Mayo V Sligo - Connaught senior final - July 15th

[Farrandeelin]

f**k this new stadium regulations anyway. As bad and all as Hyde Park is, I prefer it to Salthill any day. I also think it's quite crazy that the Connacht Council ruled out the possibility of Sligo being in the Connacht final. That could motivate Sligo that extra bit on the day too.

[Syferus]

Hyde Park is the finest stadium between a graveyard and a hospital in the world.

[moysider]

Whatever the venue this promises to be a very good final, providing we get decent weather like yesterday.

There ll be a fair old contrast in styles. Sligo will be looking for Kelly and Marren early and often with kicked passes. How Mulholland did not drop somebody back to cut out that ball is beyond belief. I suppose he was too preoccupied with getting PJ and Meehan on the field , oblivious to the destruction at the other end. Horan will hardly fall into the same trap.

On the other hand Sligo have a different approach to contend with. 2010 was won easily by dealing with the early Freeman threat by bringing O Hara back as a sweeper. This time they ll have to cope with a completely different approach.

[rosnarun]

if sligo dont relent and come to castlebar the fcuk them lets take a trip to salthill at least well gt a day out as well
its not so mucjh hyde park being a damgerous dump but the rest of the town

[Syferus]

How much dutch courage did you need to type that one up? 

[moysider]

How much dutch courage did you need to type that one up? 

Seriously though, the game should be in Castlebar. I don t think that it would give Mayo any advantage really.

We played them last time out in Mark. Park. So what? Spent a few bob in KFC in the town after the game with the missus and kids. Maybe Castlebar business could do with a few bob? Why bring this game to a neutral town?

The more I think about it the more I feel like watchin this one on the telly, if it s in Hyde or Pearse. Sligo lads I know want in in McHale as well. Of course the real venue should be in the old heartland - Ballina - if things had been done right.

[stephenite]

How much dutch courage did you need to type that one up? 

Seriously though, the game should be in Castlebar. I don t think that it would give Mayo any advantage really.

We played them last time out in Mark. Park. So what? Spent a few bob in KFC in the town after the game with the missus and kids. Maybe Castlebar business could do with a few bob? Why bring this game to a neutral town?

The more I think about it the more I feel like watchin this one on the telly, if it s in Hyde or Pearse. Sligo lads I know want in in McHale as well. Of course the real venue should be in the old heartland - Ballina - if things had been done right.

It's not unreasonable for Sligo to expect a neutral venue - on that basis the Hyde would be preferable over Salthill, the lesser of 2 evils - and they are both evil.

Castlebar a no brainer for most people, including travelling Sligo supporters but that's not how these things generally work

[Syferus]

The Hyde is the perfect size for these matches - McHale Park is grossly over-sized, and that's in a province where the Hyde can accomodate 30,000 in a county with a total population of 63,000.

42,000 is absolute over-kill, especially for a game where breaking over 22,000 would be doing very well. On top of neutrality and location the effect on atmosphere has to come into the equation when we're not talking about a home/away arrangement.

It doesn't matter how comfortable the seats are if you're jumping off them to cheer every five seconds.

Castlebar is a no brainer for people with no brains 

[Cosmo Kramer]

Syferus, McHale Park doesn't hold 42,000. Capacity is around 36,000 I think. The 42,000 figure relates to a proposed expansion to the Albany End that was (correctly) never carried out.

Any white smoke from the Connacht Council meeting? I can see the need to have the discussion. It may be time to bin the 1997 rule. I don't know too much about the finances of this but I'm guessing that Ros or Galway would get a cut of the gate or a decent fee if they get the game? That's cash that Mayo and Sligo can ill-afford to throw away with new stands and centres of excellence to pay for and maintain. Maybe they can come to an arrangement that is mutually beneficial and make a new 2012 rule. Holding this game in the wind tunnel seems crazy.

[magpie seanie]

The arrogance of the Mayo crowd! Under the current rules Sligo are not allowed to have a home Connacht final, ever, yet ye think it is fair enough we should go to Castlebar for one to play ye in one. As I said earlier, I know we're only the token opposition for the day on yer march to September but try to stop and think for a minute.

Under the logic ye are using all Connacht championship games involving Mayo should be played in Castlebar.

There's no way Salthill is necessary. Roscommon will be adequate.

[RogerMilla]

eh , it was sligo that brought in this rule....

[ck]

Any word on a Sligo team yet? (I'm in UK with work and getting news withdrawels). COME ON SLIGO!

[Cosmo Kramer]

The arrogance of the Mayo crowd! Under the current rules Sligo are not allowed to have a home Connacht final, ever, yet ye think it is fair enough we should go to Castlebar for one to play ye in one. As I said earlier, I know we're only the token opposition for the day on yer march to September but try to stop and think for a minute.
Under the logic ye are using all Connacht championship games involving Mayo should be played in Castlebar.There's no way Salthill is necessary. Roscommon will be adequate.

Of course the counter argument is that we are then never allowed to play you at home in a Connacht Final despite our investment in our stadium over the years, the reason being that your ground isn't up to a reciprocal arrangement, i.e. we are paying the price for your lack of stadium investment.

That doesn't seem fair on us. Maybe it needs to be every second final in future, one in Castlebar, one in Roscommon. But if Ros isn't up to it this time around, play it in Castlebar. Salthill makes no sense from either teams perspective.

[sligoman2]

How many does markievicz hold?

[Mano]

The arrogance of the Mayo crowd! Under the current rules Sligo are not allowed to have a home Connacht final, ever, yet ye think it is fair enough we should go to Castlebar for one to play ye in one. As I said earlier, I know we're only the token opposition for the day on yer march to September but try to stop and think for a minute.
Under the logic ye are using all Connacht championship games involving Mayo should be played in Castlebar.There's no way Salthill is necessary. Roscommon will be adequate.

Of course the counter argument is that we are then never allowed to play you at home in a Connacht Final despite our investment in our stadium over the years, the reason being that your ground isn't up to a reciprocal arrangement, i.e. we are paying the price for your lack of stadium investment.

That doesn't seem fair on us. Maybe it needs to be every second final in future, one in Castlebar, one in Roscommon. But if Ros isn't up to it this time around, play it in Castlebar. Salthill makes no sense from either teams perspective.

I think that a fair enough trade for not been able to ever play a Connacht final in our own ground. A lot of investment has gone into Mark Park in the last 10 years perhaps the Connacht Council should invest more money in order to get it to the standard required to host the final in the future. It is the first time in 15 years that Mayo and Sligo have played in a Connacht final, Roscommon and Galway have had no issue with the arrangement in 2002, 2007 and 2010.

In the meantime there is an agreement in place the Connacht Council, John Prenty and Mayo GAA should honour it. Its time for Sligo County Board to stand up and reject any financial incentives that is coming their way and keep to the agreement and play the final at a neutral venue.