Mayo managers step down

Edwin McGreal

The joint managers of the Mayo senior football team, Pat Holmes and Noel Connelly, stepped down from their positions tonight (Friday).
The duo announced their departure at an Executive meeting of the Mayo GAA Board at MacHale Park in Castlebar tonight, after the vast majority of the Mayo senior football squad had voted to support a motion of ‘no confidence’ in Holmes and Connelly two weeks ago.
The joint managers issued the following statement, which has since been released by the Mayo GAA Board to the media:  
“It is with heavy hearts that we wish to announce that we (Noel Connelly and Pat Holmes) are stepping down from our role as joint managers of the Mayo Senior Football Team with immediate effect. We took on the job on a three-year basis and had been looking forward to building on what had been achieved this year. We are passionate about Mayo football and it is deeply disappointing not to complete our project. By resigning we wish to remove any obstacle that the players might perceive as preventing them from winning the All-Ireland. We would like to thank the back-room team for their superb effort and commitment. We wish to thank the Mayo County Board for their support and for all the funding and resources they provided for the team. We would like to thank the players for all their efforts during 2015. We would also like to thank the people of Mayo for the huge support and messages of goodwill throughout the year and in the last week. Mhaigh Éo Abú.”
The statement from Mayo GAA stated this statement from Pat Holmes and Noel Connelly was 'greeted with a round of applause and standing ovation from the members of the executive' before Mr Holmes and Mr Connelly left the room.
The statement from Mayo GAA went on to say that members of the Executive then spoke and thanked Pat Holmes and Noel Connelly for their efforts all year and 'noted the very difficult last few days that they experienced along with their families'.
"Noel and Pat are both decorated footballers and managers and owe nothing to Mayo Football and both along with their families are wished all the very best in the future whatever that may hold," added the statement.
The Mayo senior football squad passed a vote of no confidence in the management of Pat Holmes and Noel Connelly at a meeting on Saturday, September 19 last.
This decision was relayed to both men last Sunday night by team captain Keith Higgins and vice captain Cillian O'Connor.
The story broke in local papers this week, including The Mayo News. Twenty-eight members of the Mayo senior squad arrived at MacHale Park in Castlebar for a review meeting with County Board officials last night.
They read out a statement to the officials before leaving.
Talk will now turn to who will take over the vacancy.
James Horan, who managed Mayo to four Connacht titles and two All-Ireland Finals from 2011 to 2014, and Crossmolina's Stephen Rochford, who managed Corofin to All-Ireland Club glory earlier this year, are at the top of the bookies' market.