Spillane slams GAA for All-Irelands and says Americans will embarrass them

The NFL comes to Dublin in September

In his Irish Independent column, Spillane went on the warpath over the way the GAA promote both the football and hurling All-Ireland finals, saying they are “going through the motions.”

The NFL comes to Ireland for the first time on September 28 as the Minnesota Vikings take on the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the Kerryman can see it being a huge affair, something the GAA can take note of.

“Surely for the biggest day in the Gaelic football calendar, the GAA could do better?” Spillane wrote.

“America’s NFL will be here in a couple of months. They’re going to take over Dublin for the week. They’re going to have street parties. They’re going to have fan zones. They’re going to have marching bands.

“Surely to God, when it comes to the All-Ireland senior football final and the All-Ireland senior hurling final, the GAA could up its game? Instead, it’s a box-ticking exercise. They’re going through the motions.

“As for the pre-match entertainment. Surely to God we can do better than wheeling out the Scór winners from a couple of counties?

“Having the presentation of the jubilee team in front of a couple of thousand people is an embarrassment and an insult. Half-time entertainment leaves much to be desired.

“And that brings me to the speeches. Speeches in total at the All-Ireland senior football final took nine minutes. Too much – just hand over the cup. Because nowadays, the speeches are scripted.

“They’re scripted by the GAA president. They’re scripted for the captain. They’re boring. They’re repetitive. You have to thank everyone in the audience.

“Let’s scrap the speeches, hand over the cup and celebrate."

He added: “How about letting people know about it? How about making those weeks of the hurling final and football final weeks of celebration for the beautiful game of hurling and the now beautiful game of football?”