Suburban League 2008/2009

[jayjay]

Premier Division

 

AFC Wimbledon

Ash United

Ashford (Middx)

Basingstoke Town

Burnham

Burgess Hill Town

Chalfont St. Peter

Corinthian Casuals

Dunstable Town

Eastleigh

Met Police

Sutton United

Three Bridges

Tonbridge Angels

Tooting & Mitcham United

Uxbridge

Wealdstone

Whyteleafe

_________________

 

Southern

 

Chessington & Hook

Chipstead

Cobham

Colliers Wood Utd

Crowborough Athletic

Croydon Athletic

East Grinstead

Eastbourne Borough

Epsom & Ewell

Godalming Town

Haywards Heath Town

Horley Town

Horsham YMCA

Leatherhead

Merstham

Molesey

Oakwood

Raynes Park Vale

Walton Casuals

 

North

 

AFC Hayes

Amersham Town

Beaconsfield SYCOB

Bedfont

Bedfont Green

Berkhamstead Town

Boreham Wood

Bracknell Town

Camberley Town

Cove

FLEET TOWN

Hampton & Richmond Borough

Harefield United

Hillingdon Borough

Leighton Town

Newport Pagnell Town

North Greenford United

Northwood

Sandhurst Town

[johnnojudo]

Anyone think that Ash United have made a bad decision in allowing the reserve team to join the Suburban Premier league.

 

Who would you prefer to play for??

 

Ash United 1st's playing in the combined counties premier, playing teams like ( with respect )Cobham, Hartley, Bedfont, Bookham.

 

or

 

Ash United's reserve team playing teams like afc wimbledon res, met police, and Basingstoke.

 

 

Surely it would be better playing for Ash United's reserves rather than the 1st team??

 

[TRS]

I would've thought any player would want to play for the first team. What is the great attraction of the reserve teams of the clubs you mention? I guess some of those teams may be able to hold their own if they played in the CCL Prem, but it wouldn't be a higher standard would it? (You're more likely to know that than me i think!).

[johnnojudo]

It is technically a higher standard than the CCL.

 

AFC Wimbledon as you know are now a conference team as are Basingstoke. Their reserves mut be of good quality with fringe players, and players coming back from injuries or out of form players placed in the ressies for match fitness. You cant tell me that these conference/ryman prem teams have crap reserve squads. I would think an Ash United 1st team could possibly do ok in that league but it will be a reserve team similiar to last season playing.They will get tonked!!

 

Lets imagine for now that the Suburban league is a higher standard, even though we know its not a proper league on the ladder.

If you had a choice to play 1st team football away to Banstead or reserve football away to Basingstoke, which would you choose?

 

In the Suburban league you will have better pitches to play on, better grounds/stadiums, possibly more fans watching, the chance to play against highly rated non-league players, and the higher possibility of being spotted by a scout.

 

Hypothetically speaking; if i was given the bad news that my services were not required in the 1st team to play away at Bookham, and that i was to travel with the reserves away to Afc Wimbledon instead, i certainly wouldnt lose any sleep over it.

You could find that playing for the 1st's wasnt that big a deal cos the reserves offers just as good opportunities.

 

 

Thats not what a 1st team and a reserve team is all about. Everyone should be striving to get in the 1st team.

 

[TRS]

Interesting to hear your opinions as a player.

 

Guess you're right about better pitches (Met Police for example is usually a good surface all year round).

 

If you think they will be really out of their depth, maybe it's better to play for the first team to get an even game instead of being tonked!

 

What league were Ash ressies in last season then?

[PB!]

Agree about the pitches but have to disagree Johno with the standard.

 

Have coached in both Suburban Premier and CCL Prem, you will find for the first month of the season the likes of AFC and Basingstoke will have strong reserve sides as players try to earn and are willing to fight for a 1st team spot. After this time they move on to play 1st team football somewhere, possibly CCL? The reserve teams in that league are made up mainly of younger players with the odd 1st teamer returning from injury etc who goes through the motions. The likes of AFC etc would rather send more senior players out on loan than play in reserves. You will find the sides that do well in Suburban league are those that have settled squad for season not necessarily those with better 1st teams. From what I heard about Ash reserves they will find it tough but wont be on the end of many tonkings.

[johnnojudo]

Ash were in Div 1 of the Suburban league and finished outside the promotion places by one spot. Somehow they were offered promotion but i dont know anymore details.

 

I never played ressies last year at all so cant comment on how tough it was for them. But i can see your point PB.

 

I suppose as usual, time will tell. Stepping up to a higher level and now playing better calibre teams - could that have some negative financial issues aswell? Would referees need paying more for example?

 

You would now be asking 'reserve' players to do a lot more travelling than the 1st team players. That could have its implications!!

Over half of those teams are a good hour journey away. The furthest a 1st team player has to go this year having thankfully seen the back of Reading is probably 40 mins max.

[Teflon]

I think you'd want to come to Bookham anyway Johnno sod going to play those BTK players who think there good enough but clearly aren't !!! Come to Muddowbank your alway welcome

 

Dont know much about the Suburban league but think PB's got it right, the settled teams in reserve football always do better and those "big" clubs will loan or lose players to other teams.

Yes will be tough for Ash but will also show the players who are up for a battle week in week out and ready to come into the 1st team.

[Teflon]

I see Sailsbury are no longer in the Suburban league, bet most sides are pleased not to travel there on a Saturday let alone mid week

 

Agree with the travelling there Johnno, much worse than the 1st team cant say i'd be looking forward to getting to Dunstable, Eastleigh, ect ect mid week

[TRS]

Originally Posted By: johnnojudo

You would now be asking 'reserve' players to do a lot more travelling than the 1st team players. That could have its implications!!
Over half of those teams are a good hour journey away. The furthest a 1st team player has to go this year having thankfully seen the back of Reading is probably 40 mins max.

Well for the last 3 years or so, AFCW ressies have played at Croydon Athletic which is a right pain to get to! Oh for the days of Banstead and Monday night home games, used to get along to quite a few of them.

[Terrence Collina]

Its a tricky one. In both leagues you will get teams that are good and some that are not up to the standard, you would like to think though that in the Sub Prem all teams will be up for it.

My initial reaction was probably better to play in the stiffs, but having thought a little more, nothing beats first team football at any standard. Most reserve games are played in front of one man and his dog and I am sure that Ash get pretty decent crowds. That is what would swing it for me, who you play in front of.

Certainly the North & South Sub divisions there will be decent sides but as PB said, as you get well into the season, the sides that struggle for form usually struggle for players too. I can remember playing against Reading Town & Wallingford sides who both had their managers playing to get 11 players, in fact once I had a hand injury and could play in goal, and had to play on the field twice, and it was at right bloody wing back!

 

One big advantage of the Sub League is that you can sign players on on the day of the game, which should be introduced for CoCo Reserve team games in my opinion

[Gussy]

In my experience I