… will take place in Coady’s of Castlebar on the evening of Thursday 10th July. So get swotting!
More info to follow shortly, including details of the charities we’ll be supporting, and some of the prizes we’ll have on offer, but in the meantime add the date to your diaries folks, it’s bound to be a good one.
Hope to see a few of you there on the night!
Those of you on Facebook and Twitter over the past few days will have seen us sharing various videos from the olden days of Mayo GAA, but just in case you’ve missed them, head on over to our video gallery to see (for the first time online) highlights of Mayo’s Connacht Championship of 1989, the famed Tyrone game of the same year, and the 2006 All-Ireland U21 final victory against Cork. Our most recent addition is the Galway-Mayo Connacht Final of ’99 in Tuam Stadium. Some of us are still drying out after that one.
Thanks to Ronan McHale for putting in the graft and converting these from VHS for us – a time-consuming process but one I’m sure you’ll agree was worth it. Check out our video gallery here for a wander down memory lane and keep an eye out for more videos coming soon.
If you’re a regular attendee at Mayo games, you might have seen our flags flying from various places in the stands and terraces. A few people have already asked us how they can get their hands on flags like ours. Well, the good news is – anyone can get one!
But firstly, some background on how we got our flags. When we set up Club ’51, with the aim of bringing some noise and colour to games, quite a few of you got in touch to contribute a few pence or pounds, and we are delighted to say that your cash has gone towards making a number of different flags and banners. To date, we have 11 large “tifo” stick flags, which you’ll have seen at the games, as well as one very large banner with the team, and two smaller ones with our crest (one of which is currently winging its way around the world on Route ’51). These are your flags, and we hope they’ll be flying at Mayo games for many a year, even decade to come. The Club ’51 crew are simply their guardians 🙂
We keep full records on our website of any contributions we’ve received, as well as all our receipts, so anyone who has signed up to the site and has contributed can see where their money has gone. Club ’51 is, has always been, and intends to always be, an unofficial supporter’s club. It does not operate to make a profit.
We get our gear from Flag Man Ireland, having done our supplier research, and he has provided us with a fantastic service – we only have good things to say about him. The flags are made quickly and made well, and they are not your standard Mayo flag. They are of exceptional quality, made with lightweight printed polyester, a strong, versatile fabric that is used to achieve the vibrant colours you’ll have seen, and which is also much stronger and more resilient than your normal flag material. If you invest in one of these flags, you’ll have it for a long, long time. We have not been able to find custom flags of this quality, with the level of service we’ve received, anywhere else in the country.
For those of you interested in getting your hands on one of these, they are available to buy directly from Flag Man Ireland. We don’t have infinite funds – and neither do we have infinite hands to fly any more flags we get made! – so if you want to invest in a flag to fly yourself, we can highly recommend these. And the the more flags dotted around any given stadium, the better! In terms of prices, the standard stick flags we have, which are 4×4, cost €40 each (including the wooden dowel – €35 without). They are of excellent quality that will last a lifetime if you mind them. They are also available in other sizes at other prices – just ask when you’re ordering. He has the designs, so just give him a description of the Club ’51 flag you want (we’ve shown them all below) and he’ll take it from there. And you can even get car flags.
Club ’51 (contrary to any rumours you may hear or read on social media), is not profiting in any way from the sale of any flags you may wish to purchase. Rather, you’ll be dealing directly with our supplier and will have your own Club ’51 flag to have and to hold, ’til Sam do we win.
We’ve put in a lot of work over the past few months to get Club ’51 off the ground, and the enthusiasm from Mayo supporters for the idea has been brilliant. (Thank you!) It’s been a great experience and we hope it continues that way. Disappointingly, there will always be one or two who, without making the effort to establish the facts, are happy to make false (and legally questionable) claims about what we’re about. That makes us sad, but we hope we’ve clarified our position here. If you do have any queries, don’t hesitate to get in touch and we’ll answer any questions you might have.
Now, how to get a flag. You can contact Flag Man (who goes by the name of Mark!) via phone or email (details below) – be sure and tell him we sent you.
