The GAA have published the fixtures for the 2009 NFL (here’s the full list) and this is what’s facing our lads in Division 1 of the competition next year:
- Sunday 1st February: Mayo v Derry (home) 2.30 pm
- Saturday 14th February: Donegal v Mayo (away) 7.30 pm
- Sunday 8th March: Mayo v Westmeath (home) 2.30 pm
- Saturday 14th March: Kerry v Mayo (away) 7.30 pm
- Sunday 22nd March: Mayo v Dublin (home) 2.30 pm
- Sunday 29th March: Galway v Mayo (away) 2.30 pm
- Sunday, 12th April: Mayo v Tyrone (home) 2.30 pm
So, we open our campaign against league champions Derry (who we really owe a pasting to at this stage) and close it against the All-Ireland champions Tyrone. After two seasons where we’ve had only three home fixtures, this time we have four at home but, of course, home won’t really be home for us in next year’s NFL what with McHale Park out of action for the whole campaign. (Where is home, then? Ballina, I suppose.)
It’s a tough enough fixture list and we’ll be doing well to come away from the trips to Kerry and Donegal with anything so we’ll need to gain as many points as possible from the home ties. Two points from the opening match with Derry would be a good start and we should be able to take Westmeath and Dublin at home as well. It would also be nice to end that Pearse Stadium hoodoo in advance of our likely Connacht final clash with Galway at the same venue later next year. Ending the league campaign with a home tie against the reigning All-Ireland champions should tee us up nicely for what lies ahead in the summer.
At a personal level, it’s a far less appetising campaign in terms of getting to the games from my Dublin base. The home games always involve a long trek from here but last season I did at least have two nice soft away trips – to Portlaoise and Newbridge – whereas next year the away matches are likely to be played in Ballybofey, Tralee and Galway. I think I could be covering a bit more of this campaign from the couch.
While on the subject of fixtures, the Mayo News reported the other day that the Connacht championship preliminary round match against New York will take place on Sunday 10th May (i.e. not the Bank Holiday weekend, the one after) at Gaelic Park in New York.
Yeah the fixture list a Dublin based supporters nightmare – the home matches are probably the shortest journies. Still the road trips are always a bit of craic.
I reckon Galway will bring us to Tuam – there is no way they will let us have the run out in Pearse Stadium, and a possible result, before a potential Connacht Final. It will also please the Tuam people to have a big game there.
As for the Dubs – I reckon we should play that one in Belmullet.
You could be right about the Galway game, Eriad – it’s been a while since we played them in Tuam as well. That pitch in Erris looked just right for hsting the Dubs!
Was thinking the same about the Galway game, I’m sure they’ll go for Tuam.
No bother, we’ll just break this hoodoo when it really matters, the Connacht final!
I don’t think the GAA over exerted themselves with the fixture list here. Looks like they kept most in the same order and just reversed the home/away. Lazy beggars!
Cheers for the info on the New York game. Flights are looking reasonably priced at the moment as well
Does anyone think its safe yet to go ahead and book tickets for NY for them dates????
That’s when we need to do it alright, Dan. In any event, the hoodoo only extends to 1974 in the league (we beat them there by a point in the league in November that year – see the results archive for more details on this).
Dunno about the flight, Claire, but the Mayo News quoted Sean Feeney and he sounded fairly definite that it would be the second Sunday in May and not the Bank Holiday weekend.