Kernow Under 18s League.

[Paul]

St Austell 1v6 St Blazey. Att.220+

Monday night Under 18s football is certainly bringing in the crowds. St Blazey had won both opening home games in front of over 100 on both occasions whilst St Austell had also won two from two going into last nights fixture. 

A great crowd of 220 plus greated both sides for this local derby with plenty of support for both sides. St Blazey two up at half time. 

St Austell pulled one back early in the second half but St Blazey responded straight away and then scored three more. Rio Ward, Harry Hambly among the stand out players. 

For £2 to watch, I recommend making the effort to get out and watch on a Monday night. The future of local football and a good standard as well. 

St Blazey top with three wins from three but a long way to go yet. 

[JJS]

Glad it is going well.  Monday under lights has been a success for the Kernow League u18 , which has always been a difficult league to keep populated with enough teams and to keep competative.    

Do you charge for all Kernow League matches or was it a 1 off as its a local derby?  You'll probably want to keep that quiet or you'll get the registration fee for U18 teams increased next year !!🙂   

[Dave Deacon]

6 hours ago, JJS said:

Do you charge for all Kernow League matches or was it a 1 off as its a local derby?

How else do they pay for the overheads? Lights, ref etc

[JJS]

Dave -  'Bar takings' 

The more considered, even response will take a bit of time to write and I'll post something later.

[Paul]

Some good clubs in the league this year. Clubs were charging £2 and £1 last season. A bargin for a night of local football. Referee's and lights still to pay for. But having football on a Monday night has been a real success and long may it continue. 

[JJS]

Paul - Monday night football has been a success and you're certainly doing it well and glad that the league is still at a good number.  We're sorry not to be able to field a team this year.

When Wendron and yourselves asked the Kernow League last year for permission to play matches on a Monday night, we made no request to charge.  Did you?  Did you get their permission?  I am not aware of any team except yourselves charging parents to watch a Kernow League match.  There is nothing in the rules about charging so there is no minimum and no maximum, because to be honest I don't think it occured to the rule writers that anyone to charge to watch youth football.  Clearly we  rule writers  lacked the imagination to think of it 🙂 

Lets no overblow the costs

Compulsory Cost  - Ref - £28. (U15 to U18 as they are appointed by CCFA - the younger age groups use "refs" who do it for free)

Voluntary Cost  (don't forget we choose to play under lights rather than Sundays) - I don't know what your lights cost but ours at 16 lamps @ 1000W ea  will give cost of 32kWh  for 2hrs so around £10. 

I know how we fund our matches - £2 match subs from players, fines for new tattoos, piercings and bad hair cuts and a contribution from club funds - probably how every team funds its matchday costs.  The lights are a bonus and there to give the players - both home and away a sense of occasion that many will not get again.   It would concern me that a precedent is being set and in future parents will go to Away matches at any age and be asked to pay to watch.

[Dave Deacon]

So are you begrudging a club charge £2?

[JJS]

Not really - if it was a one off Derby and clearly advertized as an entertainment event with the agreement of St Austell to get 200 people through the door. 

But quite frankly if I was an Away Parent turning up to watch a Kernow League match anywhere and someone on the gate asked for £2 I would be upset. If I was the manager of the Away team, I might even ask for half the Gate just like in a FA Vase match !  There are no rules for this in the Kernow League so why not.  

Do we want to go down the road of charging to watch youth football?  

My personal view - Leave the entertainment to County Cup matches and other knock out tournaments.   Put out the best your club has for those matches.  But leave the league to be one of many steps through to adult football, as its hard enough for coaches to manage the process for their players without the spot light of 250lux and 200 eyes.

Put it  into perspective this is youth football, it doesn't matter that its U18 , U16, U15 or U8.  I don't think the league was set up as entertainment, its meant to be a development process.  I know many coaches/managers accross many clubs spend hours agonizing how to get a process that helps as many kids make the transition to adult football and getting the balance for using the U18 league as a stepping stone for those who can and can't make the jump straight to adult football from U16.

[Paul]

We didn't charge last season but others did so followed suit. I see no harm in St Austell charging £2 and £1 for it. No one has complained at all. All the money raised (from all football)is going back into the football and money raised recently has paid for nets and equipment to stop loosing balls, goal nets, signage around the ground to name just a few things which benefit every team from the 1st team to every youth team. 

Nothing is cheap these days, raise a few quid to help improve facilities for players, supporters etc is how a club will improve. Our young players love playing on the main pitch rather than playing on a poor pitch in some random field. 

The kernow league could be a great asset to local football and it should be. Long may the crowds come and watch. 

What your saying is, you want to play the games behind closed doors then. Just parents watching maybe.

How is that going to help players when in years to come they play on front of 200 plus and freeze as they arnt used to it. 

Remember, the crowds are made up with parents, and alot of college students who all want to watch their friends. 

St Blazey players had to put up with other clubs players coming to watch hoping they would loose last season every week. It's how it is. They all want to win. It's healthy. Remember St Blazey have had a few step up already and be involved with the reserves and first team. That's how it should be. 

