The decision’s been made. As I noted the other day there were valid arguments on both sides of the debate on what to do about the planned round of club matches for this coming weekend. But now the decision to call off the bulk of the games has been made and it’s time to move on.
You could argue – with a good bit of justification – that we should never have got ourselves into this position in the first place. Hindsight’s a wonderful thing, though, and I for one am prepared to accept that the original decision to fix club matches was taken with the aim of being fair to the clubs, not least given the altered inter-county schedule facing us this year arising from our having to go through the qualifier route. But this plan, however well intentioned, turned out to be untenable. This led to last night’s decision to postpone the games and, with this having been made, it’s time to move on.
Passionate arguments for and against postponing the club games have been made with conviction here on the site over the past few days by people who truly care about the issue. Personally, I found these were both informative and inspiring. Many of those who argued with vigour for the matches to go ahead are, I know, less than happy with the decision that’s been made. It’s clear, though, from the joint statement issued last night that this was far from an easy issue to resolve but now that it’s been done it’s time to move on.
And move on we must. Because we’ve the most important part of the year’s journey as a county football tribe to complete over the next few weeks. We’ve come a long, long way this year – were you there in Páirc Uí Rinn back in the last Sunday of January? Can you credit how far up the curve we’ve come since then? – and this summer we’ve travelled a road we haven’t had to navigate for some time. But we’ve done this successfully and so, for the third time in five years, we once again stand on the cusp of deliverance.
Our hopes of achieving the success we all crave so much it’s beyond a joke at this stage will surely be greatly boosted if we all, in our own individual ways, now put our collective shoulder to the wheel to do what we can to show support for the team. There are flags to put up, an uplifting and positive demeanour to be conveyed to the wider world about our chances, there are tickets to be sourced and there’s roaring – like you’ve never roared before – to be done at Croke Park on the big day, a day we might all remember for the rest of our lives.
This is a great, great journey we’re on – one that so many other counties can only look on at and hope that one day they should be so lucky – and it’s one we can only truly enjoy to the full if we travel the road together in a unified fashion. These are days of wonder for us as Mayo supporters and, you’d never know, our greatest ever day following this fabulous team of ours could well be just around the corner.
It’s time to pull together, then, as we head off in the direction of this date with destiny. Mayo forever. #MayoForSam.
Support the lads financially too: play the Mayo GAA Players Welfare Lotto. A jackpot prize in excess of €10,000 and All-Ireland final tickets are up for grabs and you can play here.
For the love of all that is sacred and holy, will someone start recording and releasing a few good Mayo songs? In fact, I’m not all that worried about the ‘good’ part of that statement. Just any song with ‘Mayo’ and ‘Sam’ somewhere in the lyrics.
Rochford’s Brigade, here’s the finest Mayo song of them all !!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dONChKbYKs&feature=youtu.be
Martin Breheney can pencil this in as the “the 8th lucky moment” that suggests we can win sam this year. 🙂
Yes I think all out hype and pride! Why shouldn’t we?! Show no fear of losing or winning. Will someone please get the Mayo flag that hung since Aug 2013 until May 2016(disappeared a week or two before Galway match!) under the N4 Lucan bridge up again!!!!
Hey Sam, is it a crime, is it a crime, that I still want you and I want you to want me too
It is just incredible to have this blog at times like these . I am so filled with pride for this forum from Mayo for Mayo , so filled with pride for these lions of men who just never quit.
Truly winning is not the most important thing when you are a county producing men and leaders like these footballers and managers.
But I believe it deeper than ever that we will win and win it the Mayo way. Winning dirty ball , playing brilliant moments with movement and pace , smothering all opposition.
Of course the Mayo way involves no small measure of drama so I’m expecting a second replay , lost leads , extra time , men dying on their feet , leads regained and finally the release . The mother of all releases .
Thank you Willie Joe – for everything . You have certainly played your role beautifully . Well done.
Swahili, were you in town tonight? Or maybe a few in the house?
I certainly hope if we win it, it’s a one game deal. No replays, the nerves wouldn’t stand it.
I have my doubts baconfactoryend had a few scoops as well :). The build up is well and truly on its way only thing to do is enjoy it.Maigheo abu.
