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Exmouth not to play in the pre-season Charity Bowl fixture


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Press Statement Issued by the SWPL this evening:

Charity Bowl Fixture

The trustees of the South West Peninsula League Benevolent fund have received a request from Exmouth Town AFC that they be excused from playing in the years Charity Day, scheduled for Sunday 3rd August at Dobwalls AFC.

The Exmouth Town club have had a difficult close season following the FAs decision to refuse them promotion to the Western League Premier Division and this was added to by the prolonged wait for an appeal hearing making pre season arrangements problematic.

The trustees of the Charity have on this occasion accepted the clubs request not to fulfil the fixture and in turn Exmouth Town AFC have agreed to make a donation to the benevolent fund in lieu of their participation.

The trustees will now be seeking alternative opponents for Plymouth Parkway to face in the fixture, and invites are being extended but as clubs have pre season fixtures already booked in, we are mindful that it may take a few days to make alternative arrangements.

P A Hiscox (Company Secretary)

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Press Statement Issued by the SWPL this evening:

Charity Bowl Fixture

The trustees of the South West Peninsula League Benevolent fund have received a request from Exmouth Town AFC that they be excused from playing in the years Charity Day, scheduled for Sunday 3rd August at Dobwalls AFC.

The Exmouth Town club have had a difficult close season following the FAs decision to refuse them promotion to the Western League Premier Division and this was added to by the prolonged wait for an appeal hearing making pre season arrangements problematic.

The trustees of the Charity have on this occasion accepted the clubs request not to fulfil the fixture and in turn Exmouth Town AFC have agreed to make a donation to the benevolent fund in lieu of their participation.

The trustees will now be seeking alternative opponents for Plymouth Parkway to face in the fixture, and invites are being extended but as clubs have pre season fixtures already booked in, we are mindful that it may take a few days to make alternative arrangements.

P A Hiscox (Company Secretary)

Does that mean if all clubs make a donation they can do what they want? I was under the impression, you had to play in the charity game if you were fortunate to finish in the top two. The only way you dont is if you gain promotion then it is your choice!. :SM_carton:

This comment is nothing again Exmouth as i was sorry they did not get their promotion. "Gutted Lads" :(

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Granted they have had a difficult couple of weeks, but they have still managed to arrange a pre season schedule of friendlies, regardless of what league they would eventually be in, and the Chairty bowl is just another good warm up game, and doesnt clash with their fixtures so not quite sure as to why their application to not play was accpeted......Perhaps, the league feel sorry for Exmouths promotion scenario going t**s up....

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The S.W.Peninsula Charity Bowl should be played between the League Champions and the League (Throgmorton) Cup Winners.

Such as been the domination of one club in each season (winning the double)it has been played against the next in line in the League table.

Only in 2011 did the Champions play the Cup winners.

2007 Dartmouth 3 St.Blazey 2 played at Saltash

This inaugural season was played between the League Champions of the Old South Western & Devon County Leagues.

2008 Bodmin Town © 0 Saltash United (RU) 2 played at Buckland

2009 Bodmin Town © 0 Plymouth Parkway (RU) 2 played at Launceston

2010 Buckland Athletic © 3 Bodmin Town (RU) 1 played at Tavistock

2011 Buckland Athletic © 6 Plymouth Parkway (TC) 2 played at Okehampton

2012 Bodmin Town © 3 Falmouth Town (3rd) 0 played at Callington

Runners up Buckland were now members of the Western League

2013 Bodmin Town © 1 Plymouth Parkway (RU) 1 (bodmin won on penalties) played at Ivybridge

2014 Plymouth Parkway © v Ivybridge Town (4th) to be played at Dobwalls

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Interesting post on the SWPL forum from someone called Royally Royally

Quote:

Why is there such a personal attack on Exmouth Town?

They have since December 2013 been preparing for promotion to the Western League showing huge ambition and yet everyone perceives their request not to play in the charity game as sour grapes and childish.

Why are clubs so concerned with Exmouth when they should be concerned that the SWPL has consistently not been complying the Ground grading Regulations under FA Policy and therefore all clubs (specifically in the premier league) will need to ensure their Ground is compliant by 31st March 2015 to the correct FA standard as per section 5 of the FA handbook and not the SWPL's 'make it up as they go along' standard.

This means 3/4 of the clubs in the premier will need to pay thousands of pounds on floodlights, dugouts, perimeter fencing, signage and changing rooms as they are all not currently compliant for step 6 football. If not, the FA will relegate them under FA guidance.

This also means that numerous clubs in the East and West league will not be able to gain promotion to the premier league as they do not have the potential to improve their ground to step 6 compliance on their current site. This will make it more difficult for teams to attract players knowing that should they win the league, they will not gain promotion.

It is my understanding that Exmouth raised these issues in their appeal to support all clubs in the SWPL not having to go through what they did and yet the club and members of Exmouth Town receive constant criticism for this on this forum.

Let's hope that friends that Exmouth might lose due to the charity game, look at the bigger picture.

