Image: messagequotes.com
It’s not yet New Year’s Eve but we’re up and off early in the morning to catch the New Year’s festivities way out west. This, then, is just a brief one to say farewell to the old hag of a year that has a day and a bit left to go as the world and its spouse starts to turn its attention to the unsullied and promise-laden new one that’s about to be born at midnight tomorrow.
Personally – and not just for football reasons either – I’ll be more than glad to wave goodbye to 2014, a year that I can’t in truth say that I’ll look back on fondly. From a football perspective there’s nothing to add at this stage to all that’s been said already and nothing to be gained from another bout of hand-wringing about what might have been. So instead I’ll confine myself to directing a simple hasta la vista in the direction of the soon-to-be-gone old year while hoping for better things, in so many ways, in 2015.
In terms of logistics over the next few days, I don’t plan to be online much (if at all) between now and Sunday so the first post of the new year will probably be a brief report on our opening FBD match which, in case you need reminding, takes place on Sunday afternoon. Football action to talk about again? That, at least, should make for a positive start to 2015.
Happy New Year all.
Happy new year WJ and all Mayo fans everywhere. I’m praying hard that a couple of these 20 lads that have been training have the steel and heart to do what the Kerry newcomers do, go out and be fearless, believe in your own skills and win Sam for themselves and the many thousands shouting you on from the sidelines and airwaves.
Hup Mayo
Happy new year WJ and all Mayo fans everywhere. I’m praying hard that a couple of these 20 lads that have been training have the steel and heart to do what the Kerry newcomers do, go out and be fearless, believe in your own skills and win Sam for themselves and the many thousands shouting you on from the sidelines and airwaves.
Hup Mayo
Thanks for all of the great work WJ, for keeping us all up to date on the goings on of Mayo GAA, Well Done! ….. You’d really hope that this will be a watershed year for us. We have learned some really harsh lessons this year, us supporters as well as the team and the management. All I can say is, ROLL ON 2015….
Happy New Year everyone and from a sporting point of view for me it was a roller coaster ride. From the Liverpool “slip” up in the title race which broke me to the start of our championship in the basking in the Bronx sun, jitters in the Hyde, comfortable in McHale, coasting against Cork only for a heart attack few moments and then onto two games against that bloody team I am fed up of loosing too….walking out of limerick feeling more depressed and hard done by then ever…..so long 2014.
Hello 2015….show me something better 🙂
Happy new year to you all, folks.
Much like WJ, I won’t be sorry to say goodbye to 2014. It was a frustrating and disappointing year on a few fronts, so I’m looking forward to leaving it behind and embracing a new start.
Some of the great things however to come of this year were firstly, getting to meet so many of you in person at games around the country and putting faces to the names I’d seen here for years. Secondly, this year was one where I was reminded time and time again just what a wonderful and proud county we are, and that no matter how low we fall, no matter how despondent we get, no matter how beaten down we might be, we will always get up, dust ourselves down and turn our faces forward. Nothing will ever keep us down for long and the fact that we’re already gearing up for the year, starting Sunday is proof positive of this.
Finally, the amount of people who got on board with our efforts over at Club ’51 this year was fantastic – to those who helped out, thank you all so much for your time, your goodwill, your voices, your effort and for the contributions that helped us to make our sides of the grounds a bit more colourful and supportive of our teams. We made some good friends and had some great craic in the process. We’re hoping to continue with our efforts this year and anyone who’s interested in helping out, even if it’s just to fly a flag can find us over on facebook or Twitter. Thanks to WJ also for his support.
It might be January, it might be cold and grey, it might be “only the FBD” but I know can’t wait to get back out there on Sunday and see what our prospects for 2015 look like. Maigh Eo Abú!
Fill the flasks, we are back on the road.
All the best to all Mayo supporters for the New Year ahead.
This will be the year.
Believe……
2014 was a hard year for me as Well alot of upset beside gaa so goodbye! But on a gaa note it was a hard year but a fantastic eventful one. Sweat and tears leaving limerick more so for da players than supporters bur felt proud to b from such a proud county. Roll on Sunday as they say nothing beats being there. Really hope this is our year, da players deserve it. Sorry ti see james horan go hes done da hard work hope noel and pat finish da job:-):-)
Happy new year everyone! Let’s hope 2015 is our year!
Best wishes to all for 2015. Let’s be positive for the coming year.Will be interesting to see the players Conelly & Holmes will use to decide their championship set.I still think Horan has set the bar and a pedistol for the lads to step onto.
Happy New Year WJ and thanks once again for this great site and the very best to all on the site.
We kick off again on Sunday albeit at a lesser level but let’s hope it lays the foundation for greater accomplishments in 2015, winning the league would set us in good stead, a fifth Connacht would strengthen us and set us on the road nicely………he dreams of things that has never been……………….