Calm down everyone, remember we’ve till got 25 more sleeps to go and as supporters we need to be in peak condition on the day 🙂
Just reading these comments gives me goosebumps. I’m not sure I’ll survive 25 more sleeps. It’s like the build up to Christmas as a kid!!! Myself and my one and only other work colleague who supports Mayo were just chatting about the feeling, the celebrations if we finally won when our Kerry work colleague piped up and said that’s called Fantasy Football!!! Please God these bunch of lads can do it and stop all the slagging Mayo get. Hon Mayo
There’s a big one in these fellas for sure. Here we are again in a final and not playing great stuff at all. A balance of containment and all out full hog and we’ll be hard beat. I feel it in me water, me bones and everywhere else this is our year. Mayo for Sam 2017 indeed!!
Many believe the real final is on this Sunday. And that is fantastic news for us.
I spent an hour last night putting the flag a further six feet in the air in Meath. Want to make sure everyone that drives that boreen see the green and red colours flying proudly.
I think a pile of us need to go to some remote island for a training week prior to the match. Concentrating on our best, tactical shouting. Away from all the hype.
I can put on a fairly solid “boo” workshop for around 90 mins (theory) and a further 90 (practical). I can also do a flag waving workshop, along with Mayonaze
I’m sure others can lend a hand. Roger Milla can do a “Rowing with ould fellas who tell you to sit down” station.
It is all about winning….nothing else matter’s at this stage. For this team and the sanity of an entire county we need this.
Mark , I have a “how to ignore aul bucks who tell you to sit down workshop “and for the younger Gael i have a very short course on “how to stick the fingers up to the Sunday Game cameras”this one has proven very popular down through the years with the kids.
I suggest inishboffin for the week we can head out sunday once we know who we are playing so as to tailor the shouting to the opposition just like our manager tailors his own tactics.
If anyone comes across a spare ticket for a genuine Mayo Supporter for the Final, give me a shout. Have feelers out everywhere but no luck so far. Hon Mayo!
I know i’m losing the run of myself since last Sunday but that huge green and red flag in the picture at the top of this thread (with at least 21 people carrying it) is what we need on the Hill on the 18th. Maybe with Rochfords face somehow imprinted on it too. Or something like that anyway.
Any news on Seamie O’Shea, worrying to see him come off with another injury last Sunday. Also DOC went down injured near the end. They are 2 key players we need at 100%. Impact of Seamie is huge, would suggest he was our best player last year and we collapsed when he was Black Carded last year against Dublin.
My wife, who is a saint, and wouldn’t she need to be married to me, last night expressed the hope that when Dublin play Kerry that several of them get f######injured! This is a woman who wouldn’t even allow any of us kill a fly which might have strayed into the kitchen. Instead it would be gently urged towards the open window. Is that not a measure of how desperate we are for a win? Ah it’s building alright! Happy days.
Football does funny things to normal people diehard!
Yes Willie Joe (welcome back by the way), I was in Páirc Uí Rinn on that grey January day, though there were days much greyer in June.
The talk afterwards was not so much about Mayo, though the management came in for a hammering, but about how good Cork were and how likely they were to figure at the business end later in the year. So much for that.
It’s fair to say the journey since has taken quite a few twists and turns, and it’s not over yet!
I certainly hope Sundays game is a great game,with no injuries or sending offs,because I don’t want any excuse when we finally win sam,I want it to be the biggest and best day we have ever had,I fully believe we have cracked the way to win ugly if necessary,but I believe it will be in style
Frankly I hope they get as many suspensions as humanely possible and we end up playing a severely weakened Dublin team to be honest
I’d take a win over Kilkenny, couldn’t give a damn about other counties’ “excuses”
One to get the goosebumps going.Change lyrics ‘I heart Stephen Rochford’ and we are good to go.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsoB8Z1ukMU
I wouldn’t worry about Dublin players getting suspensions, they have a habit of getting overturned on appeal……
Mark…I’m in with ya!:))
Listen, forget about the songs. Save it for the day.
We were quiet when Dublin beat us in 2013 when our team needed us.
We were quiet in the semi final against Tipperary.
FFS, let us not be quiet on September 18th. We need to put that right. We have the advantage on the ticket front, everyone is writing us off – the script is written for the most defiant of defiant responses. Let’s concentrate on lifting the roof off the place for 80 minutes and leave nobody in doubt.