Connacht Club Championships 2016

[saffronandblue]

McHale Park might not officially be there home ground, but it is most certainly their cash cow.  The Mitchells get all the proceeds from EVERY programme sold there, including club and county games.  Imagine the amount they rake in from this.  They also get all the proceeds from the shop at EVERY game.  Conservatively I reckon that together they possibly take in over €100,000 per year.  Plenty of people on here questioning why Dublin get so much funding.....we in Mayo might look closer to home to see how clubs are funded.  Very hard for clubs to compete against the likes of Castlebar when along with the largest population they have a license to print money from McHale Park.  It's no wonder the Stephenites felt hard done by when all the county games were moved to McHale Park.  Ony one winner there and it's certainly not the Mayo County Board.

Not defending them on this one, but it always is Mitchels people behind the counter at the shop.

They (Mitchels) have some deal done with the county board for the Shop and selling of programs. Take it from me both are nice earners for the club. To call a spade a spade, financially Mitchels are so far ahead of any club in Mayo.

Of course it's always the Mitchells crew staffing the shop Farr, it's their shop after all.  Next time your at a Mayo game and you think your supporting Mayo GAA by spending a few euro on a programme, just hand it straight to the Mitchell lads instead. Not 1 cent goes to Mayo GAA.  Or when your at Breaffy V Knockmore Farr, that programme money and the few euros for the cup of coffee also goes straight to the Mitchells.  They operate and have a budget to spend like a county team. Gap will only get bigger and bigger to other clubs....

Mayo GAA would make more money moving the Mayo league games and club games around the county.  Their gate receipts would be better and they might even make a few euro selling programmes and a few cups of tea.......not to mention that there might even be an atmosphere at a game.

[whitey]

Sorry but I would disagree with a lot of that

As the biggest town Mitchels do have advantages, but they also have challenges. You a couple of miles outside the town in every direction you immediately transition to other clubs. You also compete with 2 soccer Clubs and a rugby club for young players.

Size and resources are no guarantee of success....Mitchels were relegated to Intermediate and stayed there for a good few years in the not so recent past, and one could argue that they had similar "advantages" at that point in time too.

IMHO what changed was the mindset.....the club now have a huge following whereas when I was a member they were probably the worst supported senior team in the county. They used to draft in big name players from other clubs who were working in town, but not anymore. I read somewhere that every single player who started the club final had been a student at St Gerald's.....20 years ago maybe half the team grew up in town

[ballinaman]

Sorry but I would disagree with a lot of that

As the biggest town Mitchels do have advantages, but they also have challenges. You a couple of miles outside the town in every direction you immediately transition to other clubs. You also compete with 2 soccer Clubs and a rugby club for young players.

Size and resources are no guarantee of success....Mitchels were relegated to Intermediate and stayed there for a good few years in the not so recent past, and one could argue that they had similar "advantages" at that point in time too.

IMHO what changed was the mindset.....the club now have a huge following whereas when I was a member they were probably the worst supported senior team in the county. They used to draft in big name players from other clubs who were working in town, but not anymore. I read somewhere that every single player who started the club final had been a student at St Gerald's.....20 years ago maybe half the team grew up in town

Huge following me hole.

[saffronandblue]

What facts do you actually disagree with Whitey??? Do they not get all the funding from the programmes? Do they not get all the profits from the shop? Have they not the largest population? The similarities with Dublin on the county scene are striking are they not? As for an atmosphere at matches in Castlebar, it's non existent I'm afraid.

[macdanger2]

Technically Mchale park isn't Castlebar's home ground (since that's owned by the CB) but it defacto is their home ground. This wasn't changed to circumvent Connacht council rules though, I'm sure it's the same in many county grounds around the country.

The spirit of the rule should probably be respected though and the game be played at a neutral venue.

[whitey]

What facts do you actually disagree with Whitey??? Do they not get all the funding from the programmes? Do they not get all the profits from the shop? Have they not the largest population? The similarities with Dublin on the county scene are striking are they not? As for an atmosphere at matches in Castlebar, it's non existent I'm afraid.

My point is they've had those same advantages for decades and for long periods, they were $hite.

While the money doesn't hurt, money alone is not the reason they're doing well at the moment

[whitey]

Sorry but I would disagree with a lot of that

As the biggest town Mitchels do have advantages, but they also have challenges. You a couple of miles outside the town in every direction you immediately transition to other clubs. You also compete with 2 soccer Clubs and a rugby club for young players.

Size and resources are no guarantee of success....Mitchels were relegated to Intermediate and stayed there for a good few years in the not so recent past, and one could argue that they had similar "advantages" at that point in time too.

IMHO what changed was the mindset.....the club now have a huge following whereas when I was a member they were probably the worst supported senior team in the county. They used to draft in big name players from other clubs who were working in town, but not anymore. I read somewhere that every single player who started the club final had been a student at St Gerald's.....20 years ago maybe half the team grew up in town

Huge following me hole.

Compared to what they used to have its huge

[Duine Eile]

So anyway, I'm looking forward to the Castlebar Corofin game, would it be true to say Castlebar have been playing in second gear so far this year? Corofin have been impressive anytime I've seen them the last few months but the opposition hasn't really been up to much so it's hard to know where they're really at. That said their forward line is a serious machine, midfield is fairly solid too with Ronan Steede and Daithi Burke but if they have a weak spot it's the full back line. Kieran Fitz was well beaten by Sean Armstrong on a good few occasions in the county final.

[Owenmoresider]

Syferus may be an utter pain in the hole most of the time but he isn't wrong here, it's bullshit how decent club grounds which are ok to host FBD games if not more are not allowed to host Connacht club games, like Sean O'Heslin's home ground in Ballinamore is capable of hosting that Intermediate final rather than Carrick. And dragging Tourlestrane and Castlebar to Markievicz for where Tourlestrane itself or Tubbercurry could have done the job for all the crowd that'd be at it is idiocy, and then there's Brigid's and Kiltoom. But sure that's the "Connacht" Council for you.

That aside, another shite year for Sligo clubs in Connacht I see, the usual one-and-done forays doesn't say much for the standard here. And worse when Molaise Gaels were a senior team who made relatively short work of the field at intermediate this year. Though O'Heslins were probably a smiliar story, but still losing to Leitrim clubs is all too regular an occurrence.

[muppet]

You are still an idiot Syferus.Castlebar list there home pitches as Pairc Josie Munnelly  and Pairc Gerry Mc Donald.The page you have posted is from 2010.

[muppet]

Technically Mchale park isn't Castlebar's home ground (since that's owned by the CB) but it defacto is their home ground. This wasn't changed to circumvent Connacht council rules though, I'm sure it's the same in many county grounds around the country.

The spirit of the rule should probably be respected though and the game be played at a neutral venue.

If people are going to make wild allegations and allege various evil plots, could they provide some links or shreds of evidence please?

McHale Park isn't 'de facto' Mithel's home ground.

They don't play there anymore, the club volunteers who built it, maintained it, lined the pitch etc, don't even have access any more. It is the county ground.

When McHale Park did belong to the Mitchels, minors, U-21s, juniors etc would all get to play on the hallowed turf. Even schools games were played there all the time. That is because the club decided who played on the 'main pitch' and generally sent out most of their teams to play there. That doesn't happen anymore.

Mitchels played Ballintubber on the Josie Munnelly pitch in an important league game a number of weeks ago (no county players). That is their main pitch, de facto pitch and online conspiracy reality pitch.

The Prenty conspiracy theorists will need to look elsewhere.

[manfromdelmonte]

Connacht Junior final.

November 19th Kiltoom

Louisburg v Creggs

Connacht intermediate final

November 20th Pairc Sean Mac Diarmada 2pm

Westport v Ballinamore

so the junior final can be played in Kiltoom?

[macdanger2]

Technically Mchale park isn't Castlebar's home ground (since that's owned by the CB) but it defacto is their home ground. This wasn't changed to circumvent Connacht council rules though, I'm sure it's the same in many county grounds around the country.

The spirit of the rule should probably be respected though and the game be played at a neutral venue.

If people are going to make wild allegations and allege various evil plots, could they provide some links or shreds of evidence please?

McHale Park isn't 'de facto' Mithel's home ground.

They don't play there anymore, the club volunteers who built it, maintained it, lined the pitch etc, don't even have access any more. It is the county ground.

When McHale Park did belong to the Mitchels, minors, U-21s, juniors etc would all get to play on the hallowed turf. Even schools games were played there all the time. That is because the club decided who played on the 'main pitch' and generally sent out most of their teams to play there. That doesn't happen anymore.

Mitchels played Ballintubber on the Josie Munnelly pitch in an important league game a number of weeks ago (no county players). That is their main pitch, de facto pitch and online conspiracy reality pitch.

The Prenty conspiracy theorists will need to look elsewhere.

Jesus muppet, you sound like the Dubs trying to convince people Croker isn't their home ground. 

Would you really consider it an away ground for Mitchells?

As I said, it was likely changed for reasons of legal ownership rather than to bypass rules.

Where did Castlebar play their home group championship games?

[weareros]

Technically Mchale park isn't Castlebar's home ground (since that's owned by the CB) but it defacto is their home ground. This wasn't changed to circumvent Connacht council rules though, I'm sure it's the same in many county grounds around the country.

The spirit of the rule should probably be respected though and the game be played at a neutral venue.

If people are going to make wild allegations and allege various evil plots, could they provide some links or shreds of evidence please?

McHale Park isn't 'de facto' Mithel's home ground.

They don't play there anymore, the club volunteers who built it, maintained it, lined the pitch etc, don't even have access any more. It is the county ground.

When McHale Park did belong to the Mitchels, minors, U-21s, juniors etc would all get to play on the hallowed turf. Even schools games were played there all the time. That is because the club decided who played on the 'main pitch' and generally sent out most of their teams to play there. That doesn't happen anymore.

Mitchels played Ballintubber on the Josie Munnelly pitch in an important league game a number of weeks ago (no county players). That is their main pitch, de facto pitch and online conspiracy reality pitch.

The Prenty conspiracy theorists will need to look elsewhere.

The bigger question is what constitutes a neutral venue. The Connacht Council made a decision that all Connacht Club games at the championship stage should be played in neutral venues. This was after the ref was attacked by Corofin supporters after the Bridget's-Corofin game in Kiltoom. So Castlebar get to play in the... eh... neutral venue of McHale Park Castlebar because Pairc Munnelly is officially their home pitch. It's clearly not a very neutral venue, that's all.

[Rossfan]

Connacht Junior final.

November 19th Kiltoom

Louisburg v Creggs

Connacht intermediate final

November 20th Pairc Sean Mac Diarmada 2pm

Westport v Ballinamore

so the junior final can be played in Kiltoom?

Because it's not Creggs' home pitch.