National Forum

Westmeath Football thread

(Oldest Posts First) - Go To The Latest Post


Replying To iarmhiabu:  "They can't keep on expecting the clubs to do it for them, the clubs can only do so much while trying to look after their own affairs. Coming out and saying the clubs should be doing more, selling more tickets or whatever is deflecting from their own shortcomings. What ever happened to the strategic plan and maximising sponsorship opportunities with the Gold, Silver and Bronze packages?"
Who should sell the 15,000 tickets in your opinion?

Claretandblue (Westmeath) - Posts: 2087 - 07/03/2025 23:25:42    2595335

Link

Replying To Temple56:  "Population has to be taken in to consideration?

In the last census Athlone had a population of 22,869 202 more than Mullingar. For Westmeath as a county to thrive in GAA we need a good blend of players from both Athlone, Mullingar and everywhere in between.

Ray Connellen the only player the town of Athlone on either football or hurling squads. This has to be highlighted as a problem. I know of two lads that didn't get involved in a senior panels this year from the south of the county as they felt it was very Mullingar oriented.

COE should have been in Tyrrellspass or rochfortbrigid as it would be between both big towns and near the motorway!!!"
The problem is there is only 1 or 2 lads good enough from the Athlone side, those lads from the south of the county that didn't get involved because they felt it was "Mullingar oriented" are no loss to the county. In future if there are any lads from the south of the county good enough to play for Westmeath they can carpool, a break of at least 15 minutes should be taken every two hours of driving from Athlone to the county town Mullingar.

iarmhiabu (Westmeath) - Posts: 141 - 07/03/2025 23:29:11    2595336

Link

Replying To Temple56:  "Population has to be taken in to consideration?

In the last census Athlone had a population of 22,869 202 more than Mullingar. For Westmeath as a county to thrive in GAA we need a good blend of players from both Athlone, Mullingar and everywhere in between.

Ray Connellen the only player the town of Athlone on either football or hurling squads. This has to be highlighted as a problem. I know of two lads that didn't get involved in a senior panels this year from the south of the county as they felt it was very Mullingar oriented.

COE should have been in Tyrrellspass or rochfortbrigid as it would be between both big towns and near the motorway!!!"
That's the type of stuff behind why we can't turn out and support our county teams or fundraisers, nonsense stuff

Thechick (Westmeath) - Posts: 261 - 08/03/2025 08:04:11    2595348

Link

Replying To Temple56:  "Population has to be taken in to consideration?

In the last census Athlone had a population of 22,869 202 more than Mullingar. For Westmeath as a county to thrive in GAA we need a good blend of players from both Athlone, Mullingar and everywhere in between.

Ray Connellen the only player the town of Athlone on either football or hurling squads. This has to be highlighted as a problem. I know of two lads that didn't get involved in a senior panels this year from the south of the county as they felt it was very Mullingar oriented.

COE should have been in Tyrrellspass or rochfortbrigid as it would be between both big towns and near the motorway!!!"
"This has to be highlighted as a problem. I know of two lads that didn't get involved in a senior panels this year from the south of the county as they felt it was very Mullingar oriented"
What Utter Nonsense :-(

johnnyh (Westmeath) - Posts: 13 - 08/03/2025 10:20:51    2595359

Link

Replying To iarmhiabu:  "The problem is there is only 1 or 2 lads good enough from the Athlone side, those lads from the south of the county that didn't get involved because they felt it was "Mullingar oriented" are no loss to the county. In future if there are any lads from the south of the county good enough to play for Westmeath they can carpool, a break of at least 15 minutes should be taken every two hours of driving from Athlone to the county town Mullingar."
True colours shown, through your arrogance you've proven a point. I can just imagine if you were an administrator how things do/might look.

OverTheHill85 (Westmeath) - Posts: 42 - 08/03/2025 13:18:56    2595380

Link

Replying To Claretandblue:  "Who should sell the 15,000 tickets in your opinion?"
Was there not a professional company hired?

fizzygravy (USA) - Posts: 165 - 08/03/2025 14:14:09    2595388

Link

Replying To fizzygravy:  "Was there not a professional company hired?"
How does that answer the question? You think a professional company is going to sell tickets? Marketing and advertising their forte. The question remains who does the poster think should sell the 15,000 tickets?

Claretandblue (Westmeath) - Posts: 2087 - 08/03/2025 16:48:48    2595413

Link

Replying To gedupoutofit:  "
Replying To ExiledCuCu:  "I know of two lads that didn't get involved in a senior panels this year from the south of the county as they felt it was very Mullingar oriented.

There were 4 players from a Mullingar town club I.e St Lomans against Meath from the League and Championship double winning team….,the rest are from rural or Village teams outside of Mullingar…….geography mustn't be on the curriculum in schools in the south of the county?"
This is a particularly weak argument. If your two lads are good enough and more importantly interested they'd have put their hand up. The same argument is trotted out on the hurling side on occasion as a biased grumble. It's always when someone comes from a smaller club and doesn't make it because of a "favourite" from Clonkill, Castletown or Raharney.

