St Dennis avoid relagation.

[Rjw87]

 

Important Announcement

The FA have reprieved @StDennisAFC1 from relegation due to a vacancy in the national lge system, they are placed back in the 22/23 Premier West constitution

We welcome them back to the fold, and also note our appreciation to FA NLS staff
@jamesdearl

[Gary Hocking]

Excellent news (and I assume this means Holsworthy back to Peninsula East too)

[Buckland Jim]

16 minutes ago, GaryHocking said:

Excellent news (and I assume this means Holsworthy back to Peninsula East too)

Correct, confirmed by SWPL Twitter feed. 

[MattP]

Good on them. Did a huge amount of work to get to the level they have from the Duchy League and have transformed the ground through hard work. Hopefully they can turn around their fortunes on the pitch too. 

[Glen Patterson]

Right decision, good bunch of lads, put a hell of lot of money in to their facilities while other teams have been paying players. They deserve another chance. 

[Quiet Man]

Great news. Really pleased for them. 

[Thomas mcabe]

Great news !!

Best wishes to all the lads and committee for the new upcoming season.

 

[Ian Pethick]

1 hour ago, Glen Patterson said:

Right decision, good bunch of lads, put a hell of lot of money in to their facilities while other teams have been paying players. They deserve another chance. 

Right decision by the FA. Now to make sure that they're not back in the same boat in a year's time.

[Martin Eddy]

Great to see a sensible decision for a change, hard work has been recognised 

 

[RAPPO]

Be surprised if you find anyone not delighted for St.Dennis! Lovely people at the club doing things the right way, as Glen said improving the facilities ahead of paying players big money. Got to commend that and they fully deserve to be playing in the SWPL West again next season. Really difficult area to pick up quality players with big clubs like St.Blazey and St.Austell just down the road and also another club who do things the right way with superb facilities Sticker. Add to that really ambitious clubs like Foxhole and Nanpean it’s always going to be slightly difficult to compete. Think Mr Phil H might have put a few words in a few FA ears as well but definitely the right outcome in the end that no doubt Holsworthy will be pleased about as well! Great news 👍⚽️👏🏼

[We Two]

Good luck from us to St Dennis who appear to be doing things the right way and developing their facilities that will accommodate a great enviroment for players and supporters alike.
We have long advocated the need for clubs to look after their supporters needs, as their money spent at a match is the lifeblood of a clubs existence.
Support is the foundation of any club reflected in the welcoming comments made on this forum towards the incoming Falmouth supporters to their grounds, and their financial input in the clubhouse.
Well done St Dennis, you are now back in the fold and have the opportunity to follow the improvements off the field, and concentrate on improvements within the group of players if that is how you see the way forward.

[Easterfield]

On 23/05/2022 at 18:58, GaryHocking said:

Excellent news (and I assume this means Holsworthy back to Peninsula East too)

I suspect the key thing for Holsworthy isn't so much the distance from base to each away game - which is usually substantial which ever way you go - but where the players live. Holsworthy is a small place (not much more than 3,000 people) so, even if there's a good number of very local players, it's unlikely to be enough. Players may come from Bude and Launceston but I'm guessing just as likely from anywhere in an arc from North Devon to further down into the county.  It really is one of the most 'far-flung' of small towns.   

Not sure if it's yet apparent why St Dennis have been repreieved. Either there's admittal of a mistake (but probably not worded as such) - and St Dennis become the  extra 'club 341' (as earlier defined by Richard Rundle) -  or there's the ripple effect of something happening far away. Not that it matters to them too much.

 

 

[Buckland Jim]

12 minutes ago, Easterfield said:

I suspect the key thing for Holsworthy isn't so much the distance from base to each away game - which is usually substantial which ever way you go - but where the players live. Holsworthy is a small place (not much more than 3,000 people) so, even if there's a good number of very local players, it's unlikely to be enough. Players may come from Bude and Launceston but I'm guessing just as likely from anywhere in an arc from North Devon to further down into the county.  It really is one of the most 'far-flung' of small towns.   

