“I made my mind up.”
Pat Spillane has already grabbed the headlines at the beginning of the Sunday Game today, something he has been doing for decades.
However, this will be one of the very last times, as the Kerry legend has officially announced his retirement from The Sunday Game.
Famed for his analysis, occasional outbursts, his ‘puke football’ remark and endless debates with Joe Brolly, Spillane has now left a legacy that could match his glittering career on the pitch.
“I’m out the gap, I’m riding off into the sunset,” was the pundits opening to the show.
“I made my mind up a few months ago that this was going to be my last year with The Sunday Game.
“It’s my last All-Ireland semi-final I’ll be covering and hopefully in two weeks’ time, in my last outing with The Sunday Game will be for the All-Ireland final.
"I'm out the gap, I'm riding off into the sunset." Pat Spillane confirms that after 30 years on the Sunday Game, this will be his last season in front of the camera. #RTEGAA pic.twitter.com/1I2Aof6AyB
— RTÉ GAA (@RTEgaa) July 9, 2022
“I’ve had 30 great years. Thirty years in any gig is a long time. Every dog has its day. I’ve had a brilliant time and I leave with no regrets and lots of great memories.
“I’m looking forward to a more relaxing time outside the pressure cooker of the Sunday Game.”
“As pundit and presenter Pat was a mainstay of our GAA coverage for decades and is synonymous with the Sunday Game,” RTÉ Group Head of Sport Declan McBennett said, when speaking to the station’s website.
“Often colourful, sometimes controversial his incredible playing career gave him the credibility to call the game without fear or favour as he saw it and he never shirked that responsibility.”
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