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Westmeath Football thread

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Replying To Mick1234: "When is our championship going to start now?" No changes to fixtures Mooo (Westmeath) - Posts: 52 - 17/06/2025 08:39:31 2618579 Link
Replying To Mick1234: "When is our championship going to start now?" Last weekend in July Bluelake (Westmeath) - Posts: 274 - 17/06/2025 08:56:19 2618583 Link
Kinnygad must be certs for senior champions now another league title in the bag Mooo (Westmeath) - Posts: 52 - 17/06/2025 10:12:12 2618609 Link
Now that the dust has settled, a very disappointing weekend, wicklow never gave up and with 10mins to go i was nervous as we have not won a tight game in nearly two years. Since div 3 league final, we have beaten london, antrim and laois. I have mentioned McCabe performance on sideline before, calm and thoughtful he is not... K Martin seemed to be coming on three different times sun but never got on. Only two subs used and team were tired in last 10mins. I don't think it was a terrible year as we were competitive in 90% of games, but the results don't read well. Hoping for a good club championship now, identifying new players to make the step up is key. When jack cooney was involved few years ago, he had a group training in background, getting 18/19 year old ready for physical demands of senior intercounty football. Baker, mcCartan, geoghan, cooney, leech, scahill, smyth, whittaker, martin, were involved after minor in this training, I presume this is still going on after Jack stepped down. Upforthegame23 (Westmeath) - Posts: 147 - 17/06/2025 11:29:00 2618652 Link
When you are playing the league games against clubs who had players on the county panel. When you meet the clubs again, there will be a lot stronger. You will have to best teams like Loman and The Downs and Shamrock just to name a few Mick1234 (Westmeath) - Posts: 34 - 17/06/2025 11:38:36 2618655 Link
Replying To Mooo: "Kinnygad must be certs for senior champions now another league title in the bag" I don't think any team are ever certs for any championship based on league form, it probably shows they have quite a large and strong panel right now but so will other teams with returning players for the championship. Themselves, The Downs or Lomans, I think those two might have a bit more individual quality when it comes to the right games. OverTheHill85 (Westmeath) - Posts: 93 - 17/06/2025 11:58:01 2618667 Link
Well now that the dust has settled-well nearly settled on last sunday's defeat and on the season as a whole I would like to say well done to the management and squad for the huge effort put in.Was never going to be easy facing into div.2 after losing at least 8 regular starters and with a very young and relatively inexperienced team.The only game that they struggled in was away in Clones to Monaghan and to be fair not many teams in Ireland go to Clones and get a result!!Every other league game and even championship game against Kildare we were well in it right to the death so well done.These lads have been training since mid november right up to mid June which is huge committment so hopefully this present management team and squad stick together and give div.3 a good rattle next year.Obviously we will lose a few from the present panel but im sure this years club championships will throw up a few newcomers for next year. Bruno@1 (Westmeath) - Posts: 266 - 17/06/2025 19:56:15 2618829 Link
Interesting to see the County Board are proposing to change the format of the senior & intermediate club football championship structures. Wmeath2 (Westmeath) - Posts: 186 - 24/06/2025 10:37:36 2620577 Link
Replying To Wmeath2: "Interesting to see the County Board are proposing to change the format of the senior & intermediate club football championship structures." Where'd you see this and what are they proposing? Personally think we have a great structure very few dead rubbers in the final round. 2023 the last round of the second senior group was unreal Bluelake (Westmeath) - Posts: 274 - 24/06/2025 11:18:23 2620605 Link
Replying To Wmeath2: "Interesting to see the County Board are proposing to change the format of the senior & intermediate club football championship structures." Yes I'm not sure the change is worth it; there seems to be an agenda to play less games due to the fact they want to free up weekends. I think there's probably not enough jeopardy in Section B so maybe retain the groups of 6 with a return to the bottom two playing a relegation playoff. Seems in the bottom of Section A can have a dreadful year with no consequences. Maybe top two into semi's, 2v3 in QFs and bottom team into relegation playoff. Reducing the amount of games is not the solution, our club players train and put in significant commitment and are entitled to as many games as possible. I'm not sure why they don't start the club championship a week or two earlier if they need to free up weekends rather than restructuring. OverTheHill85 (Westmeath) - Posts: 93 - 24/06/2025 11:42:17 2620617 Link
A document was sent to clubs last week. Seems they want to reduce the amount of games for dual players. Options include: open draw (2 legs), followed by four groups of three. Knock out with a back door (similar to next years all Ireland series and Sigerson). Four Groups of three. Three Groups of four. One Group of 12. One Round, followed by Four Groups of three. Four Groups of three (for seeding purposes), followed by knock-out. I don't see the problem with the current structure. Many county's looking on in envy with the championship structure in Westmeath. Wmeath2 (Westmeath) - Posts: 186 - 24/06/2025 11:55:47 2620635 Link
The current county championship set up is working very well so the logic is -if its working well lets change it again!! Mind boggling!! Bruno@1 (Westmeath) - Posts: 266 - 24/06/2025 13:18:49 2620671 Link
Replying To Bruno@1: "The current county championship set up is working very well so the logic is -if its working well lets change it again!! Mind boggling!!" They usually choose the mind boggling option so don't be surprised; talks of playing games All Ireland Sunday again; shameful if true after how it was received last year. Play games at least on the Sunday morning but clashing with the AI is absolutely unacceptable particularly as many players will have tickets to attend if on county panels. OverTheHill85 (Westmeath) - Posts: 93 - 24/06/2025 14:15:35 2620696 Link
