For the past two weeks we’ve been running ‘The Final Countdown’ series on the Mayo News football podcast and now, less than 24 hours out from throw-in in the All-Ireland final at Croke Park, the series reaches its conclusion with this final episode.
Mindful of the fact that Mayo supporters everywhere are all confined to barracks this year, in this podcast episode we bring you an array of voices, a taste of the action from this year’s campaign and a musical finale to set you up properly for tomorrow evening.
Rob Murphy and I host the show and after some initial chat from us we head off on a quick tour of this year’s Championship, sampling the action from the games against Leitrim, Roscommon, Galway and Tipperary. We then hear from the first of our two groups of messages from Mayo supporters.
Next we move on to hear from our regular podcast guests who provide us with their final thoughts ahead of throw-in. Colin Sheridan, Daniel Carey, Billy Joe Padden, Ger Flanagan and Mike Finnerty all share their pre-match opinions with us, after which we have audio essays from Edwin McGreal and Ciaran O’Hara.
Then it’s back to the Mayo fans for another flurry of contributions before we finish, going back in time to the Oxford Arms in London ahead of the 2017 final, for a wonderful rendition of ‘The Green and Red of Mayo’.
This latest episode of the Mayo News football podcast is now online and is available to listen to on iTunes, SoundCloud, Podomatic and Spotify. You can also listen to it directly on the Mayo News website as well as here on the blog using the SoundCloud player below or the one on the panel on the right.
Our main music as always is from The Walls but for this episode thanks too to Gary O’Malley, whose song ‘Horan’s Men’ appears on the fans’ segment.
The Mayo News football podcast has its own Twitter presence, @MayoPodcast, so if you’re a Twitter user you should follow us there to make sure you get the latest podcast-related updates, including new episodes.
The Mayo News football podcast is proudly sponsored by GRG, Game Ready Gear – sportswear designed by players for players. Check out their website at GRG-Sports.com.
Thanks for all the podcasts, thanks for this fabulous blog, it’s come into it’s own, I have so enjoyed the build up to this All Ireland, enjoy the match everyone where ever you are.
Listened to this in Cairo. Watching the match tomorrow at the Irish embassy. Up Mayo
Well done Martin
The podcasts have been an absolute godsend over the past few weeks. It’s difficult at home when you can’t go to the games. For those of us stranded abroad, it’s a vital conduit to everyone as fixated as we are on football.
Well done WJ … what this blog has provided is a godsend to many. Great work.
Bear with me folks. With all that’s going around my head about the game a thought came to me about a film I watched as a kid about a kangaroo boxer. Every fight he landed the 1st punch and knocked out his opponent, this went on for many a fight and his manager was making a fortune until 1 particular fight the opponent hit 1st and the kangaroo just stood there and took the punches until he lost. Turns out the kangaroo didn’t know what to do after getting hit 1st. Maybe if mayo hit the dubs 1st and put them under pressure they won’t know what to do as they haven’t much experience of being under pressure so they can be the kangaroo tomorrow. Sorry if I bored anyone it just shows what’s going on in my head
It’s 25,290 days since we won it. Can the wait end tomorrow or must it go on?
What will it be this time?
A ball bouncing over the crossbar with 7 seconds left to deny us?
A free coming back off the post in the 70th minute to deny us?
A 28 player punch up resulting in our best player getting the line after 7 minutes?
A freak own goal followed by another one just to make sure?
2 Dubs colliding into each other and being awarded a free in front of the posts?
Hawkeye showing that the ball went over but declaring a “nil” anyway?
How about a malfunction on the scoreboard where a Mayo point is mistakenly awarded to Dublin and we lose by one point. The referee can’t do anything about it because he didn’t notice it til it was too late. The result stands. Yeah. That should do.
Stop Carrot Face!!!!! Ha ha! But seriously I get ya!!!!
Thank you to you Willie Joe and Rob for the entertaining podcasts. They have kept us going over the past week.
Sinead37 imagine the last play of the game with the sides level. Cillian takes a mark 35 metres from goal. This kick to win Sam?
Good luck to mayo tomorrow. We need to hit the dubs with fire and fury for 75 plus minutes with 20 men ready for battle. Our time has come
I am 66 years old and was brought to London in 1960 and as a young child began my love affair with mayo football and I would wait for my parents to finish reading the western people so I could keep up with the date and time of our next game. in those days the western would arrive two weeks after it was published . The Sunday of the match I would head for the junction box by the railway line in Gladstone park cricklewood and listen to mihael o heir.commentating and hopefully it would be the mayo match. Nine times out of ten I would head home with tears in my eyes after another loss.In all.the years since there have been many more tearful days but I still hope that some day we will reach the holy grail.Some say it’s the hope that kills you but I say without hope life is not worth living. Mayo Abu.
