Dave Deacon Posted March 16, 2018 Report Share Posted March 16, 2018 This new Step 7 16 team set-up is going to be interesting how it goes as it's been suggested that the ECPL have decided not to involve themselves with it! The Combo League could end up becoming a County-wide Step 7 League. What will happen to the likes of Bude and Dobwalls with no lights and therefore no SWPL football come 2019-20? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baldy Posted March 16, 2018 Report Share Posted March 16, 2018 The FA need to show they are serious about Step 6 clubs at the end of this month before anyone should worry about another reorg. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Mead Posted March 16, 2018 Report Share Posted March 16, 2018 I would say separate Devon & Cornwall Step 6 Leagues are a done deal! Below that is currently more problematic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Mead Posted March 17, 2018 Report Share Posted March 17, 2018 On 16/03/2018 at 14:15, Dave Deacon said: This new Step 7 16 team set-up is going to be interesting how it goes as it's been suggested that the ECPL have decided not to involve themselves with it! The Combo League could end up becoming a County-wide Step 7 League. What will happen to the likes of Bude and Dobwalls with no lights and therefore no SWPL football come 2019-20? Bude, Dobwalls - and others -will remain at Step7 and will still have the oportunity to progress to the Cornwall Step 6 Division. The option which ECPL have rejected was to amalgamate with the Combination League to run the Step 7 League in Cornwall, together with East and West feeder Leagues covering similar areas to current ones. To me, that was the ideal situation; no Clubs faced forced relegation and between them the new committee would be familiar with most of the Clubs in the Leagues; also all teams would be playing under common rules As that senario now seems dead in the water, a new way to set up the pyramid in Cornwall needs to be formulated - perhaps a higher status for the top divisions in Duchy & Trelawny Leagues, to give 3 feeder leagues!? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Deacon Posted March 17, 2018 Author Report Share Posted March 17, 2018 1 hour ago, John Mead said: Bude, Dobwalls - and others -will remain at Step7 and will still have the oportunity to progress to the Cornwall Step 6 Division. Although they will no longer be members of the South West Peninsula League which they applied to join whenever with it appearing they have no choice for their own destination. With regard to the ECPL decision - what will happen to their current teams come 2019-20? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin Eddy Posted March 17, 2018 Report Share Posted March 17, 2018 If it is an FA directive do they have a choice !!!!!!!! ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hedgerow Posted March 17, 2018 Report Share Posted March 17, 2018 Clubs will be invited to join Step 7. Clubs who do not wish to join or do not meet the required criteria, they will remain in there respected leagues. Devon clubs will stay in the ECPL, if they wish to stay. The ECPL will still keep going. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Deacon Posted March 17, 2018 Author Report Share Posted March 17, 2018 46 minutes ago, hedgerow said: Clubs will be invited to join Step 7. Clubs who do not wish to join or do not meet the required criteria, they will remain in there respected leagues. Devon clubs will stay in the ECPL, if they wish to stay. The ECPL will still keep going. If you look at say the top five of today's ECPL Premier though, one would imagine that they might all want to join the Step 7, certainly facilities would suggest they would have no problem as all but one are SWPL reserve sides, the other is applying for SWPL this season and so ambition is there! Torpoint Athletic Bere Alston United St Austell Saltash United Plymouth Parkway Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adlestrop Posted March 17, 2018 Report Share Posted March 17, 2018 I understand Torpoint have no desire to leave the ECPL ;probably because of the excessive travelling.Looking at the proposed set-up.8 of the teams are West of Truro-most of which are no better than the above 5. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Deacon Posted March 17, 2018 Author Report Share Posted March 17, 2018 7 minutes ago, Adlestrop said: most of which are no better than the above 5. Hard to say that of course unless they actually play each other! Where would the County FA (presumably involved as they are having to push this FA directive through) be if both the Combo and ECPL decided to not join the new suggestion? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ECPL Posted March 18, 2018 Report Share Posted March 18, 2018 As you may no I have declined to comment on this web site for many reasons. I am breaking my silence for one reason only and that is to say the FA needs to get its head out of the sands, use common sense and BACK OFF. This will be my only posting. It is time the FA woke up to the realisation that Devon and Cornwall are unique in their geographic position. It is not the Midlands or London where there are scores of senior clubs within 20 miles of each other. Devon and Cornwall by its geographical position is rural, therefore there is absolutely no reason for the CCL or ECPL league to change as there is already a route into the SWPL. Why should it. Apart from that who is going to run the new set up. When the ECPL held their meeting not a single club wanted to join the so called new set up. As