ECPL

Couldn't agree more

Unfortunately people are actually overlooking just how close England came to lifting the trophy. Indeed if it were not for a couple of dodgy VAR decisions it could have been them lifting the cup. You can argue all you want about team selection and team tactics but the VAR decisions did them in. A couple of millimetres denied England a goal against the USA. Right at the time they could have pushed on. Yes they missed a penalty but that can happen to anyone. Same against Sweden nobody on the Swedish team complained yet someone sitting in front of a monitor decided otherwise. And yes CLEAR AND CONCISE error was not obvious. Yet the front on camera angle they could have used, they didn't. So lets be grateful that they did the country proud. VAR unfortunately is here to stay at the higher level. So if this is the case then do not use linesmen. What is the point if someone sat in front of a TV is going to make the decision anyway. It will become like American Football where the action takes up just 11%. Is this what we want.

This was sent to the Sunday Independent but not used SOUTH WEST LEAGUE AGM The South West League AGM at Exeter proved to be a lively affair which seems to have upset a number of clubs. The league ended last season with 33 teams in three divisions, East, West and Premier. Exeter City were promoted to the National League South West Division One with five new teams being accepted. Sherborne from the Dorset League, Frome Town from the Somerset League, Swindon Supermarine from the Wiltshire league and Bristol ladies Union and Chipping Sodbury from the Gloucestershire League. The league decided to settle for four divisions, Premier, North, East and West. The first three will have ten teams playing each other twice while the Western Division has been drastically reduced to just seven teams who will play each other three times. The constitution is still not ratified or voted on due to Forest Green Rovers raising an objection to their placing in the Eastern Division, even though they are one of the furthest north. It was announced by the new incoming Chairman that there will be 4 league cups played by each team in their respective division i.e. Premier Division League Cup / Western Division League Cup / Eastern Division League Cup / Eastern Division League Cup. The biggest disappointment is that because of FA rules Western Division champions Plymouth Argyle Development are unable to gain promotion. The constitution as it stands although yet to be ratified is: Premier Division (10 teams to play each other twice). Bideford Town (Promoted from Western Division), Bishops Lydeard, Callington Town, Ilminster Town, Keynsham Town Development, Marine Academy Plymouth, Middlezoy Rovers, Portishead, Royal Wootton Bassett (Promoted from Eastern Division), Torquay United. Western Division (7 teams to play each other three times): Alphington, Bude Town, Exeter & Tedburn, Feniton, Plymouth Argyle Development, Plympton, St Agnes. Eastern Division (10 teams to play each other twice) : FC Chippenham, Frome Town (Promoted from Somerset League), Laverstock & Ford, Pen Mill, Sherborne (Promoted from Dorset League), Swindon Spitfires, Swindon Supermarine (Promoted from Wiltshire league), Swindon Town Development, Trowbridge Town, Forest Green Rovers (tbc) (Relegated from Premier Division) Northern Division (10 teams to play each other twice): AEK Boco, Almondsbury, Bristol Ladies Union (Promoted from Gloucestershire league), Cheltenham Town Development, Chipping Sodbury (Promoted from Gloucestershire League), Downend Flyers (Relegated from Premier Division), Frampton, Old Abbotonians, Weston Mendip, Weston Super Mare.

Unfortunately this was forwarded to the Sunday Independent who decided not to use it. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Blimey all I did was ask a question. Chill guys. Some clubs have already posted their fixtures on line.

Still no fixtures shown for the East Division

Any idea where we can see East fixtures for season.

All done

The fixtures are up and running on the MITOO web site. The only difference seems to be that you have to go in to a date rather than a month although you can go into each team to see their complete fixtures for the season. I hope this will change. Its my own view but the Mitoo site should be used by all local leagues it is so easy to understand.

Sorry DD. 2019/20. Season starts Saturday 17th August

The fixtures for the 2019/20 season have been completed although cannot show on web site until the St Piran League do theirs. The only problem is Torpoint Athletic who will be playing their fixtures at the Mill. Difficult to arrange as Torpoint have an SWPL and St Piran league teams. This means Torpoint will be playing a number of games under floodlights.

