Photo: @MayoGAA
Clearing-up time after our 2018 FBD campaign is now underway in earnest with the clock ticking ever more insistently ahead of our opening League match, up in Clones against Monaghan next Sunday (throw-in 2pm). Let’s, then, box away the coverage of yesterday’s Round 5 win over Sligo, which, despite the fact that it was the only inter-county match played yesterday, is a bit on the thin side. Here’s what’s in the media about it:
Locals: Mayo News, Connaught Telegraph, Mayo Advertiser (match report, post-match quotes from Stephen Rochford).
Nationals: Irish Times, Irish Independent, Irish Mirror, Irish Sun.
Others: GAA, RTÉ (match report, post-match quotes with Stephen Rochford), The 42, Hogan Stand.
Photos: Sportsfile.
Video: Midwest Radio (post-match piece with Stephen Rochford).
As I said, small enough helpings there. I guess the main bit of interest is what Stephen Rochford had to say after yesterday’s match, both about the unavailability of Keith Higgins and Tom Parsons for next weekend and his related confirmation that some of the newbies are set to get game time in the coming weeks. As the pre-season matches showed, there are a few new lads chomping at the bit for a slice of the action and it’ll be good to see how they get on in the more competitive environment of League Division One football.
Off with the lot of you now and enjoy your Monday.
Well I’m glad the FBD is over for Mayo, and no player picked up any injuries, despite having to play in some atrocious conditions…The same could not be said for the pitch at McHale Park, and it must host a a Saturday night Allianze League fixture very shortly. A delima now for the Connacht Council is to whether Galway and Roscommon, play the dead fixture, which would be consistent with the compulsory nature Mayo and Sligo fixture, despite the Venue being changed twice… Sure maybe they will play the regulation Gal/Ross fixture after the FBD final???… Time is short, the upcoming Allianze league is compressed in terms of time, so where the Connacht Council will get the available free date to play such a dead rubber game is beyond me… And if they don’t, it’s hardly consistent with the compulsory nature of what was expected of Mayo and Galway… Bear in mind that the Sigerson Cup is also played in the early part of the year…. The demands on young players in particular are mind boggling, what with travel, training. It’s very expensive nowadays for a student from the country studying in Dublin, many have part time jobs just to make ends meet and continue with their studies…. The demands of Studies, Pre Season Competition, (being played in dreadful weather and pitch conditions) Sigerson Cup, possibly a part time job and the hope of playing in the League with your county… We have to remember that it is still an amature game, supposedly played as a hobby… I certainly hope that the old saying that. ‘What doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger’ is true, but I’m not so sure…. Onwards to Clones, Mayo will be significantly under strength,.. I think Monaghan have a few injuries as well… It’s asking allot to get the points on the day… Hopefully the preseason punishment will stand to us, 2 points and a good start especially for our newbes, would be a great start… We are the longest team in Div 1..Hope that we extend our stay even longer!…
Connacht Council have now decided not to play Galway v Roscommon dead rubber fixture, FBD final to be played Feb 18th which is a bit daft also in the middle of already busy schedule
Last week, the CC were insisting that all the fixtures had to fulfilled… If I was cynical, I might think that it was Mayo fixtures that interested the CC the most, concidering the revenue earned from any time Mayo with their enormous and loyal support play… On second taughts you don’t have to be cynical at all to come to that conclusion!
Leantimes, believe me, I’m no fan of the Connacht Council, but they didn’t have any choice at this stage, but to scrap the Galway/Ros match. When could it be played. ?
Even they, wouldn’t ask the two counties to play it on a midweek, and then face an NFL game a few days later.
Lads who cares about football pitches connaught council FBD and most importantly who cares about Galway & Roscommon.
Big game on Sunday if we could SOMEHOW sneak a win it would be a brillant start. Would love to see O’Donoughe Crowe Nally Loftus start and maybe appearances from da bench from Stretton Tracey & Fionn McDonagh.
Really like the look of Naughton Ryan O’Donoughe and McCormack while this year mite be to soon Rochford is thinking ahead not just the here and now.
Best of luck to the team. Safe travels to all supporters
Is Brian Reape injured? I think ? saw him mentioned as playing against Galway but that’s it.
I suppose him playing Sigerson will rule him out of the first couple of games?
A bit off topic lads, but I saw rumours of a new gaa club in hollymount area?? Any truth in this?
Agree DJ . The national league is an opportunity to find new players . all the better if we stay up but that’s going to be difficult
Larry – it’s no rumour, it was discussed at the county board last night but a decision on affiliation of the proposed new club was postponed to give clubs an opportunity to consider the issue before it comes back to the board for a final decision.
Willie joe i tried to join your mini league but there looking for a code how do i get this code?
Thanks.
That’s still on the to-do list, 14allnall41 – I’m working on the FBD wrap-up first! I’ll be launching that one tomorrow hopefully so full details on how to join will be available then.
Interesting to see the outcome of the new club proposal in Hollymount.
Games will be coming thick and fast now.
Our League is very difficult this year. Monaghan away first and then Kerry at home. I see our 3 home games are the toughest you could get in the League against the other top 4 teams in the country, Kerry, Dubs and Tyrone.