@carrot face…
Just to join in with the black humour I have had a premonition of the outcome tomorrow.
After an almighty back and forth tussle mayo have chipped away at Dublins big halftime lead, Dublin lead by 2 with seconds on the clock when a lungbursting run from paddy Durcan releases cillian who is bearing down on goal with only cluxton to beat with surely the last play of the game…
When suddenly an acme piano inexplicably falls from the sky flattening cillian and the ball squirts wide.
Final whistle blows
Going to do it im convinced. Aiden top form. Cillian top form. Tommy Conroy unknown pneowmnon(Splet wrong i know. ) Barrett a rock. Keegan legend. Paddy f##ging nightmare for opposition. Oisin Mclouglighin young player of the year. Matty. Conor new and different Diarmiad please channel V Kildare in Machale Park . 1 rabbit out of the hat Mayo to win by 2 . I’ll take celebrations at home for Davey Clarke and co to get the certificate cross they deserve
the curse (not that I believe) is gone. Curse was sam can’t come home. It can’t.Regardless, this year is an off one. Feck this.
Believe until we can not.
0-0 from start
L=lose and we don’t care so used to it. Win and 5’000 covid cases by monday. and not a shiete given
I know, but I don’t know, willie joe, rock, sinead, sean burke, revillino., Declan, decan 2, carrot face, Jaden, spectre, James Fleming, louis giuigan, no douth, rock, Anne Marie, Mayo 88, lean times, to win just once, Mayo dunphy, east cork exile, neipnin, jh, swallow swoops, Crete boom, ah now, maried, Mayo 36, mo dieacch, our time has come, joey 1480, et al, et al, MAY ALL YOUR DREAMS COME TRUE. Thank your one and all for bringing me home. Wouldn’t it be great if we win tomorrow but if we don’t, won’t next year be great as well. MAYO ABU & HAPPY CHIRSTMAS.
Thanks for the kind wishes Castlebarred, but I think my dream come true may differ substantially from most around here.
I’m gonna try to lie down and get some shuteye before tomorrow, but I fear there will be little by way of comfortable rest tonight – the eve of a final is one hell of a cure for drowsiness.
Jersey washed and hung up, beers cooling in the fridge, alongside all the bits for a big fry in the morning. It’s a strange ritual this year, no driving, no Croker, no McDaids, no crowds – but I’ll take it all the same. We could all use a distraction, and tomorrow is the biggest one you can get.
Best of luck lads and lassies. To a good game, and a fair result. (And Fenton MOTM).
Brilliant Castlebarred We are all in this together. Maigh Eo Abu always and forever.
Greetings Castlebarred.
We’re all one big family here.
We all wrote the the card to santa?
We all want the same thing for Christmas
Sometimes WJ takes the stick out to us if he hears us using dirty words. It’s the bold corner for the naughty boys and girls.
It’s in to the car tomorrow and down the N17 to watch the game with my elderly uncle in Ardagh. I think the world of him and he thinks the world of me.
By Jesus he won’t be watching the All Ireland final on his own. No Sireee. We’ll roar the team for the whole match. Me and my Uncle. It does me good to see him jumping out of the chair.
The Rev is on his way to Mayo.
Great podcast Willie Joe as usual.
Every Mayo supporter feels like they are letting the Team down by not being with them in Croke Park tomorrow, seeing the train head for Dublin was a very moving experience for us all.
This year, This appalling Virus means we can’t be there to cheer them on, I am sure each and every Mayo Player knows the incredible support they have from each and every one of us.Today will be a great day for us in Mayo.
They have done so well in a year we will never forget.
If the unthinkable happens we will have a noisy Drive round in (New York, London Sydney Chicago Galway ect ) Where ever we are but please please take care and look after yourselves and every body else.
Maigh Eo Abu.
Last sleep( trying to sleep) on the eve of our Christmas All Ireland!!
May all our dreams come true this Christmas.
To the Boys of Co Mayo, thank ye all for taking our minds away from covid, and to WJ and all here with great writing on the blog…Thank ye all.
The voting is so tight that it could be heading for extra time here on the blog.
One of the final things myself and my brother did together was watch the 2017All Ireland. Cancer had reduced Ger to five stone in weight. When it was finished he looked at me with his intense green eyes and said, ” Come here Joe, they’re a great bunch. They’re not faraway.” Today is Ger’s birthday. You’re never faraway either Ger. Happy birthday Ger Ruane. Come on Mayo.
