The five stages of grief Mayo fans will suffer during the week of the All-Ireland final

Here we go again...

Here we are into the third week of September, a time of mixed emotions for Mayo fans and very much fond memories for Dublin supporters. It's easy being a Dublin supporter these days, being the best is the best but spare a thought for poor Mayo, their fans and their players. They suffer the five stages of grief this week at the thoughts of having to watch their county play an All-Ireland final. Denial It’s September again and another All-Ireland final and you just can’t accept it. 2016 seems surreal, it didn’t happen. Too many times have you been here and too many times have you gone home absolutely gutted, tears in the eyes. Nope, another All-Ireland final isn’t around the corner, it can’t have been a year since Cillian missed that last minute free and Cormac Costello ruined all Mayo fans’ lives. Nope, Sunday is never going to come. Anger As the so called experts all unanimously get behind Dublin you can see the Mayo fans seething with rage, not once have they got the credit they deserve this year. The poor Mayo fans believe every step of the way that they haven’t been given any credit, even the Kerry game was a case of the Kingdom being a massive disappointment rather than Stephen Rochford’s side actually playing well. As the so called experts all back Dublin even the bookmakers are going to get a tongue lashing, “They’ve Dublin at 2/5 and us at 3/1 that is a farce.” Bargaining The churches all across Mayo do be filled morning, noon and night on All-Ireland week. Candles lit for the squad hoping that no one gets injured but the prayers said tell a serious story. “Please God, I don’t think I can take another All-Ireland final defeat, I’ll go mass every Sunday without fail if you just give us Sam.” “What have we done to deserve this curse, I’ll do anything, ANYTHING” Depression This is the toughest stage of all for the poor Mayo fans, they’re resigned to the fact that it’s going to happen again. It’s like that film final destination 3, those that escape death on the roller coaster will end up getting their Kum Upp ins. No matter what Mayo did this year and no matter what they do this week it has to end with the same image as last year, Aidan O’Shea and his brother Seamus will be perched on the ground looking up at Stephen Cluxton lifting Sam Maguire and the entire county will go into a state of mourning. Why did you have to be born in Mayo? Acceptance It has been a long and bumpy road with some lows such as the Galway match and the Derry match and, well, most matches but the good aul lads and lassies in Mayo have stuck with their team through thick and thin. If given the option every man, woman and child would take a ticket even if it meant that their county wouldn’t be lifting Sam but at some point something has to give. They’ve found ways to win this year when it just didn’t look possible and have been written off too many times to count yet here they are. Maybe this is the year to break the curse, maybe this is the time they step up and prove the doubters wrong. It’s the hope that kills you.