8th-10th April Matches

[Redrup No2]

Really? Well done Spelly!! Lol!

[LisaHPhotog]

How is anyone even sure of that. Surely if we're told 3 up then that's what we should play for and how it should be.

 

Has there been any further news? Clubs will be looking for compensation I think if this silliness is true.

 

The amount of money and hard work that's gone into our season (and of course the other clubs who've gone for grading's/promotion etc) should really be compensated back to us all frankly if this rumour is true.

 

It's simply unacceptable IMHO to expect volunteer clubs at our level to pay all this money and time out under false pretences.

 

I think the very least we deserve from the FA is some kind of clarity.

 

Oh wait. They're too busy using clubs as cash cows with their ridiculous fines regime.

 

(My personal opinions here and not that officially of the club before I get a prospective fine for slating the FA)

[Redrup No2]

Would be harsh on clubs like Knaphill and Eversley who have busted a gut to get the ground grading up to date

[Green_Fingers]

How is anyone even sure of that. Surely if we're told 3 up then that's what we should play for and how it should be.

 

Has there been any further news? Clubs will be looking for compensation I think if this silliness is true.

 

The amount of money and hard work that's gone into our season (and of course the other clubs who've gone for grading's/promotion etc) should really be compensated back to us all frankly if this rumour is true.

 

It's simply unacceptable IMHO to expect volunteer clubs at our level to pay all this money and time out under false pretences.

 

I think the very least we deserve from the FA is some kind of clarity.

 

Oh wait. They're too busy using clubs as cash cows with their ridiculous fines regime.

 

(My personal opinions here and not that officially of the club before I get a prospective fine for slating the FA)

 

Thyey're not false pretences Lisa - Lazurus has warned on several occasions - most recently in the thread from Sat 22nd March in response to a post from E&E viz:

 

 

"Seen a couple of people refer to some sort of rumour regarding only one coming up from Step Six. Complete rubbish. If more clubs are relegated to this area then the extremities will be moved to other Step Five Leagues, Croydon, Wembley Alton, Horley etc. The same number of clubs are coming down as usual. Just because it's in our area doesn't mean that successful Step Six clubs will be penalised, especially when the Kent League has 17 clubs and the Sussex League has 20. All three will come up if their grounds are up to it."

 

I suspect that you may well be right about numbers for next season.  It is a fact though that were we to have more clubs relegated to us than are promoted to Step 4, which is only likely to be one, and nothing else happens, then the number of clubs coming up from Division One could suffer.

 

It is right in my view that clubs at or near the top of Division One should at least be aware of the possibility, however unlikely, and I certainly would not be sufficiently confident enough myself as to describe the possibility as rubbish.

[E&E Rich]

Match Report is here: http://www.eefconline.co.uk/LCN52.html

 

An unfortunate night for the Salts as we hit the underside of the bar in the first half and should have had a penalty and red card for a keeper's shirt pull when our player had got around him. Then we conceded to a good long range strike with 16 remaining.

 

Cove are a decent side, but on this occasion, I felt we were better over the ninety minutes. Doesn't always work like that though, I'm well aware!

 

 

Just to re-enter the debate about clubs up from Step Six, even lazarus says the possibility is unlikely so where B and F has got their information from I am unsure.

 

I stand by what I said a couple of weeks back and in addition, totally agree with Lisa that these things should be crystal clear at the start of the season. With clubs folding higher up this season, there can only be more spaces available, not less, indeed more have folded / resigned since this was discussed on 22nd March, and I'm absolutely certain that we'll see all three promoted clubs moved up. Or else, what is the point in saying there is three up in the first place? The only reason a club should fail to come up is on its ground grading.

[LisaHPhotog]

I hear you GF but it does feel like false pretences. On one hand the league (rightly) are saying three go up. On the other the FA have us all by the proverbial balls with the spectre of only 1 or 2 going up. It's total nonsense and no one knows whether they are coming or going.

 

Imagine if spelthorne weren't doing as well as they are and were looking at 2/3 place. Look at the massive amount they've done to get their ground up to grade. Huge new stand, floodlights etc etc. That isn't cheap!

 

We're lucky at Knaphill as we had a lot is stuff in place already such as floodlights. Others have had to spend way more money!

