Step 6

[Bronco]

I would say that floodlights should not be needed however those without lights should not be allowed home midweek fixtures.  18:00-18:30 kick off penalise too many teams

I agree. Great news that the FA have seen sense but midweeks are never easy, particularly long away trips for 18.00/18.30. On the other hand, however, Worcester Park is as good a place as there is to play even without floodlights.

[Smudge]

Football will never progress at CCL Level due to this decision by the F.A.Over the past 6 years the only sides that have progressed,have made massive strides in improving their facilities,ie Knaphill,Bedfont Sports,South Park,Westfield,Guernsey even, AFC Croydon Athletic(were groundsharing).A lot of hard work has been put in by the Committees of these Clubs,to acquire Grants etc to progress.CB Hounslow will be the next Club to progress,they have planning for a New Complex,and are no longer the whipping boys.The rest of the League has not improved their facilities at all,bar of course Ashford,Windsor,Chertsey,who had their facilities at a higher level.How must teams like Staines Lammas,Warlingham feel,having spent large sums of money to stay at Step 6,when low and behold they need not of bothered,as the FA did a U TURN.Not for the benefits of the Clubs,but to keep their Coffers up of their Leagues.It beggars the question should Step 7 clubs,be allowed promotion to step 6,even though they have no lights,or stands.I think they should,like wise Lammas should be able to return to their Home ground,and stay at Step 6.

[Terrence Collina]

But Lammas moved to Ashford off the back of a couple of successful seasons so that if they finished in a promotion spot again they already had the ground grading to go to the CCL Prem.  The rule was that a groundshare had to be in place before promotion was achieved and could not be put in place afterwards so that a team could go up.

[Smudge]

Accepted Dan,but would they be allowed to go back.But take this year Farleigh and Worcester Park are blockers to Clubs with the grading,who could be promoted.They are both decent sides,whats to say they do not achieve a top 3 position for the next 3 seasons,without any improvements to their Facilities.Likewise can Clubs with lights kick off at 2 pm in the winter months,or 6pm in the latter part of the season,to save them money. 

[Terrence Collina]

All I was saying Peter was that initially Lammas didn't go to Ashford to stay at Step 6, they did it in the hope of going up to Step 5.  

[thevoiceofreason]

It's Ok saying " floodlights shouldn't be needed " but when you've a lot of games to fit in at the business end of the season, you are either struggling to get sides out because of early evening kick offs and player availability or later kick offs meaning you can't start playing until later in the season.

 

" We don't need lights" some might say...which if you have a good pitch and are blessed with good weather all season is probably true...but if you're not, they will certainly come in handy.

[Dave Powell]

It's Ok saying " floodlights shouldn't be needed " but when you've a lot of games to fit in at the business end of the season, you are either struggling to get sides out because of early evening kick offs and player availability or later kick offs meaning you can't start playing until later in the season.

 

" We don't need lights" some might say...which if you have a good pitch and are blessed with good weather all season is probably true...but if you're not, they will certainly come in handy.

Very true VoR. I've played and managed in games with 6.30 kick offs and its a nightmare, especially if you have to travel any sort of distance.

 

As for blocking other clubs route to a higher division, that's not even an argument. You finish where you deserve to across a season and if you're not good enough, you're not good enough. The fact you have lights or not is irrelevant in a league where you don't have to have lights.

 

I don't know the full story on why clubs like Warlingham and Staines Lammas groundshared, but I'm guessing it's because they wanted to progress at the time, as others have said. Maybe Ellers can shed some light on the future for Lammas, but I see no reason why they wouldn't go back to Laleham now? Certainly save themselves a lot of money - a few grand I'd have thought. My thoughts are that the league should take in one or two other clubs, who have finished high enough in their respective divisions to swell div 1 now they can. You can almost see next season being 22 and 20 clubs now and no one thought that would be the case a few weeks back. Personally I think it's all looking rosy.

[ellers]

Did Warlingham try to stay in the CCL after they finished there ground share? If so what was the reasons the league and FA gave for denying them to play at there home ground, was it lights or distance from the pitch.

[Smudge]

Very true VoR. I've played and managed in games with 6.30 kick offs and its a nightmare, especially if you have to travel any sort of distance.

 

As for blocking other clubs route to a higher division, that's not even an argument. You finish where you deserve to across a season and if you're not good enough, you're not good enough. The fact you have lights or not is irrelevant in a league where you don't have to have lights.

 

I don't know the full story on why clubs like Warlingham and Staines Lammas groundshared, but I'm guessing it's because they wanted to progress at the time, as others have said. Maybe Ellers can shed some light on the future for Lammas, but I see no reason why they wouldn't go back to Laleham now? Certainly save themselves a lot of money - a few grand I'd have thought. My thoughts are that the league should take in one or two other clubs, who have finished high enough in their respective divisions to swell div 1 now they can. You can almost see next season being 22 and 20 clubs now and no one thought that would be the case a few weeks back. Personally I think it's all looking rosy.

 

The only thing that is rosy is for lower reach Premier Clubs,who only have to finish off the bottom,to stay where they are.

[thevoiceofreason]

The only thing that is rosy is for lower reach Premier Clubs,who only have to finish off the bottom,to stay where they are.

Did any one say "play offs"?....That wasn't serious, I promise.

[Dave Powell]

Not for the three div 1 clubs that would have been relegated Smudge?

[VPCTFC]

My thoughts are that the league should take in one or two other clubs, who have finished high enough in their respective divisions to swell div 1 now they can. You can almost see next season being 22 and 20 clubs now and no one thought that would be the case a few weeks back. Personally I think it's all looking rosy.

 

They can't take in more clubs. Promotion from step 7 to step 6 is unchanged. Maximum of one up from each step 7 league and the team must finish in the top five and have an 'H' ground grading.

On that subject - Horsley have been given planning permission for floodlights. They just need the money to buy them. They haven't applied for promotion though so won't be coming up this year. Maybe next year?

[ellers]

Lammas left Laleham to ground share at Ashford as we wanted to go up, but unfortunately we have not been able to produce a side that can finish in the top three since moving there, I was not there at the time and I believe that we thought we would get the lights at Laleham eventually, but that is not to be so far and does not look likely in the near future.

[Dave Powell]

They can't take in more clubs. Promotion from step 7 to step 6 is unchanged. Maximum of one up from each step 7 league and the team must finish in the top five and have an 'H' ground grading.

On that subject - Horsley have been given planning permission for floodlights. They just need the money to buy them. They haven't applied for promotion though so won't be coming up this year. Maybe next year?

They'll definitely apply next season VP.

 

Re the number of teams, that was my point. We could have a 20 team div 1 again next season.

[Terrence Collina]

surely Warlingham's ground problem was that the pitch was roped off rather than a fixed barrier?

[Big J R]

I really interesting debate, AND without any 'slagging-off'.

 

Long may it continue.

[ellers]

Terence Collina the pitch that Warlingham play on now is a long distance from the club house, and has no barrier, so you may be right.

Edited February 28, 2015 by ellers