Joe Brolly: “They are out of control and it is only a matter of time before someone gets very seriously injured”

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The former RTE pundit and All-Ireland winner with Derry Joe Brolly was speaking on the The Indo Daily podcast and was quoted by Balls.ie. The Derry man didn’t hold back on his criticism of his fellow Ulster county Armagh.

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“They are out of control and it is only a matter of time before someone gets very seriously injured. This was deliberate goading, deliberate assaults during the course of the game, way beyond what is acceptable.

I invite the GAA to look at all the camera footage. They should be asking RTÉ for all of the camera footage, because a lot was missed yesterday. It’s not good enough…

There is, unfortunately, a culture within this Armagh squad and it’s difficult to know if it is encouraged, but it is certainly being tolerated. This is the third time this season. And the most disappointing thing about (Sunday’s) game is the number of occasions when you could clearly see an Armagh player setting out to injure an opponent…

The eye-gouger, no doubt, will get 12 months as a minimum… Possibly longer than that. It is a scandal to see that in our games, deeply depressing. Armagh is a great football county, with a great tradition.

I come back to the point: there was no harder team than the team that Kieran McGeeney captained to the All-Ireland in 2002 and that’s how you play Gaelic football – not how the current Armagh team plays. That is the third riot on the pitch that there has been associated with their games and it is not a coincidence.”

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3 Comments

  1. I agree with Joe’s comments. There has been a trend of Armagh players, not all of them, pulling their opponent to the ground and then putting them in a headlock. This is all very similar to tactics used in Mixed Martial Arts which is something McGeeney has been involved with, with a certain Mr McGregor. If that is true then we all need to be worried at this intimidatory behaviour and it is a trend we need to see clamped down on immediately. Having said that, Comer seems to have started the row so he should also face punishment and it take two to tango.

  2. The punishment handed down for these unacceptable martial arts row in a GAA football game is the problem . Why did the ref let the 2 players who were wrestling on the pitch during the game go unpunished which had to be seen by the linesman as well. 2 red cards might have let these boys see that there actions will not be accepted on his shift.
    The punishments handed down is totally inconsistent. Eg I attended a junior football league match July 2021 which the referee managed to mix up the score not a serious offence but also let a player who had a head injury not be attended to and told a dazed player to get up or he would book him . This was witnessed by players from each side who both have and work in the medical world.. After the game I went to the ref and asked him how he counted the 2nd half his reply get out of here while your able. I’m 63 and didn’t post any threat to an overweight ref that can’t count. I got 12 months suspension from all my club activities and couldn’t appeal as he also reported the incident to the guards. On my solicitors advice I was told to make no statement but wished to appeal the incident when the garda had finished there investigations. The board were notified of this but still proceeded to extend the suspension. 1st and funnily how was the suspension going to be marshalled. 2nd I learnt he was approached by several people re his score keeping but he took the high stand of reporting it to the guards. This incidents tells me the Gaa run kangaroo hearings and apoeals. I spent 53 years a member of the Gas and 20 years coaching and training under age teams and junior teams and never had a card when playing or coaching. This counted for nothing it was the GAA ruling that decided my past 12 months of Gaa activity .The organisation need to take a look at themselves and how they rule the roost. To finish the garda got the file returned from the Dpp 6 months later saying no charges could be made against me as the ref was unable to substantiate his statement to them. Happy day’s his still reffing and I’ve been told since by ex board members his an embarrassment to the refs association but handy as he dies thete administration that nobody likes doing. He and our gaa organisationh have turned me away turned me away and many more like me will give up watching games with an organisation that cannot rule our games as they leave loopholes for appeals which players and county boards win but grass root levels a different set of rules apply.
    Sad but true young players walk away at 15 / 16 yrs of age saying stupid set up I know as we struggled to get 15 or 13 players to take part in games.

  3. Armagh team are thugs.
    Eye gouging is outside the jurisdiction of GAA to deal with.
    Needs to be before a judge for assault. Some as

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