24 Clubs next season ??

[Alan W (GNFC)]

I see that, according to the NLP, the issue of the expansion of the Conference to 24 clubs next season still isnt "dead in the water" and that the Conference board have voted Unanimously for further talks with the FA's "top brass".

 

Can we really believe this issue is still being considered, even after the season has finished ??

 

Whilst the idea that we avoid a season where there are potentially many meaningless matches with only 1 club going down, is not unreasonable, especially if the FA had implicitly given their agreement to the increase in the size of the Conference next season, in return for a shelving of the plans for Division 2 of the Conference by a year, it has to be plain daft to change things now.

 

If nothing else, it leaves the either the Ryman League or the Dr Martens, one club short next season (depending on whether Chelmsford's application to join the Ryman from the Dr Martens is accepted) and presumably this would have the knock on effect of reducing the number of clubs relegated through the various Dr Martens/ Ryman Leagues -

 

That may be difficult, however, as there are 2 regionalised Division 1 feeders for these leagues and it would surely be impossible to decide which club at the foot of these tables should be reprieved from relegation ( just because the club reprieved from relegation from, for instance, the Dr Martens Premier Division would have gone to the Eastern Division, is it then justified to simply reprieve an Eastern Division club from relegation as well - If I were a Western division club in the last relegation slot, I would not be happy to accept that without a play off, and theres no chance of organising that now).

 

I hope the FA stick to their guns on this, but one never knows with the FA's wonderful decision making machine !!

[I.C.@G&NFC]

I really don't believe that the FA will go back on it's decision to stay with 22 clubs in the Conference for another year. In fact I don't think they'll attempt to make any decisions until nearer the end of next season. So, the possibility of 24 clubs may not be introduced until the end of the 2005/2006 season at the earliest.

 

Personally I would like to see 24 clubs in all leagues, including the Premiership. With only the 'champions' of each countries top league, going into the Champions League, not the runners-up. And also, two/three up, two/three down with no play-offs.

[David Holden]

It makes sense for it to happen and the end of next season so that all of the changes can happen at once.

 

However the Conference still needs to address the relegation issue for the season after that. With two feeders it is plainly daft to continue with 3 down it HAS to be 4 down with 2 up from each of the feeders.

[Wobbly Wayne rides again]

Quote:

With two feeders it is plainly daft to continue with 3 down it HAS to be 4 down with 2 up from each of the feeders.

 

I agree, but with the existing conference clubs ( Ourselves included ) protecting themselves, and the current vogue of playoffs, I wouldn't be suprised if its the winners only, and the runners up in the respective divisions going to a play off for the last place.

 

The conference is now getting full of ex-League clubs, I think that there will be 9 or 10 for next season ( depending on whether you call Aldershot an ex league club or not ).

These clubs are not going to vote for an increased chance of slipping further down the chain , nor will the last ditch survivors of the conference. ie Woking and Leigh and ourselves.

 

However for the greater good of footie, as you say it should happen.