PLANS to hold a charity match for former Perth Glory player Liam Miller, who died of cancer in February, have been disrupted by a conflict of sporting codes in his home town.

Supporters had hoped to play a fund-raising match on September 25 for his family — featuring former Republic of Ireland, Manchester United and Celtic players at Páirc Uí Chaoimh, the biggest sporting stadium in Miller’s hometown of Cork — but the rules of the Gaelic Athletic Association which owns the 45,000-capacity venue which usually hosts hurling and gaelic football contests, means the game will have to be played at the Turners Cross soccer ground which can only hold 7000 fans.

The Independent.ie reported that the GAA’s Rule 5.1 (a) that prohibits use of property for any games other than those controlled by the association.

A move to change the rule was defeated at the GAA’s annual congress in 2016, meaning any motion to change the rules regarding the use of GAA property cannot be submitted again until 2020.

The GAA’s main stadium, Croke Park in Dublin which with a capacity of 82,300 is Europe’s third biggest stadium, has in the past hosted soccer and rugby internationals and is due to be used as a venue for the 2023 Rugby World Cup.

The GAA’s reluctance to allow other sporting codes at its venues stems from its origins in the late 19th century when it sought to protect Irish cultural and sporting activities from the threat of what it called “foreign games”.

Its players were not permitted to play sports such as soccer, rugby and cricket which were derided as “garrison games” and members of the police and British armed forces were banned from membership of the GAA. Those bans have since been lifted.

Miller, who died of of pancreatic cancer at the age of 36, played 44 games for Perth Glory between 2011-2013. He also played for Glasgow Celtic, Manchester United, Leeds, Sunderland, QPR and Hibernian before moving to the A-League where he also played for Brisbane Roar and Melbourne Victory. He was capped 21 times for the Republic of Ireland.