SWPL screw over the East & West Divs as predicted.

[Guest The Judge aka RED OR DEAD]

I have it on very good authority, that the SWPL are to allow the Prem sides whose facilites do not meet the required standard, an extra year to do so !

I have no doubt that the SWPL think it is a good idea. However, going back on your word or in this case a league ruling, just smacks of favouritism for the Prem sides (most of whom are Devon based). If these clubs have failed or not even bothered to upgrade their grounds in the 2 year timescale allowed, WHY should they be given more time ?.

[Torpoint Imp]

I appreciate your sentiments mate, but I don't think its as straight forward as club's not bothering.

We started the ball rolling before securing the final qualifying place on the last day of the last SWL season.

It was only 3-4 weeks ago that we received confirmation of the final piece of funding.

Its taken over 18 months to get through planning & red tape etc.

I think Witheridge are in a similar position with the their hold ups being similar to our own.

Cullompton have received an offer of funding, so cannot be accused of doing nothing.

Ivybridge, with more to achieve than most, have recently received a substantial offer of funding, so have a committee working hard to progress.

Buckland and Dartmouth both put up floodlights in the close season.

Would you rather these clubs be relegated and not given the chance to bring their facilities up to the standard of the old SWL teams??

Don't forget the Devon League was relatively young in its own right.

Perhaps Phil H or Mark H could update everyone as to which clubs currently fall behind the facility standard, and how they are progressing.

[Dave Deacon]

If you should get any official response on this Forum, regrettably it won't be from Phil as he is no longer a member. :mellow:

[Mike Odgers]

Cullompton have been up and running with lights for quite a few seasons.

[Guest Ian]

I think that if clubs ask the FA for more time to bring there grounds up to date they will allow it.

[Torpoint Imp]

Cullompton have been up and running with lights for quite a few seasons.

I appreciate that Mike, but other improvements are planned, hence their recent grant approval by the FA.

[John Mead]

I think you will find that any extra time given to Clubs is as a result of the Football Association's delay in publishing the new ground grading critria for Step 6 Leagues. I believe the SWPL Rules were written around an early F.A. draft proposal - which has since seen quite a few changes and is still not finalised! Until the final details are published, it would be difficult to relegate teams for not having the correct facilities when no-one knows exactly what they are!

We should all be congratulating those Clubs who have made - or are about to make - major improvements to their facilities, rather than knocking the League for something beyond their control!

[Torpoint Imp]

This may answer your question Mark

http://www.swpleague.co.uk/swpforum/viewtopic.php?t=1030

timescale for improvements now March 2010

[Guest The Judge aka RED OR DEAD]

I appreciate that some clubs have put in a lot of time and effort to obtain the funding etc. What puzzles me, is that with 6 months still to go, why has the decision been made now. Have one or more Devon sides asked for more time ? The info I received, is that The FA did not stipulate that the Prem Div had to be a certain standard, it was the SWPL who set the standard and the original date, and have now moved the goalposts, so to speak.

In answer to a PM and possibly linked to my complaint, yes, Newquay fans are missing the trips to Blazey, Falmouth, Torpoint etc... Whilst we may not have been the most popular of visitors, we certainly boosted gate numbers. Unfortuantely, Mousehole, Vospers and Wendron away do not hold the same appeal for some of our lot, although there were about 30 of us at St Austell. Shame really, we have invested in new flags which most grounds in the West Div cannot handle !!!

[Dave Deacon]

Judge

I think us old cynics always guessed that somehow, come the end of the initial allowed period for completing the improvements, somehow we couldn't see any clubs being demoted could we?

It's just very convenient to use the FA directive to extend the time!

[Torpoint Imp]

I know I'm biased here, because the reorganisation of the pyramid and Torpoint's advancement to Step 6 gave us renewed enthusiasm and opened up funding to enable us to acheive what we believed was not possible.

I do not see any conspiracy.

If I've got it right the ground requirements were not decided by the FA or the SWPL alone. When the FA wanted 17 Step 6 leagues nationally. I would imagine all of those leagues looked at it jointly, looked at Step 5 requirements and came up with a grading to set step 6 apart from step 7.

