If you haven’t heard of Cáirde Mhuigeo yet, then the chances are that you will do so soon. A useful primer in this respect is this piece by Edwin McGreal in the Mayo News which summarises what this initiative is all about.
In essence, Cáirde Mhuigeo aims to bring under one roof the various different supporters’ groupings that have developed in quite a fragmented way over the years and to do so with an enhanced season ticket as its centerpiece. Up to now, different fundraising schemes – most of which have involved a season ticket scheme of some sort – have been on offer through the Mayo Supporters Club, the Patron Scheme and Club Mayo Dublin, with additional fundraising also occurring through supporters’ groups in London and in the USA. This plan will see the amalgamation of all these different fundraising efforts into a single vehicle through which there will be a range of different options for providing financial support to Mayo GAA.
The new ‘all-in’ season ticket which will be available under the Cáirde Mhuigeo banner will grant you get free access to each of our National League matches and our first Connacht Championship match as well as free admission to all Mayo club games at all levels. It also includes an option to buy a ticket for every subsequent championship match the seniors are involved in, up to and including the All-Ireland final. From my own perspective, that’s a better option that my current Club Mayo sub, which only gives me free access to our home league matches and the club games.
Added benefits from subscribing to Cáirde Mhuigeo include a branded jacket and the option to take part in what will be a monthly Cáirde Mhuigeo lotto draw. Subscribers will also get discount vouchers worth up to €100 from Mayo-based businesses who have agreed to join forces with the County Board to help drive take-up of the season ticket. In this respect, the County Board have issued an open invite to Mayo businesses to take part in this scheme, pointing to the obvious advantages to both parties from doing so.
The new season ticket retails at €200 per annum and there are other options (at €120 and €60 per annum respectively) to join the fundraising scheme if the season ticket doesn’t rock your boat. These give you access to either the Cáirde Mhuigeo lotto draw (the €120 option) or a club lotto draw (the €60 option), with 40% of the price of the latter going back to the buyer’s nominated club.
Personally, I think this is a great initiative and one that deserves widespread support. From what I’m hearing, the initial projections on likely take-up are fairly bullish and so there’s every chance it will prove a hit with punters. The aim to ensure that all revenues raised from fundraising come into the one pot is both overdue and perfectly sensible while the tie-in with local businesses is clever, in particular given the austere economic times we live in. For me, it’s a no-brainer to support and I suspect that this will be the case for many other Mayo GAA devotees as well.
Funds collected from the various supporters clubs went to the mayo team training fund, did’nt they? Where is the revenue collected from this season ticket going? to pay off the huge debt that the county board racked up in mc hale park?
I was at the launch of the London club a few weeks ago – so has that been wound up already? It is all very confusing if you ask me. I was thinking of joining that because we were told it was for the players but this has the mark of the county board and is surely to pay off their bank debt. No thanks. When I come home after Christmas I will buying the GAA season ticket. €75 for the same thing – that’s the no brainer, and I’ll find plenty of uses for the other €125 – the mortgage is not my fault and won’t win us Sam
Well said Spailpin on your comments re Michael O’Hehir and what John Bowman had to say about him. Suffice for me to say that the voice of the great man was part of the Ireland i grew up in and i revered him for his part in the creation of this nation. John Bowman is a historian and RTE pundit. micheal O Hehir was a legend.
agree with that London Supporter. On the face of it Cairde looks to be similar to the existing supporters clubs but is it? The membership offer of access to matches, entries in draws and so on look familiar and indeed are enticing enough – no argument in that front.
But the other side of the coin and probably even more important is where will the Cairde money go? McHale Park debt ? A Central Fund? The Players Fund? General Admin?
Do we know? The article in the Mayo News doesn’t make any reference to this important bit of information at all so we can only guess until told otherwise. Whether we agree or disagree on the current structure of Mayo supporter clubs at least it’s clear where the funds raised are earmarked for – the teams and the players and training facilities and so on.
It might also be be a mistake to assume that all the members of the existing supporter clubs will just switch to a new setup if the objectives aren’t the same. Many of the supporter club members are members because they can make a direct contribution to the player funds but might have no desire to donate for McHale Park. Equally, I’m sure, there are some who have no problem with contributing to McHale Park.
As we have often seen these ideas are thrown out there incomplete and can backfire. I genuinely hope this isn’t another one.
on the face of it this looks like a great idea . perhaps this years london subscription will discontinue next year and the london supporters will be merged into cairde mhuigheo?
at the london event we were assured that the funds are ringfenced and go only to the players fund, this of course is an easy assurance to give as it could mean that the amount given to the players remains the same and the county board could then divert the “player” funds towards servicing the debt…
i think the mayo press need to find out a lot more about the state of the county finances.. and i think the county board need to get tough with their debtors ( ulster bank ?) its time to get a haircut !
on a completely different topic , anyone know how our secret winter training camp is going ? 🙂