Anne-Marie, did you write speeches for Ted Kennedy…..cause you certainly have the skill.
Maigh Eo Abu 2015
Happy new year to WJ and everyone else. Looking forward to the new season already. I’ve just finished reading Morts book which appeared in my Xmas stocking last week. I know it’s been well discussed here already but thought I’d throw my tuppence worth in also!
I had thought that mort may be worth a look for pat and Noel in 2015 but on reading the book I’m not so sure. What really annoys me about Conor is that he seems in awe of the Kerry players in particular. He fawns over players like cooper, Galvin, dec o Sullivan as if they were untouchable, unbeatable giants of men, and the mayo lads are just an inferior species in comparison. The attitude is almost that they are better than us, and we can only beat them if they have a really bad day and we play out of our skins. It’s a really defeatist attitude. It’s a pity coz the guy has more talent and ability than almost all the current mayo forwards, but in terms of belief I think he is lacking. I reckon he’d be a great player on a team with 2 or 3 all Ireland’s to their name. Unfortunately his mentality is not good enough for a team trying to make a massive breakthrough like mayo are.
In his defence however, I think James Horan made several mistakes with mort. Not contacting him when he was injured in 2011 was poor form by Horan and in stark contrast to the way Andy Moran was absorbed into the squad while recovering from an identical injury in 2012. It was disrespectful by Horan. I think mort regrets leaving in 2012 also. Interestingly it appears his travel time to and from Dublin when he switched to parnells also was a major issue. As supporters we don’t think about these things. You ideally want all your county players living and playing club football in mayo. Very few players make a major impact for mayo while playing club football in Dublin.
I would also agree with his opinion that we were over the top reacting to the Kerry games this year as a county. Personally I couldn’t understand the air of elation that followed the drawn game in particular. Gushing tributes to our team were penned from everywhere after that game despite blowing a 5 point lead with 5 minutes left that ultimately cost us an all iteland final appearance. Even WJ threatened to shoot anyone on his audio piece after the game who dared express any criticism! Yes we came back heroically that day with 14 men but it’s not unusual for 14 men to up their collective performance level in the Gaa championship, it’s happened many times before. The fact is at the most important time of the game we wilted and let them back in. No other serious footballing county in Ireland would have celebrated a draw in that manner like we did. If Kerry had blown a five point lead with 5 minutes left their fans would have slaughtered them. As a county we need to lose this mentality, it does us no good.
Looking to 2015, I’m keen to see some of these 20 new players rumoured to have been given training programs by pat and Noel. I would expect the like of Patrick Durcan, Shane nally, evan Regan and the likes to see plenty of game time in the FBD league. Maybe we’ll see some of the 2013 minors given a run too. Looking forward to the u21 championship also, with our record at minor over the last 3 years (AI semi 2012, 2014, champions 2013) you’d expect to see us compete strongly at this grade too.
Happy New Year to everybody.
Totally agree with the earlier comments on fourteen players closing out games.
I remember a Cork team that included the maligned Larry Tompkins in the 1990 AI beating the great Meath team of that era despite going a man down. That Meath team came back on quite a few occasions and won big matches with fourteen men. No excuses, just manned up and won.
And let’s not forget the twelve apostles in the 1983 AI.
Happy new year all.
Wishing Wj and family and all the wider Mayo GAA Blog family a very happy new year. Hopefully 2015 will be bigger and better for all us Mayo supporters. It all starts again on Sunday (won’t be able to make Mullingar Saturday).
Haha, JJ! Well, a career change is on the cards for 2015 as I turn my own face back towards the West, so I might add it to the CV! 😉
Go for it and good luck with it AM
Good riddance to 2014. I watched the Limerick saga on TG4 yesterday. I hadn’t watched it before and I thought 6 months would have made me more objective but boy did the blood boil once again. I only hope there comes a day when some other shower of f***ers (Kerry would do fine!) come away from a game feeling like we did and that we are the ones with the smirk on our faces.
Diehard, I could empathize with Louth a few years ago!!
Roll on 2015 let’s only look backwards to learn useful lessons. Few new faces, keep working on the basics, keep the routines going, keep the injury count down …. and that’s just the supporters regime!!!!
With just a simple reduction of the goal concession rate we will be very close.
I’d like to see some more direct football this year. We had a lot of success from AOS n COC in the championship with longer kicked passes. Neither can be held 1 v 1.
I’d like an ease up in introducing minors and young players. Senior is a place only for the physically mature. You see so many young players put shoulders out or pickup ligament n hamstring problems from physical overload or taking hits from bigger players.
