AND SO..............................

[NEVER GIVE IN]

I have been reading all the comments,moans and groans and everything else said about the recent omissions of teams and ground grading updates required by the FA for entry to the FA Cup and FA Vase. I agree with all thats said. But no matter how much we moan about this the FA will not be changing its mind any day soon.

With that in mind, is there ANY CLUBS doing anything about it ? ? ? ?

ie, ground improvements,toilets and sinks in the changing rooms, hard standing etc

i wont list everything,but you get my point.

AND SO.............................................

As above, my question is

ANY CLUBS DOING ANYTHING ABOUT IT ?

We all support our own local club, so lets help them........................................................?

[quiksilver]

Know from an earlier post on here under another topic that torpoint are making a start to the works required to meet the ground/changing room requirements for FA competitions

[NEVER GIVE IN]

Know from an earlier post on here under another topic that torpoint are making a start to the works required to meet the ground/changing room requirements for FA competitions

Its the only way Quicksilver, ACTION speaks louder etc. But thanks for your reply

[hoppit]

Know from an earlier post on here under another topic that torpoint are making a start to the works required to meet the ground/changing room requirements for FA competitions

Its the only way Quicksilver, ACTION speaks louder etc. But thanks for your reply

Camelford have got everything in place but still didn't get in the vase.

[Nemesis]

Newquay AFC are doing everything required of them... the hard working committee members of every club who put in hours of time, effort and in some cases, cash, deserve a huge vote of thanks from the players and supporters of each club.

Now lets see what rules or ground changes The FA bring in the next few months, rules or changes that may be required to be implemented by 31st March - ie; during a playing season which makes it impossible for clubs to complete.

It is not just the FA Vase that has been 'taken away' from certain clubs this season, it also means those clubs cannot enter The FA Cup next season, a real kick in the teeth.

[Ricos7]

The fact is that no step 7 sides last of season would have got into the fa cup this season so Newquay wouldn't have been eligible (unsure if they were in the vase last season though so may not have been anyway).

St blazey have missed out for the same reason as many other clubs up and down the country who's grounds met the standard required, indeed my own club missed out for the same reason.

To read nemesis posts it would seem as if the fa have some kind of vendetta against the Cornish sides as there are fewer than usual in this season, in reality they are now subject to the same rules as the rest of the country for qualification.

If anything by allowing so many step 6 sides from cornwall to play in the fa cup each season they have given them preferential treatment to the rest of step 6.

Whether the rules are reasonable or not is open to opinion, what doesn't change though is that they are the rules and that they should be applied equally across all fa cup entrants.

The easy way to avoid the situation is to ensure you finish high enough up the table to gain entry next season, or of it was a ground issue, do the necessary work to gain the correct grading as all the successful clubs have done.

My own Hellenic League side missed out by points gained last season, and we as players will be doing all we can to qualify for next seasons competition.

[Nemesis]

The fact is that no step 7 sides last of season would have got into the fa cup this season so Newquay wouldn't have been eligible (unsure if they were in the vase last season though so may not have been anyway).

Newquay were Step 7 last season, correct and sent off the entry form for the FA Vase for 2012-13. The advice from the SWPL was that Newquay and others would be accepted as a years grace on the required works would be granted. It turns out this was incorrect advice.

Newquay won the SWPL Div 1 West and are now a Step 6 club, had they been allowed in the FA Vase this coming season, they could have applied for the FA Cup for 2013-14. No Step 6 club can play in the FA Cup if they were NOT in the FA Vase the previous season.

Yes, rules should be applied equally, of course they should. We and others just feel a little let down by incorrect advice. However, there was nothing to stop The FA from going the other way and allowing all Step 5,6 and 7 clubs into the FA Vase, if the grounds are good enough for those 'Pyramid Leagues', then surely they should be good enough for the FA Comp for the smallest senior clubs in the Country. This is an FA Ruling that goes against the smaller clubs, there were no clubs at Steps 2,3 and 4 that were told they had to make improvements for the FA Trophy.

As a final comment, if you believe that the Hellenic League is a better standard than the SWPL, you are seriously misguided. The SWPL clubs record in National Comps is far higher than those of the Hellenic.

[Dave Deacon]

My post on this Forum on the 15th November 2011 did warn:

"Are the FA trying their hardest to kill off the "small" club? Ground grading now depicts that at present, unless work is completed by 31st March, only Saltash and Truro are likely to be representing Cornwall in next season's competition!"

[Nemesis]

And of course, every club affected had a pile of cash lying around doing nothing, and were able to postpone games at will so that the works could be carried out in time. The FA are a joke.

[Ricos7]

At no point did I say the Hellenic League was a higher standard than the swpl, but since you bring it up you are entitled to your opinion.

The question I would like to ask you, nemesis, is this......

Have you played in both the Hellenic League and the SWPL in the last, lets say 5 or 6 seasons?

I have, Aswell as having playing in the midland combination, midland alliance and also the west midlands regional leagues.

The truth is, in my playing experience, which is really the only way to compare rather than watching, is that all of these leagues at the corresponding steps are of a very similar standard to the equivalent in a different area of the country.

I haven't seen any stats that back up what you are saying about the SWPL league sides having a far better record in national cup competitions, however over the last few seasons, in the fa vase for example, both have 1 winner, Truro city (who you surely aren't using as an example given the way you try to run them down on numerous occasions) and didcot town.

Also both have had a side progress to the semi finals (I think) shortwood utd did so last season and was it the semi finals that torpoint reached a season or 2 ago?

To add to that I also believe hungerford town progressed well, as did Witney utd on previous seasons from the Hellenic league.

In the fa cup, neither of the leagues has had what you might call spectacular success, unless of course you refer back to Falmouth towns 1st round appearance(s) but of course that has no beating on the current standard of these leagues in the same way that Spurs winning the FA cup as a southern league side has no bearing on the standard being played by sides such as mangotsfield utd or Bridgwater town.

The one area where I'll agree that SWPL might edge it at step 6 level is the grounds, but even then both have well developed grounds, e.g. Blazey, st Austell, torpoint, saltash etc in SWPL or Carterton, hook norton, Newbury or wootton Bassett town in the Hellenic.

Just as both have some that are not so well developed, e.g. Dobwalls on my last visit or Easington Sports, again on my last visit, both of which are about the same.

But all in all, the standards are very very similar and the best teams and worst teams in each would hold similar positions in each respective league.

[The Train]

At no point did I say the Hellenic League was a higher standard than the swpl, but since you bring it up you are entitled to your opinion.

The question I would like to ask you, nemesis, is this......

Have you played in both the Hellenic League and the SWPL in the last, lets say 5 or 6 seasons?

I have, Aswell as having playing in the midland combination, midland alliance and also the west midlands regional leagues.

The truth is, in my playing experience, which is really the only way to compare rather than watching, is that all of these leagues at the corresponding steps are of a very similar standard to the equivalent in a different area of the country.

I haven't seen any stats that back up what you are saying about the SWPL league sides having a far better record in national cup competitions, however over the last few seasons, in the fa vase for example, both have 1 winner, Truro city (who you surely aren't using as an example given the way you try to run them down on numerous occasions) and didcot town.

Also both have had a side progress to the semi finals (I think) shortwood utd did so last season and was it the semi finals that torpoint reached a season or 2 ago?

To add to that I also believe hungerford town progressed well, as did Witney utd on previous seasons from the Hellenic league.

In the fa cup, neither of the leagues has had what you might call spectacular success, unless of course you refer back to Falmouth towns 1st round appearance(s) but of course that has no beating on the current standard of these leagues in the same way that Spurs winning the FA cup as a southern league side has no bearing on the standard being played by sides such as mangotsfield utd or Bridgwater town.

The one area where I'll agree that SWPL might edge it at step 6 level is the grounds, but even then both have well developed grounds, e.g. Blazey, st Austell, torpoint, saltash etc in SWPL or Carterton, hook norton, Newbury or wootton Bassett town in the Hellenic.

Just as both have some that are not so well developed, e.g. Dobwalls on my last visit or Easington Sports, again on my last visit, both of which are about the same.

But all in all, the standards are very very similar and the best teams and worst teams in each would hold similar positions in each respective league.

Ricos7. Spot on. Ignore Nemesis. He is a little bitter as his club isnt in either competition. The bottom line is the amount of work needed for certain clubs is minimal for example a toilet in the referee's dressing room. That is no more than 2 games worth of pay packets, maybe even 1. If you can get 38 pay packets per season together im sure and extra couple wouldn't hurt to do the sufficient amount of work needed. People & clubs need to stop making excuses. By improving your facilities it will take the league forward & will be considered more respected. Like ricos7 said over the past the f.a have been lenient with cornish clubs, now they are just on a level playing field with everybody else in the country.

[B Manning]

Just for interest I officiated on the Hellenic League in the 70s & 80s before the pyramid system and in those days teams went from Hellenic to Southern and then onto Football League and in those days the Hellenic League was of a higher standard than the CSWPL, It was an FA League because it consisted of at least 5 counties we travelled from London right down to Cheltenham. Thanks for the blast from the past Ricos7 those names Newbury, Easington sports and Didcot Town certainly brought back some memories.

[Nemesis]

Thats what I love about football, we all have opinions and thank god some differ from others. To be fair, I only have the old Tony Kempster Stats for 2008/9 http://www.tonykemps....uk/favrbyr.htm and I failed to recall that the Hellenic Prem was at Step 5 and therefore this was not included when making my statement. I will concede that the Hellenic Prem have done better than SWPL in the Vase in 2008/9 and quite possibly since as well. Perhaps we will see clubs from the 2 leagues meet up when those from the SWPL are finally allowed back in.

Regardless of this side issue, The FA gave clubs notice in the Autumn of 2011 that works must be completed by 31 Mar 2012 - no club could postpone games during that period to carry out the works required, most would not be able to have obtained the funds and carried the works out in that period either. As noted above, Torpoint, Camelford and Witheridge have all now completed the works, all done before the draw was made, there may be others who have done so too.

Not sure about The Trains comments on the costing of toilet facilities, his club must be paying thousands a game. Newquay will have to dig up flooring, re-route drains, lay new pipes, install 3 loos (Refs, home and away changing rooms), re-build the flooring, re-decorate and finish off. If The Train can do that for well under a grand, I'm sure that every other club in the country will be after his services.

So in reply to the original poster, yes the clubs who have been mentioned have all done or are looking to complete the work required ASAP.

[NORTH DEVON DWELLER]

Witheridge have now completed the required toilet arrangements as that was the only thing that excluded us.

[Ricos7]

Brimscombe and Thrupp of the Hellenic league have also missed out despite having the work done before the draw Aswell so again, it's all clubs being treated equally.

I happen to agree that aslong as the work was completed before the competition behind then the clubs should have been allowed in, but it's the fa that make the rules so as foolish as they are, the rules are being applied equally.

[Nemesis]

If there was any suggestion that The FA had singled out Cornish or SWPL clubs, then that is down to the fact that this is a Cornish Football forum, it is how we talk.

The main problem is that WE were ill advised by local officials, who suggested that we had a 12 month grace period (I am not saying this is any different to Wiltshire or Oxon etc).

The fact remains, we are a little cheesed off with it all but at least the works will be soon completed... as I said before, lets wait until Autumn and see what new Regs are brought in for 2013-14, no doubt they will want us to complete by 31st March 2013.

Right, who's ready for pre-season ?

[Crusty]

Not every club will have to go to the drastic measures that Newquay had to. There you go witheridge have now completed the work which is keeping them out of the fa competitions. It's just a matter of using the money club has wisely. If there not prepared to do so then they simply won't be able to compete in the fa competitions.It's time to Suck it in and get on with it.