Why Mayo GAA supporters are simply the best
Is it madness, a love of the game, a declaration of identity, a need to be seen, a mania, or simply a passion that is impossible to park?
Possibly most of these but, in truth, following the Mayo team takes on a life of its own every season and, with the exception of Dublin, no other county can boast comparable support, writes MARTIN CARNEY.
Whether it’s in Newry, Killarney or Croke Park, there’s a guarantee that the swollen ranks of the Green and Red support base will exceed that of their opponents.
Being part of the Mayo travelling army is one of the wonders of the footballing summer and rarely escapes nods of admiration from the broader sporting public. It is a phenomenon that has captured the attention of sport fans nationwide.
Perusing the attendance figures from Mayo games during this year’s championship is interesting.
In early June the 20,000 plus present in MacHale Park for the Roscommon tie was much larger than what attended either of the Armagh/Down or Monaghan/ Cavan Ulster derbies.
Incredibly, the official figure of 18,711 that came through the gates at the Armagh/Mayo qualifier game was bigger than witnessed at the Connaught final the following weekend between Galway and Roscommon.
If you are still not convinced, more were in Killarney for the opening Super 8s game than saw the Dubs on the same day take care of Cork in Croke Park!
Yet I sometimes think that the quest and sacrifice of following the team is taken for granted and not fully appreciated, even by those who are at the forefront of the phenomenon. The demands involved are huge.
Organising transport, getting childminders, juggling work shifts, getting the cattle foddered and being home at a reasonable hour are just some of the issues that are commonplace.
On the Saturday morning of the semi-final against Dublin this was spelled home to me when I went for my early morning walk prior to heading for the Big Smoke.
My sense of wonder was stoked at the sight of hundreds fuelling up at Mulroy’s prior to their departure by whatever means they had planned.
Proudly decked in their colours and consumed with an unwavering confidence that dismissed fear and allowed no mention of defeat, seeing this particular troupe up close was a source of wonderment.
Whole families mainly, the odd stray with a searing hangover from the night before and clusters of friends were chief among the pilgrim bunch.
Mayo teams in my experience have attracted great support over the years but the present incarnation is indeed something special and one that has forged a huge bond with its fans.
Winning the National League title may have given an extra pep to their step but even in the aftermath of the Roscommon defeat numbers held and all one could do was marvel at their dedication and commitment to the team.
Throughout this lengthy journey, that this year required dealing in three different currencies, the expense incurred by the regular fan is rarely mentioned.
Seeing the team in action, preferably in victory, and as a bonus witnessing a top-class performance are top of the menu and cost is seldom mentioned.
Adults with families attending game after game are those who are hardest hit in the pockets and I would love the GAA to devise a system whereby their regular attendance is rewarded by some form of credit scheme that would allow them to access games at a reduced cost.
As it is, the GAA deserve credit at the fact that they have maintained the entry fee for youngsters at €5 per head, but anyone who religiously tracked the team over their eight-game programme this summer had lighter pockets as a consequence.
That’s the price they have to pay (no pun intended) once their heroes find traction.
The concentrated format at the business end of this year’s championship, with four games in a five-week window, meant that many families had to cover their costs from a single pay packet.
With one season to go with the present Super 8s format it’s no harm to look at one or two of the issues that effect the support base of each of the competing teams.
I feel strongly about the regulation that insists each team must play a game in Croke Park.
I would love to see more use made of provincial venues instead, with adequate facilities where the revenue generated from these games would mean a lot to the economies of the host towns.
Just ask any of the business people in the county and particularly in Castlebar what the visit of Donegal meant to them and they will tell you they had one of their best turnovers in years.
In a country where more and more on every level is concentrated in the greater Dublin area, taking the games outside the capital would mean less physical hardship for many and inject badly needed revenue into towns that have known better times.
Now that I am on the topic of the Super 8s, I feel there is a pressing need next year to leave a reasonable gap between the final game in the format and the All-Ireland semi-final.
This year’s programme, as far as Mayo were concerned, considering their condensed fixture schedule, amounted to a form of madness.
Seven games in eight weeks with the ultimate being the clash with Dublin was never likely to have a happy ending.
Supporters, by that stage, though loving the thrills and spills, were wilting. We can only imagine the effect it had on the players!
Still, as a prominent citizen of the town recently stated, if Mayo were to play a challenge match next weekend you’d still have the horde setting off in pursuit!
That says it all. Mayo are so fortunate as a county to have a fan base second to none.
Critical, yes. Opinionated, always. Capable of managing the team, without any shadow of doubt. Swearing they’ll never come back after a defeat, a regular refrain yet the same heads are in the crowd at an FBD game on a slobbery Friday night the following January. Loving the colours they follow, always.