Opinion: Why the Wexford hurlers need our support now more than ever before

If you’re one that’s feeling aggrieved, disappointed, or even embarrassed by Westmeath’s comeback win over Wexford, do not worry. You are not alone….

Westmeath’s defeat of Wexford would not be as hard to swallow if the Lake County were not down by sixteen points at half-time.

One of the darkest days of Wexford hurling was contrasted with Westmeath’s biggest win in the Leinster Senior hurling championship for quite some time. The last time that Westmeath defeated Wexford in a Leinster Senior Hurling Championship game dates back to the 1940s.

While some supporters have pointed out that the Westmeath win should not come as a huge surprise given that they managed to draw with Wexford last year, it must be noted that the drawn result felt like a shock to the system too. Others have said that Wexford’s results in the Allianz League, whereby they only had one win in the campaign – a win over Westmeath back in February – was further writing on the wall.

It was Wexford’s rather poor Championship campaign though that has placed them into this position now where many supporters are feeling angry, aggrieved, and even somewhat worthless. While you could rightly point out that it’s just a hurling game, Wexford people live and breathe hurling and supporters are incredibly deflated at the moment.

Without being too defeatist, the loss against Galway in the opening round was almost expected and accepted. Salthill would have been a tough place to go and get two points. For many, it was the second-half tactics and the persistent use of a sweeper, when Wexford were losing the game, that annoyed people.

Despite winning the game, the Antrim match in the second round rang more alarm bells for Wexford hurling supporters. Although Wexford never really looked out of third gear, and that their scoring had noticeably improved, they still conceded 1-25 and Antrim were getting back into the game. At the full-time whistle, you could almost hear some of the heavy sighs of relief at Chadiwcks Wexford Park. For others, it felt like we got over the line; after all, two points on the board and somewhat back on track.

However, the loss against Dublin in the third round in Croke Park created similar tension to the Galway clash. Dublin have not been ‘great shakes’ this campaign; other than Dónal Burke, they didn’t really perform against the Yellowbellies either. The major talking point from this game though was Wexford’s wides. The game was there to be won and bumping into Wexford supporters walking out of the Hogan Stand that day, you could almost taste the bitterness in the air. “We’re f**ked lads,” one passer-by said.

The win against Westmeath in the fourth round was needed. It was a game to keep our dreams of Liam McCarthy – and our hope alive – even just for another few games. Instead, it ended it misery. It was avalanche-like as it all came down the tracks. We could see it happening in front of our eyes, but we just couldn’t stop it as Westmeath continued to put on the pressure. After the game, questions were raised about the team, criticism came in for the management, and without taking anything away from Joe Fortune and Westmeath, Wexford were viewed as a laughing stock on the national stage having let a sixteen point lead drop.

But, while the Wexford Senior hurling team may have made us feel annoyed, bitter, or aggrieved this year, it’s not the time to be bitter. You can be sure that the Wexford Senior hurling team, and everyone involved in that team, feel equally – if not – more annoyed.

The dust should be somewhat settled, and if not, we have to dust ourselves down nice and quickly.

Because things could get a lot worse.

The Wexford Chairman has already stated that there will be no sacking of the management, and that he has full trust in them, and his players. And while some supporters may not believe that the management is fit-for-purpose and that an interim manager should step in for the Kilkenny match, it doesn’t change the fact that Wexford need a win this weekend against near-neighbours, Kilkenny.

A loss to Kilkenny, coupled with a win for Antrim against Westmeath, would see Wexford relegated to the Joe McDonagh Cup for next year.

Imagine that? The Leinster Championship or the All-Ireland series without the purple and gold? It’s hard to imagine, but reality can hit hard sometimes.

Even though the Wexford-Kilkenny showdown was marked by many as a potential Leinster title decider just as with previous years, it’s now marked for reasons that very few would have predicted at the start of the campaign.

Some have suggested that Kilkenny will rest some key players this weekend against Wexford. On one hand, they could, but on the other hand, they’ll be introducing players in to their team who will be craving the opportunity to lay down a marker for a place on the starting fifteen for a more-than-likely Leinster final. Likewise, when preparing for a potential Leinster final, they won’t be going out with any intention to lose – nor will they want to, especially given Wexford’s recent success that they’ve had over them. If anything, this is a perfect time for Kilkenny to inflict pain on Wexford.

This is one reason why the Wexford hurlers need our support more than ever before.

They’re going to battle, against one of the best teams in the Championship, and the team that lost last year’s All-Ireland final to Limerick by just two points. As supporters, we don’t just throw the towel in now. We can’t do that.

Instead, this is the time that they need us. While it can be hard, it would be even harder to watch this team play in the Joe McDonagh Cup, with recent GAA pundits stating that a spell in the Joe McDonagh Cup could put Wexford hurling back years, something that I would agree with.

This weekend’s match is not about progression. It’s about having the opportunity for progression, and it’s about avoiding future avalanche-like regression.

There’s no doubt that if Wexford are relegated, attendances would dull down at matches- even more than they already are, the buzz would die down, and kids would be less interested in putting on the Purple and Gold jersey. On a broader picture, funds would decrease through lesser crowds, lesser engagement, less interest in buying jerseys, less money accrued through TV deals, and likely a dip in sponsorship. And that just scrapes the barrel of the problems that could emerge. Less money? That’s less resources and that’s something we don’t need; in fact, we need more resources. There is more on the line here for Wexford than in any other game that I can remember.

And if you think ‘sure look, we’d just go straight back up after a year’, there’s absolutely no guarantee of that either. Even just look at Offaly, who were relegated from the Joe McDonagh Cup in 2019 after being in the Leinster Championship in 2018.

Alongside that is the fact that Wexford have given us plenty of joy, plenty of reasons to shout, and plenty of reasons to be proud of being from Wexford over the years.

It’s not the time to put the jersey in the press. It’s the time to throw it on and the time to give the Wexford Senior hurling team the support not that they deserve, but that they need.

It was Arnold Schwarzenegger who said that “strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strengths. When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender. That is strength.” Strength in numbers, even during the bad times, is what we truly need. Just as Tom Dempsey said in his plea to Wexford hurling supporters, what other option do we have?

This article will finish on one final quote that you’d often hear thrown around and hopefully, it will allow you to ponder, even just for a minute.

“If you can’t support your team during the bad days, don’t support them through the good.”

Tickets:

Tickets for the Wexford vs Kilkenny match can be purchased online via Ticketmaster here.

Jason Redmond
Jason Redmond

From Gorey, Jason is the owner of Wexford Weekly. He is also a post-primary English and History teacher.

Value our site? Register NOW for as little as €3 per-year… 

For a €3 Subscription, click here. 

For a €6 Subscription, click here. 

Enjoy our content? Want to keep reading it? By registering, you will have access to all of Wexford Weekly’s content and you’ll also be supporting a growing independent brand. We thank you for your continued support. It costs less than one cent per day to register on Wexford Weekly. If you value our site, we really appreciate it.

– Access to all content
– Improved, premium features 
– Discounts on products 
– First to know about future buses 
– Discounts on future events 

Read also:

Remember to submit your news to Wexford Weekly! To advertise on our socials or website, email our team at info@wexfordweekly.com

Discover more from Wexford Weekly

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading