STATEMENT Mayo GAA Board Chairman Mike Connelly. Pic: Ray Ryan
Daniel Carey & Edwin McGreal
MAYO GAA Board chiefs want a new manager in place ‘by the third week in November’, chairman Mike Connelly told a meeting at MacHale Park, Castlebar on Monday night.
Mayo are due to resume training in early December, the Hollymount/Carramore clubman told the October meeting of the County Board, and he suggested a deadline of Sunday, November 1 for nominations from clubs.
Mike Connelly read a prepared statement outlining the sequence of events that led to the resignations of Mayo joint managers Pat Holmes and Noel Connelly, which followed a vote of no confidence in them by members of the senior squad.
The meeting was divided on whether or not the reasons for the players’ dissatisfaction should be articulated, and delegates also disagreed about whether players should be involved in the appointment process for a new manager.
“There’s no point in going back,” said Mike Connelly, who has also acted as liaison officer to the team in recent seasons. “We are where we are. We need to solve this problem, and put a road map in place to make sure this doesn’t happen again.”
Ballintubber delegate Ollie Dillon suggested that ‘the dogs in the street’ knew that there was ‘trouble in the camp’ during the year. But the chairman was adamant that the players had not raised any major issues with him or other Board officers during the season.
There was broad welcome for Connelly’s proposal that a charter be drawn up between players, management and the County Board to avoid a reoccurrence of recent problems.
A number of delegates asked whether ‘outside influences’ were at play in recent weeks.
Meanwhile, Ballaghaderreen’s Michael Solan was named the new Mayo under-21 football manager at last night’s meeting. The 33-year-old will be joined by two selectors, Crossmolina’s Joe Keane and Ballaghaderreen’s John Ginty. He was one of three candidates nominated for the position, along with former senior boss John Maughan and ex-Mayo player Anthony McGarry.
Finally, it was confirmed that Enda Gilvarry will serve a one-year term as Mayo minor manager, subject to review at the end of 2016.
