Mayo benefitting from no crowds, says James Horan

Manager says players not feeling supporters' anxiety

Mayo manager James Horan with Cillian O’Connor after the win over Roscommon. Horan says pressure from the support can lead to anxiety among players. Picture: Inpho/Ryan Byrne

As somebody who once felt the fatalism of Mayo supporters inhibited his team, it’s not a surprise that James Horan believes the lack of crowds is helping his players.

Back in the 2013 All-Ireland final against Dublin, he felt that the nervousness of the Mayo crowd had an impact on his players following Andy Moran’s second-half goal to level the game. “The supporting cast, the crowd, does have a sway on things,” he told The Irish Times the following year. “Listen to home and away games in the Premier League… why does that make a difference? Because of the support and the noise.