Motion to withdraw Down from National Leagues in protest of Allianz sponsorship to go before county committee
A MOTION has been put forward to withdraw the Down county teams from the forthcoming football and hurling leagues in protest at Allianz’s continued sponsorship of the competitions.The motion, brought forward by the Saval club, calls for the “withdrawal from all inter-county fixtures in competitions that bear Allianz as lead sponsor” and will be voted on at the Down County Committee meeting in the Burrendale Hotel, Newcastle, on Thursday, January 15.Read more:The insurance giant, whom the UN has linked to the ongoing genocide in Gaza, was retained as the main sponsor of the leagues after the GAA’s Management Committee voted on its status.Nine counties, including Down, proposed motions calling for the sponsorship to end.Saval’s motion says that the club “vehemently disagrees” wth the Ethics and Integrity Commission’s (EIC) stance on the issue.“[Saval] believe it to be completely at odds with the views of the members of our Association and indeed the very ethos of the GAA,” the motion concludes.Motions brought by nine counties - Antrim, Armagh, Derry, Down, Fermanagh, Tyrone, Roscommon and Leitrim - were voted on on December 19, with the Association deciding to retain their sponsorship. Confirming the German multi-national company’s continued sponsorship, the GAA’s reasons for opposing the motions include potential legal consequences of cutting ties, the inability to find an acceptable alternative, and the distance between Allianz plc. and the sister company that holds ties with the Israeli government.The GAA has said that the EIC report will be published, but has not confirmed when that will occur.Allianz have sponsored the GAA’s National Football and Hurling Leagues since 1993 and are also one of the sponsors of the All-Ireland Football Championship, with their current deal with the organisation set to run until 2030The Mournemen’s first National League fixtures see the footballers take on Clare at Páirc Esler in Newry in Division Three and the hurlers take on Carlow in Cullen Park in Division 1B on Saturday, January 24.