[JJS]

Fair enough Paul - I think we will just have to agreee to disagree as I think I come at this for a different direction that is not compatible with your view.   

As for playing behind closed doors - those were not my words, but my sentiments would certainly be it should be mainly parents & family watching Kernow League matches. Its was and is not set up to be entertainment.  

Personally I would not exaggerate the benefit of playing in front of large crowds in the youth developement process as the 'good thing' justification. It may benefit some to be 'inoculated' to the crowd, especially those who capable and you intend to fast tracking to your reserves and 1st team.  But equally there are others on the pitch it may scar who need the time & pressure free space (measured in years especially if they are just 16) to improve.  We wonder why so many drop out.  Don't forget a host club knows nothing about the opposition players who turn up.   At Wendron we'll have to start increaing the spectator count at are youth matches to see if improves our performance as at present the only pressure is from the spectator  horse and when Steve Massey comes to watch (sorry for that Steve🙂)

As I said before - leave the high pressure matches to Cup matches and Cup Finals.

 

[Charlie Farley]

Can't believe someone moaning at £2 for adults.

He really needs to take a look at what it costs to run a football club.

[iand]

St Blazey U18’s never charged last season, St Austell did charge £2 & £1 but no idea of the others last season, I see no reason why they shouldn’t.

U15’s and U16’s also playing some of they games at Blaise Park but no charge, and the future looks bright for Blazey.

Thoroughly enjoyed last season watching the U18’s and good to see that some of them are playing regularly for the reserves and maybe some will go on to represent St Blazey at senior level.

 

[silly billy]

22 hours ago, Paul said:

We didn't charge last season but others did so followed suit. I see no harm in St Austell charging £2 and £1 for it. No one has complained at all. All the money raised (from all football)is going back into the football and money raised recently has paid for nets and equipment to stop loosing balls, goal nets, signage around the ground to name just a few things which benefit every team from the 1st team to every youth team. 

Nothing is cheap these days, raise a few quid to help improve facilities for players, supporters etc is how a club will improve. Our young players love playing on the main pitch rather than playing on a poor pitch in some random field. 

The kernow league could be a great asset to local football and it should be. Long may the crowds come and watch. 

What your saying is, you want to play the games behind closed doors then. Just parents watching maybe.

How is that going to help players when in years to come they play on front of 200 plus and freeze as they arnt used to it. 

Remember, the crowds are made up with parents, and alot of college students who all want to watch their friends. 

St Blazey players had to put up with other clubs players coming to watch hoping they would loose last season every week. It's how it is. They all want to win. It's healthy. Remember St Blazey have had a few step up already and be involved with the reserves and first team. That's how it should be. 

Does any of the money taken go towards funding (wages) the 1st team?

[Paul]

No

[John Davies]

5 hours ago, silly billy said:

Does any of the money taken go towards funding (wages) the 1st team?

Indirectly it will.

Any money through the gates will go into overall bank. That money will fund bar staff, kit washing, electric etc. If there’s money coming from elsewhere to fund these, then that frees up more money for the first team. It’s clever business and I’m sure all clubs have external sources of money outside of gate receipts for first team games that help to fund the overall club. 

[D K]

Every Club runs its business affairs differently I am sure, quite why people take such an interest though is beyond me. Focus on the successful and sustainable running of your own Clubs and then perhaps people can share best practice to help one another, as opposed to looking for failings all the time. 

I am the Chairman of the Youth Football Club that has merged with St Blazey AFC this year. We bring 300 Children & Families across 22 teams to the Club so there will of course be a financial benefit of doing that but it is circumstantial and indirect as John Davies points out. We have and will always remain financially independent of one another but we will do our bit to provide a fundraising arm that will see facilities develop in the coming years. That two way street is reciprocated by our U15, U16 & U18 squads playing at Blaise Park, occasionally under lights, food provided etc, etc, in a bid to recreate what they will encounter when they transition into the mens game.

I don't like the insinuation that we run the risk of playing our part towards any drop off rates, just where did last years U16 from Wendron go if they didn't go U18? Our model means that more go into the mens game, we will enter a 3rd XI next year to catch more U16 & U18 players and whilst it is politically correct to say that this is "Youth Football", the governing body allows U16 players to play in the mens game so the transition is sooner than we all care to recognise. I am not fearful of preparing them at U18, they have left school, can ride a moped and smoke but we better not expose them to a large crowd and charge the parents for the experience? Come on now.

I'm not old school by any stretch, we run a tight ship on governance and safeguarding as anyone here that knows our club will confirm, that said however; in the real world when these lads go for their first job interview, they need to know that being second best won't get them the job. We have spent 10 years giving them medals for trying and taking part and they need to know that mens football isn't like that. Attitude, Commitment & Desire need to combine with Ability if they are to transition successfully and they are personally responsible for having their own impact on their final stage of their "Youth" football journey by displaying those traits. We cant hold their hands forever.

Apologies for going off piste slightly, at the end of all this; I think it is a real positive that U18 football is alive and kicking, the forum is for opinion and we won't all agree on the right approach I guess.