Re drawn game v Kerry.We had our chance to put them away in both Croker and down in Limerick but we didn’t take it.Closing games out was a massive problem for us and is something that will need to worked on.Anyone going to game Sunday?
mayomaningalway – I didn’t watch the Limerick game as I knew it would only put me in bad form. It did watch the drawn game and to let a five point lead like that slip was inexcusable. Kerry should have been dead and buried and we should have shut them and Donaghy out.
I am heading Sunday and looking forward to see what new talent has been on the winter program. I would not except to see too many if any of our “A” team on display.
I agree Steve .How much will entry fee be on Sunday?
Mayo GAA has confirmed on Twitter that Keith Higgins is the captain for 2015, with Cillian the vice-captain. Congratulations to both and salutations to Andy Moran who has been a wonderful captain.
Seen somewhere 5e entry sun. Very happy with keith Higgins getting captain and cillian vice well deserved. Andy will b still a great impact to da game
Heads up for anyone heading to the U-21’s match tomorrow. Venue has changed from st Lomans Mullingar to Tubberclair GAA grounds which is just outside Athlone. Can’t make it myself tomorrow, but I’ll be in Mc Hale on Sunday.
Delighted about the news re Keith and CillIan. Happy new year wj and all mayo supporters, fantastic Blog of which I am an avid reader but seldom comment. And so it begins again …… come on Mayo
Happy New year everyone,congratulations to kieth cillian two class acts
Well done Keith and Cillian, richly deserved. Keith is one of the finest players I’ve ever had the pleasure of seeing play for Mayo (or any other county for that matter).
Let’s hope Keith matches his 2006 achievement and captains us to an All-Ireland title once again..
Very happy with Keith Higgins captain and Cillian vice captain. Players who get better every year.
You wouldn’t know who could step up to being a first teamer. Sometimes player can have a huge boost after a Winter program e.g. I’d expect Adam Gallagher/Brian Gallagher to be bigger n stronger.
Happy NY all – and I concur wholeheartedly with the new choices.
Thank you MayoMick for that headsup. You have saved me a train journey to Mullingar which I was thinking of doing this morning.
3 days gone in 2015 and already this blog is paying for itself!
They left it late enough to announce the change of venue Catcol, hope no one missed out. Latest score in the U-21’s, Mayo 3-06 to Westmeath 0-04. In the hurling, the latest score I have is Mayo 2-08 to Leitrim 0-04at start of secont half in Ballinamore.
Edit: FT score, Mayo 3-07 to Westmeath 0-05. Flying start to 2015 for Mayo GAA!!
Full time in the hurling in Ballinamore, Mayo 2-13 to Leitrim 2-05.
Anyone know what the u21 team was today?
Hi diehard the team was,
1 Marc mulligan
2 Michael Hall
3 Danny kenny
4 James Stettron
5 Patrick Durcan
6 Sean Regan
7 Cian Burke
8 Dirmuid o Connor
9 Val Roughneen
10 TJ Byrne
11 James Durcan
12 Stephen Conroy
13 Conor Finnerty
14 Liam Irwin
15 Brian Reape
Subs. Daniel Devine. Kevin lynch , Mark Forkan , Ronan Finn, Aidan o Sullivan , Ronan Carlon, Darren mc Hale , James Quinn , Morgan Lyons .
Very impressed by all the halfbacks. Both midfielders especially Val, TJ and Liam in the forwards, though some forwards went to sleep for the second half. Overall though Mayo played some lovely football at times. I thought their movement and passing was very good for the time of year
I was at match in nice pitch at glasson outside Athlone. Lads won match in first half with three quick goals. Second half was poor with both sides only scoring 3 pts each. Best for mayo were Sean regan cb, diarmid o Connor mf and tj Byrne hf. Finnerty was very busy and cornor back no 4 was excellent.
Byrne is some horse. O Connor is a class act. Disappointed in Irwin and reape but early day yet.
Mayo looked strong and classy. Better days ahead.
He certainly has the heart and the credentials to take that roll on. I wish him the very best of luck and I hope that the Mayo players have a great and an injury free year. The two lads chose him as a leader before with fantastic results, so they have placed their confidence in him again and I think they are wise to do so, Higgins is a class act and one the top (if not the top) corner backs in the country. A pleasure to watch and a joy to behold, I hope his management team are half as talented as he is. If they are and they manage to unearth three or four new players the publicans in Mayo might just sell out of stock on September 20th !!!
With a Ballyhaunis man leading the Green and Red, we can’t go wrong. Looking forward to tomorrow and it will be interesting to see the first selection of our new management team. Hoping that Adam Gallagher can pick up where he left off last year and I think Conor O’Shea could be a major plus for us also. I would like to see Cunniffe at 6, Kevin Keane at 3 and Sweeney in the corner.
New year, new hope, new management.
Thanks Nephin. Looking forward to today.