Mayo in row over access to players

Mayo's selection for Sunday's All-Ireland semi-final against Offaly at Croke Park contains two changes from the side that unimpressively won the Connacht title earlier this month.

The news was subsequently overshadowed by a row at the press conference about the media availability of players, leading to an apology issued to journalists by Mayo County Board chairman Fr Noel Forde.

There had already been considerable talk about the team for Sunday. John Casey and Ronan Golding have been dropped and replaced by David Heaney, who makes his first championship start, and Colm McManamon, who returns after suspension.

Liam McHale is named, as speculation suggested, at full forward. Maurice Sheridan is, however, rated doubtful and A N Other is named at right half forward.

Casey may feel particularly hard done by as he has featured at full forward over the last two seasons under considerable pressure despite the fact that it is not his best position. Maughan admitted afterwards that it had been a difficult decision.

It was thought unusual that Casey should be dispensed with for this coming match given the vulnerability displayed by Offaly full back Larry Carroll in the face of quick agile full forwards.

McHale has been tried in the position during recent challenge matches and Maughan pointed out that he had been played in that position previously.

One of the reasons advanced for the move was the exceptional form in training of newcomer David Heaney at centre-field which liberated McHale for duty further up the field. Golding, who played in the attack against Sligo, is the other player to lose out.

There will be concern at the doubt surrounding Sheridan whose place-kicking has been such a productive source of scores for the team this summer. His hamstring injury will be assessed at the weekend but the prognosis is said to be bleak. Should he fail to come through, Kieran McDonald will take the frees.

Bizarre scenes ensued in the Welcome Inn in Castlebar as Mayo players, supposedly present for a press night, sneaked out the back door of the hotel, leaving manager John Maughan to face a critical press conference. He was left to defend the team's media relations which had already become the cause of controversy in the local press which was forced to go to print without any access to the players.

Journalists, asked down for a final chance to talk to players, had been asked to wait until players had finished their dinner and ushered into a press conference with Maughan. During this, it was noticed that the players were leaving.

Angry exchanges took place during which Mayo were accused of "duping" reporters. Maughan defended his role and said he had asked the players to attend but had no means of compelling them to do so.

"I have to say in all honesty that a number of players have approached me in recent days to say that they have been hounded by the press. I myself hardly have an opportunity to eat my dinner or drink a cup of tea. I cannot comment on players, I cannot speak for them.

"At no stage did I ever suggest that a player - with one exception - should not talk to the press. I was under the assumption that the players were there. Let's not give me too much pressure about this. It's an amateur game.

"My very words were `co-operate fully with the press and let's not have a situation where you're being chased after tonight'."

Asked whether he knew why Mayo had become the most media-shy team in the country, Maughan said: "I'd say in recent years - and I said it to one of your colleagues - the whole media hype around amateur footballers has become intense. It's something that has evolved.

"I remember being involved with a Mayo team back in 1985 and there was hardly anything about the press. I remember being involved with Clare in 1992 when it was very much low-key. But in the last year or two since these boys reached an All-Ireland, it's become a pressure pot.

"From a personal point of view, I have always co-operated. But some players came up to me tonight and said that they weren't coming down for the grub because they didn't want to talk to the press."

The situation has been particularly vexed for local media whose concentration on the county team is nearly total. Maughan defended the choice of yesterday for a media night, saying that his priority had to be choosing the best time to pick the team rather than the convenience of the press.

Despite a question from a local reporter which suggested that players had claimed that they were being discouraged from talking to the media, Maughan replied that he allowed players who weren't comfortable talking to reporters to blame him for their reluctance.

He reiterated his openess to all media when it was put to him that some players who were comfortable talking to reporters claimed that they were being discouraged from doing so.

The exchanges were the latest in a summer which has seen Mayo involved in controversy since beating Galway in Tuam last May. Although the players have avoided contact with the media on the appointed night, the uproar - in particular locally - will hardly lend itself to ideal preparation for Sunday.

Finally the mood of the meeting was aptly summed up in the words of one disgruntled reporter: "John, in the history of disappointing press nights, you must understand that this one takes the Oscar".