Patrick Doherty (head of operations), Marty Morrissey and Frank Mescall (County Committee chairman): Mr Doherty and Mr Mescall explained that jerseys are only changed when there is a directive to do so.

Delegates feel Westmeath should insist on maroon and white colours

At the recent County Committee meeting in the Mullingar Park Hotel, Joe Malone, St Mary’s, Rochfortbridge, complained that Westmeath have not worn their traditional maroon and white colours in a lot of games this season.

He was supported by Nollaig McEntegart of St Brigid’s, who felt Westmeath should have offered resistance to such frequent changes.

The delegates were assured the change only happened when there was a clash of colours and Westmeath will challenge decisions, if necessary, in that regard.

“There is a lot of green being used even when there is not a clash of colours; from games I was at,” Mr Malone observed.

“Television decides an awful lot (where there is a clash of colours),” County Committee chairman Frank Mescall explained.

“For us there is no clash of colours; for the television there is.”

Asked what games he was referring to, Mr Malone said he was at every league and U20 game. The green jersyes were used when “maroon could have been worn”, he opined.

DIRECTION

Patrick Doherty, head of operations, explained Leinster Council and Central Council decide on jersey colours.

“For example, the hurlers played against Galway relatively recently and had to change. The footballers played Louth in the Leinster football championship – direction to change. The U20 footballers and hurlers both played Wexford and on both occasions, Wexford had to change.

“We played Down in the National Football League and both had to change. I can’t think of any other, but any time the green jerseys have been worn, it is by direction either from Leinster Council or Central Council.”

Mr Mescall stressed it has been a case of having to change and Westmeath just didn’t decide to do so independently. “It’s not something that we’d do; our colours are maroon and white and that’s what we use, unless there’s a directive.”

Mr McEntegart noted that for the Ulster final between Armagh and Derry, you couldn’t figure out which team was which while watching the television. If television was the reason for the Westmeath change (against Louth), then those two teams should have changed, he remarked.

“That’s Ulster’s jurisdiction; we have no hand, act or part in that,” said the chairman. “I’d imagine somebody dug their heels in, but I don’t know the story.”

“But we have heels too,” quipped Mr McEntegart.

“Yeah, but we’re talking hypothetically,” responded the chairman. “A game that we don’t know anything about. So, I don’t think we should be talking out digging in our heels. The time will come when we will have to dig in our heels, and then we will. And maybe our elbows too. But, let’s wait.”