The 2021 inter-county football season is set to explode into action this weekend with the start of the Allianz Leagues and, for the first time in a quarter of a century, Mayo won’t be involved in the action in Division One. Instead James Horan’s men will be operating in Division Two North of the League and in Round 1 they face a tricky assignment against Down this coming Saturday at MacHale Park.
In this episode of the Mayo News football podcast we preview Mayo’s League opener. Mayo News sports editor Mike Finnerty is in the chair for this episode where he’s joined by Mayo News columnist and podcast regular Billy Joe Padden as well as by former Down All-Star player Marty Clarke.
In addition to setting the scene for the game in Castlebar, Billy Joe and Marty cover a wide range of topical issues. These include Dublin’s dominance and the chances of denying them seven-in-a-row of All-Irelands, Aidan O’Shea’s importance to Mayo, ‘Horanball’ and the need for a curveball to beat the Dubs, Oisin Mullin and Aussie Rules and the state of the pitch at MacHale Park.
The podcast this week also extends a warm welcome to our new sponsors, Ceramic City and Swinford Motors, who have both agreed to come on board with us for this year. This sponsorship is vital to us as we aim to grow and develop the podcast over the next while and we greatly appreciate the valuable support provided by both of them.
This episode of the Mayo News football podcast is now online and is available to listen to on iTunes, SoundCloud, Podomatic and Spotify. You can also listen to it directly on the Mayo News website as well as here on the blog using the SoundCloud player below or the one on the panel on the right.
The Mayo News football podcast has its own Twitter presence, @MayoPodcast, so if you’re a Twitter user you should follow us there to make sure you get the latest podcast-related updates, including new episodes.
Fergal Kelly- Longford . Referee for Saturday
Great Podcast. Brings the weekend closer. Any idea when the Team/Squad will be named.
Who will most likely start 8&9 , ruane and loftus ?
What are down like around the middle , I’m assuming from BJoes comments they are fairly light ?
Great podcast folk very enjoyable
Link to our own thoughts below great to have the football back
Info on the Donegal game and a look at our new panellists
Was availing of the mighty archive for some interesting points on EOD
https://open.spotify.com/show/2qwUVfZpHbipH3899u69X4
up mayo Willie Joe
1. Rob Hennelly
2. Eoin O’Donoghue
3. Brendan Harrison
4. Oisín Mullen
5. Paddy Durcan
6. Stephen Coen
7. Eoghan McLaughlin
8. Matthew Ruane
9. Conor O’Shea
10. Fionn McDonagh
11. Ryan O’Donoghue
12. Diarmuid O’Connor
13. Tommy Conroy
14. James Carr
15. Cillian O’Connor
That’s my two cents, probably wrong as usual
No Keegan, no Kevin McLaughlin
It is a good time to try new players, no crowd so like a challenge match but with significance
Well Jr, we may have a tough day of it, but I wouldn’t be a fan of starting either of those two from the get go of the league. Would like to see Lee play a freer role this year and I feel our half back line is stacked as it is, but Lee could easily come in for anyone in that back 6. I would also like to Eoin O’Donoghue get a few games under his belt. I went for Fionn over Kevin because I’m a big believer in Fionn’s potential at wing forward, but would like to see him get more game time. Again, a veteran like Kevin would fill most roles in the forwards. Both guys are tried and tested and we know what they can do, both lead by example and are without doubt two pivotal figures in that squad.
Agree quayman we should have Keegan where he will cause the most trouble for the opposition.
Should have been moved to chf in some of the finals we lost, just for a while.
100% he always looked like something possessed in finals, I’d even say last year’s final was his best game all year. At certain stages of the game we could certainly have done with Lee breaking lines further up the field, even if he wasn’t doing a whole pile he would attract attention.
Another great Podcast well done lads. Great to get the Down perspective from Marty. He comes across as very knowledgeable and honest. Looking forward to hearing from him again. I have to agree with BJ on some of the points he made. It is difficult to know where teams are at this point in the season
Quayman a great friend of mine from louth who trained winn minor and u21 teams here in Meath says you never waste your best player on opposition best player. Use a player instead with a bit divergent in him that will sticto him like glue and give him plenty of stick. We underrated Stephen Coen I think.
I think Connolly was already rattled when Lee got the black and Coen went on him; though he had no bother rattling the net for the peno. I’m still not fully bought on Coen with regards his man marking abilities, I hope I’m proven wrong because I like the look of him at 6. I haven’t watched back last year’s final and probably won’t for another while, I’m blind on a a fair bit of the game as I was working behind the bar during it. Who did Coen mark, did he go on Kilkenny after Paddy went off?
What’s story with gaago I haven’t used it before or looked at it yet. I presume you download an app, but can you cast from the app via chromecast