The Silly Season

[Uwdi Krugg]

The tinkering, fads and fashion of modern football continually eat away at the game we once held dear.

Even the humble perimeter of the SWPL has seen evidence of the disease.

This isn't about players in silver boots or certain individuals habitually flopping on the floor like they've been shot, it's about a ridiculous imbalance in the league and the emergence of significant hammerings.

Initially we went along with odd ball early season heavy defeats and beatings, the shallow theory being that new clubs needed time to adjust from their usual level of football. Hierarchy reasoning in local media explained the odd 8 nil annihilation was a price well worth paying for generic lower league restructuring?

Here we are well into the season and Newquay have just thumped St Dennis 9-1. Few of us bat an eyelid anymore because it's simply become what's expected.

A once proud league providing vibrant inter county fixtures between Cornwall and Devon, which generally ensured a reasonably level playing field, now finds itself segregated and leaking reputation.

The New Age FA Designed South West Peninsula League West (and East) has become split between hardship-imposed bargain bin sides who struggle to honour midweek away games and half a dozen externally bank rolled clubs who can't wait to ship out to the Western League (with the exception of Bodmin Town of course).

Yes the modern football philosophy currently spewing into our non league tributaries has certainly had an effect. Sadly the impact is witnessing not just normal spectators getting disillusioned, the farce is also demotivating a growing numbers of players and officials.

Welcome to the eccentric world of playground dinner time score lines. 

All for the good of the game. 

[TheolderIgetthebetterIwas]

I'm a believer it will level itself out, couple of  years maybe? 

We'll see

[Ian Pethick]

22 minutes ago, TheolderIgetthebetterIwas said:

I'm a believer it will level itself out, couple of  years maybe? 

We'll see

But level up, or level down? In a few years time clubs such as Helston ,Saltash and even Mousehole may well be plying their trade at step 5 level. Who replaces them?

[Mr Justice]

21 minutes ago, Way Of The Park said:

But level up, or level down? In a few years time clubs such as Helston ,Saltash and even Mousehole may well be plying their trade at step 5 level. Who replaces them?

Those teams will not take promotion

[deancourt]

It all comes down to the total number of SWPL-level  players that are available. If more players can come through and make the grade then the future is bright for the league. Otherwise you will only get "sunday morning"  standard at the lower end of the league.

[Hetty]

38 minutes ago, Mr Justice said:

Those teams will not take promotion

Promotion is Mandatory to the League Champions so sooner or later they will have no choice

[Marcus Grose]

Dare I say there's the possibility of games being thrown to avoid the top spot therefore avoiding promotion ?

[Bobjfh]

Personally - I think that 5-6 or the SWPL West could play in the Western Prem and a couple of the SWPL East could make the step. Simple fact is it comes down to money, commitment and player quality. Some teams have the money but very few (if any) have the current players who are of the right standard willing to commit to the travelling - if they had they would be playing there already.  Whilst clubs are prepared to pay excessive amount to players to play in this league it will remain.  

If all clubs in the County capped their spending to a set amount (zero below Step 7) - players would play for clubs out of loyalty. Those players who wanted / ‘deserved’ more money would move up. I know it won’t / can’t happen but until individual stop or are stopped paying stupid amounts there will continue to be great imbalances in the league(s).  

Things did need to change but I do fear the underlying problems remain. 

[Ian Pethick]

57 minutes ago, Monsoon said:

Dare I say there's the possibility of games being thrown to avoid the top spot therefore avoiding promotion ?

Bodmin 4 Camelford 6 ( Bodmin 4-1 up with 20 minutes to go)

[Marcus Grose]

8 minutes ago, Way Of The Park said:

Bodmin 4 Camelford 6 ( Bodmin 4-1 up with 20 minutes to go)

Bugger off 😃

[Ian Pethick]

14 minutes ago, Monsoon said:

Bugger off 😃

I am joking of course. Rumours of strange betting patterns in the Bodmin branch of Ladbrokes have been discounted.

[Marcus Grose]

9 minutes ago, Way Of The Park said:

I am joking of course. Rumours of strange betting patterns in the Bodmin branch of Ladbrokes have been discounted.

 

[Guzzvaliant]

On 16/10/2019 at 10:21, Uwdi Krugg said:

The tinkering, fads and fashion of modern football continually eat away at the game we once held dear.

Even the humble perimeter of the SWPL has seen evidence of the disease.

This isn't about players in silver boots or certain individuals habitually flopping on the floor like they've been shot, it's about a ridiculous imbalance in the league and the emergence of significant hammerings.

Initially we went along with odd ball early season heavy defeats and beatings, the shallow theory being that new clubs needed time to adjust from their usual level of football. Hierarchy reasoning in local media explained the odd 8 nil annihilation was a price well worth paying for generic lower league restructuring?

Here we are well into the season and Newquay have just thumped St Dennis 9-1. Few of us bat an eyelid anymore because it's simply become what's expected.

A once proud league providing vibrant inter county fixtures between Cornwall and Devon, which generally ensured a reasonably level playing field, now finds itself segregated and leaking reputation.

The New Age FA Designed South West Peninsula League West (and East) has become split between hardship-imposed bargain bin sides who struggle to honour midweek away games and half a dozen externally bank rolled clubs who can't wait to ship out to the Western League (with the exception of Bodmin Town of course).

Yes the modern football philosophy currently spewing into our non league tributaries has certainly had an effect. Sadly the impact is witnessing not just normal spectators getting disillusioned, the farce is also demotivating a growing numbers of players and officials.

Welcome to the eccentric world of playground dinner time score lines. 

All for the good of the game. 

In fairness Uwdi we didn’t expect anything else did we?  

Generally the cream rises to the top ergo,  last season the better players / teams  were playing in one step 6 SW Peninsular Premier League.  The FA drive the restructuring and we have to split that standard of players / clubs across two leagues and allow the new teams and players coming in time to grow, learn, kick-on and rise to the requisite football level required at step 6; or not.  We aren’t even halfway through the season, it takes some professional teams half a season to find their way when they step up and some still haven’t after a whole season.

I personally think we should be applauding the bravery and pride of the teams that have risen to the challenge of supporting the new structure, taking that step up and continuing to play on the back of some hammering,  whilst keeping their sense of humour intact.  Without them we may have risked SW football oblivion and not meeting the FA directives.  Give them time they will settle and hopefully we’ll have a thriving step 6 and moving towards a Devon, Cornwall (and fringes of Somerset) step 5!

 

 

[Del Boy]

On 16/10/2019 at 11:10, Mr Justice said:

Those teams will not take promotion

I beg to differ, why wouldn’t they take promotion?