Mayo soccer’s civil war is no longer behind closed doors

Mayo soccer is struggling through a clear and widening schism. Two camps have emerged, pro-Mayo FC and anti-Mayo FC, and this division now underpins almost every tension within the game.

It was the central issue behind the remarkable conclusion to the recent mediation meeting in Westport.

Committee members, it is understood, refused to even sit in the same room.

With Mayo FC–affiliated members forming a majority on the Mayo Football League committee, an impasse was inevitable.

The difficulties that surfaced at the league AGM before the end of the year merely exposed what had already been developing: a deepening chasm between the league and the group driving the Mayo FC project.

I have spent time examining how Kerry prepared for League of Ireland football, and one point is worth stressing: Kerry FC spent considerably longer laying the groundwork for adult football than Mayo FC has.

That extended preparation helped ease pressures that are now arriving far earlier in Mayo.

Notably, the first real flashpoints did not emerge from Castlebar Celtic or Westport United’s men’s teams. Instead, they arose within the Mayo Women’s League, where clubs struggled after players were signed by Mayo FC.

Local sides found themselves weakened, competitiveness suffered, and a league that had been relatively stable and growing was suddenly altered by a new entity.

What is important, however, is what did not happen.

While frustration was understandable from the Mayo Women’s League, no formal moves were made against Mayo FC.

There were no Machiavellian manoeuvres, but rather an acceptance that this is the direction the game is heading.

It is only now, as Mayo FC begins to threaten the dominance of top Super League clubs, that the project is being framed as an existential problem for the whole county.

The signing of Anthony O’Neill as Mayo FC Under 20 manager undoubtedly ruffled feathers at AbbVie United Park.

Castlebar Celtic, meanwhile, share a town with Mayo FC, so geography alone ensures tension.

Add to that discussions at Mayo GAA county board level and growing concern among volunteers at leading GAA clubs, and it becomes clear that Mayo FC is being viewed through multiple lenses of competition.

Yet if Mayo is to develop an industry capable of competing at a national standard, that ambition alone tips the balance. The potential benefits of the Mayo FC project already outweigh its drawbacks.

Arrangements for what may be the most anticipated EGM in Mayo soccer history are now underway.

Once the Connacht FA confirmed the date, phone lines lit up. Both pro- and anti–Mayo FC camps are actively canvassing support ahead of next month’s meeting.

Financing, however, remains a major sticking point.

Many clubs have rightly argued that it is not their responsibility to bankroll Mayo FC while they themselves struggle to retain players and keep the show on the road at grassroots level.

Comparisons have been drawn with Sligo Rovers, a community-run club that publicly releases its financial statements - and those figures are eye-watering.

Preparing an organisation for elite level football is enormously expensive, with millions involved. Mayo FC will enter a league that is strictly amateur in nature and two rungs below the level Rovers compete at.

I called for Mayo FC’s financial details to be released at a media night two months ago. Transparency around sustainability would go a long way towards easing the concerns of worried club members.

The Connacht FA has set strict parameters for the EGM on February 4 at the Castlecourt Hotel, Westport.

The notice circulated to clubs makes clear that the agenda is limited to the election of an honorary secretary and league members.

Chairman of the provincial sporting body, John Byrne, is expected to run a tight ship, and the meeting is unlikely to provide a formal platform for grievances about the growing club.

Whether that prevents individuals from making their views known is another matter entirely.

What happens between now and then remains uncertain.

Remarkably, Mayo FC continue to train and use Umbro Park in Milebush despite the infamous letter circulated by outgoing chairman Chris McHale Roe.

The club is also continuing to sign players and prepare for the 2026 League of Ireland academy season, with some exciting prospects set to pull on the green and red at Under 20 level.

Criticism has also been levelled at Mayo FC for recruiting players from outside the county, a grievance often followed immediately by complaints about the loss of local talent.

While the National League’s introduction as a third tier has been broadly welcomed, it has also been criticised for its disjointed structure.

Mayo now faces intensified competition on its doorstep. How many more underage players would drift to Mervue or Salthill? Even the growth of clubs in Donegal presents a threat. With or without Mayo FC, this tier will attract players determined to reach their potential.

Mayo FC needs a quick win. Academy-level league clashes, no matter how significant internally, will struggle to resonate beyond the Milebush bubble.

To generate momentum, recognisable names must be associated with the project, figures the county can rally behind.

Until that happens, and until the club sharpens its PR operation, complaints look to be inevitable.