OPINION: Mayo's Oscar Traynor hosting 'embarrassment for the game in the county.'

I was in Milebush on Sunday, for the Oscar Traynor Cup semi-final between the Limerick League and the Donegal League.

It wasn’t a great game in terms of quality, but both sides tried hard and had fine individual performances.

Limerick lived up to their favourites tag and won it in extra time with an excellent goal, after the sides were tied 1-1 after normal time thanks to two second-half penalties.

The team of officials were from Mayo. Eric Eaton had a solid game in the middle and Óisin Walsh and James Robinson assisted him on the line.

All performed well. It was good to see the officials use intercoms, but sadly, this was the only sign of professionalism on display. Much of what happened on Sunday was an embarrassment for the game in the county.

I arrived at the ground about 50 minutes before kick-off. I was covering the game for an out-of-town media outlet and wanted to have my ducks in a row before the game started. 

My first observation was the lack of any presence on the gate. There was nobody collecting admission money, which I thought strange since this was an All-Ireland semi-final.

There was no match programme available. A few years ago, in lieu of a programme, a QR Code was displayed around the ground, which you could scan on your phone, and presumably, it would display the programme.

On that occasion I didn’t bother in disgust. On Sunday, even that effort wasn’t made. 

My next observation was the state of the grass pitch. It was obvious that a game had been played on it the day before, and the markings were tired-looking. The divots needed to be repaired and the pitch needed to be rolled. Again, for a match of this significance, this was poor form. 

I then spoke to both camps to introduce myself to the management teams and get the starting line-ups which weren’t on the app at that stage, and to see how they would line out. I then headed for the press box to write everything up. However, it was locked. Minor enough point, but again, yet another surprise.

NO ATMOSPHERE

The attendance was poor. There were about twenty neutrals there, and a handful of officials and parents, from the two counties involved.

There was no tricolour hanging and no national anthem played, as one is accustomed to at matches in Milebush. There was no PA announcer. And there was no atmosphere. 

The ambulance and the coffee van, usually present, were not there. 

The referee’s assistants checked the nets, which took longer than expected, and then the game kicked off. The unevenness of the playing surface affected the roll of the ball immediately. Both camps commented to me about this. 

The significant moment for me, came 66 minutes in, when Gareth Harkin blasted home a penalty to equalise for Donegal.

Or did he?

Well, clearly he did. However, the ball ended 30 metres beyond the goal, having sailed, not only past Josh McCarthy the Limerick ’keeper, but through the net and out of the park.

At half time in extra time, I saw James Robinson, the referee’s assistant, attempt to darn the nets with cable ties.

He didn’t have enough and had to make a decision around which tear to repair and which not to.  If this happened at a club ground in a Mayo League match, the club would be fined. 

POOR REFLECTION

I thought, all in all, the presentation of the county grounds for an Oscar Traynor Cup semi-final, was a poor reflection on Mayo. The nets have been torn for months now; I noticed that at a cup final last summer. Obviously standards expected of clubs, don’t apply at Milebush. 

When the Mayo League committee fell apart a couple of weeks ago, it is worth remembering that the Milebush committee, or to give it its correct title, board of directors, did not. It is, or should be, in place, intact. 

Presumably, a fee was, or will be paid, to the Milebush company which owns and manages the ground for the Mayo League, for its use on Sunday. In return, it should be up to standard. But it wasn’t, and it was all a very poor reflection on the county. 

CLEARLY DEFINED

Hopefully, when the present mess is eventually sorted out, and a new committee is elected to run the Mayo League, a clear distinction between the various companies, boards of directors and committees will be established.

The Milebush committee/board needs to get its house in order. The League, and Mayo FC should be tenants with clearly defined rental agreements put in place, listing the responsibilities and obligations of each party to each other.

The previous blur must be cleared. The separation must be fair, professional and transparent.

People shuffling along, wearing multiple hats without clear knowledge of who represents which body at any given time, in any meeting or negotiations, has led to most of the present embarrassment.

It cannot continue. Corporate responsibility demands it. 

Limerick will face Galway in the final. Galway demolished Wexford in the other semi, with former Castlebar Celtic man, Cathal Coyne, at the heart of their defence.

Galway looked good when they defeated Mayo 2-0 in Eamonn Deacy Park in the middle of November.  They should have won by more.

They have scored 16 goals and conceded two, on the way to the final. Enda Curran, the former Treaty United captain, score three on Sunday.

Having watched them against Mayo, and watched Limerick on Sunday, Galway will go into the final as favourites. They move the ball better than Limerick.

And they are sharper in front of goal. But you never know in football.