Sport in 1925: Objections, replays and default deciders

As we tick into a new year and all it has to promise, it's always worth looking back.

But just like last year, you'll need binoculars to look back as we're going to go miles in reverse into the distant past of Irish sport. A hundred years back no less and this time it will be 1925.

GAA

It's fair to say that the second half of the 20th century and what we've seen of the 21st so far have not been kind to the Mayo senior footballers.

And 1925 is no different even though the county did briefly appear to have got hold of their first All-Ireland title before fate intervened.

How that came to pass is a result of a maelstorm of controversy that swept through that championship with Connacht the epicentre of it all.

Amid endless objections largely related to player eligibility, and subsequent replays, the province took five months to complete its rounds.

First, an objection was made after Roscommon beat Sligo in the quarter-finals that May with a replay invoked.

That led to a saga even more relentless than the one that occurred between Dublin and Meath 66 years later as the two counties drew the next three replays.

Finally it seemed to be over after replay number four when Roscommon pipped Sligo 77 days after their original meeting.

But, you guessed it, another objection was made and a further replay ordered taking it to a sixth game. Having 'won' twice in the five previous match-ups, Roscommon were defeated and it would be Sligo's turn to come out on top as they eventually advanced to the Connacht semi-final.

Meanwhile, Galway and Leitrim needed 'only' three games to be separated from each other in their semi-final, with the Tribsemen ultimately prevailing to book a spot in the decider against Mayo, who had been waiting patiently all the