Pat Spillane..

megadodge

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119323281#Comment_119323281

"A man that is widely known as a walking encyclopedia of football".

Well, maybe if the person who believes that knows absolutely nothing about the game.

Even earlier on this thread, there's a link to an interview in which he himself admits he knew next to nothing about the lower divisions and had no interest in them until his son started playing for Sligo. Some encylopedia that!

I remember back in 1991 in his column when commenting on the All-Stars, he openly admitted he never even heard of the outstanding Roscommon corner back Enon Gavin. Gavin had reveived the Man of the Match award in the live televised match against Leitrim. He was outstanding in both (live on TV) Connacht finals (replay) and kept the great Colm O'Rourke to a single point in a very narrow loss to a great Meath team in the (live on TV) All-Ireland semi-final.... and Mr. Encyclopedia never heard of him??? Was he watching the omnibus version of Cornation Street while these matches were on?

There are numerous other examples, but why bother, sure he was 'entertaining' and 'a character'. Both those tags means he behaved like an asshole, insulting players and looking for cheap laughs from people who know even less about the game than he does.

On the defensive style of football, which involves forwards funnelling back into their own half and (shock horror) actually tackling the opposition in order to help their team win, if you were around as long as me you'd remember the first footballer wearing double-digit numbers on his back who was consistently back in his own backline was.....Pat Spillane. Double standards are ok if Kerry are involved.

WJL

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119323335#Comment_119323335

He can be witty. Maybe less so in recent years. A bit shouty!

TITANIUM.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119323421#Comment_119323421

My god you really have got a hard on for poor old Pat, wind your neck in and less of the obscure references from a 30 career, What mindless drivel,

megadodge

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119323934#Comment_119323934

A hard on would suggest I .... erm.... like him. Not sure how you can make that out from my post. Are you a little confused?

For the record, I cannot stand the man.

But then again, thirty years of listening to an attention-seeker talking through his hole at players' expense tends to do that.

ruwithme

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119324223#Comment_119324223

Your a very tolerant man, thirty years of listening to a lad, you "cannot stand"

megadodge

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119324526#Comment_119324526

I watch as many matches as I can, because I enjoy watching football and hurling.

He's an unfortunate by-product of that interest.

Rosita

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119318249#Comment_119318249

For someone who claims to mute the TV when he comes on you seem to have a good knowledge of and very strong opinions on what he says.

MayoAreMagic

Never minded spillane. I felt he always said what he thought. That could be completely biased, but at least he believed in what he said. He was far more genuine than brolly and more honest than orourke. He had been phoning it in the last few years, a bit like jonny giles towards the end. Best of luck to him in his retirement.

WJL

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119323421#Comment_119323421

There were no live televised matches in 1991 bar.

1. Meath v Dublin final game first Saturday in July.

2. The All Ireland semis and finals.

1995 saw the introduction of regular live championship games other than all ireland semis and finals. You had once offs like the 100th Munster hurling final in 1989 between Waterford and Tipp.

kirk.

You got a bit of honestly with pat maybe lacking on insight

You want both anyway not these see no evil say no evil types on the go now

megadodge

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119329368#Comment_119329368

Fair point, but I didn't start muting him straight away and after I did, I eventually I stopped muting him as I ended up missing the other decent analysis.

And of course, when discussing matches with friends, colleagues etc. you get to hear what he said when they're discussing it. And the comments were usually negative.

Stacksofwacks

I was extremely touched by Pat's story on his final Sunday game about how his dad died young, I didn't know that. I guess we all have demons and things like that we just learn to live with. Though he got on my nerves at times you can't deny his passion for the game and will be missed.

1wizards sleeve

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119383197#Comment_119383197

He annoyed me over the years and often i didn't agree. But i always admire someone who speaks their mind and has an opinion, and tbh pats opinion on gaa is second to none. He sleeps and breathes gaa. I hope he is not replaced by the New pc world on the Sunday game . See you on sky pat 👍👍👍

Pussyhands

Has he repaid his covid money he claimed?

J Cheever Loophole

Definitely the end of an era in terms of punditry and not necessarily a good era. I thought Pat let his Kerry bias too often get in the way of any attempt at objective analysis.

That said, it was quite moving yesterday to hear him talk about his late father and the magnificent legacy that he has left in terms of Kerry football and can I also say - as nowadays it can tend to be overlooked - that Pat was an unbelievable player. He, alongside Jacko, was one of the two greatest footballers I have ever seen.

CaboRoig

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119329787#Comment_119329787

Pretty much exactly what I'd have said. He's been poor for quite a while now and when Brolly was on with him, he allowed himself to get far too wound up by him. Huge respect for him as a player but won't be sorry to see the back of him as a pundit with the proviso that there are plenty of other younger pundits out there who are very difficult to listen to and aren't any improvement.

