Westmeath to proceed with club championship despite calls to postpone games

Westmeath could postpone their club championships until September 13. Photo by Sam Barnes/Sportsfile

Colm Keys Twitter Email

August 19 2020 05:19 PM

Westmeath will press on with playing games behind closed doors despite a call from their chairman Billy Foley to suspend them until September 13.

In the wake of the government signing off on public health advice to prevent supporters from attending games until September 13 at the earliest, Foley made the case for games to be pulled until after that date so that spectators could return.

Such a move would push the conclusion of club championships back further and bring to an end any faint hope of completing an inter-county championship in 2020.

But after a discussion at Westmeath's Management Committee on Wednesday night, a decision was taken to proceed with games this weekend and beyond despite the financial implications.

Earlier Foley had the case, based on the complete loss of revenue generated from club activity.

"It costs money to run games," said Foley, speaking to Midlands 103. "We’re throwing good money after bad at this stage so my view would be that I hope Croke Park will stop all games until September 13 and that they will make room for the club games as the priority.

"My personal view is that we shouldn’t play any more games until they lift what is in my view a nonsensical ban."