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Westmeath Football thread - 7 Like(s)
Replying To Claretandblue: "League finals fixtures are all out, starting this Friday and finishing on Monday, all in Cusack Park, think one set is a triple header, doubtful that county players will be allowed to play although free weekend for county side, major disadvantage to Loman's if that's the case as they had four starters on Saturday while Kinnegad had none, should be allowed to play minimum 30 mins, Athlone have Ray Connellan and Sam Duncan unlikely to play for Milltownpass in Div 2 final regardless having hobbled off last Saturday, think that's all of county starters involved in league finals. Championship could start on weekend of 24th June if footballers draw or lose Tyrone match." Two things I can't understand re club championship:
1. Football championship is due to start the week after our footballers get knocked out of the All Ireland series. So at the moment the most likely date is the weekend of the 24th of June. That does not give clubs enough time to prepare for games with county players and it's not fair on our county players. Why can't the hurling championship be played the week after our footballers get knocked out? County Hurlers have been knocked out of championship two weeks now.
2. Can't understand how a full list of day/time/venue for each club game isn't released. Players have holidays/stags/weddings and other events to attend during the summer but can't make plans as day/time/venue of games aren't put out until 7 days before games. For example I see Meath have announced day/time/venue for every game of a their Senior, intermediate, Junior, Junior B and Junior C championships on their social media's. I understand this takes huge work for fixture secretary but it would mean a lot for players, managers and supporters who can book events around games.
Temple56 (National) - 05/06/2023 23:58:56
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2022 All-Ireland SFC Quarter-Finals - 5 Like(s)
Replying To legendzxix: "Munster had 67% representation in the League Top 16 for guarantee of a qualifier spot. The highest of any province.
Munster has 50% representation in the All-Ireland quarter-finals. The highest of any province.
The 67% to 50% drop is because 2 Munster counties were drawn against each other! Some province for one province!!" Shows you how bad the All Ireland football system is that 3 Munster teams are getting to the QFs....
Temple56 (National) - 13/06/2022 12:51:51
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Westmeath Footballers 2020 - 4 Like(s)
Replying To finnyfifs: "Dublin, Tyrone, Galway, Mayo, Donegal, Monaghan, Kerry and Dublin's reserves (Coz they beat Roscommon in Carrick on Shannon with their second team the day the Hyde was flooded) and second team also beat them twice in super eights." Roscommon have been a top 8 team for 3-4 years now. 4 Connacht Finals in a row. Have won it 2 out of the last 3 years. No one said they are as good as Dublin or Kerry they are on a different level to everyone else but they are on the same level as Galway, Mayo, Tyrone, Donegal and Monaghan.
On their day they would have beat any of these teams in the last 4 years...
The reason they are having a poor season so far is because of injuries and players leaving panel. Roscommon is small county imaging if Westmeath were missing 14 player's we would be a Div4 team
I really hope we beat them when we play them but I think it will be tough. They are managed by Anthony Cunningham if you ask people from Garrycastle he is one of the best managers ever in Westmeath football. 3 years he was involved they won 3 county championships 1 Leinster and lost an all Ireland final.
Some record!!!!
Temple56 (Westmeath) - 13/02/2020 18:01:41
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Westmeath Football thread - 3 Like(s)
Replying To Mooo: "Championship over any new players deserve to make the step up to county panel" Eoin O'Brien (Kinnegad)
Josh Gahan (Kinnegad)
Eamonn Martin (Athlone)
Enda Gaffeny (Lomans)
Paddy Sleator (Caulry)
Ronan Hanley (Tang)
Darragh Lowry (Moate)
Paddy Fagan (Shamrocks)
Temple56 (National) - 05/10/2023 11:15:54
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Time For Someone In GAA Authority To Say STOP - 3 Like(s)
Imagine every Ulster championship game was held in Croke Park do you think it would still have the same buzz?
Leinster council need to move all Leinster Championship games out of Croke Park.
Play them in O Moore park, Tullamore or Kilkenny 3 brilliant stadiums
Temple56 (National) - 30/05/2022 11:44:01
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Westmeath Football Managers 2022 - 3 Like(s)
Replying To mickcunningham: "dont rule out tyrrellspass" Tyrellspass a finished team mick!
