Bealin tackles colleges issue

New Westmeath manager Paul Bealin has criticised the Football Review Committee (FRC) for not recommending a change to the college football calendar.

The former Dublin midfielder took over from Pat Flanagan for the coming season and has the daunting task of keeping Westmeath in Division 1. He will be without nine players in next month’s Bord Na Mona O’Byrne Cup because they are committed to playing for their colleges in pre-season competition. They include John Heslin, Ger Egan and James Dolan.

It leaves Bealin with a headache and he was disappointed to see the FRC elect not to move the Sigerson Cup to a pre-Christmas date. The group argued it would have caused “unwelcome problems” for the colleges because of semester exams in December.