Good luck Keith, Kevin, David and Mark. Happy with that selection and they should have a good working relationship with Andy and Boyler which is essential

4G pitch behind the Albany End rubber stamped by clubs this evening.

Step in the right direction. Still think the CB need to give a detailed presentation about the long term plan for training facilities

Good luck to kieth Higgins on his appointment being the under 20s manager. I really hope he will be a huge success. But I have to question why he got the job without having managerial experience at club level . We saw what happened with the last appointment at under 20s level in appointing P Gardener and we all know how that work out.
I would have preferred a manager that was successful at club level before getting the county under 20s
I do hope I'm wrong and Keith Higgins turns out to be a huge success.

This is a great appointment. Well done to Keith & all the backroom team. After Andy & Colm's appointments and now this I'm feeling positive about the future of Mayo football

@TheWestAwake

Club management is nothing like managing a county team.

Club you work with players you have. Maximise your time there and move on. All about success

County you've to scout the best players, shape them, mould them, educate them. And you have to be able to see beyond short term success (at underage level). If anything a successful club manager is the last person you want taking on an underage team unless they have zero ego. Which unfortunately the other proposed teams have in abundance.

As a matter of interest, The west awake, why did you post the same comment twice in quick succession about Keith’s appointment? I think you made your view known clearly enough first time round without having to repeat it.

Keith and Mark were both part of Peadars management team.

What I mean is success at under age at club level not necessarily at Club senior level. Everybody's entitled to their opinion but I think having experience at under age level and winning a county title at that level is important in my view. And having experience dealing with young players.
Just because he was one of the best players ever to play for mayo doesn't necessarily say he will be a great manager I really hope he does be successful as under 20s mayo manager. They've be no one more happier than me.if he is.
It's just my opinion.

Important enough for you to post the same point three times now in quick succession, the West awake! You could easily be mistaken as someone with an agenda at this stage so, if I were you, I’d refrain from repeating that point here again tonight.

The West Awake, Peadar Gardiner oversaw a Connacht title ? Was it an All Ireland or nothing? If you listen to John MacMonagle’s interview he speaks very highly of him, and indeed Keith Higgins.
Another good listen is Lee Keegan’s interview. Temper expectations on younger players. I wouldn’t give two hoots if we never won minor /u20, if it meant players were given an opportunity to develop without ridiculous pressure hanging over them!
Let’s listen to what the players are saying.

3 great candidates for the job.
Good luck to Keith.
John Maughan brought a lot to the table.
Brady was teak tough and admired through our the country.
Good backroom room team with Keith.

I thought P Gardner managed Mayo to Connacht success this year, not a bad achievement in a county and grade where Connacht titles have been fairly scarce of late. But maybe Connacht titles aren’t good enough anymore for some. It’s AI or the reign has been a failure. By the way the very best to Keith. Hope he brings the same drive and determination he brought as a player for us for years

Best of luck to Keith and management team.
Could definitely see a good working relationship with the senior management here which has to benefit all.

Wille Joe you more then welcome to take them down if you wish. I thought we lived in a free world and were allowed to have a valid opinion Without being disrespectful which I wasn't. I was only replying back Jimmy eyebrow and Clarifying my view.
I have no agenda whatsoever.
As I said ill wish Keith Higgins and his management team all the best and hope they will be very successful in there two years as a management team.
There will be no more happier than me if they are.

Keith’s back room team have lots of coaching experience between them , I’d imagine they would be heavily involved with on the ground coaching .
Having a strong back room team may have swung it for Keith . Kevin Mc a huge addition!!
Best of luck to them all .

A shame DB isn't back with Mayo. He would light the fire in the belly of any player wearing the Mayo jersey and has good managerial experience to date.
All the best to Keith Higgins though. He has been some servant to Mayo already and one of the best players I've seen wear the Green and Red. We are in good hands.

Con Telegraph were wrong again telling people it would John Maughan getting this U20 gig. Their latest article is their way of reacting to been wrong again.

