by trevornaughton | Mar 26, 2014 | Guest Contributors, National Football League
Ahead of this weekend’s clash vs. the Dubs, here’s diehard Mayo fan Trevor Naughton (exiled in Kildare, but green and red to the core) on his experience of hanging out with the Club ’51 crew this year, and how he expects the big game to pan out on Saturday afternoon. Thanks Trevor!
Ahead of the weekend’s big clash with Dublin where Mayo head to Croker looking to pick up another two valuable league points, I thought I’d offer the fan’s view of how Club ’51 has gone to date!
As you are all aware Club ’51 has been up and running since the start of the year and I think it has been an unmitigated success. The introduction of Club ’51 has created a completely different buzz about going to Mayo matches and is something we are really enjoying. For years we have all travelled in our little groups to matches, meeting up with old friends as you bumped into them.
The level of support that Mayo has (home and away) is clear to see at every game. There are a few publicans in Newbridge that will attest to that also! Every game, whether it’s Castlebar, Tralee or Omagh now feels like a home game and that’s a wonderful thing. Centralising the Mayo support has been excellent. There is nothing better than outnumbering the locals in a pub in their own back yard!
Going to the meet-ups before games the pub/hotel chosen by Club ’51 is full with Mayo supporters. The more times we go to the meet ups before/after games we invariably meet someone new or someone we already know through the #mayogaa hashtag on Twitter or Willie Joe’s MayoGAABlog but have yet to meet in real life!
The main aim is to bring a bit of noise, fun and colour to Mayo matches and to show the team that there is a “Sea of Green and Red” behind them. I have always had hats/scarves/headbands/flags at home but never would have thought to bring any of them to a league match. Club ’51 has changed that idea. If you are thinking about going to the match at the weekend feel free to drop into Jury’s Croke Park Hotel before the game.
The game itself is going to be one of our toughest to date but the lads have been improving steadily game on game and I would be expecting them to deliver the points on this occasion. There has been a lot of debate on mayogaablog on whether we should be going flat out to win this game or not. I think without doubt we have to go out to win this. Just look back to 2012 when we beat the Dubs in Castlebar (in the game refixed after the fog!), we went up against them in Croker in the semi-final with no inferiority complex. Dublin beat us 3 times last year so we really want to be laying down a marker on Saturday night. See you there!
PS: Don’t forget your voices and your flags!!! Up Mayo!!!
Trevor
Follow me on Twitter: @trevornaughton 🙂
by Anne-Marie | Mar 25, 2014 | Competitions, Mayo GAA, National Football League
It’s been a quiet few days for the Mayo faithful as we’ve been basking in the warm glow of the win against the Rebels last Sunday week, but now it’s time to turn our sights towards the one we’ve all been waiting for as the Green and Red take to the capital to face Dublin in Round 6 of the Allianz National Football League. The game throws in at 7pm on Saturday 29th March, and there can be no doubt that this is the Big One, to date at least, of this year’s league campaign as we face the Boys in Blue for the first time since last year’s stinging final defeat.
Photo by Michael Maye
For those of us exiled in the Smoke, it’s a welcome break from the travels, and for those of you visiting, well, you always have a good time in the capital, don’t you?
Debate is already sizzling about this one – do Mayo need to grab this game by the scruff of the neck and take it to the Dubs, in the process laying down a strong marker for the year ahead and giving ourselves a welcome psychological boost? A win will leave us in an excellent position, with potentially a play-off spot to look forward to. Or in the grand scheme of things, does a win against the Dubs in March really mean anything, when there is a far bigger prize to play for later in the year?
Whatever your school of thought, this fixture holds all the promise of and ingredients for an epic clash, and Club ’51 will as usual be there in the thick of the action. We’ll be convening in the main bar of Jury’s Croke Park Hotel (at the back of the Hogan Stand) from late afternoon, 4.30pm or so (we like to make a day of it), everyone is welcome to come along and we look forward to seeing a good crew there.
This is a big game, and we want to make a big impact both on the pitch and off. Holding the game in Croke Park, while the obvious thing to do, ensures that this is essentially a home game for the Dubs (despite their protests) but it’s our ground too, and a ground with which we’re very familiar. Last summer, Mayo supporters brought a sea of green and red to Croke Park, and this Saturday night, we want to bring it back. We’d like to show Dublin and indeed the rest of the country that this Mayo team and its supporters are back with a bang, and that we’re in it for the long haul again this year. So if you’re making the trip east, pack a flag, or a banner and hold them high before the game, and let’s together make some noise and get behind our team on Saturday night.