Look at the bigger picture. 17 leagues with an average of 18 teams. A lot of clubs to find funding for.

There must have been a lot of teams with work to do because the "ring fenced" pot of cash was massively over subscribed. Hence the delay to complete our own work.

Its therefore no surprise that deadlines were going to be extended.

There seems to be some unwarrented sniping at the SWPL from some Cornish Clubs, im my opinion totally unjustified. The new league is here, any clubs not happy, move to Step 7 for more locally based football.

[J MILLER]

First and foremost a league should be made up of the best teams by playing standard and not facilities. Therefore the argument is that the league are right to take the stance they have. However they have just removed a big chunk of their credibility and sets a dangerous precedent, that could spill oiver into other areas. One thing that we will never know is that if there was a whole host of devon clubs chomping at the bit to get into the league and a bulk of Cornish sides weren't up to scratch would the same lenient approach be taken!!!! :c:

[blackie]

We were gutted at Wadebridge when we didn't make the new league as it was the first time in 5 seasons that we were out of the top 8 in the SW league, and due to certain circumstances we had a bad season.

When i spoke to Phil at the beginning of last season i asked him the very question of what would happen to teams whose facilities were not up to scratch within 2 seasons and he told me they would be relagated. We were lucky enough to win the league and be promoted at the first attempt but each year it will get harder as we have seen this year the west is stronger. I feel that it is going to be a lot more difficult for teams from west cornwall to play in the premier league with all the extra expenses etc.

[derek martyn]

Never mind Judge, at least you get to visit Godolphin this season !!

[Guest The Judge aka RED OR DEAD]

I am overcome with joy at the thought of visiting the pub team Derek, lets get Boxing Day out of the way first. The local derby is one of those games that as a fan, you actually dread, it will either make or break my Xmas !

I think that Dave Deacon hit the nail on the head, perhaps we shouldn't have been surprised with the decision the SWPL have made. This was not a directive from The FA, it is a SWPL decision and one that should not have been allowed without the full support of all member clubs.

Oh well, our next away match has nothing to do with the SWPL, we head east to visit Duchy 1 side, St Dominick in the CSC 2nd Rd, a new ground for us at least.

I am overcome with joy at the thought of visiting the pub team Derek, lets get Boxing Day out of the way first. The local derby is one of those games that as a fan, you actually dread, it will either make or break my Xmas !

I think that Dave Deacon hit the nail on the head, perhaps we shouldn't have been surprised with the decision the SWPL have made. This was not a directive from The FA, it is a SWPL decision and one that should not have been allowed without the full support of all member clubs.

Oh well, our next away match has nothing to do with the SWPL, we head east to visit Duchy 1 side, St Dominick in the CSC 2nd Rd, a new ground for us at least.

[Kettle]

Fact is Judge you're a fan of a club who missed their chance in the qualifying season, as did a number of others.

Get over it and stop blaming the league, no conspiracy, just a well organised group of people with the sport and the improvement of standards of local football at the forefront of their minds.

All the best!!

NB Apologies for any offence caused by original wording of this post - SD

[Guest]

It seems you must have had a few as you keep repeating yourself. Surely the objext of the exercise is to have the best teams in the right leagues. If as it seems to be that the SWPL hagve thought of the clubs first because of the delay in the FA's response then that has to be good for local football in Devon and Cornwall. Stop looking for things that are not there.

[NORTH DEVON DWELLER]

JUDGE IF YOUR TEAM ARE NOT GOOD ENOUGH TO FINISH IN A BERTH THAT PROMOTES YOU THEN WHY SHOULD YOU BE ALLOWED TO PROGRESS ON A TECHNICALITY? I CAN TELL YOU NOW AS A COMMITEE MEMBER AT WITHERIDGE THAT OUR LIGHTS WILL BE IN PLACE BEFORE THE START OF NEXT SEASON AND THE REST OF OUR GROUND ALREADY MEETS STANDARDS SO DONT LOOK AT US AS ONE OF THE TEAMS YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO THINK OF AS REPLACING WITH YOUR WESTERN DIVISION MID TABLE SIDE :SM_carton: