Mayo GAA Discussion - Part 4

km79 wrote: »

When sporting activity recommences, the GAA will accommodate both club and county games. The Association also intends to complete the Allianz Leagues, or at least those games that have a bearing on next year's divisions, where possible.

Feck !!!!

If it's August or after when the games resume, I doubt the leagues will be finished. I have a funny feeling they are saying that at the moment to avoid deciding how league tables would be constructed if the leagues were to be stopped today (as in, would they be declared null and start next year with the same leagues, or take current positions as final).

As well as this, if it comes down to finishing the league or rushing an All Ireland series where they can fill Croke Park for a few games, money will decide.

All indications seem to be that social distancing will be kept in place even after the lockdown is lifted, so I don't see there being any large crowds being allowed to attend games for the foreseeable. I don't think we'll be seeing much, if any, GAA this year tbh, unless a vaccine for this thing miraculously appears in the next month or two.

Higgins5473 wrote: »

Is closed doors an option for any contact sport? I don't see how any governing body of any sport could give the go ahead if 'social distancing' directives are still in place by government. It would be in direct contravention to what the public are being told to do, why would it be any different for athletes in any contact sport.

no, closed doors is a dead duck. it will be 2021 before we see sport back. have to make do with re-runs IMO

Squatman wrote: »

no, closed doors is a dead duck. it will be 2021 before we see sport back. have to make do with re-runs IMO

That's what I would have thought also but the behind closed doors talk seems relentless.

seligehgit wrote: »

Mass gatherings of over 5,000 people prohibited until the end August.

TBH I think they should pull the plug on this year's championship on the basis of a public health requirement.

And the league, don't forget to pull the plug on the league

km79 wrote: »

I have a horrible feeling they will end up just playing off the league in late autumn

Or a standalone super 8 based involving the division 1 teams:P

km79 wrote: »

I have a horrible feeling they will end up just playing off the league in late autumn

Don't even think about it!

km79 wrote: »

I have a horrible feeling they will end up just playing off the league in late autumn

Don't even see this happening.


Whenever restrictions are eased, public gatherings like sporting events and music festivals and the like will be the last to come back. Don't see how they would do this within the year.

mayo.mick wrote: »

If they limit large gatherings like they are saying, licenced events up to 5K, they could probably play out the league before the end of the year.

And then crack straight on with the 2021 league a couple of months later...

Did we have to beat both Galway and Tyrone to stay up?

I think it's fair to say that we can forget about any intercounty action for 2020 and will be doing well to see it back in time for the start of the League next year, especially if they still haven't found a vaccine. You can't expect the players, management, ground staff etc. and their families to take the risk of being exposed to the virus - not to mention that the experts are expecting a second wave in the autumn which could possibly be even worse than this one.

Even if you leave that aside, there's the issue of whether to play the games either behind closed doors or with limited attendance. Behind closed doors doesn't seem to be a runner with either the players (still exposed to the same risks as above, no atmosphere etc.) or the G.A.A. (as they'd lose a fortune on holding the games without any gate receipts to cover the costs). Plus, if you have to limit the crowd to 5K, how are you going to do that??? Sure Mayo have nearly 5K Season Ticket holders so wouldn't be able to accommodate them alone! Same for Dublin. How would you decide which supporters get tickets and who doesn't? What about club allocations? The whole thing would be a mess!

I'd imagine that their broadcasting contracts with both television and radio are the only reason why they haven't officially announced that there will be no games for the remainder for 2020 yet as they will be trying to figure out how much having no more games will cost them financially and what sort of agreement they can come to the broadcasters. However, on the flip side, you could imagine that the broadcasters would be desperate for some games to show.... (Just to be clear, I'm not saying that the broadcasters will be pressuring them into holding games just so that they can fill their schedules!! It's merely an observation as both broadcasters know exactly how serious the situation is)

BandMember wrote: »

I think it's fair to say that we can forget about any intercounty action for 2020 and will be doing well to see it back in time for the start of the League next year, especially if they still haven't found a vaccine. You can't expect the players, management, ground staff etc. and their families to take the risk of being exposed to the virus - not to mention that the experts are expecting a second wave in the autumn which could possibly be even worse than this one.

Even if you leave that aside, there's the issue of whether to play the games either behind closed doors or with limited attendance. Behind closed doors doesn't seem to be a runner with either the players (still exposed to the same risks as above, no atmosphere etc.) or the G.A.A. (as they'd lose a fortune on holding the games without any gate receipts to cover the costs). Plus, if you have to limit the crowd to 5K, how are you going to do that??? Sure Mayo have nearly 5K Season Ticket holders so wouldn't be able to accommodate them alone! Same for Dublin. How would you decide which supporters get tickets and who doesn't? What about club allocations? The whole thing would be a mess!

I'd imagine that their broadcasting contracts with both television and radio are the only reason why they haven't officially announced that there will be no games for the remainder for 2020 yet as they will be trying to figure out how much having no more games will cost them financially and what sort of agreement they can come to the broadcasters. However, on the flip side, you could imagine that the broadcasters would be desperate for some games to show.... (Just to be clear, I'm not saying that the broadcasters will be pressuring them into holding games just so that they can fill their schedules!! It's merely an observation as both broadcasters know exactly how serious the situation is)

Indeed and I know there are probably external pressures on the GAA to not definitively rule out a championship this year but is all this indecision really necessary?These pressures do not suffice IMO,the great and good should make a call.Take the financial hit this year,write it off.

TBH the layman on the street can see the direction this likely medium term to god knows when public health crisis are pointing.

An ultra cautious approach should be taken for the country's good and as much as we love our gaelic games I am the first to admit same is non essential.

The whole idea of holding championships this year does not sit easy with me.

We'll be proverbially chomping at the bit come next year.

As we all dream on as usual I'd hate for Aidan O Shea to lift Sam and not be one of the chosen few with an arbitrarily selected golden tickets.

TBH I could'nt see a lot of joy around the holding of All Ireland championships this year and most certainly not in the heart of the winter in half empty stadia where social distancing might be nigh impossible to police and no atmosphere,that's without considering the health and well being of our players.

TCDStudent1 wrote: »

While I agree with a lot of your points, I am going to disagree on one. If the numbers dropped to sustainable levels over the summer and the government give the ok for big events from September onwards, I would absolutely love to see what a championship between September - November looked like. Have championship games under floodlights. I think there would be a fantastic atmosphere around it (maybe even more so given that there would have been so little activity over summer).

The problem I would see with such big events, is that with the numbers attending, as testing now stands, with people returning to their own areas all over the country numbers could quickly get back to unsustainable levels and we would be back to where we started.


Smaller numbers using social contact guidelines that would enable contact tracing would minimise that possibility but for big events with large numbers it just would not work for the foreseeable future I`m afraid.

Nice interview with Jason Doherty post his recovery from that cruciate ligament injury he suffered in the Donegal match.

https://themayonews.podomatic.com/enclosure/2020-04-29T10_42_04-07_00.mp3