The away games will be really tough as well though as the every team targets their home fixtures now to get results needed to avoid relegation. I can imagine that Monaghan Donegal, Galway and Kildare will have looked at their fixture lists and will be targetting the Mayo game in the hope of winning vital points.
Where is Brian Rape, get Brian Reape, keep Brian Reape .
Padraig Ruane is also worth a look
Reading Mike Finnerty’s article about the amount of Mayo players based in Dublin its seems to be the biggest problem for Mayo football ,there is currently 20 players based in Dublin as of this moment, I think this problem was highlighted by Ed Coughlan who was involved in the setup in James Horans time, Rochford admits himself it significantly hampers success of a National League title which we haven’t won for 17 years and in my eyes winning won would be a major confidence booster and denies management extra time with players working on game plans compared to Jim Gavin access to Dublin players.
More has to be done in this area by the County board to maybe give scholarships and to encourage younger players to take places in NUIG ,GMIT AND Sligo IT instead of going to Dublin 3rd level colleges. Also more could be done to find work for teachers and Garda in the panel in Mayo and finding professional level jobs in Galway for players that are based in Dublin. I know for a fact Kerry work hard on keeping players in the county , most of there younger players go to third level in Cork and they have a special scholarship for David Clifford in Tralee IT.
Sound wj thanks for the reply.
David Gough the ref for Sundays game in Clones
TH, Id be all for keeping our young people at home but id be wiry of offering scholarships based on being available to play football. If players are getting good courses or finding good careers outside Mayo then fair play to them and they should be accommodated by the county setup. I say too many of the young footballers around the country are making long term life decisions based on a short term football career. These are decisions they will regret when football is done with them. Yes Clifford would have a scholarship set up for him, but is it just a mickey mouse course setup so he can basically be a fulltime player or would it be a qualification he could base a fulltime career on that will benifit him in years to come. I fear it would be more the mickey mouse type.
Loved, just loved that Dalo address in Knockranny last week:
http://www.mayonews.ie/sports/31492-dalo-mayo-must-write-their-own-script
Magic catcol, thank you for the link.
TH ..Mayo and Roscommon have almost 40.players between them in Dublin..Think its 18 and 21 respectively..As referenced by Mc Stay it takes some players an hr to get through Dublin some evenings to even get on the road..Compare this to Kerry who have 2!!Massive difference…While I would always have thought it would benefit players to work or go to college close to home, the courses or jobs they are qualified for involve being based in the capital..Still a crazy statistic..
Yes Catcol had read Anthony Dalys stirring words at weekend. And what a great choice to talk to Mayo players before All Ireland. Unreal commitment by all Mayo players – but by God the players based in Dublin (especially senior guys who have been doing this for years) they are just amazing. I am exhausted even thinking about it. And even just last summer with all the games, extra time, replays – what drive and love of Mayo football they must have.
Stephen Coen played the full game for UCD in the Sigerson today. NUIG are playing tomorrow – Adam Gallagher and possibly Eoin O’Donoghue will line out for them.
Mayomad there is nothing wrong with Third level colleges in the West, fair enough there might be some courses like dentistry or actuary etc only in Dublin but most other courses generally can be studied in Galway. All I am saying is maybe the County board could have a scheme where a few scholarships are given to our best minor footballers if they attend NUIG, GMIT and Sligo IT its not about forcing them away from Dublin if that’s there choice.
I am pretty sure David Clifford would have received a scholarship in any college in the country but he chose Tralee himself, its your own opinion if you feel Tralee IT is a mickey mouse college, but its another reason why he is going to be the top footballer in the country for the next decade cause he takes his football that serious. I am pretty sure he is going to do very well for himself in life..
TH, please read my post again, I never said Tralee was a mickey mouse college, I went to an IT myself and have the highest regard for them, and I never said there was anything wrong with the colleges in the west. I said Clifford could possibly be going a mickey mouse course(which most colleges have) in order for him to be available to play football, big difference. What I do have a problem is courses offered to football players just so they are available to play football and which may not be suitable for them in the long term. Offering scholarships for particular 3rd level institutions in order for them to be available to play football is pressuring them into possibly choosing something they dont really want to do.
A lot of lads want to be teachers due to the fact that the lifestyle lends itself to requirements of an intercounty footballer.
I do think though there will be a lot of frustrated teachers in their mid 30s in a few years. Some of them might not really be suited to it but it suited their lives at the times. Long career afterwards.
East cork exile, I agree, young players are career choices and taking 3rd level courses etc based purely around football and the time these offer to train and play. When football is over alot of young men are going to be stuck in jobs they dislike or are unsuited for or have very limited job opportunities for the qualifications they gained.
Wide Ball, Eoin O’D is finished college.
Unfortunately the way of the world is that the country is capital-centric. A possibility would be to meet in Athlone or Mullingar one night a week as it is very much central.
I would like to see a few of the younger lads mentioned above get a full run for the league and alternate our big stars for the games. The only real way these lads are going to get experience is playing against the real elite.