The Mayo County Board have announced that they will not appoint a new football manager until a root and branch review of football in the county is completed.
Former manager John O’Mahony stepped down from the post on Saturday evening following the county’s shock defeat to Longford in Round One of the qualifiers.
A number of names have been linked to the position in the wake of O’Mahony’s resignation; All-Ireland under 21 winning managers in 2006 Noel Connelly and Pat Holmes, former Galway and Sligo boss Peter Forde and Liam McHale from within Mayo have been suggested while there has been speculation that an outsider such as Páidà Ó Sé or even Mick O’Dwyer could be approached with a view to filling the post.
In a statement released on Thursday, however, the Mayo County Board have announced that nobody will be appointed until after a review is completed in the coming weeks and months, while they also voiced their displeasure at the amount of coverage the matter has received on local radio since the defeat to Longford last weekend.
Statement from the Mayo County Board in full
Following the decision of John O’Mahony to step down from the position of Mayo Senior football team manager after the defeat to Longford on Saturday last, the Mayo GAA County Committee would like to thank him and the members of his management team for their contribution over the last four years.
At this point in time Coiste Bainisti, Coiste Chontae Mhaigh Eó is taking the opportunity to undertake a review of the state of the game in the county.
To do this in as complete a manner as is possible, a series of meetings will be arranged in the coming weeks and months where our clubs and their delegates, and members of the senior football panel will have the opportunity to express and articulate their views.
We feel that it is important that all those involved in our game in the county get the chance to contribute to this review.
We do not think that it is constructive for the floor to be opened to everyone as has happened on local radio this week. While many of those who have contributed have the best interests of Mayo football at heart, we do not feel that all who have voiced their opinion do. Therefore we believe it would be more prudent and productive if those involved at all levels of our game in the county be given the chance to voice their thoughts through the medium of this review process.
With the review subject to take place in the coming weeks, it has been decided to defer the appointment of the next senior football manager until after this process has been finalised.
We feel that to do otherwise would take some focus and direction away from the matter at hand – namely the overall welfare of the game in our county.
More precise details on this review will follow at a later date.