 

It simply isn't right that you spend all that time and money to get your grading and plans in place AND then get promotion (if we do) only to see that achievement ripped from you by the FA who only care about balancing the numbers.

Frankly I'll be livid if this comes to fruition.

 

Sorry but that's how I feel.

Oh and cheers Rich!

[aupostie]

Bedfont Sports 0 Ash Utd 2

 

very important 3pts last night.

 

not the best of game but thats expected when both teams fighting for their premier lives. Ash got the all important goals right on the half time & then their second with about 10 to go

Edited April 9, 2014 by aupostie

[Green_Fingers]

I hear you GF but it does feel like false pretences. On one hand the league (rightly) are saying three go up. On the other the FA have us all by the proverbial balls with the spectre of only 1 or 2 going up. It's total nonsense and no one knows whether they are coming or going.

 

Imagine if spelthorne weren't doing as well as they are and were looking at 2/3 place. Look at the massive amount they've done to get their ground up to grade. Huge new stand, floodlights etc etc. That isn't cheap!

 

We're lucky at Knaphill as we had a lot is stuff in place already such as floodlights. Others have had to spend way more money!

 

It simply isn't right that you spend all that time and money to get your grading and plans in place AND then get promotion (if we do) only to see that achievement ripped from you by the FA who only care about balancing the numbers.

Frankly I'll be livid if this comes to fruition.

 

Sorry but that's how I feel.

Oh and cheers Rich!

 

Please don't get me wrong Lisa - like everyone else I want the top 3 Clubs to be promoted if they have achieved the correct grading but given the nature of the pyramid it would be virtually impossible to write rules to clarify such at the start of the season. There was a stage this season when up to 6 of the Step 4 Clubs in relegation positions could have been CCL Premier bound and the League have rules limiting the Premier Division to a maximum 24 Clubs. Were that ever to be the case, and other local Leagues were also at their maximum then there is the (admittedly unlikely) possibility that this League rule - known to all at the start of the season - would have to be followed viz:

 

 vi) Notwithstanding any of the above, should the number of clubs eligible to take part in the Premier Division exceed 24, the number of clubs allowed to join will be reduced accordingly, at the discretion of The Board, but subject to the rules of the Leagues Committee of The FA. 

 

For that reason League rules don't guarantee the top 3 will be promoted, they just confirm they will be accepted subject to the other criteria. I agree you would be most unfortunate (and unlikely) to be a victim of that rule though.

 

As an aside most of the commendable work done by Spelthorne was necessary in any event to achieve the grading necessary to retain their current Step 6 status. It's another issue as to whether Clubs that don't have floodlights etc would ever be relegated to Step 7  - hopefully Clubs that want to remain at Step 6 will all have the correct grading before that possibility arises - and many will argue that the gradings are too rigid but then again other step 6 Leagues are already fully compliant.

 

Good luck in the final run in - the work you've done both on & off the pitch over the last year fully merits your promotion - if achieved - to the top flight along with Spelthorne and Eversley

[Tel]

I am sure common sense will prevail , movement of teams at step 5 will allow teams in promotion positions with the correct grading be promoted. Neighbour step 5 leagues have positions to fill

 

I know moving leagues can be a bind, but if you looking to progress you will have to get used to it.

 

You need to look no further than ASHFORD or. GUILDFORD plus many others

[@BedfontFeltham]

GF/Lisa your both right it is diabolical that we are in this position of uncertainty.

Not helped I might add by the post from Lazarus, not sure if that was the brightest thing he has ever done(no dig just a point).

I posted earlier in another post/topic about compensation should it be the case that only one goes up but seeing what GF has just posted that now seems highly unlikely.

I'm sure letters were sent out to all clubs around Xmas about no guarantee of promotion this year or something along them lines.

No clarification, No assuring words and a long wait to see what happens but the biggest crime would be no promotion at all ( can't see that happening) as it would be a complete waste of a season for all clubs at affected by this.

And people (mostly those at the FA) wonder why non-league is a dying trade.

 

Dan

[E&E Rich]

In fairness to lazarus, he was no doubt erring on the side of caution as he can't really guarantee anything because of the position he is in. Technically, the way the rules are, it "could" happen that way.

 

I didn't realise we were allowed up to 24 though, so that makes it even more certain as there is no way clubs in this league would vote to stop a promoted club taking that place up, even if it did lead to an increase, although in such cases I don't envy lazarus' fixture juggling next year!!

