Good article by John Fogarty in today's Irish Examiner-link

I fully respect the intensity that Mayo bring to their games. They have a cuteness about them that goes goes over the edge but somehow escapes the refs notice or doesn't quite warrant a red card in their eyes. They have a brash cockiness about themselves for a side that hasn't won an All Ireland in 62 years.

Against Galway right for the second Dillion put the corner forward on his backside before the throw in, Mayo were slapping and sledging and bullying Galway into the ground.

Last year in the All Ireland final link , it was all about Mayo's underhand tactics. Yes Donegal were physical but they didnt like Mayo did to Mark McHugh(5.13) or try to take Lacey out of the game (7:25 & 34:46). Cillian O Connor also lashed out with a punch of his own and only got a yellow card(Poor Coleman & Bradshaw)

This is good for Mayo and really they'll need to make hay this year before the black cards come in next season but will neutrals still cheer for them? Will neutrals be happy for them if they win this season playing the dirty way. Im sure Mayo fans don't care or will try and defend themselves of these accusations. Mayo have a massive chance of lifting Sam this year But remember Mayo fans, you've lost your soul and don't overtake any hearses this time

shaggykev (Donegal) - Posts: 469 - 13/06/2013 11:40:02    1405509

shaggykev
I fully respect the intensity that Mayo bring to their games. They have a cuteness about them that goes goes over the edge but somehow escapes the refs notice or doesn't quite warrant a red card in their eyes. They have a brash cockiness about themselves for a side that hasn't won an All Ireland in 62 years.

In all honesty nobody does this more than donegal, it was a big part of why they won sam last year. Mayo seem to have tried to bring a bit of that into their game this year, but donegal are still miles ahead in these stakes.


Against Galway right for the second Dillion put the corner forward on his backside before the throw in, Mayo were slapping and sledging and bullying Galway into the ground.

He pushed him with 1 hand in the chest, the galway lad was just off balance. He stumbled to the ground and just got up again. The second sentence I dont thik is very accurate either. Bullying maybe, due to being in better shape, but there was little sledging in the game.


Last year in the All Ireland final link , it was all about Mayo's underhand tactics. Yes Donegal were physical but they didnt like Mayo did to Mark McHugh(5.13) or try to take Lacey out of the game (7:25 & 34:46). Cillian O Connor also lashed out with a punch of his own and only got a yellow card(Poor Coleman & Bradshaw)

The pre-match was all about mayo's underhanded tactics, the actual game had plenty to do with donegal's. I think this picture tells its own story link, as does this one link
Also, since when is lashing out at somebody an underhanded tactic? Generally the underhanded tactic is the reason the guy lashes out...

As regards the article, mayo were always a hard hitting physical football team.That only changed in the 2000s. The 96 team were as tough as any team going. They just came up agaisnt a side that wanted to have an actual fight as opposed to a tough game, which looking back was a bit of a disgrace.

TheMaster (Mayo) - Posts: 16187 - 13/06/2013 12:41:57    1405600

Mayo were lucky not to have two men sent off in the opening minutes of last years final.

Samsforthehills (Donegal) - Posts: 1075 - 13/06/2013 13:05:27    1405641

Samsforthehills
Mayo were lucky not to have two men sent off in the opening minutes of last years final.

O'Connor maybe, although he was clearly fouled and the ref did nothing at the time. It doesnt excuse it but it shows that it wasnt exactly a cynical act, rather a foolish one.
The other one I dont know who you mean? Keegan got a yellow and deserved no more, and doherty got a yellow for a tackle that was barely a foul.

On the article itself, Im not that convinced. He talks about verbals between a o'shea and paul flynn, and then dillon and coleman - he seems to have assumed it wasnt paul flynn and coleman who were the aggressors, how does he know? Dublin could have targetted o'shea and galway did target dillon. It is just a bit rich. Similarly he dismisses the A v B reffing games thing, when it was shown that it did happen. What mcEneaney said was it hadnt happened that year, but it happened the year before when they won sam, i.e it still happened.
I think a lot of what he is saying is stretching it at times - trying to make more of a story to write about.

