Southwest Restructure Statement – Cornwall FA

[Dave Deacon]

Southwest Restructure Statement – Cornwall FA

Following a meeting between The FA, Cornwall FA and Devon FA we are pleased to be able to provide an update and  some clarification in relation to the proposed restructure of football and the National League System in Cornwall and Devon, and in particular the creation of a new Cornish league at Step 7.

 

The name of the new league will be the ‘St. PiranFootball League’ 

 

General Overview

The South West Peninsula League will now operate two Divisions of 20 teams at Step 6 of the National League System, sitting below that at Step 7 will be 3 Leagues comprising 16 teams. One league will consist of teams based in Cornwall, one League will consist of teams based in North and East Devon, oneleague will consist of teams based in South and West Devon.

 

 

Cornwall Step 7 League Constitution and priorityfor entry to the league for the 2019/20 Season

 

All teams who submitted an expression of interest to participate in the new league will be required to submit a formal application to Cornwall FA no later than February 24th 2019. All relevant clubs have been sent guidance on what this entails.

 

For a club to be accepted into the league they must meet the minimum Ground Grading requirements for Step 7 of the National League System or following a ground grading inspection be able to demonstrate they will be able to meet the minimum requirements by March 31st 2021. Failure to meet the minimum requirement will result in automatic relegation. 

 

Of the 16 teams who will comprise the Step 7 League in Cornwall no more than 50% may be reserve teams of clubs competing at Step 6 or above of the National League System.

 

 

Priority 1 – Any Cornish teams currently competing at Step 6 or 7 of the National League System who are either unsuccessful with their application to play at Step 6 of the National League System or who haveapplied to play specifically at Step 7. 

 

Priority 2 – Cornish teams competing in the LWC Drinks Cornwall Combination League or the Mortgage Advice Bureau East Cornwall Premier League Premier Division who have submitted an official application – Entry will be decided using a points per game ratio.

 

Priority 3 – Cornish teams competing in the Mortgage Advice Bureau East Cornwall League Division 1 who have submitted an official application

 

Priority 4 – Cornish teams competing in The JJ Jones Duchy League and Whirlwind Sports Trelawny League who have submitted an official application - Entry will be decided using a points per game ratiowith priority going to teams in higher divisions of the respective leagues

 

Teams will only be considered from priority 3 and 4 should there be insufficient numbers to create a league of 16 from those teams in Priority 1 and 2.  

 

 

 

 Expressions of Interest Received for Step 7

Current Step 7	ECPL Premier	Cornwall Combination
Bude Town  Ludgvan	AFC St Austell Reserves Liskeard Reserves  Millbrook Reserves Polperro Saltash United Reserves Torpoint Athletic Reserves Wadebridge Town Reserves	Falmouth Town Reserves Hayle Helston Athletic Reserves Illogan RBL Penryn Athletic Perranporth Perranwell Porthleven Reserves St Agnes  St Day St Ives Town St.Just Wendron Utd Reserves
	ECPL Division 1
	Morwenstow  Newquay Reserves St Stephen
	Duchy League	Trelawny League
	Calstock Foxhole Stars  North Petherwin Sticker Reserves St Dennis Reserves	Mousehole Reserves

 

We would like to thank all clubs and leagues for their patience over the last few months, and for their input as things have progressed. 

 

 

Once we have a list of confirmed applications we will release a further statement and arrange to meet with representatives of all local leagues to discuss the impact the restructure will have on them. As well as an open forum for members of the football family should there be sufficient interest.

 

 

To ensure as much consistency as possible in relationto rules, regulations and fees a joint liaison committee has been set up, with representatives of the new Step 7 Leagues in Cornwall and Devon, along with members of Cornwall and Devon FA’s. 

 

 

The new Cornwall Step 7 league committee will be meeting on a regular basis over the coming months to discuss issues such as sponsorship, administration, finance, future promotion and relegation. 

 

 

If you have any questions the please contact Richard Pallot at Cornwall FA on 01208 262983 or email richard.pallot@cornwallfa.com  and he will be happy to clarify any points.