Don't have Sky so can't comment on their pundits.

Enjoy the retirement Pat - one of the best footballers I ever laid eyes on.

M three

Good riddance to spillane. The man is a complete dose and we probably havent fully seen the back of him unfortunately as he's likely to be wheeled out on some rte drivel and interviewed about his 'faith', full on gay byrne gombeen style.

But at least we wont have to listen to him when we watch a game on rte again anyway so thats a bonus.

ArielAtom

Delighted he is going, no more Healy-Rae cute hoorism punditry.

flasher0030

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119384685#Comment_119384685

Realistically, when listening to a match analysis, who would you rather listen to - Pat Spillane or Gooch Cooper. Colm was a magnificent player, but has he ever said anything interesting in his pundits role. I just keep hearing the same boring cliches over and over again.

I thought Rory Gallagher brought a little extra last night on the Sunday Game. Brought a bit of humour, and had the balls to call out the inclusion of James McCarthy on team of the year. How many matches did McCarthy play all year? What a joke. He put in a good 20 minute spell against Kerry. That was about it. Ciaran Whelan must have passed around a few brown envelopes when the panel were picking that one.

TITANIUM.

From my experience from meeting fans of other teams most genuine football people actually like and enjoy pats analysis. Called it as it was and it would be hard to say he was wrong in any of the big controversial statements he made. Puke football was puke football. Effective but puke to look at. The Shia football comment the same. But the best of all was when himself and brolly were having a disagreement and brolly told him "I've won an all ireland I was there" forgetting who he was talking to. Pat calmly says "I don't know about above in Derry but in kerry anyway 8 all ireland is better then 1 any day of the week" argument over.

Allot of his critics seem to stem from people that never went to games and got bitter over statements like those above.

Sometimes the truth hurts, and pat told the truth. Enjoy retirement Pat and Bon Voyage

Amprodude

I enjoyed Pat Spillane over the years, very entertaining with his analysis and praised Cork very well in 2010 when they finally scraped over the line on All Ireland final day. Wouldn't be easy for Kerry man to say that but he did it. He will be missed on the tv. One of the Greats.

tmh106

Like others, I've enjoyed his punditry over the years, but when I think of him it will always be first and foremost as a player. Even in Kerry teams made up of a lot of great players he was one of those who really stood out, a wonderful exciting player to watch.

pgj2015

The women are the most boring pundits, they would put you to sleep, they will never say anything controversial.

TITANIUM.

That lady on that was on Sunday last night knew her stuff.

M three

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119385053#Comment_119385053

Ah that old fallacy "most genuine football people like and enjoy pat"

I would completely disagree with that statement. Most people who know anything about football especially current football, not the 70's and 80's muck, would laugh at the nonsense spillane comes out with. Eventually RTE realised that too. Why do you think they got rid of him.

Pat was nothing but a gombeen hypocrite. When Ulster teams started evolving and improving the standard of defending spillane called it 'shia' and 'puke'.

Now that kerry finally copped on to it and got an Ulster coach in specifically for that spillane hails it as 'fantastic workrate'.

Like I said he's nothing but a hypocrite.

TITANIUM.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119393900#Comment_119393900

😆😆😆 you'd want to drop that gigantic chip off your shoulder. And stop talking tripe. Your comparing apples and oranges my dear boy. Don't worry you'll learn.

riddles

He was always quite bitter about losing the 82 all Ireland despite winning 8 himself. I guess the disappointment was brought up again when the Dubs completed the five in a row.

M three

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119394898#Comment_119394898

Thats a laugh😂😂😂😂

Cant counter the accurate points I made so you play the man. Pathetic.

The_Kew_Tour

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119385053#Comment_119385053

Thats not telling the truth, thats bragging. People with bit of class don't brag, about what they have.

He was very bitter about Dublin 6 in a row saying they won some soft all irelands, bit rich from him when kerry never had meet a football county till least semi final.

Asdfgh2020

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119397824#Comment_119397824

Would agree there….. there is no doubting ‘pits’ ability or achievement as a player in his era mid 70’s to mid 80’s……but his punditry/analyst CV, which spans at a guess 30 years, was a ‘mixed bag’……he always found it difficult not to reference Kerry or his playing career in some way no matter who was playing……he also liked to / attempted to try his had at comedy in his analysis at times again some good some ‘Shite’……he will be missed to some extent but stuff like his ‘rant’ last year with Sean Cavanagh about Tyrone Covid ‘cute hoorism’ won’t….😡