Oh Titus, just how wrong you are. Old yes, bitter no, Childish no, antique yep I will go along with that. You see I have tried to be open minded about the whole situation. I have tried to give both sides of the argument and my piece shows the chronological order of events. People then make up their minds. Unfortunately you cannot argue facts. Tell me which of my piece is a lie. Thought so. It is not. But you have your view and I mine. I suggest it is you that has the problem. And yes the FA have acted like the jackboots they are. They look at a map and say, WE KNOW BEST now get those grass eating idiots down west to do what we say or else and the CCFA had no option to do their bosses bidding. And this nonsense about pinching Duchy League clubs. The idiotic FA made the old system of promotion and relegation obsolete. What were the ECL going to do. It was up to clubs to decided their fate and they chose to join the ECL. Again you can't argue against facts. As I have said it is what it is and only time will tell. In the meantime the ECL has 18 teams and good luck to them. Indeed they are still at the same level as they were before the change. The SWPL is now East and West and the St Piran is the next step below just like the old SWPL East and West. So in that regards nothing has changed. Steve Carpenter has already admitted that. The Duchy League will survive So I suggest people pull, their necks in and let everyone get on with playing football.

Spot on cornishteddyboy, they didn't want people to know that the leagues could run it voluntarily, while the fatcats tuck into the prawn sandwiches and take all the glory and of course claim expenses. Don't worry the FA will change the rules again next season.

SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNTY The East Cornwall League require new league and league cup sponsors for the 2019/20 season. The league would like to thank Mortgage Advice Bureau and RM Graphic Design for their previous valued support. Anyone interested should contact league secretary Ken Adkins on ken.adkins2011@btinternet.com

THE LEAGUE THAT WOULDN'T DIE As there has been a lot of chat about the formation of the St Piran League I thought I would put in chronological order what led up to the East Cornwall League almost being destroyed. Great credit must go to the East Cornwall League committee for overcoming the problems and that people will concentrate on the positives and not the negatives. The news that the Football Association would set up a new step 7 as well as re organising Step 6 shook not only the East Cornwall League but also the Cornwall Combination League. Both leagues have a long history in Cornwall with the Combination league starting in 1959 and the East Cornwall League two years later. Both leagues have provided teams to the higher level with the East Cornwall League (ECPL) promoting teams such as St Dennis, Foxhole Stars, Dobwalls and Sticker. The FA invited both the ECPL and the CCL to discussions as to how to set up the new step seven but both leagues rejected the idea basically saying that there is already a route for teams to progress into the South West Peninsula League. This was not acceptable to the CCFA who had been mandated to set up a new step 7 league by the FA. Both leagues have been by and large well run and proved to be a good divide between East and West Cornwall. The concept of re organising step 7 was to ease travel but it became obvious from the outset that mandating the Cornwall County FA to set up the new St Piran League by having teams travelling the length and breadth of the county was going to be a non starter. The ECPL teams felt that travel was a huge factor in withdrawing their applications to join the St Piran League. With the closing date for applications set for the 15th May the CCFA knew that they had no chance of setting up the new league as many teams withdrew. Undeterred the CCFFA held a meeting with the affected leagues and quickly rushed through a new set up and instead of making a possible 16 team league it had decided to go for two divisions of 16 teams split East and West. This had resulted in the ECPL Premier Division being denuded of 12 teams which included Tavistock Reserves who will be joining the new Devon set up and Plymstock United who withdrew. Also leaving was Lanreath, and Morwenstow from Division One. So what does this mean to the ECPL.The league ended the season with 23 teams in two divisions. The Premier Division was left with just one team Looe Town while in Division One Lanreath and Morwenstow chose to join the St Piran League. It was understood that Mevagissey were leaving the league which meant six teams St Stephen, St Minver, Roche, Padstow United, St Blazey Reserves, and St Teath remained, a total overall of seven teams. At the AGM the constitution was decided to have one division of 18 teams: Foxhole Stars, Gerrans & St Mawes, Godolphin Atlantic (Newquay), Looe Town, Mount Gould, Newquay, North Petherwin, Padstow United, Plymouth Marjon, Roche, St Blazey, St Cleer, St Dominick, St Minver, St Stephen, St Teath, Torpoint Athletic, Veryan.