[Flabby Cabbie]

St Pirans East    

Bude

Liskeard Res

Millbrook Res

Polperro 

Saltash Res

Torpoint Res

Morwenstow 

Calstock

North Petherwin

Wadebridge Res

St Stephen

Foxhole Stars

Sticker Res

St Dennis

St Austell Res

Just one team short. The remainder St Piran West everyone's a winner

 

[Dave Deacon]

4 hours ago, Flabby Cabbie said:

St Pirans East    

Bude

Liskeard Res

Millbrook Res

Polperro 

Saltash Res

Torpoint Res

Morwenstow 

Calstock

North Petherwin

Wadebridge Res

St Stephen

Foxhole Stars

Sticker Res

St Dennis

St Austell Res

Just one team short. The remainder St Piran West everyone's a winner

 

Ha!

[Martin Eddy]

Only 7 teams left in the combination league 

 

[cornishteddyboy]

Going over this again have the FA bent their own rules?

On another post John Mead says only 25% may be reserve sides but to quote the above "Of the 16 teams who will comprise the Step 7 League in Cornwall no more than 50% may be reserve teams of clubs competing at Step 6 or above of the National League System."

Does this mean because most of the ECPL is made of Reserve sides they have had to bend this 25% rule because otherwise most of this new step 7 league would be made up of Combo teams and based down West?  

[Richard Rundle]

Yes, there has been a relaxation of the 25% reserve teams rules to enable the new leagues to be set up.

I hope this relaxation is temporary, as the FA do seem to be bent on making everything completely uniform across the country, regardless of different needs in different areas.

[Steve Carpenter]

 

37 minutes ago, Richard Rundle said:

Yes, there has been a relaxation of the 25% reserve teams rules to enable the new leagues to be set up.

I hope this relaxation is temporary, as the FA do seem to be bent on making everything completely uniform across the country, regardless of different needs in different areas.

There has been no relaxation of the rules.  It transpired in discussions with the FA that this was an urban myth and is not laid down anywhere.  We took the decision to limit it to 50% of the league membership.

[We Two]

22 minutes ago, Steve Carpenter said:

It transpired in discussions with the FA that this was an urban myth and is not laid down anywhere.

Ah the good old urban myth, how many other myths do we unwittingly pay homage to in our national game, that are just that, a myth?

[Pitty]

What now happens to the remaining 7 sides in the combination league?

Do they continue with an additional 9 sides from Trelawny Premier or

Is the combo to discontinue and the 9 sides are absorbed into the Trelawny league???

[Adlestrop]

6 hours ago, Steve Carpenter said:

 

There has been no relaxation of the rules.  It transpired in discussions with the FA that this was an urban myth and is not laid down anywhere.  We took the decision to limit it to 50% of the league membership.

Steve

Could you please tell this forum your thoughts that your new League will probably decimate the 4 remaining,  long-standing and proud Leagues in Cornwall.

This,surely can't be something that you are proud of !

[Steve Carpenter]

6 hours ago, Pitty said:

What now happens to the remaining 7 sides in the combination league?

Do they continue with an additional 9 sides from Trelawny Premier or

Is the combo to discontinue and the 9 sides are absorbed into the Trelawny league???

I wouldn't necessarily agree with your maths Neil! With the Combination currently having 19 clubs and working on the hope and assumption that Carharrack survive if 8 clubs move to St Piran that would leave 11 and there are 6 applications from Trelawny to back fill giving 17.  There was always going to be an impact and the Combination Committee was and is aware of it, it's just a matter of degree.  There's a meeting of all 4 recreational leagues at County on Monday to discuss options on the way ahead.  I think the deadline for Step 6 applications is today so the picture at that level will quickly become clearer.  Once that has crystallised we will know what will be needed to form St Piran with 16 and in turn that will indicate what the pull through may be from the list of applicants. 

[Martin Eddy]

As I’ve said before,sides that have applied are afraid of the consequences if they did not join. And having spoken to clubs it has been confirmed 

[Steve Carpenter]

4 hours ago, Adlestrop said:

Steve

Could you please tell this forum your thoughts that your new League will probably decimate the 4 remaining,  long-standing and proud Leagues in Cornwall.

This,surely can't be something that you are proud of !