 

For what it's worth, it looks like just the three coming down into our area, Guildford plus two from Ashford, North Greenford and Chertsey as the Surrey clubs have done well to get out of danger in the Ryman South. I suppose Fleet might drop in but I would have thought they were Wessex bound.

 

Lisa, we'll see you next season.

 

Purely from a selfish point of view, I am pleased at the likely three coming up as I've never been to Spelthorne or Eversley and only once to Knaphill

Edited April 9, 2014 by E&E Rich

[Green_Fingers]

 

 

" I suppose Fleet might drop in but I would have thought they were Wessex bound."

 

 

 

Interestingly Fleet is marginally closer to the CCL area than Hartley Wintney - not that there's more suitable League for the "Row"

[Flint700]

Mole Valley SCR 0 Camberley 2 F/T from twitter

[lazarus]

"Not helped I might add by the post from Lazarus, not sure if that was the brightest thing he has ever done"

 

I'm surprised you thought it was wrong not to at least alert people of the possibility, rather than let supporters/players become aware of it at the end of the season.  Club secretaries were advised sometime ago but how much information they pass on to others in their clubs, I don't know.

 

I'm probably the only league secretary who does try to put some information on this forum from time to time but maybe I'll stick to to the trusted route of just passing info to club secretaries in future, if that's how it's perceived.

[Chris Clapham]

Epsom Athletic 0-4 Croydon Athletic.

GF - "As an aside most of the commendable work done by Spelthorne was necessary in any event to achieve the grading necessary to retain their current Step 6 status. It's another issue as to whether Clubs that don't have floodlights etc would ever be relegated to Step 7 - hopefully Clubs that want to remain at Step 6 will all have the correct grading before that possibility arises - and many will argue that the gradings are too rigid but then again other step 6 Leagues are already fully compliant."

The Hellenic, Sussex and Kent Invicta are far more lax with implementing their step 6 gradings than the CCL.

[LisaHPhotog]

Actually I think Lazarus deserves defending here. This isn't the leagues fault and it was better that they told us to be honest. You'd rather know something than nothing.

 

As he said, he could have kept quiet about and said nothing but he stuck his neck out and gave. what info he could. Fair play

 

My beef is completely with the FA.

[VPCTFC]

The FA are perfectly clear about it. We've had what they call pooling at steps 2 to 4 for years now. Sideways movement across leagues only comes in to play after promotion and relegation have been decided so all this talk about less promotion places from CCL1 due to what happens above is nonsense.

The way the system works is in the FA handbook.

 

http://www.thefa.com/news/governance/2013/jul/fa-handbook-2013-14

 

Page 178 covers our level.

 

"Movement of Clubs between Steps 5, 6 and 7, where a League operates at each Step, shall be included in their constitutional rules and regulations. Irrespective of any provision contained within the Rules, the Clubs finishing in bottom position in each of the fourteen Step 5 divisions will be relegated to Step 6 and will not be reprieved, as determined by the LC."

 

So it's up to the league.

League rule 13.4 ii) "The Competition will accept the champion club, the runners-up and the third place club from Division One into the Premier Division, providing that they meet the standard grading requirements for entry to the Premier Division of the Competition."

 

Most other leagues at steps 5 and 6 only relegate and promote two teams and I can see the FA forcing the CCL to adopt that system in the future, or maybe they'll force the other leagues to adopt three down and three up. Time will tell.

[@BedfontFeltham]

Mr Constable

 

You are a hard working man. I simply stated that putting that out for all to see was not the best thing to do. Does it have an affect on the players and staff that read the post? Maybe!! There are things that should not be posted on public forums and I personally think this was one of them. Again this is not a dig at you as I know your job is very demanding and difficult and we totally respect you for that but for the life of me I just don't get it!!

 

It seems it worked this year with 16 in Div1 so why can it not work next year?? 3 down 3 up and everything stays the same as this year. Or am I missing something?? Is it down to the CCL or the FA and what's to stop this happening again next season?

 

Dan

Edited April 10, 2014 by @BedfontFeltham

[Redrup No2]

Alan will do his upmost best to get three teams up from div 1, that's certain.

[@BedfontFeltham]

Redders.

 

I'm sure your right

 

Dan