We’ve still got a few more days to go before our lads take the field but the 2012 FBD League gets going tonight with a double-header which sees Galway facing IT Sligo (throw-in 6.30pm) and Sligo playing NUIG (8pm).

Both of tonight’s matches are being played at the new Connacht GAA Centre of Excellence, which is located on the Knock-Ballyhaunis road in the townland of Cloonacurry near Bekan (i.e. here). Construction there has obviously moved on apace since The Brother and I had a gawk at the site around this time last year and it’s good to see that proper matches (well, nearly proper ones – this is still only the FBD after all) can now be played there.

(Mobile communications nerds might, however, jokingly chafe at the fact that tonight’s match is taking place on the 3G pitch at the Centre and will wonder why the Connacht GAA lads didn’t just go ahead and deploy LTE but that’s neither here nor there).

Ahead of tonight’s opening match, Galway’s new boss Alan Mulholland has been speaking with the Indo. As expected, the new man confirms that a raft of young lads – whom he will know plenty about, having managed them to All-Ireland success at both minor and U21 level – will be given the chance to impress in the FBD but it’s also interesting to note that he has already coaxed the dopey-eyed destroyer Nicky Joyce back into the Tribesmen’s ranks for 2012.