LAST UPDATE | 18 Jan 2021
FORMER FOOTBALLER OF the Year Andy Moran has made his first major step into management by taking charge of his native Ballaghaderreen.
And he will be joined on the management ticket by Mayo’s former U21 All-Ireland winning boss Mike Solan as the pair try to guide their home club to their first county title since both of them were on the squad in 2012, although Moran missed the final against Ballintubber through a cruciate knee injury.
That was only the club’s third Mayo title with Moran and Solan key members of the team which bridged a 36-year gap when they triumphed against Charlestown in 2008.
Moran, who retired from inter-county football in 2019, helped Solan in a coaching capacity with the Mayo U20s last season and the pair have now taken over from Paul McHugh, who stepped down before Christmas after four seasons in charge of the club on the Mayo-Roscommon border.
Moran, who won the 2017 Footballer of the Year at 34 years of age, will be hoping to make an immediate impact on the sideline after a playing career which spanned 17 seasons for Mayo and which saw him win eight Connacht medals and finish runner-up in five All-Ireland finals, having missed the 2012 loss to Donegal through injury.
Meanwhile, another former Mayo footballer who has stepped up to inter-county management for the first time said that Covid is making it difficult for those in charge of underage sides for the first time.
Maurice Sheridan has built up management experience with NUIG and the Salthill-Knocknacarra side in Galway which he captained to All-Ireland club glory in 2006 and will now be hoping to make an impact with the Mayo U-20 side where he has taken over as manager from Solan.
Sheridan, a teacher at Coláiste Bhaile Chláir in Galway and who will be joined on the management team by another Mayo player Peadar Gardiner, said he is looking forward to the challenge but obviously had to deal with Covid restrictions.
“It’s the hardest part of it. Ideally, you’d love to be up in MacHale Park for trials. But it can’t happen at the moment in reality,” he told Midwest Radio.
“The backroom team, we spent the last few days talking about the panel and the core members. The trials will happen. We are looking forward to it and we can’t wait to get going.”
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Put this in another article, but prob more suited here. Franco Smith of Glasgow won URC coach of the year. Friend would have been my pick. Remember when I first said that some said it should be Leo with only one loss in league, not sure if they feel the same way anymore. For Glasgow run to Challange cup final was good, but its URC Coach of the season so that competition doesn’t count in the reckoning. In URC Smith made playoffs and lost at home to Munster in Quarterfinal. For me Friend took Connacht with less resources than Glasgow and a more difficult fixture list, to the playoffs. Connacht were not expected to make playoffs, and made it and HCup, and won an away playoff meaning the went better than Glasgow. Connacht really overachieved this season, Glasgow did about as expected.
@Kingshu: agree 100%
@Kingshu: Would have Friend ahead of him also. Can make an argument for Rowntree also; first season, awful start, Munster playing a better style of rugby, took down 2 long running home winning streaks and are in the final.
Bit pointless to be comparing to last season when there were still some restrictions om attendances in some of the countries.
@0UWMNglt: seems like a nonsense stat alright
I hope the 5000 munster fans get to bring the league home. ( so it won’t have far to travel next season when win it back)
The Welsh clubs are so far behind. Have they ever reached 12,000 at any game? What has to be looked at is attendances at Welsh games. If the show grounds in Galway were enlarged there would be better crowds there.
Would like to see a breakdown per union home games – Ireland, Wales, Italy, South Africa, Scotland etc. You’d have to assume the Welsh regions would have quite a low average attendance. In addition, the SA home games I have seen appear to have very low attendances. Would love to see the non knockout games in SA have greater spectatorship in the stadiums. I remember watching Super rugby back in the early 00s, the fan base in South Africa was off the charts. Bulls, Sharks, Stormers ans The Cats all hvd hihe crowds at games. Was also lucky enough to get to a few fakes down in SA in 10/11 at Newlands. Full house everytime. Place was electric. May take a few years for the SA home base to commit to the URC.
@Steve Mccarthy: apologies for typos. Thumbs like big toes
@Steve Mccarthy: on wiki, its has each clubs average URC attendance.
There was 41,000 for judgement 2023 in the mileneum. Not to shabby. Double header. Lots or rugby fans in Wales, a good portion don’t follow the weslsh regions
@Paul Cassidy: South Africa could say the same. Huge rugby following there, just a lot follow more locally than the URC it would seem. I get it, it’s a huge country, imagine getting flights to follow your “home” team.