Firstly it's not 'my' league, the league belongs to the member clubs, which may be a mute point at the moment but a large number have decided to put themselves forward to become founder members.  I'm also not sure that decimate is quite the right term.  Of course there will be an impact on the 4 recreational leagues but they are all well aware that this was likely to be the case.  Whenever there is a re-organisation there always will be knock on effects and let's not forget that this is only small part of a national reorganisation of the National League System.  There's a meeting on Monday with all of these leagues to look at the big picture and the options moving forward.  That meeting will be informed by the outcomes of a meeting between Devon FA/CCFA/Peninsula League/St Piran/Devon Step 7 being held tomorrow.  If the changes were to happen today then the biggest impact would probably be on the Combination League and from that down to Trelawny but a lot can happen between now and the end of the season to change that.  There are a few realities at play here 1. The FA finalising their re-structure of the pyramid system.  2. The Peninsula League at Step 6 operating with only 2 divisions of 20 clubs next season.  3.  The Devon and Cornwall clubs having their own Step 6 divisions.  4.  Essentially the old Peninsula West Division being re-badged as St Piran but without the Devon clubs.  5.  The ongoing contraction of the game despite the best efforts of all involved.

Pride doesn't come into it and only time will tell what the impact will be.  There will be pain to some degree or other of course there will but we have no option other than to deal with the situation that we find ourselves in and make the best of it.  That's certainly my intention and I'm sure it's the same for all of those hard working volunteers in the clubs and leagues having to manage this change.   We have no choice.

[Mr Justice]

1 hour ago, Postman Pat said:

As I’ve said before,sides that have applied are afraid of the consequences if they did not join. And having spoken to clubs it has been confirmed 

Agree with you there Pat, a few clubs know their managers will walk with the players if they don't go up.  Its more of a case of what happens two seasons from now.

[Martin Eddy]

I do genuinely hope it works out. It’s the unknown that is the main worry. When the trelawney league was formed you had meetings to inform all clubs of what this would entail and a good idea where you would start, but this time there are lots of ifs and buts for those teams that have applied. But it’s the leagues below that will have to pick up the pieces. And none of this can be decided until the end of the season. I do feel that all the clubs below the new league have been just cast adrift and will be left to pick up the pieces.

[John Mead]

Under this re-organisation, no clubs will have relegation forced upon them and many will have the opportunity to play at a higher level. The only downside could be extra travel for some - but I'm sure Clubs considered that before applying! Change is not always a negative process - just a different one.

[MattP]

2 minutes ago, John Mead said:

Under this re-organisation, no clubs will have relegation forced upon them and many will have the opportunity to play at a higher level. The only downside could be extra travel for some - but I'm sure Clubs considered that before applying! Change is not always a negative process - just a different one.

Agree, seen as exciting times for many clubs. 

[cornishteddyboy]

Steve Carpenter, a quick question. Is it possible, if you don't eventual end up with 16 sides that you will take the odd one from the Plymouth or West Devon area?

If the answer is yes, does that mean that that Devon team would be stuck in the St Piran or will be shunted East again if a club from a Cornwall wants promotion in the coming seasons?

[Dave Deacon]

44 minutes ago, cornishteddyboy said:

Steve Carpenter, a quick question. Is it possible, if you don't eventual end up with 16 sides that you will take the odd one from the Plymouth or West Devon area?

If the answer is yes, does that mean that that Devon team would be stuck in the St Piran or will be shunted East again if a club from a Cornwall wants promotion in the coming seasons?

Surely this is not a possibility as the league has been promoted as "a new Cornish league at Step 7"

[baldy]

As always, leagues make representations to the FA regarding promotions and club placement. The FA have the final say on all this. Apparently they have been supportive of a “Cornwall Step 7” and it looks highly likely that finding the 12 or so teams will not be a problem. But it will not be set in stone imo. “Never try to second guess the FA” is a good rule to follow.

[Martin Eddy]

Think I asked this question before and was told,and it would seem by the list of applicants that there would be enough interest from Cornish clubs. 

Good luck to the committee and all teams that will start in the new league next season. 

[Steve Carpenter]

 

4 hours ago, cornishteddyboy said:

Steve Carpenter, a quick question. Is it possible, if you don't eventual end up with 16 sides that you will take the odd one from the Plymouth or West Devon area?

If the answer is yes, does that mean that that Devon team would be stuck in the St Piran or will be shunted East again if a club from a Cornwall wants promotion in the coming seasons?

Just returned from a meeting with Devon FA, the Peninsula League and the Devon Step 7 league and this was raised there.  Short answer is no, our membership will be made up of Cornish clubs and Cornish clubs only.  Step 6 will have a 'fuzzy' border but the FA will allocate the teams as they determine.