Our system detected that your browser is blocking advertisements on our site. Please help support Fans Focus by disabling any kind of ad blocker while browsing this site. Thank you.
Jump to content

Time to pull plug on the ESL now ?


Recommended Posts

Think the East London Ethnic League sounds more appropriate nowadays what with names like London APSA, Sporting Bengal, FC Bari, FC Romania, Tower Hamlets & now London Greenhouse. Throw Enfield 1893, Ilford, Clapton & Haringey Borough into the mix & then there's hardly any genuine Essex clubs left.

Think the time for restructuring is long overdue. Instead of merging with the Kent or South East Counties league, the Herts clubs from the SSML should form an Essex & Herts League. Pitch in Hertford, St Margaretsbury, Hoddesdon, Hadley, Colney Heath & London Colney & you would have decent league again.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Name of the league doesn't really suit it anymore, however majority of the so called Essex clubs left in the league aren't exactly flying the flag for Essex football.

 

It's also quite ridiculous that all these tiny counties (relative) have their own football leagues whilst the capital of the country has nothing and teams from the capital are made to feel like they're being done a favour.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I had a couple of seasons in The London Spartan League in the 90's before it merged with the South Midlands. Was a strong standard & came up against some good players & teams. Remember getting a battering from a young Barry Hayles once. Still got the bruises to prove it ! Lol

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think its become abit silly! However, Im not sure what way you are saying essex sides aint flying the flag. Its hard for them when you got teams like London Bari who pay there players alot of money. Teams like Hullbridge dont have a budget to pay there players. Least it was good to see two Essex clubs Burnham and Barkingside go up last season, with Great Wakering just missing out. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

If you lost all the London based sides then there would not be much of a league left!! Could move some down from Thurlow Nunn, ie Brighlingsea, Clacton, Halstead, Braintree Reserves etc.

 

I think the league has lost its way to be honest, it certainly is not the standard on the pitch that it was. Also seems like the only Senior League without a website (Unless I cannot fond it).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Exactly, the standard from when I played & then coached has dipped alarmingly. It hasn't been helped with the likes of Canvey, Concord, Waltham Abbey, Brentwood etc going onto bigger things, but the league hasn't moved with the times or thought outside the box enough. You could merge with the Olympian league, attract teams from Thurlow Nunn or even SSML teams from East Herts like Hertford, Hoddesdon & St Margaretsbury.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There are many things wrong as far as I can see it.  

 

Announcing fixtures only until the end of October smacks of a tin-pot Sunday League outfit.  How can clubs (real clubs not necessarily Clapton) plan or attract sponsors etc.  It is very unhelpful.

 

I have mentioned the very questionable London Bari ground share on here before and the League's complicity with it.  It is now known, from a  source at another ESL club, that at the recent AGM, the Chairman of the ESL was asking around in case members of the Friends of Clapton were present.  Why?

 

A 'Metropolitan' league of clubs around the north and east side of the M25 would be good and, possibly a real Essex League that prevents the likes of Southend Manor having to travel into town at rush hour.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think the league need to think outside the box a little.

 

Friday night fixtures... Early kick offs on a saturday. This would attract more fans. Imagine the crowd a Basildon v Bowers game would get on a Friday night. If it were promoted in the local press.. half price tickets for other clubs season ticket holders etc would attract west ham, arsenal, spurs fans etc

 

Another thing, which is not the league's fault, is to relax the ground grading when crowds are under 100.

 

With so many clubs moving up of late the league was bound to dip but it could be great again. Just needs more self promotion and a little bit of forward thinking

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The kick off idea is a very good one and would certainly benefit Clapton when West Ham are at home.  Early kick off on a Saturday etc for example.

 

In my view, it's not the ground grading that matters, it's the standard of play, club and league organisation and, as you correctly point out, some self promotion and forward thinking.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The league and many of it's clubs do little to attract new fans. You go to a game and all you hear is 2 teams and 2 benches swearing for 90 minutes in grounds that by and large offer very little in the way of facilities. Obviously there are exceptions, however in the main it is poor quality. The last time I walked out of a ESL match I found myself querying the justification of being charged to watch the dross I had witnessed.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Essex Senior League, the clue is in the name,should be comprised of ALL Essex sides of that particular level.

Clubs like Clacton,brightlinsea,Halstead etc should all be pushed south along with any others.

Any club not officially in Essex,should be playing in a equivalent London League.

There are more than enough clubs/Towns etc in East Anglia,basically Suffolk & Norfolk for it not to affect their leagues standing.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You could always move Saffron Walden back over from the Ridgeons too.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You could always move Saffron Walden back over from the Ridgeons too.

 

 

They hate the ESL. Not least because of the travelling, then again, everywhere is a long way from Saffron Walden.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...