After the game, as there’s a large Mayo contingent staying there, there’ll be a few drinks in the Skylon Hotel in Drumcondra. We look forward to seeing you all there!
by Anne-Marie | Mar 4, 2014 | Car Parking, Mayo GAA, National Football League
Club ’51 will be upstairs in Ulysses Bar from 11.30am – complimentary finger food available!
Sunday’s hard-fought win vs. Kerry saw Mayo ease themselves into a more comfortable position on the Allianz National Football League Division 1 table, and it’s all to play for now.
Next Sunday it’s a trip to Mullingar to take on Westmeath who, under the stewardship of Paul Bealin (of the ’95 All-Ireland winning Dublin team) are struggling to find their feet in Division 1. Fighting for survival in the top flight, Westmeath will have nothing to lose, and everything to gain, so while Mayo should in theory comfortably take the points, this fixture is by no means a foregone conclusion.
Round 4 is nearly upon us already, and without further ado let’s get the ball rolling for next weekend’s meetup. The venue is the Greville Arms Hotel on Pearse St., Mullingar, just a few minutes’ walk from the ground. Throw-in is at the slightly later time of 2.30pm this week so an extra half hour in bed. There’ll be complimentary finger food upstairs in the Ulysses Bar, courtesy of the very helpful crew in the Greville Arms. There’ll be a carvery lunch available downstairs for hungry travellers and by all accounts they do a fine cup of tea. 🙂
Club ’51 will be in situ in the Greville Arms from 11.30am or so (we like to get the best seats in the house) and for those of you driving, there is parking to the rear of the hotel, there’s a public car park beside it (free on Sundays) and on-street parking.
Club ’51 inside the ground
On Sunday, we’d really like to try and get Club ’51 together inside the ground as well as out – after all, that’s what Club ’51 is all about! – and the more of us there are in one spot, the more solid the support. With that in mind, we’ll be congregating in the reception area at 1.50pm to make our way to the ground in plenty of time, and we’d love you to join us. At away games we tend to locate ourselves in the same area of the stand, with the tunnel immediately to our left, so if you don’t make the meet-up, you’ll find us there.
Safe trip to all of you making the journey and we’ll see you there on the day.
Anyone interested in car pooling – either looking for or offering a lift to Mullingar on Sunday – if you’ve signed up as a member of the site, head here. If you can’t access this, drop us a line and we’ll sort you out.
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by Anne-Marie | Mar 4, 2014 | Car Pooling, Mayo GAA, Members, National Football League
Photo: Balls.ie
Throw-in for Westmeath v Mayo in the second round of the Allianz National Football league is at the slightly later time of 2.30pm on Sunday in Cusack Park, Mullingar, and Club ’51 will be on location in the Greville Arms, Pearse St., from 11.30am.
If anyone has a bit of room and is willing to offer a lift on Sunday, drop a comment with your location and travel plans below – I’ll be leaving Dublin early myself if anyone needs a seat. No Garth Brooks this time sadly – the radio’s on strike.
Similarly, if you’re stuck for a seat or just don’t fancy the drive, and are willing to contribute a few quid towards petrol, then it’s car pooling to the rescue – get posting below. Safe travels!
by Anne-Marie | Feb 4, 2014 | Car Parking, Mayo GAA, National Football League
So Round 2 of the Allianz National Football League is nearly upon us already, and after a pulsating contest in Newbridge on Sunday last, we have another mouthwatering clash in store this weekend as we head for Omagh to take on Mickey Harte’s Red Hands. (That sounds a bit wrong, doesn’t it?) Get ready for another competitive clash – it’s Tyrone v Mayo time.
Anyway, Mayo Mick has suggested the Silverbirch Hotel in Omagh as a meeting point before the game. It’s located on the main Omagh to Gortin Road, on the way to Healy Park on the right hand side and has a large car park. From there it’s about half a mile, or a 10-minute walk to the ground. Parking near the ground is scant and is usually roadside.
Healy Park Tyrone-map
There’ll be a few of the Club ’51 crew in the hotel from about 12pm getting the tea and sangwiches in prior to throw-in. Anyone interested in joining us to make some noise in Healy Park, the plan is to congregate in the Silverbirch and head down to the game in good time to get a spot.
So do join us, bring a flag or two, and help us to get #SeaofGreenAndRed off to an early start this year! Safe travels to all of you making the trip – and of course to those of you heading towards Croke Park to cheer on Kiltane – we’ll be there in spirit.
Anyone interested in car pooling – either looking for or offering a lift, if you’ve signed up as a member of the site, head here. If you can’t access this, drop us a line and we’ll sort you out.
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