Mayo4Sam?
Walking down St. James’s avenue and a fan donning a St.Vincent’s GAA tracksuit top is overheard as saying “I dunno, the only reason we’re louder is because we are in Dublin, it’s easier to get to Croke Park.”
The “we” this 20-something-year-old was referring to was Dublin fans, there’s no doubting that their fans are brilliant, just watch clips of them in Hill 16 on any big occasion.
But there’s a serious case for Mayo calling themselves the best fans in the country, today further proved that.
Two visits to Croke Park over the past six days and this writer can say that their supporters tick all the right boxes, loud, supportive and, above all, respectful.
There’s a stereotype that Kerry fans don’t travel, whether that is true or not remains to be seen but in Croke Park today it seemed as if 50,000 of the 53,032 were Mayo supporters, they made their presence known. It was if there was a memo sent out to fans to bring any flags that they could find.
Mayo seriously outnumbered Kerry fans today pic.twitter.com/ljUEng2xx2
— Darragh Culhane (@DarraghCulhane) August 26, 2017
It’s no secret that Mayo take pride in their supporters, as the going has got tough for Stephen Rochford’s side against Sligo, Galway, Derry, Clare, Cork and Roscommon the support has only grown louder and the players have made no secret in expressing their gratitude to the fans.
Patrick Durcan is the most recent footballer to come out to thank the fans, it is clear how much the support means to these players.
"We have a responsibility to our supporters… we are aware of that" @MayoGAA ace Paddy Durcan on the support the team has received in 2017 pic.twitter.com/1cWysRxgls
— Mid West Radio (@radiomidwest) August 16, 2017
But it is no coincidence that in the vast majority of interviews members of their panel have given this year they have praised their fans, Cillian O’Connor has sung their praises too.
“I’ve goosebumps there when you’re talking about it,” O’Connor told Mike Finnerty of Mayo News in an interview broadcast on Sky Sports after their victory over Cork.
“When we came out, maybe an hour before the game, to see the stand three-quarters full of Mayo people, the players don’t take that for granted, you can trust me on that.
“It’s mind blowing the support we have every day we take to the field, it’s about doing it for each it for each other and it’s about doing it for the people in the stand.”
And then there is Aidan O’Shea, the man who came under scrutiny for posing for selfies after a challenge game instead of warming down with his teammates.
The Breaffy man later explained that he just wanted to return the favour after all the years he stormed the pitch getting autographs and pictures with his favourite players.
And that’s how it is over in Mayo, the players give the fans all the time in the world and in return they get all the support in the world.
When Stephen Rochford’s side line out on 17 September against Dublin or Tyrone they won’t be booed if they lose and that’s the way it should be.