Mo2023 , have they any news on the U17 team management. I think we had 3 good candidates for the job and would be happy with any of them. Best wishes to Keith and the lads.

Congratulations to Keith on his appointment. It will be really interesting to see how he does. Developing the technical skills in Mayo players which is so obviously missing is more important than winning. at underage level at the moment I would say.
Keith was one of the great Mayo players and 2nd only to leeroy from the great Mayo team of a decade ago. His hurling experience might give something extra also..

Wishing Keith and the team the very best.

Congratulations to Keith and management and best wishes. I think that it is a very good appointment and I expect one or two them to manage at a higher level in the future.

The west awake - and weren’t you allowed to put forward your opinion? My issue was that you did so three times in rapid succession which was, on the face of it, a bit odd.

Also the irony of you raising that nonsense “I thought we lived in a free country” point after posting comments on a website I created and have sustained for nearly two decades, enabling people to post whatever reasonable opinions they want, is not lost on me!

Things are about to improve on a grand scale by the looks of it.

Much ridiculed Co Board deserves credit for appointing / sourcing Keith and the lads.
Great to hear David Brady was interested , hopefully we will see him involved in the future

Maybe David Brady would contribute to the podcasts since Boyler and Keith won’t be available for the new season ..
He’d say it as he saw it for sure ..

Not sure who has the leverage at cb level but we seem to have adopted a new model with managers and my hat off to whoever it is! Some great lads now involved and very refreshing.
I thought Paedar Gardiner did a good job and had them playing exciting ball this season with many lads putting their hands up for senior.
Maybe I missed it but what's the story with the U17 management?

Best of luck to zippy & Co. I think the senior mgnt appointment had an influence on the CB’s decision- the two management groups will work well together youd hope

I didn’t think Gardiner did well. I think looking at it solely from the perspective of winning Connacht is too narrow a view. He inherited a very strong batch of minors (arguably our strongest since the 2013/14 combo) and 2024 was a total mess of a year at u20 level. We lost to Sligo and Leitrim and finished bottom of the provincial group. 2025 saw a very talented group fortunate to cling on to victory v ros in Connacht final; due largely to a fortuitous refereeing decision which disallowed a ros goal (thankfully!). Our defence leaked goals throughout the campaign and lost to a overhyped Louth team who got battered in the final. Yes, I know we missed two key defenders but for me, I felt taking both seasons into account, that it wasn’t a successful stint. This ‘1st Connacht title in years’ talk is just not looking at the bigger picture.

It would seem that the county board have decided to move on from the players of 2004-2006 and replace them with the players from 2011-2018.

What is concerning (and this is an ongoing trend) is that I you look at thr counties that are good at underage level (both in producing players and winning titles - Kerry and Tyrone), their most successful periods have been when they select specialist coaches, not former great players.

Keith Higgins is one of the best 3/4 players to ever play for Mayo. He was an elite performer with huge internal motivation.
In his years playing for Mayo he wasn't captain for any great period, nor did you see him vocally driving others around him.

He seems to be a quite softly spoken (and knowledgeable) individual. There is no track record of leading young men, nor developing players.

Line most former great players, it can often be hard to deal with players who don't pick things up (or are as motivated) as easily as he did himself.

The players will give him respect initially based on his playing career, but it will not last long if he can't motivate them or bring the sort of tactical knowledge how an experienced manager can do.

I hope he has a long career in management, but if he is a successful one he will be breaking a glass ceiling most top class players could not break through.

His appointment is a gamble (based on lack of experience), I hope it pays off.

Best of luck Zippy and Co. If he brings half the intensity and commitment he did to wearing the Green & Red I expect great things. Good to see the CB change tack and try some new blood. Keep the Faith

That pitch they signed off on last night, is it still undersized so can't play official matches on it?

Interesting about the 5G pitch .
I live in the midlands and my adopted club got funding towards a 5G . The club does well financially out of pitch rental, including from Mayo and Sligo clubs and county teams as its roughly half way to Dublin. Club would make around 25K on pitch and hall/ gym rental annually but didn't proceed with it as the research they did found that most teams and county's wanted to train on normal grass pitches that they would normally play on .
For Mayo though, it should be good for winter training and development squads ..and possibly an income from Rugby teams .
While alot of money , I think it's a good long term investment.
@Tirawleybaron. I get your point re Keith but he has 3 very good men with him and as others said will work closely with the senior set up .

Very best of luck Keith. Delighted with that appointment. Great to see the County Board giving a chance to our past super players. Youth is on the side of all now. Hope it continues into the U/17. Onwards and upwards and leave the past behind us.

@Tirawley.... wasn't it Keith that lifted the cup/cups in 2006?? That would qualify as a ''great period ''
He is a bit of a rarity in these parts,an all Ireland winning captain...I doubt if we've had one of these managing any of our county teams before.
Not a home grown one anyway.
He appears quiet but sometimes it's what you say rather than how you say it.

Congrats to Keith and his backroom team. I wish them the very best of luck.

Its impossible to say if this is a good appointment or not, I don't know anything about Keith as a manager. As a coach with Mayo u20, he was involved in one good season and one shambolic one.

While this is an exciting appointment, I would be curious to hear who was on the Management Appointment Committee and in particular, which past players were involved. That is now two former players from the Mayo team of the past decade (though both were also involved in the previous decade too!) who have beaten better qualified candidates to our two most important management jobs.

This could all work out really well for Mayo but its impossible to say right now. I don think it is fair to ask questions about these appointments though.

I'd probably have preferred Maughan with Keith as assistant, but that wasn't one of the "tickets", so no point going down that route.
Wouldn't have been mad on Maughan with Holmes - I think Maughan should have gone with someone younger who was playing more recently.

In my view, the U20s is a key development team... That goes for players and management. Will KH have learnings to make? Absolutely, that is only natural. I wouldn't be too hung up about having experience in club management if the person has plenty of playing experience, a bit of coaching experience, and an ambitious and smart guy. KH ticks those boxes imo. Best of luck to him and the team.

It's slightly ironic that people will complain about the way club football has gone (too defensive etc - not so much this year tbf) yet still look for someone with experience of managing a club... If anything, not managing a club might be a positive for me.

How is this new pitch fitting in with COE proposals . New Pitch will probably cost €1m + . Where is the CB going to get this money from.
FYI rural club lottos way down , multiple pubs across mayo closing down , in our own club 30% of the pubs have closed , reducing our lotto intake.
TBH there is 4 or 5 members who do the fundraising in clubs and the county board cannot burden these people with extra work.

Best of luck to Keith and Co...also good to see David Brady interested in the role so he may get an appointment at some stage at one of the levels...

Feels like the torch is being passed to the new generation of managers.Very positive.
We always forget that managers have to learn and develop too.
Keith & Andy & Colm Boyle will grow massively and that's a positive for Mayo over next 20 years

@Mayonaze

The true success of Gardiners time and now Keith Higgins two years will be judged by how many U20s under their watch go on to be established senior footballers.

Don’t think it’s as black and white as either success on the pitch or how many come through , my granny could of been manager in 2006 and still there was going to be a heap of them players coming through as they were of serious quality. Not saying it’s not a positive either just saying it’s not as cut and dry as either , you could just be damn lucky with a quality bunch .

What the powers that be seem to be doing here is joining up the two , interlinking or whatever way you want to put it , it’s a good strategy imo anyway .

If you’re looking at the character of the lads now involved in management, it’s exactly what you want , absolutely no guarantee at the same time it will work out but we need to show patience. I’ve always thought the best way forward would be to be more a collective across the board from academy up if ya get me . It just makes sense .

I’m also of the opinion though which isn’t very popular that elite athletes playing ball should be identified early and worked on right through the grades , this is where COE comes into play , I sincerely believe to maximise potential we will need going forward.

congratulations Keith you will be excellent

Players that will get the u20 call up

Keith and co. Good solid appointments and will ensure good communication between underage and seniors. The CB deserve credit imo. The management teams are smart lads and I'm confident they will be fast learners. Makes for an interesting few years...

@Tedtoal: Is that a question on who's pushing to make the 20s panel this year?

Ignoring the lads that were in the squad last year or part of the '23 or '24 minor sides (without ignoring those, you're looking at shoehorning in ~60 talented lads into the ~30 odd places - some really tough calls & tight picks to take place. The u21s this year will be a real war ground fighting for places)...

J Ivers, T Lambert, L Muniz, C Cassidy, F O'Donoghue, C Walsh, J Holmes, R Durkan & D Coleman probably the ones that have stood out (at various grades) pushing to newly break into the setup (never spotted a list from the 19s dev squad last year, so a few of those might already be in the setup through that).

@Seanburke
The reality at U20 level is that a lot of early developers who played underage for Mayo have lost that physical and/or maturity advantage by age 19.
Some are still ahead due to the advantages that good coaching at county level has given them, but that also erodes during and in the 2-3 years after U20.

The relative age effect phenomenon which is embedded in underage county team lingers into U20. (40% born in Q1, 10% born in Q4).

Clare and Limerick lead the way on bio banding at underage level in GAA, which ultimately balances underage squads and ensures their U20 and senior squads will include late developers and not waste resources on excessive numbers of early developers who won't make it to senior.

The Belgian soccer academies are the poster boys for their success in keeping late developers in their underage squads ensuring they consistently punch above their weight at adult level (Kevin de Bryune being the most famous product of bio banding at underage).

Where Clare and Limerick are leading, you can be sure we in Mayo aren't even considering it. Those counties lead the way in sports science, which is not something that you can ever say about Mayo.

It's all hype (for now) about new managers at county level and the fact they were high performing players. The real test for them is what new ideas have they got to identify and upskill the late developers who haven't yet played (or were discarded) in the underage or development squads.

If their are no ideas to bring Mayo to the forefront of sports science, talent development or tactical knowledge, we will continue as nearly men for another decade.

Here's hoping the plan is to do something different and risk "falling forward" in the attempt. There is no point in trying the same old ideas with new faces, as we are sure to fall backwards doing that.

@tirawleybaron

Until we get people at the top table that value and respect the science of sport that won't change

Mayo GAA needs to invest, long term, in someone to oversee:
- Strength & Conditioning
- Nutrition
- Performance Analysis
- Performance Psychology
- Coaching
- Youth Development

This person can then ensure continuity across age grades and proper transition between age grades all the way into senior football

Alongside a commercial manager its the most important role that needs to be created and filled for the long term success and viability of Mayo GAA

Paddy Tally has pulled off a major coup in first race ballinrobe 18/1 down to 12/1 and skates in. Free night in Tallys Bar, Galbally, Tyrone this evening.

Congrats to Keith Higgins . Good appointment and it will work well with Andy in bringing up the under 20s to senior. Best of luck to him .

Hollymount objection thrown out.

The Circus rolls on with the clowns at the wheel

CT saying people are not happy with Keith's appointment.
My dad used to check each week if they got the date on the paper right.
They do Mayo GAA no favours.

Hollymount nor kilmaine wont go far in intermediate anyway so whoever goes through it wont matter alot. Croke park might have to intervene

The Con Tel has turned into a tabloid and sensationalising things but bare with me ... I wish keith every luck and am no ways higginist but as regards experience and drive setting lads up for real world of senior , adding that edge to younger players , it were hard to look past Brady or Maughan .
Keith brings a very modern team and good luck to them but with two brand new management teams of little experience, we are gone very modern for better or worse but hard not to feel the culture and grounding with hardened experience, may have been no harm to complement Andys appointment

And what experience has Brady or Maughan in developing youth?

Brady is held up as some Mayo legend. He started 18 championship games in 12 years. Jordan Flynn has started more. Is he worthy of coaching the next crop of Mayo seniors based off that?

He won a county title in Meath with Rathoath - their 3rd in 4 years. So he wasn't exactly the mastermind who got them over the line. He brought theatric, physical altercation with an opposition manager and followed it up by again getting physically involved with opposition players in the very next game. Played a player with a torn ACL in a county final, who reinjured himself in the process.

Is that the type of leadership we want for our young players? Or do people just listen to his pseudo-macho ramblings on Off The Ball and think "He'll put manners on them"? Like he did with Donaghy when the game was done?

Much like O'Hora his club mate Brady gets an incredible amount of airtime, and credit, in comparison to their actual output in a Mayo jersey.

And as for John Maughan - adding Pat Holmes to his coaching ticket was the death blow. 4 or 5 goes at managing the seniors between them - with carrying success. And I'm being kind. New blood needed. Higgins, McLoughlin and Drake bring that.

Mayo people need to see past the noise and nonsense that comes with following this team.

Higgins is a yes from me. The very best of luck to you Keith.

I have a bit of sympathy for Hollymount but as refereeing decisions go you win some you lose some. There were always going to be teething troubles with the new rules and particularly regarding line calls. Important that lessons are learned going forwards wherever possible.

It would have been a dangerous precedent to set had the game been replayed. There would be replays going on every week. Referees make mistakes simple as that.

No doubt i would be singing a different tune if something like that had just happened to us in an AI final though.

Agree Mind the House. I imagine it was directed by HQ up in big smoke.

Jimmy Eyebrows think you are being a bit harsh on John Maughan. What he did with Clare was phenomenal and he transformed Mayo football in 95 when he took over after the dreadful humiliation of the previous years. He was the man who brought strength and conditioning into the gaelic football which brought the game to a new level. . So I think he deserves respect as all do who are brave enough to step into management.

I’m involved with underage (14/15 year olds) football at the moment and have been coaching odd and even year teams in my club for about 10 years since the players were in the nursery. I’ve been all over the county (and outside it a fair bit) in that time.
Also involved in Mayo underage divisional academies playing teams outside the county, province and beyond, and I offer this observation: there is a very rich seam of talented, dedicated and coachable footballers all across this county. Underage excellence doesn’t translate into anything worthwhile without a county wide unity of purpose.
Will all amazing underage players play senior for the county ? No
Are they all being nurtured from club nurseries upwards in that direction to achieve the ultimate goall? No and why is the six million dollar question folks…
4G pitches, the U20 manager, the Snr Manager, blah blah blah.
No house was built without a solid foundation.
Clubs

Kerry have 15 county board members and 12 coaching officers
Mayo have 24 county board officers including our 1 coaching officer.
Who is winning All Irelands again?

I'd agree Lahanman. John Maughan rescued our sinking ship in the mid 90's...and nearly got us back to port. I think he was the perfect man for the job at the time. However time moves on and I don't think he would be a good fit for this 20's crop.
No guarantees that it will work out for Keith and co.of course but modern thinking is needed in the modern game and I think this management team will bring this.

Good Luck to Keith , hopefully it goes well for him . Just find it amusing that some posters are writing John Maughan off because of his age and saying that modern thinking is required , what age is Jack O'Connor ? Did he not lead the Kerry minors to a few titles before going back to the seniors again ?

I’d have to agree with not being built on a solid foundation. Some clubs have no coaching officers, coaching plan and a win at all cost mentality. The cost is losing young lads and girls at 13,14, 15 years of age. These players may never play for Mayo or a club senior team but the more players you have in training sessions the more productive and enjoyable it is. They will be more inclined to stay involved into the future as well. As we can see in most clubs it’s getting increasingly hard to find coach’s, officers and coaching officers to put there hand up and get involved, so the more we bring through the easier it’ll be in the long run.

I'd be a great admirer of Maughan, a steely tough operator. Dismissing people who've accumulated a lifetime of experience is naive at best.

Crossmolina were struggling for 5 or 6 years at intermediate level couldn't even get past a quarter final john Maughan comes in and they win it all and he seems to be doing quiet well this year with all there talented young players this year.

I think the 20s management team is an exciting set of appointments, a generational change which should be able to link well with senior management team. Both these sets Have brought great pride to Mayo football as players, probably the most successful generation ever! So good luck to them in their new roles.

The CT and Aiden Henry is playing puck the last few weeks regarding Mayo Gaa and it is just downright disrespectful to absolute warriors who died with their boots on for the green and red! Boyler, Andy, Zippy, Mcloughlin, Drake have all soldiered and been great servants the county, they live, eat, sleep and breathe Mayo GAA! Best of luck to the lads and I hope we have another former player at U-17

In fairness to Jack O'Connor he'd won a few all Ireland titles and then went back to win some minor ones.

Some result in Ballina this evening. Swinford, after bringing in the big name coach, heading for Junior B. A far cry from the senior championship many in the club believe they should be competing in.

I know some had tipped John Reilly as a future underage Mayo manager but where does this season with Swinford leave him? A Junior C (with half the first team) and Junior B double isnt what Swinford paid the big bucks for

Something badly wrong in Swinford, should be at least Intermediate side pushing for Senior every few years. Money can't buy success, local managers and coaches is what's needed.

@Culmore

Something badly wrong on & off the field. The problem with poor underage coaching over the last 10/15 years is catching up with them now and forcing a big name coach on the manager has proven to be as dumb an idea as many would have predicted.

Gonna take years for them to sort things out and im not sure the right people are running the club to make that happen.

David Heaney required to play a big part in bringing the club back to where it should be.

Good luck to Keith and his Team.
I'm sure his team and Andy's team will work together.
Maigheo Abù

Swinford have 1 of the biggest catchment areas in mayo, 0 national schools , jim gavin wouldn't manage them

Do Swinford really believe they should be a senior team based on how things have been the past few years? If they do then they are deluded! I think brining in an outside coach wasn't the right decision and look at what happened today. I was at it and very very poor game but Swinford need open heart surgery.

@Martin Mulvey

They launched a Strategic Plan earlier this year which states they should be a competitive senior team (on and off the pitch) by 2035 or thereabouts.

Open heart surgery many not be enough. They screwed over the manager by bringing in Reilly (who's completely unproven as a coach, albeit did well as a manager with a generational team in Kilmeena) and the players they have are not good enough to be playing at a level any higher than they are, as proven by 4 years in Junior and the massive backwards step this year.

The underage structure doesn't look too good either for the future with teams playing at low levels and barely competing at those levels. For a big town with a big catchment area they should be doing so much better than they are but unfortunately until they accept their actual level and get the right people running the club they dont look like they will be getting themselves out of Junior any time soon

Aidan Campbell was the last Mayo Senior footballer from Swinford tht I can recall where did he go? probably the best forward talent with Pearce Hanley of the 2005 minors that were beaten by Down in AI final.

Aiden Campbell - was on Mayo panel in 2011/12 - injury put an end to Mayo career.

Swinford
Had 3 teams at U8 blitz, playing B level football at U14 - only at D level at minor and now Junior B at senior.

The trend shows they have the numbers and quality entering the club, just but developing them through to minor, so not getting enough up to senior level.

If they are spending big money on coaches, that money should be going in at U14/16 level by the looks of it (from well on the outside admittedly).

Same for any club really- if you develop coaching at underage levels, you have better under teams, resulting in hone grown coaches and more talented footballers coming through. It's fairly simple.

Its not good to see big clubs like Swinford and Kiltimagh down in Junior b and Junior. They have produced good teams back in the day and quality players. I think these strategic plans can be too ambitious and long winded. Most volunteers cant buy into a 10 year plan , they need a 2-3 year plan to see some improvement. Plenty people from these clubs involved in county coaching! Good clubs find volunteers new & old to help push on the underage structure. Thats were it starts , small steps but they have to be in the right direction.

Noel Drake is there because Andy Moran - I know well what's going on !!!

Who's he, TommyK?

@TommyK: If I've understood you correctly, you're suggesting:

- Andy knew he'd get the nod for senior manager 2 odd years ago before Drakey joined the u19 management setup
- Knew he'd have enough sway with the board to be able to get his desired ticket in with the 20s after getting the senior job, again, 2 odd years ago
- Knew the u19 dev panel would perform well enough to enhance the reputations of the manager & coaches involved
- Knew the players would speak very highly of the morale and level of coaching received in the camp to get buy-in with the lads themselves
- Knew that the other management involved (Keith, Kevin & Mark - none of which would have a reputation for being pushovers in any way, shape or form) would all accept this trojan-coach when it came to putting together their ticket

Whatever about charges of nepotism on this one, that's a heck of a compliment to Andy's ability to read the future if it's anywhere near true. Impressive stuff from the fella, would give you great confidence going forward. Wonder if he rents out that crystal ball?

Maybe just maybe Tommy K is attempting a bit of aul satire here as it’s a quote from what became a bit of a comedy sketch with your man from claremorris jimmy when he genuinely mixed up drakes name with his fathers name . I could be wrong of course

Well whatever it is it drew one hell of a response from Tsu. Clap,clap...very well put together as always.

Good response, Tsu, but Tommy K you'd really want to cop yourself on posting a comment like that here. All it does is show just how difficult it still is, as James Horan wanted to do all those years ago, to take the BS out of Mayo football.

In fairness Willie Joe, it's been known for years who the five (ex) players who's running Mayo GAA - who needs a crystal ball when you've got Sloyan!

Some of the comments on here seem wild at first viewing.

From the outside, the 10 year strategic plan sounds like a great idea, but some people are sayibg that they should scrap it in favour of a 3 year plan? And what would a 3 year patchup job solve?

Managers generally have 2-3 year stints, but clubs need to plan for life after the manager goes.

One poster here referenced Swinford having three teams at under 8s level, and bit of quick maths would tell us that these under 8s won't even be eligible for adult football for, you guessed it, another 10 years minimum. If that plan goes well then the club could see themselves in a great position as these lads come into adult football.

A lot of people here are speculating about things having gone wrong in the club in the past, it could be true or it could all be wrong. It looks as though the club are opting to try and start from the bottom and work their way up - which is best way to tackle a situation like this.

I'm not a Swinford native, I dont know the inner workings of the club or the people, but some people here would want to cop themselves on with their personal jabs and accusations aimed at people involved with the club.

Ah lads cone on, TommyK gets reprimanded for a blatantly obvious joke/piss take. He deliberately called him “Noel”….to make it obvious it was a joke. Jimny Sloyans material has been used by proffessional commedians!..

@TSU your some man for stats…but take a breath now an again, not every comment needs a legal argument so to speak. @TommyK…you gave me a good laugh reading that, haven’t seen that clip in a while lol.

New pod up on Patreon. Rob, Mike and I chewing the fat about a number of issues that arose at the most recent County Board meeting, as well as the ongoing Hollymount/Carramore saga.

Yeah a very disappointing year for Swinford - a real flop. I’ve a few friends from there and heard the style of football played wasn’t good. Pity, because it’s a club that really should be doing much better. It was thought that 2025 would see improvement. If anything, they’ve gotten worse.

@JimmysEyebrow - That's a fairly strong post. Stronger than most posts that get removed on here.

I don't agree with most of it tbh but I do find it curious that Willie Joe has let you post that and kept the post up.

I guess it shows you can say what you like about people once you toe the party line. "You're entitled to your own opinion, as long as its the same as mine...."

Gaelic football just doesn't have a strong grip in certain areas. For example Irish music, Athletics are streets ahead of other areas in Swinford.
The music revival quite recent and the athletics a complete new start
Swinford win national medals with their athletics.
Yes, the Gaelic football club should be doing a lot better. Swinford not so long ago defeated Evan Regans Ballina in the county u16 A final.
Swinford did get treated very shoddily by Mayo County selections for years.
Swinford won the 1997 minor A title with a whole load of big strong tough ideal for county football lads ftom Meelick, Midfiekd, Killasser, the town and out towards Charlestown. Not one player made the county minor panel.
They had"Rabbit" who was an absolutely explosive super forward ignored when we had county forwards with no pace. Similar to the ridiculous case of regular scorer with huge pace and strength Claremorris' Tomas Griffin being ignored.
The way back for Swinford starts with underage all the way up. Very simple concept not easy however to keep on togging strong.

Unstoppable - I'm not sure which comment you're referencing there but I would ask you to substantiate the allegation you're making (clearly aimed at me) about "once you toe the party line". You've been posting comments for years here so I find it all the more curious that you would see fit to make a dig like that at me, knowing full well as you do about the way in which I seek to promote healthy debate here.

@Willie Joe

I'm referring to this post set out below which I think is out of order. Manages to have a go at three people who have given years to the Mayo jersey and all lined out for Mayo in All Ireland finals. Some of the accusations against David Brady are low at best. Only John Maughan gets away here.

Its fine to think Higgins should have got the job but I don't think its fair to have a go at the other candidates brave enough to put their names forward.

I'm all for healthy debate, I just happen to think the below post isn't healthy.

"And what experience has Brady or Maughan in developing youth?

Brady is held up as some Mayo legend. He started 18 championship games in 12 years. Jordan Flynn has started more. Is he worthy of coaching the next crop of Mayo seniors based off that?

He won a county title in Meath with Rathoath – their 3rd in 4 years. So he wasn’t exactly the mastermind who got them over the line. He brought theatric, physical altercation with an opposition manager and followed it up by again getting physically involved with opposition players in the very next game. Played a player with a torn ACL in a county final, who reinjured himself in the process.

Is that the type of leadership we want for our young players? Or do people just listen to his pseudo-macho ramblings on Off The Ball and think “He’ll put manners on them”? Like he did with Donaghy when the game was done?

Much like O’Hora his club mate Brady gets an incredible amount of airtime, and credit, in comparison to their actual output in a Mayo jersey.

And as for John Maughan – adding Pat Holmes to his coaching ticket was the death blow. 4 or 5 goes at managing the seniors between them – with carrying success. And I’m being kind. New blood needed. Higgins, McLoughlin and Drake bring that.

Mayo people need to see past the noise and nonsense that comes with following this team."

Upstoppable - I'd agree that the assessment in that comment was a harsh one, and certainly isn't a viewpoint I'd agree with, but it wasn't one that I felt merited being deleted, in the interest of debate. It's interesting that your way of objecting to it was by having a pop at me rather than dealing with the substance of what was posted by someone else. That, I suggest, was the easy and extremely lazy option on your part.

@Western Gael: I've seen a fair few clips of Jimmy over the years, I'd no idea that was a quote. I'll blame the 5 lads hogging all the limelight away from poor Noel.

Objection withdrawn.

I'd assumed the comment was a conspiracy theorist lacking in accurate details, so happy enough to go in two footed. Mia culpa.

@TsuDhoNim I absolutely get your point. If i didn’t cop the joke straight away, i’d see exactly where you were coming from. I just felt some VAR intervention was needed to prove TommyK was onside :)

For what its worth, I think the U20 and Senior appointments in Mayo have been spot on. I’ve always felt that communication and joined up thinking between u20 and senior managers is paramount to success. The real goal for a county is to land Sam not U20 titles. Players imo should be developed at U20 with senior being the goal. If success at the grade comes along then great, but if lads get a taste of the system a senior manager employs, it makes the transition smoother for those good enough.