Into the West and stuff

Willie Joe

We’re in Mayo for a few days, hoping the sun will shine but, in our hearts, knowing that there’s more bloody rain on the way.

Right, this is just a quick one.  First up, the latest edition of the Connacht GAA mag Into the West is now out (here it is, in pdf form) and yours truly has a bit of scribbling in this one.

Second, you’ll probably have heard by now that Liam Sammon has decided not to take up the option of remaining in charge of Galway’s footballers for another year.  I’m not sure I’m happy or sad at this news – no, hang on, I’m sad: the devil you know and all that.  Who might be line to take over there?  John Maughan, maybe?  (On second thoughts, I’d say he’s having way too much fun getting his own back on Johnno with all those little zingers he puts into his Mayo Advertiser column every week.)

Finally, here’s one especially for those of you non-Mayo people out there who think we never have anything to cheer about supporting the Green and Red.  With thanks to Niall, here’s a video clip of Mayo minor captain Aidan Walsh lifting the Kilcoyne Cup at Hyde Park late last month following the minors’ Connacht final replay triumph over Roscommon.  Hopefully it won’t be the last trophy that Aidan gets to hoist this year either.

14 thoughts on “Into the West and stuff”

  1. Well I think Sammon leaving will be bad for us if one particular scenario develops – Mick O’Dwyer takes over Galway…
    It’s bad enough having to deal with those Kerry hoors in Croke Park, I’d rather not have to deal with a Kerry-led Galway team in Connacht!

  2. I think that’s a bit of ball-hopping by the Indo today, to be honest. If it were to come to pass, though, you could argue that any Connacht title we’d win while he’s next door would be one we’d have to fight for, leaving us better prepared for battle thereafter.

  3. Lads, if we start getting worried about rumours we have learned nothing from the past week. We need to change the attitude and be prepared to beat anyone. The stronger they are the better!

  4. Didn’t actually realise it was in the Indo. I was just putting 2 and 2 together, assuming that Micko wouldn’t stay on in Wicklow.
    It was all tongue in cheek to be honest. Agree though, the stronger they are the better for us.
    Anytime I think of a Kerryman managing in Connacht, I have terrible visions of a certain Jack O’Shea….

  5. I see Willie Joe in a recent comment you said “There are plenty of grounds for optimisim”. What exactly is this based on and please don’t mention our defeat of Galway. We were very badly exposed last weekend against a very average Meath side. If we had beaten Meath and been competitive against Kerry then that would have been progress. People are kidding themselves if think this losing like to did to Meath is progress.
    Who cares about Galway or a connacht title as this stage. Winning Connacht did Galway not good last year or us this year. The whole provincial farce should be scrapped anyway. It makes absolutely no sense. People are too hung up on it.
    It really is back to the drawing board for Mayo and nothing else.

  7. I think I covered it all, facetheball, in the piece I did. For the record, though, I do think that beating Galway in Salthill was an achievement and while the provincial structure remains in place, winning Connacht will always continue to count. (Incidentally, I can’t understand this attitude of turning our noses up at Connacht titles – it’s not as if we’ve been swimming in them lately or anything!) Losing to Meath was a big disappointment, of course, but I genuinely think we were very unfortunate to do so and the match could have easily turned out very differently. It didn’t, we have to live with it and move on.

    As I pointed out in the piece, the average age of our team the last day was just over 24 years of age. The experience gained by them this year (yes, including the manner in which we lost to Meath) is far more likely to be of positive benefit to them (in terms of knowing what to do next time) rather than scarring them in any way. If back to the drawing board means a better emphasis on tactics and developing an approach that will see us kill off teams like Meath (which we obviously should have done the last day), then I’m completely in agreement. If, however, it means not sticking with this group of players, then I can’t see any sense at all in that.

  8. I think that we have been far too quick to write off individual players in the past and have not improved as a team in consequence. Dermot Geraghty and Michael Conroy as examples were discarded prematurely in my opinion. Look at the beatings Kery took in 2001 v Meath and 2003 v Tyrone. The bulk of these players were retained and came good in spades subsequently.

  9. Thanks for that WJ.
    Christ, that ‘story’ has about as much substance as my putting 2 and 2 together

  10. Have to agree with Doc G on this 1, we cant be bothered/worried about whats going on in the land of the tribes, or any other county for that matter. If we’re going to learn anything from the past week, we’ve got to be totally focused and single-minded about next year (throw in having no fear of opposition or their managers), otherwise we’ll end up in the same poisition again.
    I for 1 would love to see Micko in charge of Galway (cant see it happening though). Bring it on!!

  11. Wj the reality is that we won the match v Meath. Sadly the ref was not interested in fair play. We are a soft touch and now that the dust has settled I think we need to look at our whole general attitude. If you are liked by other counties you are doing something wrong

  12. Liked by other counties? I’m not sure about that. Several people have commented to me this week, that whoever else beats them, they would hate to lose to Mayo. That included a couple of Meath people and several fellow Dubs. Not surprisingly, I have often heard this same opinion expressed by natives of Cork and Kerry.

    Funny thing about a lot of Dublin supporters – the opinion that we’re far superior to Mayo is widespread. Yet they fail to admit that Dublin have been an even flakier team on big occasions in the last fourteen years. After all, Mayo have appeared in 4 finals since Dublin last played late September football.

    And like the moaners who accuse Meath of “robbery” in ’96, many Dubs hold Mayo responsible for the same crime in 2006.

  13. I have been reading the blogs for the last week great stuff Willie Joe keep it up.I had a few thoughts to share maybe off the wall but here goes. Is it not ironic in this country of ours that prides itself in seeking justice all over the world and our great national institution called the Gaa can stand idly by and ignore one of the greatest injustices ever witnessed in a sporting event.Indeed outside Mayo how much have we heard about the six major blunders by that mean Cavan bastard. Was it not enough to rob us of an All Ireland sixty years ago in the so called short All Iraland.You wonder how much has changed since.

    The reality is Meath should not be playing Kerry as they did not win that match according to the rules.They lost by seven points, seven illegal meath points and a perfect goal disallowed for us. Add in another possible four for the penalty that should have been awarded for the footblock on Harte and the P Gardiner free for bouncing the ball.In the interest of natural justice that game should have been replayed.Remember the Offaly hurling fans staging the sit down protest and they got their wish for far less of an issue. Also the Carlow footballers some years ago for the wide point. In mayo we are far too shy in standing up for ourselves its not whinging its fairness.Where are our spineless County Board have they nothing to say on the matter. Can you imagine if this had happened to the Dubs in the game against Kerry. After them losing they still got two full pages of coverage on the Sunday Independent last Sunday the so called national newspaper.

    Did you all notice how the legal eagle from Derry on RTE failed to exercise his legal mind on the injustice we all witnessed.Contrast this with his legal interpretation of every act of thuggery perpetrated by a Derry player and why they should not be banned.Do we have to put up with this bias after paying 160 euros for a tv licence.

    Finally as a county we should do everything we can to ensure that Mc Qillen never puts a whistle in his mouth again in Croke Park because these things have a habit of repeating themslves. I dread the thought of him refereeing a final involving us in 2011 or 2112 when I feel a Mayo Captain could be climbing the steps of the Hogan Stand ( if we get fair play).Lets get the campaign going and keep it going.

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