I meant to do this before now as last week’s Mayo News had details of our provisional fixture list for next year’s League campaign. I never got around to it so here at last is the list of matches facing us in Division One next spring as we seek to defend our NFL title.
It’s a tough enough schedule too, with three home matches and four on the road, in a Division where, aside from new boys Meath, there aren’t any obvious candidates for the drop.
Here’s the list:
- ROUND 1: Donegal v MAYO, (Donegal venue), Saturday, 25th January
- ROUND 2: MAYO v Dublin, MacHale Park, Saturday, 1st February
- ROUND 3: Meath v MAYO, Páirc Tailteann, Navan, Sunday 9th February
- ROUND 4: Monaghan v MAYO, (Monaghan venue), Sunday 23rd February
- ROUND 5: MAYO v Kerry, MacHale Park, Saturday 29th February
- ROUND 6: Galway v MAYO, Pearse Stadium, Sunday 15th March
- ROUND 7: MAYO v Tyrone, MacHale Park, Sunday 22nd March
It’s worth emphasising, I guess, that these fixtures are only provisional at this stage but, if previous years are anything to go by, you can take it that it’s our confirmed schedule. Saturday evening matches tend to throw in at 7pm, Sunday games at 2pm or 2.30pm.
There’s no word yet on the pre-season FBD League schedule but I suppose we’ll be hearing the necessary details on that before too long as well.
We’ve also got details at this stage, of course, on who we’re playing first in next year’s Connacht Championship. We’ll be facing Leitrim in a preliminary round tie at Páirc Seán MacDiarmada in Carrick-on-Shannon, at some point in early May, with the winners progressing to face either Roscommon or London in the Connacht semi-final later that month.
The eagled-eyed amongst you may already have noticed that I’ve changed the fixtures and results tabs above from 2019 to 2020 and I’ve stuck those League games onto the fixtures page. We may as well be ready in good time.
By the way, if you’re wondering where all the results details for 2019 have disappeared to, you’ll be glad to know that they’re now tucked away safely in the results archive. That adds another year to the list, making it 118 years of results now contained there.
On the ball as usual WJ, fair play!
Jesus those are hard fixtures you could easily see us losing the first 3. Meath in Navan will not be easy
You’re allowed to be optimistic in October, Pat! Meath in Navan could be fun.
5 points might be good enough to stay up. We might get 4 points in first 4 games. Dubs coming at a good time for us so might win there. Meath is no banker but should be targeted. Monaghan also. So if we win those 3 and beat Galway that’s 8 points and maybe a league final. Easy so.
Best of luck to Haunis on Sat. Ballagh too. Football alive and well in East Mayo.
Away wins against Meath, Monaghan and Galway should suffice. Could quite easily lose all 3 home games. Partly because of our awful record at Mchale and partly because of who the opposition is in the home games.
It all depends on how Horan approaches the league. The more experimenting the better imo. Its all about finding new players, Ruane been a great example. The league is all about staying up, if we find a couple players, and scrape 6 points ill be more than happy.
Agree that it’s all about blooding new players and staying up. Winning the league is great but soon forgotten as we found out this year….it’s all about championship
In terms of having more away games than home, I don’t think it really matters. We probably have a better away record over the past few years.
Playing Dublin early on will be an advantage.
We should have enough to stay up at least, could see Meath and Monaghan going down.
118 years of an archive!!! Wow.
That surely must be unique in the country?
Great stuff Willie Joe.
Why should we fear any of these teams – bar Dublin?
I’m sure and hope we’ll see new faces, but no doubt backboned by some old reliables. Speaking of old reliables, these guys will be so important next year. I keep saying that they have performed at the highest levels and you just can’t buy that. The newbies, no matter how good, need nurturing. Matty Ruane for example; great player and I’m a great fan, but he still has a lot to learn and just thing of what Seamie, Aido, Tom P can bring in helping him be really great.