@Joe Ruane.
The nicest, warmest most heartfelt post I have ever read on this blog.
I don’t know you, but I think your brother Ger was lucky to have you as his brother and I can tell you were very lucky to have Ger as your brother.
God bless you Joe. Enjoy the match and thanks for sharing this lovely memory and the passion your brother still had for the football, even when life’s light was dimming.
For those that have passed.
On a football pitch surrounded
By long rows of concrete seats
There’s not a sinner sitting in them
Home in Mayo, Mayo hearts beat
Two teams face off for battle
Sam Maguire is the prize
But they’re not alone at all you know
They’re been watched by prying eyes
By the people. Generations
Who have waved their last goodbye
They are cheering on their heroes
From that stand up in the sky
Shhhh. Listen. Can you hear them ?
Teams take the pitch at half past four
And somewhere in the heavens
There’s a mighty Mayo roar
When life blows that final whistle
Some say, they’re Mayo till they die
But believe me when five comes today
They’ll be cheering from the sky.
Bloody hell revillino, am nervous enough about later but that has set me off! Here’s hoping for a positive result this evening. Up Mayo!!
Well I’m excited today!!!!!!
Well I am very confident,Mayo will win by six points,no heartbreak this year,today I will be thinking of all the great supporters who travelled the country to see Mayo play,today we will get our reward,all the best to everyone today and be in Castlebar to greet the team after wards,up Mayo
Hi Willie Joe thanks for the blog which has been a godsend in our isolated world. It was especially important to a family member recovering from surgery it has him lively again. Hopefully today is our day mayo have a habit of performing when least expected.
I wish I had your confidence corick bridge. Id take a 1 point win? My biggest fear is Dublin will throw everything at us early on and go for goals, if they succeed and go ahead early, theyl be impossible to reel in.
Do we dare to dream, will the mighty men of Mayo down the Dubs?
Who knows, logic suggests otherwise but this will come down to individual battles and for Mayo, some lady luck falling our way.
Horan has set up his team from the beginning of the year to take on board lessons from last year. What if it works better than expected? What if the Mayo forwards start strongly and get the upper hand, the Dubs have a very strong forwards bench but not so much in the backs! What if there is a tweak to the kick outs that mean we gain our fair share of possession? Kerry had a plan for Fenton. What if Mayo replicate it successfully?
Let’s see what happens, we may be celebrating a famou win this evening and let’s enjoy the final steps of this year’s journey. Santa may come early this year!!
Best of luck Mayo it’s surreal no fans on the way up stopping in ferricks
31 counties behind ya
Realistically, it’s a hard one for Mayo but it will be equally as hard for Dublin and they must be feeling very nervous this morning too. Dublin can’t lose today if we are to believe what’s been said by almost all outside the county, but when have you ever seen our bucks believe what the media says about them? In the Irish times in September before league resumption, 8-10 journalists were asked the same numerous questions, all said Dublin would win the title and nearly all had Kerry , Galway and Donegal winning the provincial titles and that there was no bounce left in Mayo. Pat Spillane said in March or February this very year that Mayo wouldn’t be near a final for the foreseeable future, they’re finished was what he said.
Mayo to win by a few scores and the half back line to have had a big bearing on it.
Best of luck to Mayo today, in all my time I’ve never seen such a level of support for ye from all of Galway people..
I believe it can be done today….
Good Morning to All,
Never have I felt so prepared for a match. Thanks to one and all I have read all the dangers and who to watch out for. Like so many I remember matches when I could not see what was happening or what to look for apart from a hero who I expected to goal every time. Joe Corcoran comes to mind and Mick Ruane who I sort of knew.
Also I have read what a win would mean to us all on the Blog far and wide. It seems to grow in exile. Maybe Revellino will do his Thesis on Mayo.
Sticking to preplanned routine which will take me to the afternoon. Have already got my light digestive biscuits to go with my green tea. Sad?
Thanks again, WJ for your dedication. Some people have rare talents.
What a day to be alive.
Back in Mayo for a few days. Will be with my 93 year old mother. She’s in good health thankfully (zero medication) and there’s no doubt that having the ability to maintain an interest in life is at the root of her longevity. At the heart of that interest is her love of Mayo football. She’s not as mobile as she was just a few years ago (attended the 2017 final) when during tense match moments she’d move around from chair to chair anytime the opposition would score, asking anxiously what the score was now even though there was nothing wrong with her eye sight. A goal for the opposition would usually culminate in leaving the room for a period of time, giving the rest of us some badly needed head space.
