Shame on you Gerry Kelly...

[5 Sams]

..Gerry Kelly...brother of Danny... our 1968 All Ireland winning goalkeeper..had a programme on UTV tonight called "Kelly's Sporting Heroes"..."celebrating" the sporting achievements of individuals from Northern Ireland who have made their mark in the last 30+ years in sport. Rightly so we had 10 or 15 minutes apiece on George Best, Mary Peters, Joey Dunlop, a blind girl who made astounding progress as a a waterskier, Pat Jennings, etc, etc.......what really pissed me off was that there was a 15 second collage of GAA "superstars" and he said at the beginning .."You can make your own mind up" who is the best. A few random shots of a couple hurling games, one shot of Greg Blaney, a few shots of Peter the Great, nothing else.....a complete and utter insult to the biggest sporting organisation on the island never mind the 6 counties.

I don't normally get riled about stuff like this but holy f**k it was so blatant

[Sandy Hill]

Agree with you 100% 5 Sams; a total and absolute shame but nothing other than what I expected from either Kelly or UTV!
F><k but I am cross.

[gerry]

what you expect. i could rant on for two on for two pages.


but my point by the same

[Pangurban]

At least if they ever make  a programme about broadcasting legends, that no talent Kelly would figure in it. Surprised any of you bothered to watch him

[Chrisowc]

Being devil's advocate here. 

I didn't see the program but the 4 names mentioned (don't know who the waterskier is) have all been successful on the world stage.  Maybe that is why they were highlighted?

[Zapatista]

George Best was never successful on the world stage.

[Chrisowc]

George Best was never successful on the world stage.

He was a major part of a successful European Cup team.

[Drumanee 1]

George Best was never successful on the world stage.

He was a major part of a successful European Cup team.

a european club comptition,hardly the world stage

[Doogie Browser]

George Best was never successful on the world stage.

Catch yourself on, he was always inhibited on the world stage playing for such a poor international team. Time and again he is ranked in all sorts of polls and surveys in and around the top 10 players ever.  In such company as Pele, Maradonna, Puskas, Cruyff etc, so stop trying to wind up OWC and accept that Best was and always will be the most skilful soccer player this island has ever produced.

[pintsofguinness]

Catch yourself on, he was always inhibited on the world stage playing for such a poor international team.

As GAA players are inhibited because the GAA is not played on a world stage yet they were excluded from the programme.

[Chrisowc]

George Best was never successful on the world stage.

He was a major part of a successful European Cup team.

a european club comptition,hardly the world stage

The European Cup was and is the most prestigious club competition in the world.

[pintsofguinness]

So?

[Zapatista]

George Best was never successful on the world stage.

Catch yourself on, he was always inhibited on the world stage playing for such a poor international team. Time and again he is ranked in all sorts of polls and surveys in and around the top 10 players ever.  In such company as Pele, Maradonna, Puskas, Cruyff etc, so stop trying to wind up OWC and accept that Best was and always will be the most skilful soccer player this island has ever produced.

His talents are not being questioned, his success is. His great talents only compliment his great failure.

[Drumanee 1]

George Best was never successful on the world stage.

Catch yourself on, he was always inhibited on the world stage playing for such a poor international team. Time and again he is ranked in all sorts of polls and surveys in and around the top 10 players ever.  In such company as Pele, Maradonna, Puskas, Cruyff etc, so stop trying to wind up OWC and accept that Best was and always will be the most skilful soccer player this island has ever produced.

where were these polls taken?brazil,argentina,italy.there is no doubt he was the most gifted player from these shores and probaly britain as a whole but well never know if he could have cut it at the top level,fowler,barns,cantona and even henry all produced big time with there clubs but could not hold down a regular place with there respective national teams.

George Best was never successful on the world stage.

He was a major part of a successful European Cup team.

a european club comptition,hardly the world stage

The European Cup was and is the most prestigious club competition in the world.

club being the operative word.

the whole best thing really winds me up,there is no argument about hid talent but how he ran his life leaves alot to be desired,healy is by far and away a better role model for the kids of this country and dont even start me on the airport

[Doogie Browser]

but well never know if he could have cut it at the top level

Think that staement is slightly disengenious, i am no fan of Man utd, but his finest hour and indeed year was 1968, scoring in the final against Eusebio's Benfica and getting Euro Footballer of the year, as high a level that he could have reached imho given how poor OWC were.

his personal life is by no means anything to be proud of, but there are plenty others who have their own problems who we would all class as 'legends'

This is nothing to do with airports or Fowler, Barnes etc, it is a fact that editorially the BBC & UTV's GAA ouput is shameful but that is hardly the fault of Best or Mary Peters.  If anything I think there was no need to include the water skier, credit to her for over coming her disabilities she really is an inspiration.  But that sport is surely a minority sport if ever a sport deserved to be called one, though i see the merits on inclusiveness

I would say if they were profiling one particular GAA person from the 6 counties, by selecting one would have possibly created more debate on here would it not?  (save maybe someone like sean O'Neill perhaps?).