Town issues must be tackled to make gains with big ball

THE REALITY is that we are in a crisis with the state and standard of club football in the county. Year after year we have to endure the sight of our Senior winners exiting Leinster at the first hurdle. This year we witnessed Enniscorthy Starlights bow out of the provincial championship on home soil to Simonstown in their initial outing, with the Meath champions failing to clear the second hurdle on Sunday when they lost out to St. Loman’s (Westmeath).

How Wexford set about addressing the imbalance that is prevalent in the county - although Kilanerin lifted the gloom somewhat with a first provincial Intermediate crown last Saturday - is one of the main challenges facing the G.A.A.

The simple reality is that talking at meetings will carry little prospect of improvement unless clubs buy into an under-age structure that brings players through the various age groups to adult level. Wexford has to change, particularly in the towns where the game of football is suffering to such an extent that of the four major towns, only two - Enniscorthy and Wexford - provide Senior teams.

Both Wexford and Enniscorthy towns have the population base. Starlights emerged back at the top of Senior football this year, after a 13-year absence, but Wexford town continues to struggle at Senior level, where Sarsfields managed to preserve their status in the relegation final.

With a population base of some 30,000, the obvious bounce is missing both in football and hurling.

We have so many football clubs based in Wexford town, five in all, so something has to happen, since numbers are no longer delivering. The time has arrived for some action to be taken, if we want to improve the standard and competitiveness in our capital town in particular.

Now the time has arrived for pro-active people in the G.A.A. in the county to commission a committee to investigate and analyse the problems prevalent in each town, particularly Wexford. The alternative is to persist with more of the same, and lament the fact that Wexford town in particular is so far behind their rural counterparts.

Wexford town needs to aim for a structure that will provide a system whereby it strengthens the club scene. From a football perspective the town is now comprised of Sarsfields, St. Mary’s (Maudlintown), Volunteers, St. Joseph’s and Clonard.

Perhaps there is a case for fewer clubs. But one does not even dare to think how this can be arrived at, but there is a problem.

It’s a particular problem that the most heavily populated area of the town is not being adequately served, since Clonard has dismally failed to deliver results-wise at under-age or adult levels despite its ever-increasing population.

For one to have the best interests of Wexford football and hurling at heart in the capital town, one would have to seriously question the involvement of Clonard, as the final scorelines from the majority of their games speak for themselves.

Many would admire the efforts of some of their personnel at the top table, but the club is continually failing to deliver on the ground. Having said that, other town clubs are struggling too, with the once famous Volunteers no longer able to live up to their past history.

You’ll find stiff opposition to Clonard players moving to other clubs in the town, but with the four remaining clubs all having a base to call their own, and a particular segment of the town they relate to, the time has arrived for Wexford town and Clonard to be treated as a special case, with seemingly no long term future in store.

One can say that four football teams would still be one too many for Wexford town, but with a promotion of the game throughout the urban sprawl, starting with the return of the street leagues at both under-age and adult levels, perhaps it would signal a revival.

There is perfect anecdotal evidence that when we had less clubs we had more success. One only has to refer back to the records of Volunteers, Sarsfields and St. Joseph’s, albeit before they disbanded and then re-formed, and the Trojan work of St. Mary’s.

Wexford football is struggling. With the clubs under pressure, the step up to county football is daunting for the players.

The new Wexford manager, Paul McLoughlin, has a huge task ahead of him, but the problems facing the game in the urban areas need to be addressed in order for Wexford to re-establish itself as a major force in both codes at under-age and adult levels.