Westmeath as good as anyone, says boss Bealin

 

Why weren’t Westmeath's footballers able to continue their promotion-winning league form into the championship this year?

This is one of the first things new Westmeath football manager Paul Bealin wants to figure out when he meets his new charges in the coming weeks.

The 1995 all-Ireland winning midfielder’s appointment was announced at last Wednesday night’s county board meeting. Speaking to the Westmeath Examiner, the former Wexford and Carlow manager outlined why he was attracted to the position.

“I know we are in the chasing pack (behind Dublin) but on any given day Westmeath are as good as anyone else in Leinster. There are a lot of good individual players as well. Pat Flanagan did a fantastic job playing good opposition in the Division 2. 

“People will expect us to be the whipping boys in Division 1, but while it will be a challenge, I see it as great preparation for the championship.”
The new man says that while his “short-term goal” is to “compete” in the top division, remaining there is a “huge ask”.

“This year the all-Ireland champions went down and Kerry were almost relegated...We will look at our home games and try to build on them. 

“I will be using the league as preparation for the championship and creating competion for places.”

Bealin will also be in charge of the U21 squad. He will work with two separate teams of selectors – who have yet to be chosen.

County board chairman Sean Sheridan said that Bealin is a “young man, who will bring a new voice to the county teams”. Mr Sheridan also defended the county board’s decision to ask Pat Flanagan to re-interview for his old position despite being given a two-year extension last year.

“Every year, every position is up for ratification, regardless of who they are. My term as chairman of the county board is for five years but I have to be ratified each year. We gave Paul Bealin a three-year contract and he will have to be ratified every year. Pat did a lot of good work and I’d like to compliment him on it, but the clubs told us what they wanted and we were guided by them.”

Speaking in last Thursday’s Herald, Flanagan criticised the county board for their handling of the situation.
“Just in the spirit of it, it’s very, very difficult to handle,” he said. “I got a two-year term (last year) and I thought the situation was going to be either ratification or not this year. While on holidays I got a phone call (from Tyrrellspass) asking me could my name go forward for interview.”