Veteran readers of An Fear Rua from the early days may recall he was the first GAA commentator to report exclusively on the nefarious Croke Park plot to drop the hallowed names of Hogan, Cusack and Nally and replace them with so-called 'corporate' levels in the various new stands... That was in Chronicle #39, 'The Levellers of Croke Park', as far back as last January. Later, the story was half-heartedly and disbelievingly picked up on TV by the Montenototte Voice Himself, Ghur Canning, and also by the respected GAA writer for Ted Crosbie's Examining Organ, Jim O'Sullivan. A carefully-worded reply to O'Sullivan by arch GAA spinmeister, The Cutest Kerryman, Danny Lynch, only served to confirm AFR's original story.

Now, the plan has been dusted off again, this time in the context of the IR£39 million over-run on the projected cost of the Croke Park re-development, when it's thought it might receive a more favourable hearing. A couple of the Áras Daimhín bright sparks have enviously watched the Foostering Association of Ireland standing to trouser pocket a cool IR£11,000,000 over ten years from Alfie 'The Options' Kane in return for naming their pipe dream 'Eircom Park'. So now, Croke Park could have the Esat Level, the Bank of Ireland Level, the Baltimore Level and so on within the new stands and charge accordingly. At, say, three Levels per stand, multiplied by three stands - and charging only £5 million per Level - that could give the GAA £75 million in sponsorship over ten years, leaving poor oul Alfie and Bernard O'Byrne in the 'ha'penny place', almost literally and figuratively. Take away your IR£39 million over-run and you're left with a cool profit of IR£36 million! And all for just a couple of company names appended to a section of the new stands.

Now, AFR has no intention of standing in the way of Dis Great Assosheeayshun Of Ours and IR£75 million from the swollen corporate coffers of Ireland. But, there's a right way and a wrong way of going about it. The wrong way is to turf out the names of Cusack, Nally and Hogan and the memory of 1916 and replace them with bland names dreamed up by some pony-tailed marketing or advertising 'creatives'. In the eightieth anniversary year of the murder of the Tipperary football goalie Hogan by the Black-and-Tans on Bloody Sunday and the related deaths of thirteen civilians in the ensuing crush, 'tis revering his memory more the GAA should be, not reviling it.

The right way to go about this is to retain the historic names of the various parts of Croke Park but to offer sponsors the naming rights to Levels within the new stands. 'Oh and how would ya manage that now?' chorus the lads and lassies in Áras Daimhín ? Simple. You just have the Esat Level-Cusack Stand or the AIB Level-Hogan Stand, for example. And you charge the same money because there is no dilution of impact for the sponsors. That way, the sponsors get the exposure they're forking out for while the GAA stalwarts continue to be honoured. And for spectators it's just as convenient to find the Esat Level - Cusack Stand as to find the Esat Level - New Stand. Problem solved. OK, Áras ? No fee charged for this consultancy.

AFR was astonished that any senior GAA person could seriously contemplate selling Mick Hogan's name and memory for the sake of a few million quid in corporate bread. It shows just how quickly the 'corporate' CJD is spreading in certain parts of the Association and disabling their ability to think and reason clearly. We all want progress and prosperity in the GAA for players, officials and spectators alike. But not at any price. There are certain aspects of the traditions of the Association that should not be for sale and these include the memory of our founders and martyrs and their appropriate honouring.

By all means, let's encourage the corporate sector to live up to their community responsibilities by taking up GAA sponsorships and spending more money. But, let us also be clear, calm and collected in dealing with them. You will get no respect from a corporate sponsor if they feel you have no bottom line or are prepared to sell them your soul. In their own competitive world they are quite accustomed to hard bargaining and to people focussing on their own bottom line. The GAA should deal with them no differently. In fact, the more that's done, the greater the respect gained by the Association and the better the sponsorship deals that will be struck.