I understand it the CCL and ECPL are due to meet this week to discuss the proposal. The county ask for volunteers to run the new set up, yet they carry paid staff. The FA must realise that for clubs at SWPL level to be promoted means excessive travel. For example if a club like Penzance were to be promoted to the premier division and then win the premier division it is 75 miles just to get to Devon. This also applies to the CCL and ECPL. Promotion means for those in most of Cornwall join SWPL West and those in Devon likely to be promoted to SWPL East, which means playing in Devon. But no the FA now want to change that and make it three way. Clubs are being bamboozled into having to spend thousands to either have floodlights, hard standing and other costly expenses just to take the next step up the pyramid when many live by hand and mouth and have no chance or no intention of playing outside their local area. You only have to look at the SWPL. As it stands you must win the respective East or West SWPL divisions to gain promotion to the Premier division. Some choice there. Football is a very local affair. Players by and large play for teams in their local area. The better ones or more ambitious go on to play in the SWPL or above. But – players tend to stay local. They enjoy playing against local teams, just the same as the Duchy and Trelawny leagues enjoy the local competition. But no the FA want to change the structure again. The question is why ? Are they trying to punish clubs from this area for not taking promotion. I go back to my point in that times have changed. We can remember when clubs such as Falmouth, Saltash and Liskeard took the Western League by storm but escalating travelling costs and time constraints saw them having no option but to return to the lower league. It is the same at the lower level. Time and distance. I repeat – it is called geography. Common-sense must prevail. Everything looks great on paper but clubs don't play on paper. In case the FA have not noticed the days of people working just Monday to Friday are long gone which means many players just like in cricket cannot leave work in time on a Saturday to go and play football in the afternoon unless their team is playing at home. The CCL (1959) and ECPL (1960 ish) have been running successfully for many years. Many clubs have made the transition to the SWPL. The continued tinkering of football at this level will destroy all the hard work of the respective clubs and their committees who will look at this proposal and say 'is it all worth it.' My advice to the FA is 'BACK OFF'. Leave well alone. Football is for footballers not pen pushers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Mead Posted March 18, 2018 Report Share Posted March 18, 2018 Just a quick point in response to the above; the aim of the new step 6 & 7 leagues is to reduce travel time & costs to clubs who WANT to progress. Promotion will not be forced upon Clubs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baldy Posted March 18, 2018 Report Share Posted March 18, 2018 With no Step 5 Taunton westward, as suggested a few years ago, the travel problem happens 1 step earlier than it maybe needs to. But sooner or later it is inevitable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Mead Posted March 18, 2018 Report Share Posted March 18, 2018 1 hour ago, baldy said: With no Step 5 Taunton westward, as suggested a few years ago, the travel problem happens 1 step earlier than it maybe needs to. But sooner or later it is inevitable. It may give Devon Clubs easier access to Step 5. If, over a few seasons, the number of Devon Clubs at Step 5 increases, it could encourage more promotion applications, knowing that not all away games involve travel as far as Bristol! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob1978 Posted March 18, 2018 Report Share Posted March 18, 2018 The restructure is nessesary to allow ambitious clubs like Exmouth a route to step 5 that is currently blocked by Cornish sides on southern league budgets. Couldnt a club like Bodmin take promotion and then reduce its playing budget to meet travel costs? Midtable in Western league is a better achievement than winning swpl for the umpteenth time!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S Abbo Posted March 18, 2018 Report Share Posted March 18, 2018 11 hours ago, John Mead said: Just a quick point in response to the above; the aim of the new step 6 & 7 leagues is to reduce travel time & costs to clubs who WANT to progress. Promotion will not be forced upon Clubs. Top 6 of combo ..top 6 of ecpl... with 6 from swpl west? So a club like peranwell will travel to polpero/saltash/torpoint.. no offence but this could ruin them and a number of other clubs in combo.. imagine if st just finished top 6! Also reserve sides ...fielding 2 senior sides with that sort of travelling would be a nightmare. Interesting ?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bongo Posted March 18, 2018 Report Share Posted March 18, 2018 If promotion not taken from step 6, no prize money and no entry into vase next year. Strange teams will travel for vase but not higher leagues Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Deacon Posted March 18, 2018 Author Report Share Posted March 18, 2018 1 hour ago, Bongo said: If promotion not taken from step 6, no prize money and no entry into vase next year. Strange teams will travel for vase but not higher leagues Not really. Vase could be say only three trips. Higher league - 19 trips. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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