New season kick-off date targeted following Mayo League EGM
A new League Management Committee (LMC) was elected at tonight’s Mayo Football League EGM which could bring an end to a tumultuous number of weeks for Mayo soccer.
Two people had been nominated for the role of Honorary Secretary while 13 people had been put forward for 9 Ordinary LMC roles at the meeting chaired at the Castlecourt Hotel by Connacht FA chairman John Byrne.
However, at the eleventh hour, six people withdrew from the nomination process: Martin Kielty, who was to contest the Honorary Secretary election, Mark Beattie, Kenneth Gannon, Paul Kenny, outgoing Chairman Chris McHale-Roe and long-serving League Treasurer Tom McDaniel all withdrew their names from the selection process.
The remaining candidates were still required to reach the quota, which was half of the total valid poll plus one. As two clubs abstained from voting, the total valid poll was 23 with a quota of 12.
John Durkan received 18 votes and became Honorary Secretary. The Ordinary LMC roles were filled by the remaining candidates (votes in brackets): Aidan Dunleavy (22), Kieran Gallagher (19), Chris McGauley (20), Gerry Sweeney (18), Patrick Lindsay (18), Sean Molloy (19), Richard Gorman (18), Sean Ruane (18). A private meeting was held among the new LMC following the EGM in which Gerry Sweeney was elected as Chairman.
Speaking to the media following this meeting, re-elected Honorary Secretary John Durkan said they are hoping to begin the new Mayo Football League season on the weekend of February 28/29. He said they are hoping to begin the U17 season a week early to avoid a clash with the Junior Certificate exams.
Meanwhile, the new Chairman Gerry Sweeney expressed a desire to move on from the issues of the past several weeks and said, “the past is in the past.”
