Jeff & Kammy’s Journey to Croker
AIB, sponsor of both Club and County GAA Championships, wondered just what the UK’s most famous double-act in sports punditry - Jeff Stelling and Chris ‘Kammy’ Kamara – would make of the glorious game of Gaelic Football.
Earlier this summer AIB challenged Jeff and Kammy to travel the length and breadth of Ireland in a bid to understand how grassroots GAA clubs fuel the county championships. Their journey was documented as part of a mini-series released exclusively across AIB’s social channels which can be viewed on YouTube www.youtube.com/AIB.
But this was only the beginning of their GAA experience. Their immersion in the sport, the clubs, the communities and counties teams also served as a reconnaissance project because AIB also challenged the duo to return for the third Sunday in September to commentate on the All-Ireland Football Final from Croke Park.
Jeff and Kammy have explored the sport, discovering the communities, the rivalries, the passion, and most importantly the people that make GAA so unique. Along the way, they met heroes of the game including Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh, Dick Clerkin, Peter Canavan and Jonny Cooper who shared their stories of club and county as the duo prepared for their mammoth task on the 17th of September.
Jeff Stelling said, “I knew how fast a game it was going to be but what I wasn’t prepared for was the electric atmosphere and the sheer physicality of the All-Ireland final.
“You feel part of a special event before it even starts because it’s such a special stadium and the fact that the fans are integrated, that there’s no segregation, is amazing.”
“At a Premier League game in England now, anyone who has bought tickets from a tout and finds themselves in the wrong section, fingers will immediately point and they’ll be removed, even if they’re completely harmless.”
“The great thing as an outsider coming in is the speed of the game. There’s no time to celebrate when you score because the action’s back underway straight away.”
“If somebody’s hurt there’s no rolling around because the game’s going to carry on without you. There is literally no pause for breath and that’s what makes the game as fast and furious as it is.”
“Even though we had no allegiance to either side we couldn’t help but get wrapped up in it. By the end I was as gutted for Mayo as anybody else.”
"These are amateurs but they’re as fit as any professional sportsmen. They have to be due to the sheer pace of the game and also because of the size of the pitch. It’s immense. The halves are shorter, time-wise, than football (soccer) but the pace is unrelenting so I’d imagine the pace the players are as fit as any professional football. Bearing in mind that they’re amateurs that is an achievement in itself.”
Speaking about his experience at the All Ireland Final, Chris Kamara said: “I didn’t get off-air on ‘Goals on Sunday’ until 12:28. So I had a motorbike pick me up, take me to Luton airport, the plane was on time and then when we landed in Dublin I had another motorbike ready to take me to Croke Park straight to the ground. It was a bit crazy, both drivers on the bikes were on a mission to get me there as quickly as possible. Coming through the crowd on a motorbike was great.
“Just as we came to the stadium a police bike came up beside us and flagged us down but when I lifted my visor he went ‘oh crikey!’ He knew the score, but it was fine! I got into the stadium at 10 past three and it was another 10 minutes before I got to the gantry but I made it!
“I’ve been to loads of matches in England and been to every single World Cup and Euros that England have been involved in since 2002 but the roar of the crowd beforehand was greater than any of those.
"The only thing I could compare it to is the roar before the first race in Cheltenham. There’s a noise that comes up and it was exactly like that yesterday and it was like that up and down throughout the match.
“If I could bring anything back to the Premier League from our time here you’d love to bring back the community spirit.
“When you see all the fans in together, the elation and the sadness and everyone sat next to each other. Kids crying and the other half of their family up there and giving it all that, that’s just incredible, you’d rarely find that in football (soccer).”
"In Britain, as soon as the final whistle goes in a Cup Final you look to the ‘away’ end and the losing fans are gone, they’re not interested in watching what’s going on but yesterday the place was still three-quarters full when the Dubs were celebrating yesterday. That is very special.”
Now in the wake of Dublin’s All-Ireland glory, fans will be able to tune in to see how the pair fared as they commentated on the Final from the top tiers of Croke Park. Watch the final episode of Jeff and Kammy’s Journey to Croker on Monday the 25th of September at 5pm.
For exclusive content and behind the scenes action follow AIB GAA on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat.