Jesus,
What a depressing listen.
Nothing we didn't know before really but it's bleak and it's the biggest obstacle to Mayo football going forward.
How did we end up with such a financial millstone around our neck to build a stand? It'll be 2 generations before it's paid off.How many counties (almost all I imagine) will have rebuilt or renovated their county grounds in that time frame.
With plans underway in Galway and Roscommon and already set up in Leitrim and sligo we'll soon be the only team in Connacht without a centre of excellence.
Excuses like "the OPW are difficult to deal with".....I mean I don't know if that's more embarrassing or insulting.
No proper fundraising in 2 years is a really terrible indictment especially as that period included a trip to NY.
It goes without saying that people involved are doing their best and I acknowledge that.
However,we really need to get some serious people involved or this kind of farce will continue.

The NYC trip should be used as a massive fundraising operation, Kerry send out a team of old legends to the after dinner circuit at least once a year to shake down the yanks and they come home with huge funds.

Will all come out in year end accounting but will be a massive massive screwup if it turns out we didn't fully capitalise on the NYC trip

Have not listened to podcast, as this together with listen and working in Galway last two weeks has been extermely tough. But carrying cost of renovation McHale Park, for 20 years seem crazy. But remember Mayo GAA hadnt a Commercial officer for years, crazy. Something has to suffer, and I wondering is it underage teams that getting the short end of stick. Ideally this is were we need to concentrate things first, clubs then, and hopefully this ends up with a strong senior Mayo team. I think someone like Tyrone should be our benchmark, allway strong underage, good center of excellance, and come every 8 years with a senior all ireland. Even Clare, speaking to friend of mine, who from Clare. And he was telling month ago Brian Lohan, has changed how all underage teams prepared, and that level of S&C would be same for all teams. And he introduced this years ago. This stuff works, and might take years to work, but will work. Are Mayo doing this, I dont know, but if not, need a vision and we need money to do that

Can the stand debt be paid in one lump , if so how much exactly would it cost to wipe the debt ?

What was the logic behind choosing not to have a fundraiser in New York ?

Mayo clubs across the county are doing excellent work with fundraisers to upgrade/add more pitches and develop new facilities. Shrule, Kilmaine, Hollymount, Garrymore, Ballinrobe are just some of the clubs in south Mayo alone currently undergoing massive development works.

Huge work being done in coaching too of which I hope we will see the benefit in years to come. Mayo clubs will rise again. The issue goes back to the Mayo county board. Yes good people work there but from what I can see we need more qualified people.

They built a new stand with “poles” in it for christ sake. Now every club is saddled with this debt. Our county teams have no base and won’t have one for the foreseeable future. Depressing is right.

Efficiency versus effectiveness... efficiency is doing things the right way... effectiveness is doing the right thing in the first place. Show me the boy and... as the Jesuits used to say.

I'd hope the county board have costed it but my casual googling suggests that it would cost at least 20 grand and take at least the best part of 6 months to even start legally raising funds in New York, assuming you are starting from scratch.

And that's if you don't face a legal challenge were someone or organisation to already own the fundraising rights.

I have no idea what the actual situation is, but if there's any chance of it going to litigation we are way better off staying out of it, particularly were that to be in another country, and unless there are clear precedent there for the county board to expect to win. They cannot afford to get dragged into a legal quagmire that could go on for years and cost thousands of not millions. Lawyers will absolutely fleece us if they get the chance.

The craic behind the fundraising reluctance abroad will eventually come out. It's all very Mayo :(

https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/gaa/arid-20335403.html

FrostT as Sean Burke has shown where there is a will there is an easy enough way.

A lot of people in GAA circles know the craic around these things and usually it ends up coming out in the wash sooner or later. Unfortunately it seems like another opportunity missed.

Rename McHale Park and the COE after whichever extremely wealthy Mayo person wants that legacy.

What length of a lease has the County Board on McHale park?

JR, I think they done an Arthur Guinness on it, and took out a 999 year lease . We should /might have the debt paid off by then.

@Gizmobobs

No he absolutely has not. There is simply a gross figure given. No figure is given for expenses.

The piece is quite simply about how successful a well organised event can be. It goes into absolutely no detail on the effort or costs involved.

Maybe one of regular Kerry contributors might have the full story on Currans and how much this fundraiser actually ended up raising after expenses.

@JP

Let the rich buy raffle tickets like the rest of us. They can afford to buy many many more than the rest of us.

And if they don't like the idea of a Dr Frost T. Hammer or JP Stadium they can pool together and build a new one.

Frost T if you've been at any of these sort of functions you'll realise there is indeed a lot of expense. But you will also realise alot of cash.

Also donations can be suggested on a voluntary basis through idonate and other similar such platforms for attendance etc. that would not be in breach of any regulations, can be taken legitimately online from anywhere in the world as is done for many, many causes and charities. Having been involved in many fundraising initiatives myself there are many ways to skin a cat.

Were our tax affairs issues clarified at last board meeting I wonder? Heard no mention of it in last while.

Listened to the pod and it was a nice distraction.
I don’t understand why was there no fundraising these past 2 years? For anyone who didn’t hear the pod, it was interesting to hear that the U20 mgt team acknowledged that nutrition and S&C were areas that needed work with next years squad already on a 3 month programme! Although it’s good it’s acknowledged, it doesn’t really inspire much confidence in the setup being at an elite level

@Roco88, re the u20…it’s a bit of a cop out if you ask me. An easy excuse. Why? Because it was the one aspect the current management can say was largely out of their control given that they just took over the reigns toward the end of 2023. There were huge question marks over team/panel selection, strategy and just a lack of cohesion and energy. I’m conscious of bringing up this same quote again and again, but Gardiner said his aim was to make Mayo ‘very difficult to play against’ and we just felt short in every capacity and S&C. I was glad to hear the 2025 panel are on S&C and nutrition programmes but surely to God they already should have been for the past 2/3 years as part of the u19 development programme or is this just a token effort job? The fact that S&C/Nutrition has been highlighted as being an area where there was a deficiency is, for me, clear evidence that the structures, system and programmes in place to maximise our talent coming through underage is way off wher it needs to be. It sounds pathetic to me. And Gardiner said after finishing bottom of the group that quote ‘no stone is left unturned’. Obviously they missed a few stones or just didn’t turn them properly.

It’s all a bit shambolic if you ask me and just ties in with the total BS coming out of the Co Board and their ineptitude surrounding the stand and even more so, the COE. people saying there are good people involved. What does good mean? Like, they are sound lads? Because it’s clear as day, that they’re doing a terrible job. Stand debt (ok a legacy from former colleagues). Negative finances. Inability to fundraise. Inability to get COE going. Is there anything they’re actually able to do correctly??? Sad.

Wasn’t Colm Boyle involved with the u-19 development squad? He’s a regular on the blog but why have ye never spoken with him about this? Someone at the coal face of underage structures. This is what supporters want to know about. We don’t care about pods about who’ll win between Galway and Armagh and what it was like playing in All Irelands. Don’t get me wrong, Boyler was a brilliant warrior and I loved him as a player but it’d be great to hear what he has to say about the academy/u19 structures. And what his opinions are on the u20’s. We need lads like him, Andy, Aido (when he hangs up the boots) driving things on for Mayo at coaching/structures level and not settling for 2nd best.

As frustrating as it is mayonaze there really doesn’t seem to be any alternative to the people that run the show and maybe that’s the issue as in too comfortable . I have nothing personal against gardiner but he answered a question after the Sligo game about how many of them were playing on the team the year before and fook me like he didn’t have a clue .

They have a serious side next year but we really need to be planning for the future with this cohort and what’s really needed here is a good management team who will also replace Kevin mcstay in 26 . I’m not convinced at all gardiner is the man

@Mayonaze I was glad to hear the reference to S&C and nutrition as it was an acknowledged or admission from Gardiner to standards not being good enough. I appreciate it’s an easier aspect to flag (or a cop out) as an issue than say team selection or strategy but realistically, very few managers are that honest with those elements. Especially if they want to remain in the role which he seems to. It doesn’t look like Gardiner is going anywhere so in that light, I’ll try to take the positives where I can. Obviously S&C should have been a given so yes it’s a big concern

I agree though there is nowhere near enough of a spotlight or harsh critique on the performance of U20s (or other teams) post season. I’d second your ask for some update on u19 Dev squad too

How would he not know? Wasn’t he invoked with Sheridan the previous year? Genuine question. What was his managerial record prior to the u20 gig? And his sidekick, Mark Ryan…what’s his cv? Who is he??

This is an incredibly important post in Mayo Gaa. U20’s is a really critical phase and with the relative talent coming through from 3 provincial winning minor teams (albeit none of them won an All Irl), it puts a greater spotlight on the u20 management. I think an awful lot of supporters are genuinely concerned and just to be clear, it’s nothing personal against Gardiner. It’s purely down to performance.

I think the reality is, his ticket was successful only because James Horan’s name was attached.

Look it names seem to matter when it comes to selection for all Mayo gigs.

Mayonazes posts above are 100% accurate and true. I couldn't agree more. From underage management teams to county board officials there are too many familiar faces and names that get posditions just because of their names and "standing" in the game within the county. I've said this before and been shot down for it.

I don't accept for a single minute the excuses that, "they're all doing their best for the county..... it's a thankless role....they're getting nothing out of it"... etc, etc, etc, blah, blah, blah! I don't care if they're the soundest lads you could ever meet or if they played in All Irelands for Mayo, they're obviously terrible at the roles they are in and totally unfit to hold such positions in a massive county. It is without doubt, the single most, scandalous failure of football administration anywhere within the 32 counties that Mayo have such outstanding debt, (where cloak and dagger reporting of this debt at county board conventions is accepted) and we still have NO PLACE FOR OUR COUNTY TEAMS TO TRAIN!!! All involved in this debacle over the last 20 odd years should be ashamed of their role in this. Mayo have been the GAAs cash cow for the last 12 years. Mayo have had support like no other county in that time and a support that travelled the World in huge numbers in hope and optimisim. The length and breath of the country. There was a revenue stream of millions of € right in front of them and yet they hadn't the capability or expertise to access and use it. Any surprise? The same old bald heads, at the same old conventions, with the same old names going forward where they all play musical chairs between positions and pat each other on the back.
No proper management reviews, because if there was a truly, serious, accountable review, then Horan would not have survived the Tyrone AIF defeat and Gardiner and his team would already be removed from the U20 level. No sustainable funding model where a 5 or 10 year plan can be worked to. And as for the excuse of poor nutrition and S&C (if that's really true) then the county board chairman should be made stand down due to his incompetence. Proper, targetted, specific S&C and nutrition are what every single club in the county (senior to junior) expect and assume to have in place. If there is even a shred of doubt of those being substandard then heads should roll.
I have been out to NY for the game the last three times. The effort at fundraising in 2019 was so pathetic it was laughable. Literally, a biscuit tin at the entrance to a pub of a favoured ex-Mayo man. There were thousands of Mayo people there in 2014 willing and ready to empty their wallets in support of Mayo yet there was no serious attempt or organised events to tap that funding source. This year there wasn't even the buscuit tin!

Until Mayo supporters stop accepting mediocrity and start setting much higher standards from our county board officials and management teams at all levels, then we are not going to be in the race for All Ireland titles. It's as simple as that.