Not sure if it's yet apparent why St Dennis have been repreieved. Either there's admittal of a mistake (but probably not worded as such) - and St Dennis become the  extra 'club 341' (as earlier defined by Richard Rundle) -  or there's the ripple effect of something happening far away. Not that it matters to them too much.

Apparently an as yet unnamed Step 6 club resigning from their league causing the vacancy. 

[Easterfield]

A vacancy elsewhere - caused by a club being removed or dropping out - would make it exactly as Richard Rundle called it a week or so ago - St Dennis as 'club 341' and first in line for a spare place in a 340 club system. Nothing to do with an appeal or individual merit although I'm sure both club and league played a blinder in putting forward a good case.

There's always a lot of speculation online - especially on the Non League Matters website - about this type of thing. Some of it goes around in circles and you wonder if there are people far more interested in next season's football than anything to do with this season. But, in the absence of official updates and too much media attention, discussion amongst followers of the game can be helpful in making clubs aware. Plus, of course, savvy club and league officials. Mr Hiscox, it strikes me, knows what's going on all over place.

[Gary Hocking]

1 hour ago, Easterfield said:

There's always a lot of speculation online - especially on the Non League Matters website - about this type of thing. Some of it goes around in circles and you wonder if there are people far more interested in next season's football than anything to do with this season.

(I think the term “pyramidistas” sums them up quite nicely even though I know they hate being called that.)

I suspect it’s six of one and half a dozen of the other when it comes to the FA & St Dennis - I think the FA knew they’d badly screwed up both the (Herefordshire) Wellington situation and the promotion of the two non-NLS London clubs, both St Dennis and Mr Hiscox clearly did solid work lobbying the FA, and as a result the FA were looking for any straw to clutch when it came to reprieving St Dennis that wouldn’t involve backing down and admitting their mistakes.

Whatever the reasons, a decision to celebrate and let’s hope both St Dennis teams can turn it around on the pitch next season.  

[Old bloke up town]

15 hours ago, RAPPO said:

Be surprised if you find anyone not delighted for St.Dennis! Lovely people at the club doing things the right way, as Glen said improving the facilities ahead of paying players big money. Got to commend that and they fully deserve to be playing in the SWPL West again next season. Really difficult area to pick up quality players with big clubs like St.Blazey and St.Austell just down the road and also another club who do things the right way with superb facilities Sticker. Add to that really ambitious clubs like Foxhole and Nanpean it’s always going to be slightly difficult to compete. Think Mr Phil H might have put a few words in a few FA ears as well but definitely the right outcome in the end that no doubt Holsworthy will be pleased about as well! Great news 👍⚽️👏🏼

Completely agree with this. St Dennis are a fantastic club the amount of hard work that goes on behind the scenes is second to none. I wish them well for the season ahead.

[Charlie Farley]

Well done to everyone at St Dennis. Have always had a good welcome there and it's a great family orientated club.

Charlie Farley, Penzance afc secretary

 

[cornish leg end]

Excellent news for the club they fully deserve to be in the top league. Amazing facilities, great hard working committee and locals that always turn up and support. With out people like @davegroseit wouldn’t be possible. Hopefully as a club both teams will be stronger next year. 

[davegrose]

18 hours ago, cornish leg end said:

Excellent news for the club they fully deserve to be in the top league. Amazing facilities, great hard working committee and locals that always turn up and support. With out people like @davegroseit wouldn’t be possible. Hopefully as a club both teams will be stronger next year. 

Cheers jay we're going forward that's for sure.

[davegrose]

9 minutes ago, davegrose said:

Cheers jay we're going forward that's for sure,the committee do a lot of unpaid work mate it's not just me lol

 

[Easterfield]

On 24/05/2022 at 10:46, GaryHocking said:

(I think the term “pyramidistas” sums them up quite nicely even though I know they hate being called that.)