Square Club ’51 crest on white background
Current Mayo Crest
Some of the Mayo Club 51 crew flying the flags!
The 1951 crest (this is our favourite!)
The new flags make their colourful debut at Mayo v Derry.
The Route 51 flag lands in Frankfurt Germany. Route 51 branched on to the Autobahn last week as the Club ’51 flag flew proudly outside the European Central Bank. Niall Merriman from Charlestown brought the umbrella his mother Carmel made for him before the ’89 final. The Brett family, Paul , Lisa and Dylan from Castlebar are also based in Frankfurt as is Robert Bashford from Bangor. The flag will now make its way to the next destination. Keep checking in on www.mayoclub51/route-51 to see where the flag arrives to next. To date the Mayo Club 51 flag has travelled 12954.28 KM!
Niall Merriman from Charlestown, The Brett family, Paul, Lisa and Dylan from Castlebar and Robert Bashford from Bangor outside the European Central Bank in Frankfurt.
It feels like forever since we were last gearing up for a Championship game, and while those of us lucky enough to get to New York got a fix of sorts, it didn’t quite scratch the itch. Next weekend however sees the action beginning in earnest on home soil as Mayo travel to Hyde Park to take on Roscommon at 2pm in Dr. Hyde Park.
By all accounts the Rossies, buoyant after another strong U21 campaign are looking forward to this clash as much as we are, and they will fancy their chances of springing a surprise on their home turf. So we could have a cracker on our hands next Sunday.
Dr. Hyde Park as most of us know by now is not the most accessible of grounds, and a large attendance is expected next week. The Connacht Council have decided that seating will be unreserved for this fixture, meaning that if you want to get a seat in the stand, it’s first come, first served. Admission is €25 (terrace €20) with U16s paying €5. In their wisdom, they have decreed that OAPs and students must pay full price on the gate, with refunds of €10 available upon presentation of valid ID cards at turnstiles 6 & 18 (meaning that they potentially have to queue twice). For those of you travelling with large groups of children, you can enter at Turnstile 8 and avail of a decent group rate of €30 which gets you 10 x juvenile and 1 x adult ticket – we’re assuming that this is restricted to the terrace). All season ticket holders must enter the ground via the County Road Home end.
With all of the above in mind, Club ’51 have after a bit of debate decided not to hold our customary pre-match meet-up before the game next week. Rather, we are urging anyone travelling to the game to get in there early. Very, very early. If you want a seat, it’s likely you’ll need to be there at least an hour before throw-in, and if attendances at the Allianz League games this year are to be believed, it’s looking like this game could easily be a sellout. Instead, we’ll be aiming to congregate inside good and early and get the atmosphere building.
In addition to this, the curtain-raiser sees Mayo hurlers in action once again, taking on Roscommon in the Connacht Intermediate final. Throw-in for that game has yet to be confirmed but is likely to throw in around 12pm, if not sooner. The hurlers have put in a great season this year, and are deserving of good support. So we urge you to come along and shout them on (and stake your claim on a seat while you’re at it).
It’s Championship time proper now, so let’s get the colours out! If you’re coming along, we’re asking you to do one thing – BRING A FLAG. Be it a big flag, a small flag, a flag without a pole, a car flag, a sheet – just find something green and red and wave it around! It’s amazing the difference a flag display can make to the atmosphere, and we want to make the Rossies feel next Sunday like they’re playing an away game and facing into a sea of green and red. Club ’51 will have the usual flags there and if you’re planning on being there early, come and find us in the stand, join us for the craic and help us make a bit of noise.
See you all in the Hyde as we start once again in earnest on this journey. It’s always an adventure, and it’s time to get behind the lads as they put themselves and their bodies on the line once again. Let’s start as we mean to go on this year, shout loud and proud and be the 16th man through thick and thin … Maigh Eo Abú!
PS: Another thing worth doing on the day – Autism Assistance Dogs Ireland are running a fundraising competition on Facebook – they’re asking you to take a ‘selfie’ or a group photo in your county colours, text AUTISM to 50300 to donate €4, and post the photo and text receipt on their Facebook page here. Why not!
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