ONE Friday last summer I was at the TG4 studios in Baile Na hAbhainn to do Seo Spóirt with former All-Ireland winning Cork boss John Allen.

ALL WEEK we heard “this is a different Mayo team”. Indeed, many conversations even stretched to how Mayo would cope with another clash with Kerry after being mangled by them in the 2004 and 2006 All-Ireland finals.

THE most important and often overlooked aspect of football team management is people management.

DESPITE collecting four Connacht titles since their last big success in 2001, Galway have not won a single game in Croke Park or passed the All-Ireland quarter final stage.

FOR years we have been very critical of Mayo’s forwards.

CRUMMIES. THAT’S the term the AFL commentators use to describe players who will work the fringes and pick up the breaks.

SEVEN years ago a Tyrone team containing men with famous football surnames like Dooher, O’Neill, Gormley, Jordan, McGuigan, McMenamin and Canavan were well beaten by Sligo (1-14 to 0-12) at Croke Park in the All-Ireland qualifiers.

IT IS a little after 10pm on Wednesday night when Sligo captain Charlie – always Charles to his mum – Harrison walks through the doors of the Westwood House Hotel on the outskirts of Galway city.