Mayo chairman McNicholas under fire as managerial mess turns bitter

Liam McHale has said he will never again be involved with a Mayo team as the row to appoint a successor to James Horan as the county’s football manager festered further last night.

Mayo GAA chairman Paddy McNicholas’s position is under increasing pressure over his handling of the process to select a replacement for Horan.

Noel Connelly and Pat Holmes were put forward by a sub-committee of the county board on Saturday night but there has been huge unrest over the handling of the issue. Kevin McStay was told on Saturday morning he would not be in the running, despite no interviews being conducted.

Mayo GAA cultural officer Gerry Bourke resigned, labelling the appointment process “a sham” while an executive meeting on Monday night was described by another member present as “hostile”.

McHale, who would have been brought in as McStay's coach, felt the plan they had for Mayo football was too radical for McNicholas.

“We were told their (Connelly and Holmes) presentations were better. Ours was too radical and had too much change for the county board.”

He told Newstalk’s Off the Ball show last night: “Mayo has lost two All-Ireland finals and that is what we have been doing for 25 years. We felt there were lots of changes needed in the style of football, but the county board, and Paddy in particular, felt continuity is required.”

A meeting to ratify Connelly and Holmes is due to take place tomorrow night, where club delegates are expected to ask for McNicholas to be called to account for his role in the debacle. Some have suggested to the Irish Examiner that a vote of no confidence may be called.

The deadline for nominations for the vacancy was last Thursday. By that stage the names received were Noel Connelly and Pat Holmes on a joint ticket while Kevin McStay was running against them.

An executive meeting took place on Friday where an interview sub-committee was set up and the criteria for the post was established. Sitting on this committee were chairman Paddy McNicholas, secretary Vincent Neary and treasurer JP Lambe.

Two more members of the executive were added — Aiden McLoughlin, PRO, and Padraic Carolan, coaching officer.

Despite a report on a national radio station on Saturday afternoon saying McStay, and his right hand man, Liam McHale, were out of the running, McNicholas stated to Mid West Radio in Mayo at 6pm that no one had been appointed and interviews would proceed as planned.

However, at 9.28 that night a statement sent by Mayo GAA PRO Aiden McLoughlin stated the ‘Mayo Senior Football Team Interview Committee’ had meet with the executive and “gave the recommendation that Noel Connelly and Pat Holmes be put forward for the position as Senior Football Team Manager”.

Four different members of the executive have said no such meeting took place.

“I’m not happy with the way in which this whole scenario was handled,” said cultural officer Gerry Bourke. “I left the executive meeting on Friday night thinking it was one of the best meetings of the county board only to discover the next day that the thing was a sham. It appears the deal was done before the meeting.”

Connelly and Holmes are still expected to be ratified tomorrow night while their backroom team will, as reported here Monday, include Kerryman Donie Buckley from the previous regime. Ballaghaderreen’s Barry Solan, who previously worked with Laois and Kildare and Katie Taylor, will come in as strength and conditioning coach while Lacken’s Micheál Collins will be a selector.

Meanwhile, Connelly believes he and Holmes will bring a freshness to the Mayo set up while maintaining a familiarity with the squad.

“Every new management will bring a freshness. I suppose the fact that we know 80% of the lads from U21 is a help to us as well. We know their strengths, we know their weaknesses,” he said.

“We’d be looking to start well in the National League. There’s a few lads up on 30, maybe the wrong side of it. We need to rejuvenate maybe the forward line and also a few extra subs on the defensive side of it but, look it, it’s a challenge but we’re hoping we will be up to it and hopefully we can bring something to the table,” he said.

However he added that he was happy with the age profile of the team.

“With the exception of Andy (Moran) and Alan Dillon it’s from 28/29 down so we’d be happy enough with the group that are there.”

Connelly also spoke about playing under a different style than the one used by Horan. “We think we can improve the dynamics and the way that they play. I think for last year nearly all our attacks were kinda based on the half-back line driving forward. Maybe we need another point of attack and different systems.

“We need to improve [and have] straightforward direction in our forward play and we need bigger men in bigger positions and I think that will add an awful lot to the team.”