TheMaster (Mayo) - Posts: 16187 - 13/06/2013 13:22:34    1405664

The fact that this is coming from Donegal men is as about ironic as you can get,

paddyogall (Mayo) - Posts: 5110 - 13/06/2013 13:27:16    1405674

How have Mayo fans lost out soul? Also I would regard Donegal as the most negative team out there. Mayo have also Mayo have been ridiculed for years for being fancy dans and not prepared to play the dark side of the game.....ah Mayo are lovely but too nice for their own good. Now we have well toughened up a bit people are giving out....well tough s*it - cry me a river.

As for being cocky - I don't know where you get that from. The team are not cocky (aside from a few of my fellow posters in here). Are we good enough to win an All Ireland? Only time will tell but we may be a player or 2 short...that said the day of a Mayo team being pushed around it hopefully over.

yew_tree (Mayo) - Posts: 12122 - 13/06/2013 13:30:55    1405682

For years people have been saying things like Mayo were too soft, now they have the steel they are slated for it? You can't win. Fair play to Mayo, whatever it takes to get across the line they'll not matter should they realise the dream at the end of September.

GetOverTheBar (Tyrone) - Posts: 1388 - 13/06/2013 13:32:58    1405686

I personally find it amazing, for the last number of years people have been giving out about the mass defences and hand passing, Mayo along with kerry is one of the very few who have not adopted these techniques and has still been successful, but rather than get any praise they get given out about, things i simply think are nearly being made up. Well done to donegal they deserved the all ireland they won but they are with out doubt more cynical. Cillian O connor sud have been sent off? A 19 year old barely hitting a defeder who was Fouling him (which if it was mayo wud have got a good 5 minutes of analysis by Brolly because of mayos cynical fouling) lost a point chance and lead to concding a goal on the biggest day of his life, well ya mayo have become a dirty team that have sold there soul is it shaggykev u say. Just look at the links TheMaster posted.
This whole notion of Mayo being cynical is based on a semi final were they were trying to defend all lead dat was quickly going. I recall a month earlier all the pundits criticizing limerick not doing the same against kildare.

Mayofc (Mayo) - Posts: 95 - 13/06/2013 13:43:00    1405694

You could write the same thing about Donegal. The only difference is they won Sam so anything they did got swept under the carpet in a wave of goodwill to the underdog. In fairness the tone of the piece is pretty gushing considering he's describing their ability to dive, mouth off the ball and intimidate referees. Kildare are clearly no angels either but this sort of piece really makes it seem like we're all in a race to the bottom.

doublehop (Kildare) - Posts: 4172 - 13/06/2013 13:43:02    1405695

lot of talk about Mayo recently

can smell an upset at the weekend

valley84 (Westmeath) - Posts: 1931 - 13/06/2013 13:56:37    1405710

Let he who is without sin I say, name me one county that doesn't indulge in the dark arts?

brendtheredhand (Tyrone) - Posts: 10897 - 13/06/2013 14:12:42    1405729

They just came up agaisnt a side that wanted to have an actual fight as opposed to a tough game, which looking back was a bit of a disgrace

The above statement is laughable. The fight was started when The Mayo corner forward Caught Darren Fay late and then i think either The other corner forward or Maybe even JOhn Casey Blocked Fay from taking the free he earned by barging into him and then all hell broke loose. For me that was Mayo Starting the fight and not Meath. We weren't looking for a fight that day, we were looking for an All Ireland and we got it.

About the post....Every team in the Country uses under hand tactics and this has been that way for years. Naming Mayo in this thread means nothing as the heading could have had any counties name on it.

chriscart580 (Meath) - Posts: 376 - 13/06/2013 14:34:58    1405761

sorry Mayo fans, It looks like ive touched a nerve.
The Master, that second link doesnt even look like its from the All Ireland final.

I have said I fully respect Mayos ability to get away with the cycnical play but where does cynical play end and brutish behaviour begin. Its one thing pulling a lad down, conceding frees in tactical positions of the field but clotheslines and speartackles cross the line

Have a look at that All Ireland final in the link above and go to the 3 instances I have mentioned

Closeline to the neck to McHugh(5.13)
Two huge hits on Lacey by Boyle (7.25 & 34.46)

This was tactical by Horan as he seeked to take out the two most important players that he belived would keep creating the overlaps and would cause Mayo the most damage all day.

