Mayo aware of the risks of London’s calling

The selling out of Croke Park both Friday and Sunday means this dampest dud of a championship weekend focuses on the Mayo trip to London. What could possibly go wrong as these perennial All-Ireland contenders seek to escape Ruislip unharmed?

At least they travel forewarned. In 2011 some shambolic logistics coupled with a near collapse on the field almost saw Mayo tumble out of the Connacht championship.

James Horan was manager.

“There was an awful lot of residue left over from 2010 and the Longford defeat,” Horan explains. “That was still knocking around throughout the league . . . But the London experience showed us where we were.”

The problem, as Roscommon full back Neil Collins confirms, is the difficulty playing championship football in an environment that caters for an expatriate drinking session rather than the intensity and ceremony associated with days in Markievicz or McHale Park.

“People are out socialising and not massively interested in the actual game,” Collins remembers of last year’s 1-14 to 0-10 victory. “It’s a difficult atmosphere. Even when you are going over there you are doing a good bit of travelling. Then you are just waiting for a game for a couple of days.

“No more than us in New York,” Collins adds of the uncomfortable 1-15 to 0-17 victory on May 1st. “It’s a strange bit of preparation for a game.”

Shapeless

Strange cannot cover the Mayo tale from 2011.

“Everything was mad,” says Horan. “From how we got over - from Castlebar to Galway and a Galway connection flight to Waterford and from Waterford to somewhere, I don’t know where it was, the airport was an old military place, and a two hour journey to get to our hotel.

“That was the day before. Everything about it was definitely shapeless.”

Sounds like a cost saving exercise? “I assume that’s what it was.”

Horan believes his position would have become untenable if they had lost a game they survived by a point after extra-time.

“It would have been over. No question. I picked up that vibe from officials afterwards.”

The west London crowd that afternoon paused the session on noticing Mayo were struggling. "We were just hanging on, hoping for inspiration from somewhere. Trevor Mortimer had been captain the year before and that didn't go well obviously. He came on, having joined the panel late, and was a real leader. For him to kick the point that saved us – there was something in that.

"Andy Moran kicked six points that day but we had five different free takers, missed a penalty, all in the first half. There was a 'This can't be happening' vibe to it all. And there was the nervousness from the previous year.

“Even after the game we couldn’t do our warm down properly as [Mayo] officials were telling us we were going to miss the plane, because it had gone to extra-time.”

The Wednesday after Horan got Jim McGuinness and Donegal to meet them halfway in Markievicz Park for a footballing exorcism.

“We needed to get a game straight away. And it as a real old fashioned, tough game of football. Exactly what we needed to put the London performance behind us. There was no going back anyway. The boats were burnt by that stage.”

It also helped Donegal.

“Mayo have kicked on since,” Horan continues. “They are very strong now. The age profile of the team is 26. I think that’s the optimum for intercounty football.”

Also, this time, they follow the Sunday game with a mini-camp in London until next weekend.