Lomans have been the dominant force in senior football for many years. It makes sense that they can supply a handful of quality players. I doubt many people were too worried about Garrycastle being "over-represented" during their good years.

Multyfarnham is one of the villages you speak of and was never known for producing top players. It's arguably known as having more livestock than footballers. Yet today they proudly count the Westmeath captain as one of their own. Maybe that's because Ronan Wallace is a top class player rather than his village being 15 minutes from town.

Intercounty is a big commitment and wouldn't be for everyone. It's an easy out to blame a "Mullingar oriented" setup."
Ronan Wallace is a top class player rather than his village being 15 minutes from town.

Agree 100%

This view that there is a bias towards county representation based on being from a Mullingar town club is pure bull. McCabe is from a rural club and he will pick the best players regardless of tradition. As for the COE, it can only be placed in a location that will and has nurtured GAA, in both hurling and football …North Westmeath…..this is with full respect to the wonderful GAA brethren in Athlone and surrounds that are doing a great job keeping GAA going .The problem is that the talent is not there at present and this is not a reflection on the clubs in the south of the county. Hopefully another Ray, Dessie, Jimmy , Ger Heavin, Shocko and Rory come along….

ExiledCuCu (Cavan) - Posts: 249 - 08/03/2025 21:28:56    2595461

Link

It's as simple as this people from the south off the county have no interest in following Westmeath imagine the uproar if the centre off excellence was proposed to be built in Athlone!

Cusack25 (Roscommon) - Posts: 3 - 08/03/2025 23:48:36    2595478

Link

Replying To Cusack25:  "It's as simple as this people from the south off the county have no interest in following Westmeath imagine the uproar if the centre off excellence was proposed to be built in Athlone!"
Not true.

Athlone has a university with some of the best sporting facilities around that the county board has no interest in utilising and never has. If it was based in Mullingar you'd be sure it would be used more. Counties like Carlow and Sligo are able to go into partnership with their universities but because ours isn't deemed suitable as it is in the wrong town.

mintyfresh (Westmeath) - Posts: 256 - 09/03/2025 13:30:36    2595531

Link

Replying To Claretandblue:  "Who should sell the 15,000 tickets in your opinion?"
A professional fundraising team with marketing, business and communication skills working on behalf of the county board. More like a sub committee. Let the clubs sell tickets under no obligation. This business of coming out and blaming the clubs in the media is a deflection.

iarmhiabu (Westmeath) - Posts: 141 - 09/03/2025 15:20:04    2595551

Link

Replying To OverTheHill85:  "True colours shown, through your arrogance you've proven a point. I can just imagine if you were an administrator how things do/might look."
Backing down from a challenge, I suppose it's typical fashion from that side when they come to Cusack Park to play the Mullingar Orient.

iarmhiabu (Westmeath) - Posts: 141 - 09/03/2025 15:32:14    2595555

Link

Replying To iarmhiabu:  "A professional fundraising team with marketing, business and communication skills working on behalf of the county board. More like a sub committee. Let the clubs sell tickets under no obligation. This business of coming out and blaming the clubs in the media is a deflection."
Still unable to answer the question. A marketing team has been hired but the clue is in the word marketing. Ultimately it needs Westmeath supporters and clubs and county board to sell or buy 15,000 tickets. There's no company that will do that, it's up to individuals to get on board. Presume you've bought one?

Claretandblue (Westmeath) - Posts: 2087 - 09/03/2025 16:51:43    2595572

Link

Replying To Claretandblue:  "Still unable to answer the question. A marketing team has been hired but the clue is in the word marketing. Ultimately it needs Westmeath supporters and clubs and county board to sell or buy 15,000 tickets. There's no company that will do that, it's up to individuals to get on board. Presume you've bought one?"
Forcing the clubs to sell 100 tickets or face having to fund any shortfalls is ridiculous, clubs have lotto themselves and other fundraisers. Ask yourself why is it proving so difficult to sell.

OverTheHill85 (Westmeath) - Posts: 42 - 09/03/2025 17:02:58    2595576

Link

Replying To iarmhiabu:  "Backing down from a challenge, I suppose it's typical fashion from that side when they come to Cusack Park to play the Mullingar Orient."
Ok I've no idea what you're even referring to. Strange.