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Even more interesting and factual posting from the SWPL website:

"I am now back from three days spent in the company of the FA and leagues from across the country at St Georges Park at Burton-On-Trent

I am now able to give a more authorative reply which, as you will see at the end, is the last word on this subject.

Excuse me in advance for the lengthy posting about to follow but the TRUTH needs to be said as clearly "Royally Royally" has been fed something quite different !

1) Whilst quoting the FA handbook you forget to mention that FA Regulations are crystal clear that its the CLUBS responsibility to meet the grade for the level they play at. The league and the FA support, inspect, advise and police, BUT the CLUB has to meet the criteria, the FA made this PERFECTLY clear at the appeal.

2) You state "75%" of clubs do not meet the standards. Absoloutely NOT TRUE, of the current 20 clubs only 2 are ungraded, 3 have dispensation (will come onto that), 3 have an H grade and are working towards G and 12 have the G Grade - simple FACT.

3) You state clubs face having to pay "thousands of pounds" on a list of items, such as floodlights - but any rational person can see 18 of the 20 Step 6 clubs already have floodlights, the only 2 not to have are Callington Town and Stoke Gabriel who have been promoted under THE FA'S OWN DISPENSATION NATIONAL RULING, designed to encourage movement for clubs who currently play at Step 7 and who wish to move onto Step 6 - this nicely leads into your point that clubs in Div One won't be able to go up - thats why the dispensation is IN PLACE AS AN FA RULE !

4) In one of your later replies you remark that Parkway had portacabin dressing rooms in the past - quite correct - but are not the new ones in place ? Are you in a time machine where you are able to say they didn't have correct dressing rooms on 31st March 2015 ???

5) You state clubs will have to spend "thousands of pounds" but you fail to acknowledge that since the SWP was formed 7 years ago over (and FA figure here) over a MILLION pounds has been spent on improving grounds ahead of 2015.

As clearly a reminder is in order let me remind you where money has been spent on G Grade criteria in the past few years : (JUST STEP 6 ALONE AND JUST CAPITAL PROJECTS) :

NEW FLOODLIGHTS INSTALLED AT :

Bovey Tracey

Camelford

Elburton Villa

Godolphin Atlantic

Ivybridge Town

St Austell

Torpoint Athletic

Witheridge

REPLACEMENT FLOODLIGHTS AT :

Elmore

Newquay

NEW GRANDSTANDS AT :

Bovey Tracey

Camelford

Elburton Villa

Ivybridge Town

Torpoint Athletic

Witheridge

NEW GROUND ENCLOSURES AT :

Bovey Tracey

St Austell

Torpoint Athletic

NEW DRESSING ROOMS AT :

Bovey Tracey

Cullompton Rangers

Plymouth Parkway

Stoke Gabriel

In addition in the planning / grant stage are :

Callington - NEW LIGHTS & NEW STAND

Exmouth Town - REPLACEMENT LIGHTS & NEW STAND

Falmouth Town - WHOLE NEW GROUND

Godolphin Atlantic - NEW STAND

Launceston - NEW DRESSING ROOM BLOCK

Stoke Gabriel - NEW LIGHTS & STAND

Torpoint - NEW STAND

IS THIS NOT A SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT ?

6) The FA have given ALL STEP SIX LEAGUES & CLUBS NATIONALLY until 31st March 2015 - Why do you think its a national ruling ? I will tell you, because its a NATIONAL problem, not something only connected with the SWP !

7) I can assure ALL readers that the SWP board and officers are fully committed to raising standards and have spent much time, effort and resources assisting clubs - Including Exmouth - to obtain grants to facilitate the necessary improvements, I was delighted to learn at St Georges Park this weekend that over £100,000 has been awarded to Exmouth Town - clearly the grant application went in sometime ago to do work that the club and the FA knew needed doing.

The SWP assisted, as one example of many I could give the Exmouth Secretary of the time was able to visit Mount Wise on a Saturday evening last September to view the lights installed there specifically switched on after dark for just that purpose whilst his team were in the area, this firm are now upgrading the lightsat Southern Road - Do you not think these FACTS should be brought - and pardon the pun - to LIGHT ?

Finally - the continual sniping and comments are not helping your cause, the facts are BLACK & WHITE and whoever is telling you different is misguided, the FA are quite clear now, were quite clear at the appeal and I wish to make it perfectly clear now -

WE TRIED TO HELP AS MUCH AS WE COULD, BUT THE CLUB DID NOT HAVE THE GRADE

THE FA REFUSED THE PROMOTION

THE CLUB APPEALED TO THE FA WHO APPOINTED AN INDEPENDENT APPEAL BOARD WHO UPHELD THE FA DECISION.

The season starts in just 21 days at the Charity Day, its a shame Exmouth will not be playing in it but WE have MOVED ON.

Can I ask that you too MOVE ON !

Please note - you have been allowed to say your piece and given the right to express your views, these have now been answered.

NO FURTHER POSTINGS CONCERNING THIS SUBJECT ARE PERMITTED ON THE OFFICIAL LEAGUE FORUM.

_________________

If you need to contact me by email please do not use this forums private messaging facility, email me direct at phil@swpleague.co.uk"

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