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GAA

11th Jul 2021

Pat Spillane passionately rants about inequality in the GAA after Mayo destroy Leitrim

Lee Costello

Mayo 5-20  0-11 Leitrim

Mayo had already racked up 3-11 in the first half of their Connacht semi-final against leitrim who only managed four point.

The RTE pundits, didn’t even need to analyse the technical side of the game, such was the obvious gulf in class, and Pat Spillane made his feelings known about why this is.

The Kerry man was very animated and passionate about how we need to see a change in the GAA to prevent these huge one-sided games.

“Years ago I would have cracked jokes and made fun of Leitrim here at half time, but it’s unfair.

“This is mean against boys, this is a senior team against an u16 team, but we shouldn’t be surprised. Sligo beat Leitrim by seven points in the league, Mayo beat Sligo by 20 points, so let’s not act shocked or surprised that this is one way traffic.

https://twitter.com/TheSundayGame/status/1414221668415905795

“Look at Mayo, in terms of athleticism, in terms of conditioning, in terms of physicality, just look at them – they’re miles ahead.

“And that’s not talking about skill, fitness and pace and everything, it’s different league.

“Inequality exists outside the sports field and inequality exists inside the sports field, there will always be the strong and the weak, there will always be the rich and the poor, but we’ll try to narrow the gap.

“We need to all work together. Too many self-interest groups, too many people minding their own, no joint up thinking, no co-ordinating, the key is bottom up, not top down, but bottom up.

“You need to put money and personnel into coaching, coaching at club and coaching at games, it’s a bottom up, it’s a long development.

“The easy thing to say is get rid of the provincial championship, that’s wrong, what they need is more games.

“I told you that when COVID came, Leitrim are finished. After the first of march they played one league game, one championship game, so two games last year.

“They played three games in the league this, and one game in the championship, so that’s six games now, how can you improve?”

The Kingdom native broke it down to three points of action that the GAA need to look at it, in order to stop these ridiculous demolitions of weaker counties.

“You need a a provincial championship tweaked.

“A chance to play in the All-Ireland.

“A competition against their own standard.

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