Silverware at underage level has been a rare commodity for Brownstown hurling club in recent years. However, success in the under-12 and under-14 grades has given a new lease of life to the Archerstown Blues. A few years back there was a greater emphasis placed on the under age structure in the club and now all that hard work and effort is beginning to pay off handsomely. Brownstown came out on top in the under-12 and under-14 'B' championships. Incidentally, both victories came against Castlepollard. The younger grade was looked after by Frank Reid, Ciaran Reilly, John Smith and Tommy Daly, while the under-14's had Jim Fitzsimons, Tommy Daly, Paul Moore, Pat Clancy and John Leonard as mentors. As a rural club, Brownstown have difficulty finding the numbers that some of the 'bigger' clubs possess, but there is a proud tradition in the area, which can be rivalled by few. The North Westmeath outfit has not seen many glory days at adult level of late and this is why it is necessary to develop the younger players' skills from an early age. There was a time when young boys and girls started playing at under-12 level, but that has now all changed and kids are being taught the basic skills from the age of eight and even younger. On any given Tuesday, Archerstown will be full of kids of various ages training. Years ago, the club relied on a number of families to field teams and although that has changed due to the housing boom that has occurred over the last decade, it is still ironic to see names like Fitzsimons, Leonard, Shaw and Clancy adorn team sheets these days. At present, there are many people willing to give up their free time to help coach the various teams and that is something that has to continue for the future development of the club. Last year, a hurling wall was erected to provide more in the way of training for the youngsters and this has certainly been instrumental to winning titles. Many may feel that 2007 was a disastrous year for Brownstown as the senior team was relegated back to the intermediate ranks after just one year in the top tier, but that is far from the full story. Apart from the two championship successes, the club provided four players to the Westmeath under-14 side that won the Tony Forristal Division Two title. This tournament is the most respected competition in underage hurling and for Brownstown to have James Moore, Niall Leonard, Ross Daly and Cormac Foley in the squad was a huge honour for both the players and the club. The win was made all the sweeter as old rivals and neighbours Meath were defeated in the final, which was described as the game of the tournament by many and also afforded the men in maroon and white some bragging rights over our Royal friends for a change. Nonetheless, it is a testament of the club's work at underage level that they could provide four players to the squad and hopefully we will see many more Brownstown players in the Westmeath jersey over the coming years. Numbers were scarce at under-16 level and thus there was no team affiliated, while the minor team failed to deliver, despite there being high hopes for the side. In the under-21 championship, Brownstown were placed in the 13-a-side competition and following wins over St Brigid's and Cullion, the lads made it to the final where they would face a Ringtown side that have been very strong at this grade over the last few years. However, the final was fixed for Archerstown, which meant home advantage was a plus. In a pulsating contest that saw the lead change many times throughout the hour, it was Ringtown that pulled ahead at the right time and they claimed the title by the minimum of margins. Obviously losing is disappointing, but there were many positives to take from the fact that they reached the final. The players showed their willingness to train in the winter months and there was a big effort put in by all, while some of the younger players on the team really came of age. Unfortunately the senior campaign was one to forget, even though the general consensus was that the squad could build on the previous year's success in the intermediate championship. In all honesty, Brownstown were relegated before a ball was even struck in anger in the 2007 SHC. The signs were ominous when after having 37 togged out for the intermediate final; the panel mysteriously dwindled down to 21 without any real explanation. The enthusiasm of the previous year was not there, except for the nine or ten players that always give 100% regardless. The draw for the championship was ideal for the club as the format meant that the winners of the opening match between Brownstown and Crookedwood could not be relegated. Both sides would have been delighted to have faced each other and indeed this was each team's county final. Crookedwood proved to be the hungrier side on the day and were worthy winners while Brownstown had the tough task of surviving in the losers group. Following this defeat, Johnny McCormack, who had been appointed manager for the year resigned after numbers at training dropped dramatically and effectively the club was in a crisis. The players knew that something had to be done and there was a slight boost in the following weeks, but a defeat to Ringtown, compounded their woes. Heavy defeats to Castletown Geoghegan and Raharney followed as the club made a swift return to the intermediate ranks. This year, Brownstown are one of the favourites to lift the intermediate title, but that is not enough. Winning the IHC should be the first step of a plan to consolidate their position in the senior grade and lay the foundations for the next group of players coming through to challenge for honours in the top tier once again. Tweet

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