OverTheHill85 (Westmeath) - Posts: 42 - 09/03/2025 17:04:24    2595577

Link

Replying To Claretandblue:  "Still unable to answer the question. A marketing team has been hired but the clue is in the word marketing. Ultimately it needs Westmeath supporters and clubs and county board to sell or buy 15,000 tickets. There's no company that will do that, it's up to individuals to get on board. Presume you've bought one?"
The marketing team is getting paid to facilitate for the county board. Roscommon sold over €800,000 worth of tickets at €100 a pop for their most recent house draw. They were sold in 28 countries around the world which would suggest that it wasn't just Roscommon people buying tickets. 15,000 is a bit of a stretch. I have a ticket.

iarmhiabu (Westmeath) - Posts: 141 - 09/03/2025 17:35:57    2595582

Link

Replying To OverTheHill85:  "Forcing the clubs to sell 100 tickets or face having to fund any shortfalls is ridiculous, clubs have lotto themselves and other fundraisers. Ask yourself why is it proving so difficult to sell."
Still following this thread with interest and still drawing paralells sometimes with how things operate here in Wexford. Am not in any way claiming that things are always done perfectly here, but maybe there could be "learnings" for you from them.

Our draw has been running for at least 25 years, or maybe 30 or more. Every club must sell a quota of tickets each year too - it used to be 100, but for the past while has been reduced to 80. If they don't sell that quota, they have to make up the shortfall themselves. If they don't make up the shortfall, they're not entitled to buy All-Ireland tickets that year.

The draw is the main fundraiser for ongoing development & maintenance of our Centre of Excellence. Maybe in the early years, some thought it was "ridiculous", but clubs have long since accepted the quota system and do what needs to be done each year.

The carrot for them here is that once they sell the quota, they get to keep the majority of the money for all further tickets sold. A ticket costs €50 and the club gets to keep something like €35 or €37.50 of all tickets from ticket number 81 onwards.

Some clubs treat it as a massive opportunity rather than a burden or a nuisance or anything "ridiculous". There are clubs (and not the "big" town clubs) who typically sell 500, 600, or even 700 tickets a year.

Say you sold 600 tickets - that's 520 tickets where you get to keep either €35 or 37.50. That's €18,000 to €20,000 of income for the club itself.

Is there a similar "carrot" being offered to clubs in Westmeath?

Pikeman96 (Wexford) - Posts: 2798 - 10/03/2025 12:08:03    2595729

Link

Replying To Pikeman96:  "Still following this thread with interest and still drawing paralells sometimes with how things operate here in Wexford. Am not in any way claiming that things are always done perfectly here, but maybe there could be "learnings" for you from them.

Our draw has been running for at least 25 years, or maybe 30 or more. Every club must sell a quota of tickets each year too - it used to be 100, but for the past while has been reduced to 80. If they don't sell that quota, they have to make up the shortfall themselves. If they don't make up the shortfall, they're not entitled to buy All-Ireland tickets that year.

The draw is the main fundraiser for ongoing development & maintenance of our Centre of Excellence. Maybe in the early years, some thought it was "ridiculous", but clubs have long since accepted the quota system and do what needs to be done each year.

The carrot for them here is that once they sell the quota, they get to keep the majority of the money for all further tickets sold. A ticket costs €50 and the club gets to keep something like €35 or €37.50 of all tickets from ticket number 81 onwards.

Some clubs treat it as a massive opportunity rather than a burden or a nuisance or anything "ridiculous". There are clubs (and not the "big" town clubs) who typically sell 500, 600, or even 700 tickets a year.

Say you sold 600 tickets - that's 520 tickets where you get to keep either €35 or 37.50. That's €18,000 to €20,000 of income for the club itself.

Is there a similar "carrot" being offered to clubs in Westmeath?"
That sounds like a really good system; as far as I'm aware there's nothing similar at the moment but I could be wrong. It's more a "sell 100 tickets or face the consequences"

OverTheHill85 (Westmeath) - Posts: 42 - 10/03/2025 14:23:35    2595769

Link

Replying To OverTheHill85:  "That sounds like a really good system; as far as I'm aware there's nothing similar at the moment but I could be wrong. It's more a "sell 100 tickets or face the consequences""
Oh, we have ones like that too!

There's another one currently being run - "Quid Games", based on the Netflix series "Squid Games".

Each "unit" is being told to raise or otherwise contribute €2,500. "Unit" means that if there's only GAA in a place, the GAA club must throw in the full amount. If there's GAA and either camogie or LGFA, both clubs must throw in €1,250 each. If there's all three codes, then the expectation is for all three clubs to throw in €833.33 each (with one of them making up the odd cent, I suppose!).

There's no carrot to that one other than each "unit" is allowed to put forward a participant, and the winner on the night will get €10,000.

Pikeman96 (Wexford) - Posts: 2798 - 10/03/2025 15:57:24    2595792

Link

Any news on the football who is injured and who is not. I think we have a great chance again down. A win on Saturday could get our lads moving forward for championship they have been very unlucky in previous league games

Mick1234 (Westmeath) - Posts: 17 - 13/03/2025 09:30:51    2596187

Link