Another jam-packed weekend of club Championship action lies ahead this coming weekend.
It’s Round 2 in the Senior, Intermediate and Junior football Championships and so the familiar hopes and fears relating to second round ties are likely to be there in abundance, with opening round winners seeking to push on closer to the play-offs while those who lost out last weekend will be aiming to get back on the horse as all the while worries mount about where a second successive defeat will leave them.
If you’re planning to head to a game this weekend, the link for where to buy tickets is here.
Mayo GAA TV are streaming matches on Friday, Saturday and Sunday this weekend. On Friday night under the lights it’s Aghamore playing neighbours Charlestown (throw-in 8pm), on Saturday it’s Castlebar Mitchels against Westport (4pm) and on Sunday the featured match is Ballina Stephenites against Claremorris (1pm).
Here’s the full list of matches this weekend in the SFC:
Here are the Round 2 matches in the IFC:
And here are the weekend’s matches in the JFC:
Finally, just to let you know that we’ll have a new episode of the Mayo News football podcast online tomorrow, reviewing the opening round Championship action and looking forward to the Round 2 ties.
Castlebar Westport looks spicy
Any youngsters looking for Mayo star autographs if you cant get to Bangor, get to the tidal pool in Belmullet around half 4 or 5. I’d say the Breaffy lads will be heading there for a recovery dip afterwards weather permittin.
[Deleted].
SPICY
Club action from the weekend reviewed on the podcast you will find the link in the usual places
AH Ref will there be a portion in the pod cast for having a dig at mayo footballers …
Because everytime Willie Joe goes to put up a new posts some one has to have a dig at the players..
Faceless nameless and i wont commet much more.
Willie Joe u have some patience and must pull your hair out at times.
It won’t, Glorydays, but I still had to delete the comment for obvious reasons. You could, if you’d made the effort, have got the point you wanted to make across equally well without playing the man. But, sadly, playing that particular man is too easy an option for many to resist these days.
Willie Joe – the quality of comments and contributions has really gone down hill here recently. The comments is also starting to be dominated by a few individuals who seem to have all the solutions and I cant understand how they are not managing county teams to all Irelands already.
A lot of disrespect starting to be shown to players and management as well.
If it continues down hill a lot of regulars who have been contributing for a long number of years will drift away – which is a pity.
I’m not sure I’d wholly agree with that, Southmayo Exile. The tenor of the debate since the final is understandable in light of the manner in which we lost to Tyrone. As I keep saying I’ve no problem with a robust debate here about the performance of players and management as long as it’s fair and reasonable. In that respect, I think that, in the main, it has been okay and plenty of the criticism has been of the constructive kind though I’ve had to delete plenty of unacceptable comments over the last few weeks too.
Men and women it’s time to park Mayo G.A.A. until 2022 we are all proud Mayo people who should be supporting our men & women in good and bad times.
We are so lucky to have a brilliant club championship coming up now every grade is so competitive so let’s focus on that.
Well done to Tyrone and Mayo we will be back!
Great to have club football back, all the usual reasons as well potentially finding some new players for county set. Also though for the players in the county team, I can’t imagine what it is like to lose an all Ireland final. It must be great to get back onto the pitch and enjoy football again with your local club where (for the most part!) nothing but support awaits.
Some really cracking games in store for the weekend.
Yes whole heartily agree but ..when u start a new tread or post ..the first post reverts back to someone having a dig … and that to me is sickening ..
No Raz what type of discussion can be had? I feel the more of a song and dance that’s being made of these people with the abuse the more oxegen it gives them. Leave them be i don’t think anyone reads them comments bar the people looking for them.
Ah Ref your right..
Was there any upset in your eyes over last weekend or were u surprised by any result ..
Westport seem a team to be reckoned with ..but not sure they always stay in the game for full 60+.
I was impressed by The Tubber
I was at the tubber Ballina game and yes Tubber were impressive i would question the merit of Ballina’s performance , was it a case of Ballina being poor or Tubber being very good. I think both will qualify and the acid test for both will come in the Quarter final. Physicality was an issue for Ballina in previous seasons and I see it being a problem again come the crunch games. Westport are being talked up by many but physicality will be the overriding question on them, they are by far the most skilful team i have seen in the senior championship but as the rain falls and the days get shorter the pitches will slow down and the ground will suit the bigger teams. this will dictate where moclair will go this year. Remember no games in Machale park (Thank God) so games could be in smaller slower pitches which will make this championship even more compelling this year. I hope the powers that be see the advantages to going around the county for quarter finals. For years we have had quarter and semis in castlebar and they have been devoid of atmosphere and life.
To be honest i think some of the players wont mind skipping the Castlebar venue …
Its didnt play well at times ..
Westport and Breaffy and tubber look to be out of the blocks early…but Knockmore will be a hard team to beat ..
