The 42

JOHN GILES HAS called an end to his near-40-year punditry career at the age of 84, today announcing his intention to step back from his weekly Thursday slot with Off the Ball. 

Giles has been providing punditry for Off the Ball since the show’s inception in 2002, but has now made the decision to call it a day. 

“John Giles, Senior Analyst, is a titan of Irish sport”, said Ger Gilroy of Off the ball.

“His weekly explanation of football truth on Off The Ball helped deepen what the country knows about football. His ability to see through bullshit and his love of the game shone through in every contribution.” 

Having left the West Brom manager’s job in 1985, Giles first moved into media by doing punditry for RTÉ for the 1986 World Cup, agreeing to the role at Eamon Dunphy’s behest.

Giles and Dunphy were later joined by Liam Brady, and the trio formed the iconic RTÉ panel, which consistently shaped the conversation around football in Ireland.

Giles was the appointed “senior analyst”, whose tactical insights and innovative use of technology was buttressed by wise insights into the character of footballers along with a very low tolerance for bullshit.

Giles also established a kind of canon for the sport, making clear there was a difference between a great player and a merely good player.

Giles stepped away from RTÉ after Euro 2016, with Dunphy retiring two years later. Brady then left RTÉ in 2023.

Giles and Brady continued to make regular appearances on Dunphy’s popular podcast series The Stand, from which Dunphy stepped back at the start of this year. 

Giles continued his work with Off the Ball up to the end of the recent English football season, but will not return when the new season kicks off in August. 

Off the Ball will bid farewell to Giles at a special event at the Sugar Club in Dublin on 14 August, for which ticket details will be announced in due course.

Written by Gavin Cooney and originally published on The 42 whose award-winning team produces original content that you won’t find anywhere else: on GAA, League of Ireland, women’s sport and boxing, as well as our game-changing rugby coverage, all with an Irish eye. Subscribe here.