Temple56 (National) - 22/01/2022 18:49:52
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Round 3 Neutral Venues All Ireland - 3 Like(s)
After the draw this afternoon we know that round 3 will be held in neutral venues. I have had a stab at choosing the venues. Of course Croke Park will be used for at least 2 games but I have not picked Croke Park for any of the games as I have gone with stand alone fixtures to fill stadiums and create a better atmosphere. This fixtures also depend on how wins provincial finals over the next 2 weeks. I have predicted that all 4 favorites will win them. (Galway, Kerry, Dublin and Derry)
Kerry VS Louth - O'Moore Park, Portlaoise - Capacity: 22,000
Mayo VS Cork - TUS Gaelic Grounds - Capacity: 44,000
Tyrone VS Westmeath - Páirc Seán Mac Diarmada, Carrick-on-Shannon - Capacity: 10,000
Galway VS Armagh - Breffni Park, Cavan - Capacity: 25,000
Dublin VS Sligo - Dr. Hyde Park, Roscommon - Capacity: 19,000
Roscommon VS Kildare - O Connor Park, Tullamore - Capacity: 18,000
Derry VS Clare - MacHale Park, Castlebar - Capacity: 26,000
Monaghan VS Donegal - Healy Park, Omagh - Capacity: 18,000
Imagine the atmospheres that we could get at some of these games!!!
Temple56 (National) - 02/05/2023 15:00:54
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Westmeath Football thread - 3 Like(s)
Great news that Kildare lost. Unless Offaly win we are in the All Ireland!!
Well done to Dessie and players that was the goal at the start of the year. Div 2 football and All Ireland football both achieved
Hopefully the lads get a boost by this now and put in some good performances in the group stages and see can we go one step further this year
Temple56 (National) - 28/04/2024 15:56:51
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Does Ulster Championship Benefit Ulster Teams? - 2 Like(s)
Replying To shaggykev: "Grade one trolling there.
Kerry would win about 2-3 over 10 years and Dublin maybe 4-5. If neither side played any games at home, it is Ulster after all, then you'd see Dublin & Kerry out on their ear in the quarter finals plenty of times.
Ulster is the best championship by a margin. Connacht has three evenly matched sides but it suffers from inbalance in fixtures. But yes Ulster is not helping Ulster teams win All Irelands and the new system will make it even worse.
However Ulster teams know when they win it all, its because they deserved it. Can never say the same for Dublin or Kerry." Dublin 4/5? Are you mad?
They won six All Irelands in row and no one in Ulster got near them in that time!
Dublin would have won the last 10 Ulster's at a canter. No Ulster team have beat Dublin in championship since 2014!
It's not nice to hear because yee up in Ulster think it's a great competition which it is! However, if Dublin were in it over the last 10 years it would be in the same position as Leinster at the moment
Temple56 (National) - 30/04/2024 22:07:42
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Westmeath Football thread - 2 Like(s)
U20s very unlucky with injuries to key players.
Still cant get my head around how we won our group and had to travel to Meath to play the QF when they finished 2nd in their group.
We beat Kildare in round 1. The pre tournament favorites. However, the way its worked out is they had the easy QF and now have Laois in a semi which they should win. No reward for winning your two group games!!
Temple56 (National) - 13/04/2023 09:57:06
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Westmeath Football thread - 2 Like(s)
Replying To A_Chairde: "Not sure why you feel the need to have a pop at Senan Baker, he has acquitted himself very well in his breakthrough year. We need as many younger players as possible exposed to this level and Senan has already showed he has what it takes. He is arguably pound for pound the best forward in the county even at his young age and one of the nicest lads youll meet. Well done as well to Andy McCormack, an excellent debut season for the Rosemount man at 27/28." My apologies if I came across like having a pop at Baker I was using him as an example. I agree that he did have a good year. Played well in the league and for the u20s. Also had a very good first half against Louth. The point I was trying to make is its very hard to adjust at the this level and to adjust to the way we play as a team. We play a very running game that doesn't suit some players but Baker is a total footballer and the best we have produced since Heslin.
I hope some of the younger lads around the squad have great summers with their clubs and can kick on for next year. The future is bright in Westmeath Football!!
Temple56 (National) - 19/06/2023 14:47:43
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Tailteann Cup 2022 - 2 Like(s)
Replying To legendzxix: "Preliminary Round - South:
Wexford v Offaly
Wicklow v Waterford
Round 1 - South:
Wexford/Offaly v Wicklow/Waterford
Carlow v Tipperary
Laois v Westmeath
Round 1 - North:
Longford v Fermanagh
Leitrim v Antrim
Sligo v London
Cavan v Down" Ulster and Lenister teams are sick of playing each other. I cant understand why this competition has been split north and south. Was this in the proposal that was passed at congress? What were the benefits of splitting the Taiteann Cup?
