Longford relegated Westmeath to Division 4 yesterday and we'll have been very disappointed if there wasn't a cry of 'ye can keep yere 4 TDs ye bastards ye!' at the final whistle.
A cautionary tale for Cavan supporters after a weekend of local celebration. Westmeath breathed in the rarefied air of Division 1 as recently as 2014. They mixed it with the Dubs, Kerry, Mayo, and Tyrone, conceding 10-125 in the process.
The Racket:
Breaking their gut to join the elite and then finding the going so tough once there may have broken something in Westmeath. Destroyed their appetite for League football altogether. What's the point etc?
Next year, they will be taking in hotspots like Ruislip and Carrick-on-Shannon and Dungarvan (unless, of course, they enjoy home advantage in the case of the last two venues).
A remarkable three successive relegations has Westmeath down among the so-called weakest of the so-called weaker counties for 2017.
Manager Tom Cribben was a bit more diplomatic about his team this year. On the occasion of their second successive relegation in 2015, he accused a clique of senior players of dragging the team down by their lack of drive and failure to lead.
These big players are not standing up. I don't know why or what's going on with them but it's the main lads. You saw the other lads that work like, they put everything on the line the smaller lads there, lads that are general average players. They gave it everything but the few big lads who should be standing out and leading, fuckin' lay down and that's the trouble with this team. It's lads who should be leading, chest out and showing these young lads where to go, they're the ones that's killin' this team.
This year, he said nowt as Longford confirmed Westmeath's presence in Division 4 with a two-point win. A handy win over a dreadful Limerick side and a three-point victory over Offaly weren't enough in the end.
