Fahy Rovers return to Mayo’s top flight

The Fahy Rovers squad are pictured after they captured the Mayo AFL Premier ‘A’ League title last Sunday to win promotion to the Super League for next season.

Fahy Rovers return to top flight


Colin McDonagh

THERE will be even more of a local interest around West Mayo in the Elverys Super League next season after Fahy Rovers returned to the top flight as Premier A champions last weekend.
Fahy beat Killala 5-0 at Moneen in Castlebar to ensure they were promoted as champions, and guarantees a mouth-watering derby with rivals Westport United next Spring.
Goals from Gary Goggins (2), Rob Fadden, Brian Higgins and a Finbarr O’Mara penalty crowned a memorable season for the men in black.
“I’m delighted, it’s a great day for the club,” Fahy Rovers Chairman, John Beckett, told The Mayo News. “We were unlucky last year because we got demoted but we’re back in our rightful spot now in the Super League.
“We’ve won every division now so the next one is the Super League!,” he chuckled. “We’re setting our stall out for the next few years, this is where we want to be”.
“It’s great to get that spark going again with Westport too,” he added. “A local derby is always something you look forward to.”
Reflecting on a season where Fahy Rovers played fourteen league games, losing just twice, Beckett was also full of praise for the people behind the scenes like Gerry and Brendan Kirby, Paul and Brendan Walsh, and Andy O’Connell.
He also singled out the team management for special mention, including player-managers Joe Keane, Richard Needham and John Creaby, who made it all happen on the pitch and on the training ground.
Looking ahead to next season, the Fahy Rovers official was reluctant to set any unrealistic targets.
“All the big towns are in the Super League now but we’ll do our best,” he declared.
“Making goals often comes back to shoot you in the foot, but you never know. We saw Claremorris push Celtic and Westport close this year after earning promotion twelve months ago. You never know, every dog has its day!”
Like many rural clubs around the county, a big concern for Fahy Rovers is emigration.
“It will be a worry,” admitted Beckett. “Brian Higgins played his last game for us at the weekend and he is off to Australia now. But we are always open to players who want to join our club. Hopefully, we can retain all of our players for next season but it will be tough.”
An eventful season for the Fahy squad contained plenty of ups and downs, but a last-gasp draw against their neighbours and fellow promotion candidates, Clew Bay United, stands out for John Beckett.
“Early in the season we weren’t playing well but we were still winning games,” he explained, “which is the sign of a good team. But the 95th minute equaliser against Clew Bay was invaluable. We deserved a point that day and in terms of the race for promotion it was a defining moment.”
One point for local fans to note is that Fahy Rovers will still have to play their home games in Moneen next season as the new ground in Fahy won’t be ready to stage senior competitive action football until at least 2013.
“It’s a shame really but what can we do,” said the Chairman. “Our underage teams play there but the Sports Grants will be open again next month and 2013 is our aim. We can’t do anything until it is approved”.