Footage from the All-Ireland intermediate club final between Finuge and Cookstown Fr. Rocks emerged late on Friday night which appeared to show Paul Galvin being spat on.
In a statement posted on his website, Galvin confirmed that he was spat on:
Further to recent YouTube footage and press reports relating to a spitting incident in last months Intermediate club final I would like to 100% confirm for the record that I was spat on during the game. Furthermore I will utterly and unequivocally distance myself from claims made regarding verbal abuse during the game. That I have to defend myself or clarify my position in this regard is as disappointing as it is wrong. I will also add that I made no comment or complaint, publicly or privately, at the time of the incident, as when the game finishes it is finished in my view and i have no interest in dragging this matter out. I am only doing so now as footage of the incident found its way into the public domain and for some reason I have been forced to confirm what I know to have happened.
Finally I would like to congratulate Cookstown on their victory. I have played in 12 All Ireland finals in both codes, winning 8, and this is one All Ireland I can live without. Tyrone football is full of men I admire greatly, men like Mickey Harte and Peter Canavan, who when I was 16 years old sought me out after a schools game against Cookstown and told me “you ‘ll play for your county one day son.” Those words inspired me many times growing up. The path that the Kerry/Tyrone rivalry has taken of late disappoints me. Both counties are better than the bitterness and rancour that currently exists.
I will make no further comment on the matter at this point.
Finuge lost the game, played on February 9th at Croke Park, on a score of 1-09 to 0-06.