I see tickets for the westport v castlebar game are only being made available to club members of those two clubs, according to westport gaa Facebook. I taught we were done with ticket scrambles for an other year at least after the All Ireland. What a load of shite
Eastcorkexile, I’d say you’d get long odds on one of the Breaffy lads going Sea Swimming after the match with Kiltane… The bar on impressing anyone has gone up after the Red Bull diving at Downpatrick Head, but I’m only after driving past Breaffy pitch and I seen a delivery van unloading, flippers, snorkels and swimming trunks.. Still think it’s a Longshot, like Kiltane!
Good point Ref on moving around the venues. Smaller venues would add great atmosphere.
I cant wait for the smaller grounds to have their day again. It depresses me sitting in that empty ice box for quarter finals. The constant reminder of the crippling debt that hangs over our county is a cold reminder(literally) as to the huge problem in Mayo football.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMWThOCxnaI
County finals in local grounds. Hook it to my veins.
I hope we can find a few players from the club championship for mayo. Players coming of age. Kevin McLoughlin. Aos.keegan..panel. Boyle Doherty. Will the last 2 feature again. Hard to see it. Doc hampered by injury and cannot be young
Stephen Cowley, I dont see any problem with tickets for Westport/Castlebar being reserved for club members, its a high profile game and its only right members get preference.
Tickets for Castlebar v Westport can be bought using the usual link from what I can see.
Stephen you will be like myself and avail of the Davitt house pass
New podcast episode is up. Club championship one, reviewing last weekend’s action and previewing the Round 2 games this weekend.
Allot of good a Davitt house pass will be with Mchale Park out of service for the foreseeable future!
Bit odd the way there are still restrictions in attending games .this country is completely bonkers , how many weeks / months now has the uk had full to the brim crowds at games ?
When is McHale Patk back in action anyway??
Absolutely crazy that there’s reduced capacity still at club games. Out in the elements, open, windy stands, acres of room.
Fw where did you see that?
Re Mchale Park., with the way it was with Covid restrictions until very recently, No crowd’s or only a skeleton crowd were allowed for the League and Championship were last Spring and Early Summer, and an allowed capisity of only a few hundred, the first game where a few hundred were allowed was v Clare in the league.. Several ground’s around the County could easily have accomadated such a sparce crowd or zero crowd, no reason whatsoever that McHale Park couldn’t have been reseeded literally months earlier.. Wouldn’t that have been an idea!
@Ah Ref, was sent it in a WhatsApp so not exactly concrete!
FW – it’s not helpful to be posting stuff here which you admit yourself you only learned of in a Whatsapp message. You should, by now, know the rules about posting unconfirmed stories here.
@Willie Joe,yes of course and only realises that looking back at it.
Apologies.
Thanks, FW. I think it’s best if I delete the comment.
As we all remember there was a fairly widespread support for the recent Connacht final been played on Croke Park.
I wasn’t in support of this myself, but in Croke Park it was played.
The most common reason given at the time by the posters in favour, was that Croke Park suited the Mayo playing style and offered a greater chance of success than playing the game at home.
With McHale Park out of use for the short term future, my question is. Do the same people who were happy to have the Connacht final played in Croke Park because it suited our team, do yea now feel that our opening championship rounds in Connacht next year, should these also be moved to Croke Park.
Would people be happy to play all our Connacht campaign matches (hopefully there will be more than one), in Croke Park ?
@Revellino.. in fairness, regardless of who might or might not be in favor of Mayo playing in Croke Park, Our opposition whoever they might be might rightly want to play their Connacht games in Connacht, .. Hyde Park was out of bonds one year, and it didn’t stop the Rossies giving Galway a football lesson in the Connacht Final in Salthill, just a year’s ago, Hyde Park was voted the best playing surface in Ireland after it’s upgrade… Personally I want as many as possible, and definitely all Connacht games played in Connacht, keep the money spent in Connacht, keep the turnstiles turning in Connacht, that’s the only way, that the nessary upkeep of stadia can be paid for.. Croke Park would only be too willing for to get as many Mayo supporters through their turnstiles as possible as often as possible.. Sure it helps pay for Dublin’s the upkeep of the defacto home and away from venue for the Dubs.. Dublin being eventually beaten in the championship, shouldn’t disguise or deminish the grossly unfair treatment for the Dubs for the last decade in particular.. And if anyone didn’t notice, Kildare GAA are getting a big grant from the GAA for the upgrade of St Conleths Park… No way would this have happened if Kildare GAA didn’t dig their heels in the Newbridge or Nowhere saga,.. Anyhow the very least any GAA supporter with even the slightest interest in Mayo should be told by our County Board, is reasons why, concidering the Covid regulations for this year up until July, why wasn’t it reseeded months beforehand.. I know that, it was a strong possibility that Mayo could easily have played Roscommon or Galway in the Connacht Final of 2020, and in the ordinary run of events that would have been scheduled for Mchale Park.. But there was no reason at all that the game couldn’t have been played in this exception of a year in Salthill or Roscommon, or as it was in Croke Park.. I remember when Roscommon Pitch wasn’t up to scratch, the replay of the Connacht Final between Galway and Roscommon took place in Castlebar,. I remember, Mayo playing Sligo twice in the Hyde in the Connacht Final in the last decade, I remember Roscommon playing Sligo in the Connacht Final in Castlebar in 2010 I think,.. I was at all them game’s , so there was plenty of precisent for an obsious solution!