She’ll likely be stuck to the one chair today, but still questioning the state of affairs on a frequent basis. I wouldn’t have it any other way. Blessed to have her, and I thank all involved in the GAA (past, present and future) for providing something that is no doubt a constant mental health boost for so many.
Forums like this are now a key part of the GAA fabric. For this one, it takes an exceptional level of passion for one person to continue to generate such a constant flow of articles for discussion and also police everything. We all know who to thank for that. Thank you too to all contributors – especially the regulars.
If a passion for all things GAA is a key ingredient for longevity, then there’d better be an enormous state pension pot available to cater for Mayo supporters.
Very best of luck to James and his charges today !!!
Castlebarred. My wish or dream for any Mayo team is that they perform to the best of their ability on final day. They only did this in 2017 (imo) and although it wasn’t enough on the day I was never prouder of a Mayo team.
That’s all I want today too and as you so eloquently put it, if we don’t won’t next year be great as well. Happy Christmas and enjoy today whatever it may bring.
Tomás O’Sé made the point in his article this morning that Cillian’s massive scoring haul in the semi will really prime the Dubs today. He says Cillian is a player the Dubs really dislike and he’ll get special attention. Nothing Cillian can do about that apart from playing out of his skin. I think for us to have a chance today Cillian needs to score around 2-5 from play. Not impossible for him.
I think the younger lads need to really come of age, and our midfield pairing need to have the game of their lives. There’s legitimate concern about this area of the pitch for us and I’ve seen nothing this year to allay those concerns. Unfortunately.
The Jordan flynns and James Carrs need to storm into the match if they come on. They’re big and very physical and they might just get their turn today. But the pressure is huge, and they’re both novices, so dont expect much. But James is placing faith in these lads. And he’s right.
Do Keith and Parsons still have the legs to compete, even for 20mins against the greatest team ever? I hope so. They may be needed today. I stress the word ‘needed’, especially if our young starters are in trouble and experienced heads are called for. I hope its not too late at thst stage if such a scenario arises.
So many unknowns, yet so exciting. Mayo football: who’d be without it, eh?
Prediction: Mayo by 5
It has to be our day. It just has to be.
WIN WIN WIN
Good man, Dave! : ) We will go for it!
Hearty warm greetings to all posters this morning. You have written some beautiful posts overnight and I just feel proud reading them. We are in this together.
I trust Horan and our lads. This is the best I can do today. I’d love them to have plans to curb some of the Dublin leading lights. That’s the terrier spirit coming out in me ; )
Special greetings to West Cork Exile, Castlebarred and Joe Ruane above – in our different places through whatever medium (TV, computer, phone, radio), we’ll be tuned in to that match. And Ballinlough Lad, it’s lovely to think we have 31 counties behind us. That support means a lot.
Joe Ruane… beautiful post and isn’t it fitting that today is Ger’s birthday. What a gift to his memory and his beloved Mayo. Isn’t it amazing how our love for our team has brought us all so close. You are my Mayo family, yes even you Jaden. You sound like a good skin, bit like all genuine supporters.
I believe in the power of intention… I believe we can all help our team from our own sofa and sitting room. I believe we can will them on, with unshakeable belief, across the line. The game isn’t over till the long whistle.
Castle barred, eastcorkexile, Revellino… and all you regular posters… we’re in the together. The world is a small place when you come from Mayo. Thanks Willie Joe and Rob and all the people involved in the blog and podcasts. You are lifesavers. Maigheo, le cabhair Dé.
Tuamstar, thank you for your support. It means a lot.
Greetings Castlebarred we are all for one and one for all .Let’s roar on today from all our homes all over the world
@Castlebarred, good man, seasons greetings to you too! Hopefully we all get what we want tonight, and can live the rest of our GAA lives with a sense of contentment.
Fair play to Tuamstar, he serves his County well when needed 😉 . Im probably the most negative on this blog and continually try to dampen hype/expectation. But fuck it, no mind games at this point. I genuinely think we’re gunna do it, its the most Mayo thing in the world to do, win Sam with no fans there! We’ll do it, and Tommy Conroy to be MOTM and young player of the year!!! Their’ll be an earthquake of the coast of Achill if we are ahead at final whistle!!
Best of luck to James and his warriors today. The study is done…now time to ace the exam. And yes, no reason in the world that we can’t come through with flying colours.
A special, special mention to all of the older team members who,regardless of today’s outcome, some we will not see in their county colours again. What enjoyment they have given us over this past decade. We all know who they are,and to them male buìochas.