Its been treated like the Micky Mouse Cup from the get go.
Temple56 (National) - 16/05/2022 09:37:41
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Westmeath Footballers 2020 - 2 Like(s)
I think Jack Cooney has done a brilliant job so far. He brought us back into the top 16 teams in Ireland again but if he wants to take the team to next level I believe he will have to change his game plan. Having players in the squad just on fitness but aren't wonderful footballers can only get you so far.
Trying not to be too harsh but they is one or two players that are in and out of the Westmeath team at the moment that do not stand out for their clubs in intermediate games and would probably find it hard to get into the starting 15s of top senior teams like Lomans And Garrycastle
Temple56 (Westmeath) - 05/02/2020 18:10:47
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Westmeath Senior Football Championship 2021 - 2 Like(s)
Some of our county players were very poor at the weekend. Could be still rusty from the inter county season
Some non county players had stand out performances.
Wayne fox and Eoin Bracken were outstanding for kinnegad
Conor Murray pulled the strings for The Downs win over Athlone
Alex Gardner scoring 2-8 was the difference for Garrycastle.
Could we see any of these players break into the county set up next year?
Temple56 (Westmeath) - 23/08/2021 10:45:19
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Westmeath Football thread - 2 Like(s)
Replying To westmeathman99: "This point of view drives me mad.. basically saying 'the Leinster championship is pointless cause we have no chance of winning it'. News flash, we have no chance of winning the All-Ireland either so should we just throw that away too?
Of course not. We should go hell for leather at every championship game. The Leinster championship is still hugely important as it would have been a way to keep our faith in our own hands rather than having to rely on others to do us a favour." Leinster championship = pointless championship
Teams play the same teams every year just to eventually get smashed and embarrassed by Dublin in Croke Park.
The All Ireland was great experience last year played 3 teams we have hardly ever played in championship and gave a great account of ourselves in 3 games. We drew with the 2021 All Ireland Championship.
Players having a drink after the league final is nothing to be worried about. Some amount of brainless people on this forum who have never experienced playing high level sport and the pressure that is involved.
I'm proud of Dessie Dolan as a Westmeath Man and this he's doing a great job as manager. Yes, I would like to see him play more attacking football but let's be honest the players in Westmeath are not good enough to. Jack Cooney played the same style of football don't remember this outrageous when we lost the 1st round against Laois in 2019 under Jack.
Temple56 (National) - 10/04/2024 17:09:22
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The One Change That Would Revitialise The Entire Football Championship - 2 Like(s)
Replying To shaggykev: "Rule changes, revamps and restructures have been incessant for over a decade now and next year we will move to the new system with 16 counties (8 provincial finalists as well as the next-best eight counties based on their league ranking) into groups of 4 with winners making quarter finals and second and third in playoff.
It will mean the provincial championship will now be even more blitzed through and for the top eight teams is basically a warm up tournament. Even the group stages will not have that cut throat edge to it as 3rd placed teams can still make it to an All Ireland Quarter final.
The great irony is this years stop gap championship has actually revealed the best structure in decades. The pace is good with basically a game every two weeks and with the weaker sides gone to the Tailtean Cup, it means losing a provincial game is fraught with danger as Tyrone, Armagh, Mayo & Monaghan found out. Thats the purpose. Going through the front door is the optimum route. The backdoor is a second chance fraught with danger. Softer routes are unlikely.
If it was left like this, the championship itself would be tasty enough and give us meaningful competitive games most weeks.
The issues that always remain though are.
Munster is unbalanced with teams.
Leinster has become a cake walk for Dublin.
So you have a situation where Derry need to go through Tyrone, Monaghan & Donegal and Armagh need to go through Donegal, Tyrone and Donegal again to get to the same place Kerry got to via Cork and Limerick. And in Leinster, its the hope that will kill any resurge in any county with Dublin back handing out beatings again. Attendances could go even lower in the next few years from an already low base.
The Solution
For three years put Dublin into the Munster Football Championship.
Why?
1. Dublin on the road into a province that has the stadiums to host away matches with no capacity issues.
2. Rebalancing championship (could add one more Leinster team on rotation to make it eight in Munster)
3. Kerry get meaningful opposition for three years with a danger of either Dublin or Kerry ending up in the backdoor making the provinces even more important to win.
4. Poor Dublin dont get saddled with 13 in a row.
5. The biggest reason. It revitalises the Leinster Championship. The rest of Leinster sees an opportunity with the deck not against them and can build up their fanbase, player base and standards.
