As the saying goes, there are only two certain things in life, viz. death and taxation. But this being Tuesday – and a rather nice, steely cold but with bright sunshine Tuesday at that – there are two other fairly definite events to talk about. Yes folks, it’s Mayo News day and it’s also Prison Break night.
First to the Mayo News, where Cllr Gerry Murray of Charlestown is taking the County Board to task for not playing any league games at places like, well, Charlestown anymore. In response, Sean Feeney points out that this is because counties were told by the powers-that-be to designate a county ground so that all those 21st century fiddle-faddles could be put in place at it. He did, however, also say that, with McHale Park closing for redevelopment later this year, next season’s league matches will have to be played at other grounds. (Though surely they’ll just have to nominate a different ground for the season?)
Like Sean Feeney, I have some sympathy with the good Councillor, as it’s kinda nice to see the various grounds about the county get to host league games. However, it’s probably also true that the more the lads get to play in McHale Park, the more of a home ground it becomes and, with the Connacht semi-final against Sligo (sorry, London) almost definitely being staged there this year and the Connacht final (sorry, Sligo) more than likely being played there too, the more match practice they get there, the better, I suppose. By the way, when did we last lose a competitive (i.e. not including the FBD) fixture there? According to my Results Archive, it looks like it was the 2006 league semi-final against Galway. The last championship defeat there was also inflicted by those pesky Herrin Chokers, in the Connacht semi-final in 2002.
Kevin McStay, still Kosovo-marooned for another two months, discusses the merits of home advantage in his column and he reckons that playing at home gives you a 70%+ chance of success. Unless, in our case, we’re up against those shaggin’ Herrin Chokers, it would seem.
I think they haven’t posted all this week’s articles on the Mayo News website yet, as there’s nothing about the Donegal game or the Club Mayo bash last week. Nothing either yet from The Voice of Experience. No doubt the whole lot will be uploaded the minute I hit the “Publish” button (it has happened before, dear reader). I’ll post again later on there’s if anything of interest in the stuff to come.
There’s nothing for it but to move onto the day’s other main action. Prison Break is on, as usual, at nine on RTE 2 and it should be a bit of fun tonight. When we last left them, the lads were in the tunnel, poised, finally, to effect their escape from that nice cosy Sona prison in Panama. I think one can safely conclude that, in the immortal words of Phil Lynott, tonight there’s gonna be a jailbreak. And, just to celebrate this imminent occurrence, here’s The Man himself giving it welly.