Registration Numbers slump for a fifth consecutive season

[Dave Bartlam]

Participation drops for the fifth consecutive season

Participation in the Trelawny League has again dropped for the fifth season in a row.

 

Despite registration numbers climbing above last seasons totals from May through to February, I projected each month (up until February) that The Trelawny League would end the season seeing an increase in Player Registrations and participation. My projection was correct up until last month where the "surge" in Registrations that happens every season (Clubs rushing to get enough players to see out the rest of the seasons) just didn't happen. Whilst we did see an increase in registrations across the season, we actually saw a drop of 32 players from last seasons total (2017/18 - 2477; 2018/19 - 2445).

 

Now, the good news is (which kind of contradicts the above) is that we did actually beat last season's total - We actually had 2483 players register in the League in 2018/19... Unfortunately, the loss of Madron so late in the season meant that the majority of their players did not re-register with other clubs, therefore the end of season total was reduced.

 

The even better news is the fact that the Flexi League has done brilliantly to attract players this season, with over 200 players registering that don't currently play for a Saturday side. If you add that to our total above, it does make for some good reading however, it is a different category of football.

 

One thing that did increase quite a bit was players moving - there were 245 players transferred this season compared to 195 in 2017/18!

 

I am now about to sit through and gather some more stats so that I can actually see how many of the 2445 that ended the season actually kicked a ball.

 

More stats will be with you in the coming days.

 

 

[Richard Chown]

Youth Football, firms forcing Saturday Working, University, multiplayer computer games, village life dying.  The dynamics are changing.  This doesn't include the critical situation CCFA are going to have in 10 years time when there are no volunteers to run clubs anymore.  This is just isn't grassroots adult football it is happening in Rugby and Cricket not helped by the national associations not understanding the effect of top down changes make.

[TheolderIgetthebetterIwas]

16 minutes ago, Richard Chown said:

Youth Football, firms forcing Saturday Working, University, multiplayer computer games, village life dying.  The dynamics are changing.  This doesn't include the critical situation CCFA are going to have in 10 years time when there are no volunteers to run clubs anymore.  This is just isn't grassroots adult football it is happening in Rugby and Cricket not helped by the national associations not understanding the effect of top down changes make.

Well said Richard. 

And add televised football to your list as well.

A lot of today's football supporters are TV football fans, and have never watched a local game in their life...let alone played the game. 

[Pitty]

Rich makes a very pertinent point about the volunteers who make clubs happen - They are the lifeblood of the local game and from what I can see are in a permanent decline with less people being asked to do more.  It won't matter about the decline in players if the stalwarts behind the scenes become more and more frustrated and leave the game for good as the enjoyment factor is no longer there.

[TheolderIgetthebetterIwas]

3 minutes ago, Pitty said:

Rich makes a very pertinent point about the volunteers who make clubs happen - They are the lifeblood of the local game and from what I can see are in a permanent decline with less people being asked to do more.  It won't matter about the decline in players if the stalwarts behind the scenes become more and more frustrated and leave the game for good as the enjoyment factor is no longer there.

Correct.

[countyman]

Stats can tell the truth falsely.... just look at the Duchy fixture last weekend Godolphin v Foxhole.  2 "junior" sides somehow with a combined 126 players registered.... 

 

[Dave Bartlam]

1 hour ago, countyman said:

Stats can tell the truth falsely.... just look at the Duchy fixture last weekend Godolphin v Foxhole.  2 "junior" sides somehow with a combined 126 players registered.... 

 

You look at Culdrose with over 100 players registered... They've failed to raise a side four times this season so far.

The wording thing for me is that lack of participation - the amount of players that have registered for teams but haven't played at all this season. That takes quite a long time to work out using the data I have from Full Time - it'll be an interesting one once I sit down and look Into it 

[John Mead]

48 minutes ago, Keith B said:

The answer to that one will be interesting Dave. Presumably players were keen when they registered but, what happened then, why didn't they play, or where did they go ?

True - and sad also. Not sure what the answer is. Is it that those still coming week after week, just don't want to take on the responsibility ? Lack of any real club loyalty ie, happy to keep coming along, so long as others do all the behind the scenes work. Or something else ?? Interesting - but worrying too.

I could almost write a book on this topic but the long and short of it is that Clubs do not encourage loyalty by continuously appointing managers and signing players from other Clubs. At the end of the day, those individuals end up having no real affiliation to any of the Clubs they have been involved with and so do not join a committee when they "hang up their boots". Unfortunately, the alternative of developing young players from within a Club does not produce the " instant success" everyone seems to demand in today's society.

[TheolderIgetthebetterIwas]

There will not be a lot of football around at local level in 10 years time.

[Chris wells]

I’ve had almost the same players for the last 7 seasons at Aggie 3rds added few new ones here and there , it’s hard work as a manager keeping everyone happy and the kids of today are not like it was when I was young they don’t seem as committed  . I’m hanging my boots up as a manager at the end of this season coz of work on a Saturday its making it harder to get done in time every wk . It’s been great doing Aggie 3rds but it’s time for someone new , 

[cornboy]

On 09/04/2019 at 08:21, TheolderIgetthebetterIwas said:

There will not be a lot of football around at local level in 10 years time.

Well if you made a midweek league played on all the 3G pitches in the area this might help, flex league has been very popular but maybe a more competitive league. 
1hrs games, twice a night, tueday and wednesday in multiple locations, Truro, Penyrn, Penwith, Falmouth, Hayle etc the 3g pitches mean you don't get games cancelled so much in winter.

Or maybe had more Saturday or Sunday morning matches. I think football can take up to much of peoples weekends. 

Football will always be popular just need to find a format that works for the masses and those that are dropping away.

[peggy78]

Would be more interesting to see amount of players who have actually played. Thats the thing. At the start of the season, before anyone signs and you aren't sure who will play and when you sign who you can to make sure you have enough players. We have 29 players left signed for the club (after our departures this season). 5 have played less than 5 games whilst another 2 haven't played at all. 10 of those 29 have not been available for selection for most of the season, so our squad is effectively 19 active players

[Dave Bartlam]

55 minutes ago, peggy78 said:

Would be more interesting to see amount of players who have actually played. Thats the thing. At the start of the season, before anyone signs and you aren't sure who will play and when you sign who you can to make sure you have enough players. We have 29 players left signed for the club (after our departures this season). 5 have played less than 5 games whilst another 2 haven't played at all. 10 of those 29 have not been available for selection for most of the season, so our squad is effectively 19 active players

That stat will be available at the end of the season. There will be hundreds that haven't actually kicked a ball

[Martin Eddy]

I'm one Dave signed on for both teams for the last few years and only came on for the last minute of one game.