Replying To OverTheHill85: "Yes I'm not sure the change is worth it; there seems to be an agenda to play less games due to the fact they want to free up weekends. I think there's probably not enough jeopardy in Section B so maybe retain the groups of 6 with a return to the bottom two playing a relegation playoff. Seems in the bottom of Section A can have a dreadful year with no consequences. Maybe top two into semi's, 2v3 in QFs and bottom team into relegation playoff. Reducing the amount of games is not the solution, our club players train and put in significant commitment and are entitled to as many games as possible. I'm not sure why they don't start the club championship a week or two earlier if they need to free up weekends rather than restructuring." The club championship start date was to allow for the possibility of Westmeath reaching the TC final, a not unreasonable option surely, when that didn't happen they couldn't bring championships forward as clubs and players had been told in February what schedule was. The idea behind looking at the structures was explained at county board meeting on Wednesday and the dual players are a concern. We have a large number of dual players and they play minimum ten weeks in succession before knockout stages and possibly six more then. That's 15-16 weeks non stop. Reducing that slightly by changing structures was a reason given. Claretandblue (Westmeath) - Posts: 2226 - 24/06/2025 19:04:25 2620793 Link
Replying To Claretandblue: "The club championship start date was to allow for the possibility of Westmeath reaching the TC final, a not unreasonable option surely, when that didn't happen they couldn't bring championships forward as clubs and players had been told in February what schedule was. The idea behind looking at the structures was explained at county board meeting on Wednesday and the dual players are a concern. We have a large number of dual players and they play minimum ten weeks in succession before knockout stages and possibly six more then. That's 15-16 weeks non stop. Reducing that slightly by changing structures was a reason given." We have to protect the dual players The vast majority of players in Westmeath play both codes which gives the possibility of the likes of Luke Loughlin playing 8 hurling championship matches and the same in football 16 championship matches.The ones complaining here seem to have little concern for the best footballer in the county and one of the best hurlers and anyone else like him jobber (Westmeath) - Posts: 1737 - 24/06/2025 21:39:37 2620824 Link
Replying To jobber: "We have to protect the dual players The vast majority of players in Westmeath play both codes which gives the possibility of the likes of Luke Loughlin playing 8 hurling championship matches and the same in football 16 championship matches.The ones complaining here seem to have little concern for the best footballer in the county and one of the best hurlers and anyone else like him" Protect the dual and just take away from the non-dual players, many of whom are absolutely not dual. The bast majority of footballers in Westmeath certainly aren't dual either. OverTheHill85 (Westmeath) - Posts: 93 - 24/06/2025 23:18:38 2620846 Link
It's crazy to even consider changing it. I know lads from Roscommon and Offaly who are genuinely jealous of how our championship is run, they'd love to have the format we have. It's a brilliant setup. As for the dual players, I get that it's a tough situation. But honestly, if any changes are needed, they should be looking at the hurling championship first, not football. Those championships only have six teams, why does every team need to play each other? Why not split it into two groups of three? Top two in each group go to the semi-finals, and the bottom teams face off in a relegation playoff. That'd free up two or three weekends easily. Temple56 (Westmeath) - Posts: 558 - 25/06/2025 00:11:35 2620851 Link
They said the hurling is being left as it is, so why should sole football players only potentially get 2 championship games and hurlers 5? Should football clubs only get two competitive games with their county players who rarely play any league games? Our young players need competitive club championship games to develop, the more games the better! Not all clubs have dual players. How many dual players have the likes of Garrycastle, Rosemount, Kinnegad, St. Lomans, Castledaly, Maryland, Tubberclair, St. Mary's, Athlone, Tang, etc. likely very few. Unfair on sole football players if their number of championship games are reduced to give more games to hurlers. Wmeath2 (Westmeath) - Posts: 186 - 25/06/2025 00:14:07 2620853 Link
Replying To jobber: "We have to protect the dual players The vast majority of players in Westmeath play both codes which gives the possibility of the likes of Luke Loughlin playing 8 hurling championship matches and the same in football 16 championship matches.The ones complaining here seem to have little concern for the best footballer in the county and one of the best hurlers and anyone else like him" Protect them from what? It's their choice to be dual players? We are a football county and should be giving preference to our club players who aren't dual players. If the hurlers want less games then restructure their championship. As per other posters many counties envy our setup. Very disheartening to see suggestions that they may reduce games, players give so much and are entitled to those 5 groups games; the county board are trying to sell the lack of jeopardy in games as the reason but it's absolutely to suit the hurlers. Clubs in Westmeath need to step up to the plate and say no; and not leave it to out of touch delegates who are county board yes men and would happily go against their own players to appease the men on the county executive. OverTheHill85 (Westmeath) - Posts: 93 - 25/06/2025 09:09:59 2620868 Link
It's absolutely ridiculous to consider reducing the number of football matches over hurling when there are easily 4 times as many playing football than hurling in the county, and probably up to 10 times more sole footballers than sole hurlers. And what does the county board think is happening in the clubs in the alternating weeks, only challenge matches for the non dual players. So they'd be playing a match every week anyway, which is what players want. There's already an imbalance on training to match ratio and if you poll players on it they will tell you that it's matches that they want to be playing. As one poster suggested here, it's the hurling championship they should look at reducing games in if that's the road they want to go down, less players affected and it's the code that's least competitive. They had a chance to bring forward the start of the championship by 4 weeks with early exits from the inter county competitions, and this could have given leeway for a couple of rest weekends if they deemed it favourable, but of course hadn't the intelligence to realise this. CleanShoulder (Westmeath) - Posts: 352 - 25/06/2025 16:35:09 2621009 Link