Longford have succeeded in retaining their existing pitch-side advertising hoardings in Pearse Park for Sunday's televised Leinster football championship first round clash with Westmeath. A deal was struck on Wednesday which will see the local advertising hoardings remain place in place, while signs for the three new football championship sponsors - Vodafone, Ulster Bank and Toyota - will also be added. They will be placed underneath the existing hoardings and at angle which can be picked up by the TV cameras. The row erupted after Longford county board objected to an instruction that they 'cover up' their existing hoardings in order to facilitate the three championship sponsors. While GAA president Nickey Brennan stressed that counties would make a healthy profit from the new arrangement, Longford held firm on the basis of loyalty to local firms. Longford chairman Pat Cahill said the board was pleased with the outcome of Wednesday's meeting with GAA Commercial Director Dermot Power and Leinster Council chairman Seamus Howlin. "All we wanted was to look after the people who remain loyal to us throughout the years. We value all our advertisers who support us in so many ways and at so many levels. We can't turn our backs on them when a big televised game comes to Pearse Park," he said. Dermot Power described the issue "as an inevitable teething problem" arising from a sponsorship deal which had only been finalised in the past few weeks. Tweet

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