Horan didnt count on Murphy awaking from his slumper and thankfully Donegal won but those tactics left a sour taste in my mouth and for many neutrals as well no doubt. I'm sure if Donegal meet Mayo in the semi final it will be an all out war and poor Donegal will need a stronger ref to protect the players from being maimed at Croke Park

shaggykev (Donegal) - Posts: 469 - 13/06/2013 14:40:24    1405769

13/06/2013 14:12:42
brendtheredhand
County: Tyrone
Posts: 7392

1405729
Let he who is without sin I say, name me one county that doesn't indulge in the dark arts?

An Dún :)

MourneArmy (Down) - Posts: 1787 - 13/06/2013 14:45:41    1405776

chriscart580
The above statement is laughable. The fight was started when The Mayo corner forward Caught Darren Fay late and then i think either The other corner forward or Maybe even JOhn Casey Blocked Fay from taking the free he earned by barging into him and then all hell broke loose. For me that was Mayo Starting the fight and not Meath. We weren't looking for a fight that day, we were looking for an All Ireland and we got it.

Guys get caught late with a shoulder in football matches, quick frees get blocked in football matches. The response isnt to start a fist fight, and not just a bit of jostling, throwing several full punches at multiple people. When someone does that they are just looking for a fight, not to play football. I dont deny they went on to win the game, but in that incident meath started a fist fight out of something that regularly happens in a game of football. That is a disgrace in my opinion, and if it were to happen today I would say 9-10 meath players would have been sent off, with 4-5 mayo players.

TheMaster (Mayo) - Posts: 16187 - 13/06/2013 14:45:48    1405777

Guys get caught late with a shoulder in football matches, quick frees get blocked in football matches. The response isnt to start a fist fight, and not just a bit of jostling, throwing several full punches at multiple people. When someone does that they are just looking for a fight, not to play football. I dont deny they went on to win the game, but in that incident meath started a fist fight out of something that regularly happens in a game of football. That is a disgrace in my opinion, and if it were to happen today I would say 9-10 meath players would have been sent off, with 4-5 mayo players.

I recommend you watch the video again my friend. I agree that numerous players should have been sent off but to try put the blame on Meath "wanting a fight" is crazy. If it was all Meaths fault they would have had nobody to fight with as the Mayo lads would have stood off and not charged in with fists flying which they quite clearly did. Don't get me wrong the Meath players did the same but i think you be a little deluded to think that Meath were looking for a fight when nearly all players from both teams were involved with most of them (both Meath & Mayo players) charging in from way out the field.

chriscart580 (Meath) - Posts: 376 - 13/06/2013 15:11:01    1405815

shaggykev you come across to me as a very sad individual, i dont see any neutrals agreeing with you

Mayofc (Mayo) - Posts: 95 - 13/06/2013 15:11:29    1405817

shaggykev
sorry Mayo fans, It looks like ive touched a nerve.
The Master, that second link doesnt even look like its from the All Ireland final.

Actually, it seem far more like mayo have hit a nerve with yourself. Maybe you dont like getting your own back?
As regards the links, why not comment on what is actually happening in them? The one you are referencing is a ref card is it not? not to mention a quite disgusting act.


I have said I fully respect Mayos ability to get away with the cycnical play but where does cynical play end and brutish behaviour begin. Its one thing pulling a lad down, conceding frees in tactical positions of the field but clotheslines and speartackles cross the line

That is true, if we are to win we need to be far more cynical than brutish, we need to practice it, work on it, learn to disguise it, then we might be able to compete with donegal in these stakes. Also, what spear tackle?


Closeline to the neck to McHugh(5.13)
Two huge hits on Lacey by Boyle (7.25 & 34.46)

You mean vaughan... Boyle done very little wrong, the ball was in the air and he had a right to go for it, lacey got there first. It was more awkward than dirty. vaughan shouldered lacey after the ball was gone. A far less dirty act than gouging someone in the eye. If lacey was a bigger man he might have stood up to it. How do you stand up to an eye gouge?


Horan didnt count on Murphy awaking from his slumper and thankfully Donegal won but those tactics left a sour taste in my mouth and for many neutrals as well no doubt

Good, now you know how the rest of the country feels when they play donegal.

TheMaster (Mayo) - Posts: 16187 - 13/06/2013 15:14:10    1405822

When your county gets threads like this on HS, you know you're at the top table.

Floops (Dublin) - Posts: 1623 - 13/06/2013 15:30:22    1405848

pot, kettle, black shaggykev! ffs!

TheGateKeeper (Tyrone) - Posts: 2843 - 13/06/2013 15:32:05    1405851