Commercial Advisor role proposed

A recommendation has been made for a Commercial Director to be appointed to Tipperary GAA to help deliver a new investment model for the county.

In a year in which Tipperary County Board posted a healthy surplus of €303,145, the county boards commercial advisor Liam O’Shea said that significant investment will ensure that players from under 15 to senior, in hurling and football, will be better equipped to compete with other counties.

“More than ever before we need to increase the growth of commercial revenue to a level that will allow Tipperary GAA to meet their ever-increasing financial demands, not just in the running of county teams but also in the creation of a culture of excellence in all GAA operations in the county,” O’Shea said in his report.

The Kilruane MacDonagh’s clubman has advised that a commercial strategy be first developed which would develop a “clear uniform and identifiable Tipperary brand across all aspects of Gaelic games in the county,” which he feels is currently undervalued and under-promoted. This would include the promotion of the Tipperary brand across all platforms, hurling and football, camogie and ladies’ football.

“A ‘Brand Evaluation’ of Tipperary GAA needs to be completed to ascertain what can be realistically expected from the process,” O’Shea added.

“I have no doubt that circa €2m+ is a very realistic figure to be generated.”

O’Shea, a former managing director of both Tipp FM and Clare FM, and non-executive director of Shannon Airport, pointed to the further development of Semple Stadium which could yield more financial rewards with Tipperary nearing a deal to sell naming rights for the Thurles venue,

Once a commercial strategy is developed, O’Shea proposes that all commercial activity be monitored by a commercial unit with an oversight board, which will be led by a commercial director, which would be a paid role and work directly to the chairperson of the Commercial Oversight Board. He also proposes that the Oversight Board be formed by January 31st next with the appointment of a Commercial Director to be done by the end of March 2022.

“Developing the Tipperary brand will generate significant funds,” O’Shea added.

“The brand is already well-known, but can be taken to a new level, nationally and internationally, by acting on these recommendations.”

Director of Hurling

In a non-related aspectt, Liam O’Shea has proposed the creation of a Director of Hurling in the county.

O’Shea, who was previously a selector with the Tipperary under 20’s and 21 and part of the Tipperary backroom team for much of the last decade, said “there was an urgent need for the appointment of a high calibre, experienced person with the authority to implement any changes he/she fits in how the county’s coaching structures are operated, from underage all the way up to senior.”

He added: “If we do now do this, we will not maintain the elite level status to support the commercial activities.”