@fw defintely nothing concrete out of a WhatsApp not like Grogan Concrete Ballyhaunis proud sponsors of the Ah Ref Podcast now thats good concrete
Fairplay Ah Ref
I am going to order a readymix from Grogans just for that. Seriously ……….I am using one n a few weeks!!
Stefan Okunbor returns to the kingdom from oz . Jack o connor will be pleased , pretty sure he starred for Jack’s underage teams .
How come there was 6000 people at the kerry county hurling final a few weeks ago yet Mayo club games can only have 500 people attend?
@ahref – enjoyed yesterday’s pod. Who do yourself and Enda think are the best 19/20 year old talents not already in the Mayo panel of 41?
You mentioned Ballina had a youthful side. Any potential county players there?
Also how did Jack Mahon, this years u20 captain show up in the game at the weekend?
@larryduff Good question Enda like the look of Ruairi Keane from this years crop and so do i but ill wait until i see him in the flesh hopefully Saturday if I can get to Newport in time for Burrishoole Mayo Gaels. Mayo have brought in a lot young players the last few seasons Jack Carney included in that list so i think it has been well looked at. Ballina have plenty of potential county players . Morrin looked like he could handle himself with the big boys , Thornton has a bright future , Irwin Boland etc. I think Ballina in a few seasons if they do the work and stick at it will be around for a long time. Time will tell. We will be doing a preview of the weekends action tonight so if you have any more questions dont be afraid to get them in.
In relation to mahon he got more into the game as it went on but the conditions made it very difficult for anyone to shine Charlestown need more out of him. Charlestown Aghamore will be a cracker on friday night and both teams will need the win. Home advantage will mean a lot Charlestown have plenty of experience playing there under lights as well. Should be a dinger. Mahon towey reilly need to clock up a few scores and get more out of goldrick plus need the likes of Nial Murphy to get forward to punish aghamore,
Thanks for all the positive feedback we really appreciate , means the world to us.
Agree Sean Burke re crowds, can’t understand it.
I was at a gig here in Dublin on Sunday night. Indoors, full house, no distancing between seats. All wearing masks.
How does this years venue for connacht final square up in the alternative arrangement between ourselves and Galway?
Very good piece in the mayo news by Edwin mcgreal. Very accurate and well worth a read. A good honest assessment of players and management. When only two men really show up its very hard to expect to reach the holy grail. We need to find more players than can realistically challenge for places. Hopefully the club scene will help us.
It was a good piece. But…
micro analysis, which I love, may not be helpful here. Tyrone choked midfield and ensured Matty Ruane never fired. Thus we weren’t getting the same kind of fluid movement that characterised our display in the second half against Galway. I just felt we were unplayable in that second half and Tyrone set out to prevent that kind of movement at all costs. Sure the penalty was critical but even that would have put us one point ahead. Midfield, ability on the breaking ball and catching all went Tyrone’s way.
Also, we need to concentrate on the next ball, or the next game. The format is uncertain, but simply put, a number of games will be required to get back to a final. The guys need a break – club scene is ideal – and then a rest to recharge and go for it again – like we did before. We can worry about the final when, if and when we get to it. A lot of debate is begging the question on a future final performance. Let’s see us get to it.
I love that attitude, Catcol.
It’s so hard to get back to a final again. Probably quarter finals next year too but we have to move on and look to next year. There is no other way.
I think it’s now the work starts on not alone reaching next years final, but winning it.
That must be the goal right now and I am confident it can and will be done but only if more focus is put into detail in every aspect of our preparation.
I look at Mayo in a different way than some, I realize that, but my firm belief is that add-ons and a more professional regime is all that is preventing us from getting over the line.
We must remember that we have one thing that not too many if any have and that’s incredible resilience and the components which we are missing can be added, but the will needs to be there from the County Board.
I never accept impossible or undoable but it wont happen by dreaming, it needs hard work and dedication and that should start right now by the County Board.
@Ah Ref Sam Callaghan is a fine footballer for ballina.needs to work a bit on s+c,has the making’s of a fine number six.Thorthan like his uncle before him will make a fine midfielder, and is a class free taker.As you said they need more time but the future is bright.