights was considered pie in the sky but that revenue comes under the ‘commercial’ heading.

For all of the launch formalities of this event, there was an unsettling presence.

Director general Páraic Duffy said that the association wouldn't panic just yet over the relentless drop in match attendances. Whereas he's right to take the long view and factor in things like the vagaries of the draw and the impact of Euro 2016 in June, the trend is not encouraging.

Duffy also referenced Dublin’s domination of Leinster football as a factor but that is no passing phenomenon.

Small increase

The number of people attending the Leinster final has dropped by 30,000 in four years. Connacht registered a small increase this year but the other three provinces were all down.

It might make an unconvincing call to arms on the question of amateurism, especially as the GPA signed on the dotted line in that respect when accepting the first deal.

Unfortunately, though, the increased professionalism of participants is creating a world where competitiveness is dying. It’s not the GPA’s fault; they’re simply representing players who are burdened by intense demands.

And it’s not the fault of managers. Counties demand success and they react accordingly; but the going rate now for an intercounty player is total commitment to a project that eats your time and isolates you socially.

That’s fine if you have realistic September or late August expectations but it can be seen how players with less successful counties are deciding there is no incentive to embrace such asceticism.

The GPA and GAA are proactive in trying to remedy this but unless there is some way of throttling back expectation levels and unwinding the restrictions on what players can be asked to do, this becomes an arms race and this week’s protocol is an unwitting reflection of that world.

smoran@iristimes.com