Ladies football in Mayo at ‘critical juncture’ warns Phillips

The chairman of the Mayo Ladies Gaelic Football Association has warned there is a grave danger of the county handing total control of its affairs to the provincial and national councils. Des Phillips is one of very few key post holders on the Mayo LGFA executive who has decided to remain in position following what was a controversial autumn, where the executive was found to have fallen foul of the rulebook in its procedures for the appointment of a new senior team manager.

An inordinate number of positions are required to be filled, leading to an extraordinary general meeting of Mayo LGFA being called for tonight (Tuesday) in the TF Royal Hotel, Castlebar at 9pm. Suitable volunteers for the roles of secretary, assistant secretary, treasurer, assistant treasurer and PRO, along with people to join the PRO and fixtures teams are sought, with the grim reality of all LGFA activities in the county grinding to a halt – including training and inter-county trials – if the meeting ends in failure.

“The vacancies within Mayo LGFA present a real and immediate threat to the sustainability of our organisation. We’ve reached a critical juncture where the absence of key roles jeopardises the very existence of women’s football activities in Mayo. We are facing the prospect of having to turn to Croke Park and Connacht GAA to take over. We urge our community to rally behind us,” said Des Phillips over the weekend.

In a statement on its website, Mayo LGFA blamed the Covid-19 pandemic for ‘exacerbating volunteer shortages across all levels of the game’, saying that the challenges faced by local clubs in filling positions has led to a bottleneck effect, preventing individuals from vacating roles within the clubs to step into county board positions.

“Joining Mayo LGFA isn’t just about filling a position, it’s about safeguarding the future of women’s football in our county,” stressed Phillips. “We need the expertise, enthusiasm and dedication of individuals to step into these roles and ensure the continuity and growth of the game we all cherish.” 

Mayo LGFA says it desperately needs individuals who are passionate about women’s football and who possess the necessary skills or a willingness to learn, and that outgoing members of the county board are committed to supporting the transition and ensuring that new members feel confident and competent in their roles.