Already some green shoots in underage but this not only gives Meath and Kildare the impetus to win silverware but also the likes of Offaly and Westmeath. Suddenly panels will see something to play for and by making it three years, it gives county boards that kick up the you know what to get into gear in an achievable window.
When Dublin come back after 3 years, they'd be meeting sides that have experience of winning and a higher standard Leinster Championship overall.
Also just imagine. Kerry v Dublin in Killarney for the Munster Championship Final on a warm June Bank Holiday weekend.
Thoughts?" You must be having a laugh? That is not the Answer. The provincial championships are dead and there's no coming back from that. Its not a fair system. Imagine telling someone that isn't from Ireland that we have 4 provincial championships but they are split up into to 6 team, 7 teams, 9 teams and 11 teams. The Provincial championships should have no baring on the All Ireland championships they should be two totally different competitions.
A better option would be to play the Provincials in February and March. The weather would be bad and this would mean for closer games between the teams.
Then run the league and championship from April to July.
The league should stay the same with the top 16 teams (Div 1/2 teams) at the end of the league entering the All Ireland Championship and the bottom 16 teams (Div 3/4 teams) entering the Tailteann Cup.
Both competitions will run side by side with 4 groups of 4 with the top 2 form each group qualifying for the QFs.
Each county will be guarantee 10 league/championship games which the players will love.
Temple56 (National) - 20/06/2022 12:31:20
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Club Championships - Football 2019 - 2 Like(s)
Weather will suit Garrycastle tomorrow and feel like they can really put it up to Ballyboden. They beat them 10 years ago in similar weather. If Garrycastle start well and get a lead I feel it will take a very good team to beat them as they have serious subs coming off the bench Cosgrove, Heneghan, Mannion and O'Halloran they are 4 serious forwards who didn't start the last day.
I will be in Cusack Park tomorrow supporting them I hope fellow Westmeath supporters will also!!!
Temple56 (Westmeath) - 23/11/2019 14:31:25
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Westmeath Football thread - 1 Like(s)
Replying To KooCullen: "Who said they didn't have numbers ??? Looking at this weeks paper it looks like they fielded around 50 different players last weekend in Div 1, 3 & 4, but with only 5-6 of those players who started last years county final, the rest appear to be all minor or Junior footballers. They should be cut some slack considering 2/3rd's of their Div 1 side are representing their County, the Downs the same. Why aren't the other 3rd sides (from Shamrocks, Athlone & Garrycastle) out this weekend ?" Athlone don't have a 3rd team, Garrycastle's 3rd team are in Div 6.No fixtures for div 6 yet.
The fact of the matter is Lomans arent good enough anymore to have 3 teams in the top 4 divisions. They do not have the strength in depth anymore. League football is played without county players. Which means high level junior players will have to fill the gaps. Lomans should be putting all their enough into Div 1 and allowing young players get the experience needed to play Div 3/4. As another user has pointed out Killucan have been in Div 3 for the last 8-10 years in the league this is because of them having many county hurlers. Why should we change the league now because Lomans are struggling??
Temple56 (National) - 23/02/2023 15:13:42
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Westmeath Football thread - 1 Like(s)
Replying To lakecounty90: "Lomans by 8, first league title for since 2019, without or without county men involved
Athlone by 1, comeback kid John Egan to come on and kick winner
Shamrocks by 3 Conor O Brien to be the very difference
Joes by 6, should have enough to beat Tyrellspass" Lomans last league win was 2017
2017 - Lomans
2018 - Garrycastle
2019 - Garrycastle
2020 and 2021 - no winner due to covid
2022 - The Downs
Temple56 (National) - 08/06/2023 17:37:25
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NFL Predictions Competition - Week 3 - 1 Like(s)
Division 1
Mayo v Kerry - Kerry by 5
Galway v Tyrone- Galway by 3
Monaghan v Donegal- Donegal by 4
Roscommon v Armagh- Armagh by 3
Division 2
Derry v Meath- Derry by 5
Clare v Kildare- Kildare by 3
Louth v Limerick- Louth by 5
Cork v Dublin- Dublin by 5
Division 3
Tipperary v Antrim- Antrim by 1
Fermanagh v Down- Down by 5
Cavan v Longford- Cavan by 8
Westmeath v Offaly- Westmeath by 2
Division 4
Wicklow v London- Wicklow by 1
Sligo v Waterford- Sligo by 8
Carlow v Laois- Laois by 6
Wexford v Leitrim- Leitrim by 1
Temple56 (National) - 13/02/2023 16:16:02
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