So here is an interesting thought.

[Teflon]

Readings ground is their own ground and does not share with any other sport as far as I know, I might be wrong but am guessing they have hired the pitch out for a cup final.

[RTFC Barmy Army drummer]

Originally Posted By: Teflon

Readings ground is their own ground and does not share with any other sport as far as I know, I might be wrong but am guessing they have hired the pitch out for a cup final.

Are you talking about Reading Town FC?

[Jeff Hamnett TSF]

i wonder if you know, rtfc, why Reading Town are unable to play on the 10th? I would have thought the club would like to play the champions at home end of the season, get a crowd in etc.

 

does the football club share with a cricket or athletics club?

 

 

[Jeff Hamnett TSF]

in hindsight the coco made a rod for its own back last season by not relegating from the prem.

 

if the prem had had to reduce in size because noone came down or could go up then all the games would have been fitted in and the pitches would have had less games played on them.

 

then you would have been able to decline Neasden (again easy in hindsight), and there would have been proper competition for promotion this year.

 

am i right that llamas want to come up and hanworth dont?

[Krooner]

I think the league have a date that the season ends and that should be it. If it means clubs playing 3 times a week for a month then so be it. It hasnt mattered in the Premier this season due to Merstham running away with it but it does in Div 1. HAnworth have finished their games so Staines have 2 advantages. 1 is that they know what they have to do and 2 a lot of sides struggle to put teams out when they only have 1 game to play in a month. this is also affecting Hartley and Westfield which is as equally as important. If the season ends on 28th April make the clubs play the games.

[swoonara]

I went to Hanworth Villa last year and got out of the clubhouse about half past ten.A very hospitable, forward thinking club ,the chairman told me of their plans and he was very realistic.He knows that it is going to take a couple of years to get the club to a position where they can achieve promotion (because of facilities)and I think they will do it.So it is not so much a question of not wanting to come up, more about funding/finance and planning all taking time.

[Jeff Hamnett TSF]

thanks swoonara, not wanting to just yet, then.

thats fair enough and good luck to them the crowds are good already.

[Krooner]

I hope Hanworth and Staines do come up in the next couple of years. If sides keep challenging at the top but cant come up due to ground reasons they end up losing their way and just become also rans.

[Jeff Hamnett TSF]

how close are the llamas to meeting the "rules"?

[bomaya]

Originally Posted By: thespursfan

is it fair on other sides in the cup and vase if in this case merstham dont play all their league games, and had a break when others didnt?

Merstham didn't have a break. As I said, other than for waterlogged pitches Merstham have played at least 2 games a week since November and on one occasion recently played 3 games in 6 days.

Looking around at other Step 5 leagues, I can see quite a few teams with unplayed fixtures and some of those involve other teams that did well in the Vase. I agree that there has to be a cut-off but maybe it's needs to be mid May in case of situations like this season. A club should be forced to play these games over and above things like external cup finals (if that is why Reading T can't play 10/5).

[johncrow]

As its confirmed now that Merstham travel to Bookham on 10th. May maybe they will go to Reading the following Tuesday.

From my well informed sources teams have to have their ground available for the duration of the season with only FA and County FA fixtures taking precidence. Therefore if Readings pitch is unavailable for any other reason then they are looking at a fine. If the match had any relevance then the league wll order Reading to stage the game at another ground and pick up the cost, they may do this anyway.

[RGRON]

Let me clarify the situation surrounding the Reading Town v Merstham game.

 

The original date was April 22. Obviously, no problem for RTFC. However, this was postponed because Merstham were reinstated into a cup competition and had to play a semi-final on that date. Fair enough.

 

The league then re-scheduled for May 10. RTFC have a long-term commitment hosting the local leagues (senior and youth) cup finals. The club had given itself a two week period from their last scheduled game on April 26 until the first date for the league competitions (May 10) to fit in any re-scheduled league fixtures. They informed the league of this and asked if they could swap dates with Sandhurst (Sandhurst would then have played Merstham on May 10 and RTFC would have hosted Merstham on May 3). However, Sandhurst would not play ball because of their players being away on some tour (I think...maybe wrong though).

 

The league then said ok play on May 6. Again no problem for RTFC but Merstham however won their semi-final and now have their final on May 6. Postponed again, not the fault of RTFC.

 

The local leagues cup finals are a very important source of income for RTFC which without the club would struggle to survive. RTFC have done everything they can to get this game on. In my opinion though, it would be unfair to ask the RTFC players to wait maybe upto 3 weeks after their last scheduled game again to play this game. The league should just share the points as the game is a "nothing" game for both sides.

[Chris Clapham]

Originally Posted By: RGRON

Let me clarify the situation surrounding the Reading Town v Merstham game.

The original date was April 22. Obviously, no problem for RTFC. However, this was postponed because Merstham were reinstated into a cup competition and had to play a semi-final on that date. Fair enough.

The league then re-scheduled for May 10. RTFC have a long-term commitment hosting the local leagues (senior and youth) cup finals. The club had given itself a two week period from their last scheduled game on April 26 until the first date for the league competitions (May 10) to fit in any re-scheduled league fixtures. They informed the league of this and asked if they could swap dates with Sandhurst (Sandhurst would then have played Merstham on May 10 and RTFC would have hosted Merstham on May 3). However, Sandhurst would not play ball because of their players being away on some tour (I think...maybe wrong though).

The league then said ok play on May 6. Again no problem for RTFC but Merstham however won their semi-final and now have their final on May 6. Postponed again, not the fault of RTFC.

The local leagues cup finals are a very important source of income for RTFC which without the club would struggle to survive. RTFC have done everything they can to get this game on. In my opinion though, it would be unfair to ask the RTFC players to wait maybe upto 3 weeks after their last scheduled game again to play this game. The league should just share the points as the game is a "nothing" game for both sides.

Why not play on Thur 8th May?

[Teflon]

Thanks for clarifying Reading position RGRON.

 

Not much else you could have done.

[Jeff Hamnett TSF]

from my point of view i am not being critical of the clubs involved,or individuals but it is a ridiculous situation.

 

in this case, who is going to tell drummer boy his side versus the champions doesnt matter.

why should he not see that side?

 

I think its a pity small cup competions (east surrey hospital cup, local competitions) get priority over league games.

 

One solution would be to insist on better pitches with money spent on drainage.

 

What use is a 100 seater stand in January watching the ducks?

[bomaya]

Originally Posted By: thespursfan

I think its a pity small cup competions (east surrey hospital cup, local competitions) get priority over league games.

The ESHC certainly isn't a priority over anything. We're still due to play our tie against Chipstead with Whyteleafe awaiting the winners. Can't see these games being played as anything other than pre season friendlies...if at all!

Are there too many 'small' cups being played? We have the Combination Cup to contend with as well each season.

[Teflon]

Dont enter them all then !!!!!

[Chris Clapham]

"Raynes Park Vale FC hope to move into a new ground for the start of the 2009/10 season.

The site is almost opposite their current home at the LESSA sports ground in Grand Drive.

The move is in partnership with the developers of the site who have to build community sports facilities to include a, minimum, "F" grade football ground".