I suspect it’s six of one and half a dozen of the other when it comes to the FA & St Dennis - I think the FA knew they’d badly screwed up both the (Herefordshire) Wellington situation and the promotion of the two non-NLS London clubs, both St Dennis and Mr Hiscox clearly did solid work lobbying the FA, and as a result the FA were looking for any straw to clutch when it came to reprieving St Dennis that wouldn’t involve backing down and admitting their mistakes.

 

"Pyramidistas", indeed, and they've yet to spot the reason for St Dennis's reprieve.  Pretty certain too it's only Phil Hiscox who has said anything official when he announcied the club's reinstatement.

Not that it matters much but all three possibilities appear to remain. One, the FA has tacitly admitted its mistake (without need for the appeal to progress) but isn't saying. Two, St Dennis have won their appeal but it's not being presented in those terms. Three, the vacancy will soon appear thanks to a club somewhere else leaving the National League System.

My guess is that eventually, one way or the other, something will happen elsewhere and there will be no more than 340 clubs at step 6 when the season starts. That's the way it always appears to be.

We know that none of this stuff is headline news nor that it affects many people. It's not going to knock the Champions League out of the headlines and, in many parts of the country, even the local media shows little interest much below steps 3 and 4. But, nonetheless, the FA could do a bit more in clarifying matters as they arise. It often seems as if it's all designed to be a mystery. It can even come across as a convenience to maintain the fiction that individual leagues still have more power than they actually do. It takes effort on behalf of the average punter to realise it's actually quite different to that.

 

[cornish leg end]

19 hours ago, davegrose said:

 

You’ve been there years now. Not many people in football anymore that do that. Think the east Cornwall league will do the younger players the world of good. I’ve just had results back that in cancer free now after nearly two years so I might come over for preseason if welcome 😅 

[davegrose]

1 hour ago, cornish leg end said:

You’ve been there years now. Not many people in football anymore that do that. Think the east Cornwall league will do the younger players the world of good. I’ve just had results back that in cancer free now after nearly two years so I might come over for preseason if welcome 😅 

Well done on being cancer free mate

[Mark Jones]

Great news for St Dennis. 

[Easterfield]

On 24/05/2022 at 08:19, Buckland Jim said:

Apparently an as yet unnamed Step 6 club resigning from their league causing the vacancy. 

A poster on Non League Matters is saying he's been told by an Eastern Counties League official that it was the resignation of the University of East Anglia fom step 6 football that created the vacancy for St Dennis to be repreived. That also allowed two other teams in East Anglia to switch divisions in the same manner as Holsworthy. If that's the case you could call it an example of Chaos Theory in operation.

[Richard Rundle]

That's correct - is was UEA leaving the Eastern Counties League that created the vacancy. It was known about by a few people but was under embargo until the end of the playing season on May 31.

[Dave Deacon]

9 minutes ago, Richard Rundle said:

That's correct - is was UEA leaving the Eastern Counties League that created the vacancy. It was known about by a few people but was under embargo until the end of the playing season on May 31.

Why the embargo Richard?

[Easterfield]

Without having any idea about an embargo myself, and having previously said the FA could do more to keep people informed,  I can see that expecting "small" leagues (possibly with just a single paid employee) to frequently update may not always be a fair expectation. The important thing here was that St Dennis were told pretty much immediately. Then the Eastern Counties League needed to consult clubs about switching sections; something that was duly resolved in just over a week. 

Job done even if the curiosity of people who are interested in the whys and wherefores was clearly stirred for a few days. Initially "informed" opinion focussed on an exceedingly dodgy-looking "merger" in Yorkshire. That was eventually ruled offside as it happens.   There have been other reprieves since St Dennis and more may be in the pipeline.

Since half-facetiously using the expression "Chaos Theory" earlier I've found this definition:

"the branch of mathematics that deals with complex systems whose behaviour is highly sensitive to slight changes in conditions, so that small alterations can give rise to strikingly great consequences".

I guess it was a "strikingly great consequence" for St Dennis.