MAYO FOOTBALL MANAGER James Horan and newly-elected county board chairman Seamus Tuohy have made a public plea for unity ahead of the new season.

Tuohy and Horan each penned part of a statement issued on Thursday, in which Horan called for the county to “move forward together for the betterment of Mayo football”.

The comments come as the fallout from September’s All-Ireland football final defeat to Tyrone continues to linger.

Mayo were beaten by 2-14 to 0-15, with the county subsequently forced to condemn the “completely unnecessary and unacceptable” criticism and abuse of players and management that followed.

“This management team has earned our trust and their decisions should be respected,” Tuohy said on Thursday. “We must all give them the space and full support to do their job.”

Tuohy’s statement in full read:

“As the new chairperson of Mayo GAA county board, I would like to acknowledge the great work done last year by the Mayo senior football team in gaining promotion in the league, retaining the Connaught title and reaching this year’s All-Ireland Final.

“We were all disappointed with the result in the final, but there is much to build on as we prepare for the 2022 season.

“We have a great panel of young and experienced players working with the management team and they are totally focussed on getting better and reaching their ultimate goals.

“This management team has earned our trust and their decisions should be respected, we must all give them the space and full support to do their job.”As a county we are in this together, let us all support both management and players and give the team every opportunity as we prepare for the 2022 season ahead.

“Negativity or untruths that may have been generated in the past must stop and as the new chairperson of the board, I ask for full support from within the county for both players and management as they embark on a new season, and I look forward to working together in reaching our goals.

“I would also like to wish the very best to Maurice Sheridan U-20 football manager, Sean Dean U-17 football manager, Derek Walsh senior hurling manager and Brian Finn U-20 & U-17 hurling manager.

“I look forward to working with all management teams for the 2022 season and assure them that they will have the full backing of the board in order to achieve their goals for the 2022 season.”

Horan added:

“As Mayo senior football manager, I am really looking forward to the season ahead.

“We have new players coming through, players returning from injury, and players a year older and wiser. We are looking to build our consistency in games and from game to game. There is a rapid season of games coming our way, so it’s all systems go.

“I would like to wish Liam Moffatt, our previous chairman, all the best and look forward to working with Seamus Tuohy.

“It is important that we move forward together for the betterment of Mayo football.”