FA Abandon Step 5 Changes

[AK11]

For more information, see my post in the 'General' thread.

 

Personally, I'm glad the FA saw sense - it was never going to work.

 

Some changes are on the way though - Steps 3 & 4 will be increased to 24 TPL (Teams Per League) and all Step 5 leagues will have to have a minimum of 20 TPL and a maximum of 22 (although still likely that the Midland Alliance may be allowed to operate with 23, as it's become a bit of a 'dumping ground' for teams recently).

 

Step 6 sides to be 'pooled' in the future - no details on minimum/maximum TPL although I'd guess it would be 18/20 TPL. Meaning that the Hellenic, for example, may have to have more teams join in the future in their East and West Leagues.

[Smudge]

Good News AK,Thanks for posting on here.CAN SOMEONE POST A LINK.

[Hantsfatboy]

The increase in number at step 4 is only in Ryman 1S & 1N. Southern and NPL will remain at 22 sides at step 4. Ryman leagues will relegate 3 each and others only 2 each to give total of 14 relegation places for the 14 step 5 leagues to send one up each, from top 3, subject to application and grading etc as now.

[AK11]

Hants is right. Is this being done to combat the 'bottlenecking' in feeder leagues?

 

Personally, I think that it should be 24 in both leagues as it would relieve a lot of pressure on the Midland Alliance which has to accept teams from four feeder leagues (West Midlands, Midland Combination, East Midlands Counties and Leicester Senior). Plus they'll have to take Stourport and Shepshed for next season, by the looks of things.

 

On Step 6, I recently spoke with Wendy Juggins from the West Midlands Premier who said that she feels that all Step 6 leagues should be at least 20 sides. The WMP copes well with 22 TPL (even with bad weather) and only a few clubs have had to extend their season this year.

Edited May 9, 2012 by AK11

[AK11]

Even better than a link:

 

Press Release recd today from Mike Appleby :

 

 

PRESS RELEASE

 

NATIONAL LEAGUE SYSTEM STEP 5 REVIEW

 

 

 

 

 

 

At a meeting of the Football Association Leagues Committee held today at Wembley Stadium the Final Report from the Step 5/6 Review Group, containing a number of recommendations was considered.

 

By way of background, the Review Group was established by the Leagues Committee in 2011 to look at a possible reduction in the number of Step 5 divisions from 14 to 12 for the commencement of season 2013/2014. Following an initial meeting with all competitions in July 2011 there followed an extensive consultation period during which all Step 5/6 competitions were met on an individual basis to seek their views on this matter. The initial remit of the Group was altered to take into account the feedback from these meetings. In the early part of 2012 the Group held a series of meetings to which all Step 5 leagues, their member clubs and County Football Associations were invited to consider the suggestion for change.

 

As a result of these meetings the Review Group, taking into account both the feedback from the discussions and correspondence received, complied their Final Report and the following recommendations were agreed by the Leagues Committee today.

• That the process of reducing Step 5 leagues from 14 to 12 was deemed unworkable and the initial suggestion withdrawn.
  

• That, in order to continue to compete at Step 5 of the National League System, ALL clubs must meet the National Ground Grading Category F in FULLby 31 March 2013. Clubs that do not meet these requirements WILL be relegated to an appropriate Step 6 division/competition.
  

 

In addition all Leagues must fully comply with the Regulations for the Establishment and Operation of the National League System, Standardised Rules and National Ground Grading Document.

• That all Step 5 divisions must have a minimum of 20 clubs with a maximum of 22 clubs from the commencement of season 2013/2014.
  

· That the Leagues Committee would, in future, in conjunction with the appropriate leagues, manage the promotion/relegation process between Step 5 and Step 6 and that as from the end of season 2012/2013 clubs would be placed into “feeder pools” and allocated the most appropriate geographical division.

 

· That, with effect from Season 2013/2014, the Premier Divisions of the Isthmian, Northern Premier and Southern Football Leagues (Step 3) be increased to 24 clubs.

 

· That, with effect from Season 2013/2014 and in order to create 14 relegation places at Step 4, the Isthmian League Division 1 North and Division 1 South (Step 4) be increased to 24 clubs with each relegating 3 clubs to Step 5, subject to any club issues arising during or after the completion of the playing season. It was noted that the Northern Premier and Southern Leagues have no desire to increase to 24 clubs for their Step 4 divisions. This will mean that a number of additional clubs will be given the opportunity to be promoted from Step 5 to Step 4 for season 2013/2014, the process is to be agreed.

 

In future seasons, to stimulate promotion, consideration would be given to clubs that finish in 1st, 2nd or 3rd positions in Step 5 competitions provided that they meet the entry criteria for Step 4. There would, however, be only one club promoted from any Step 5 competition in any season. In addition, it was agreed that at the conclusion of Season 2012/2013 the clubs finishing in bottom position in each of the Step 4 divisions would be relegated.

 

· It was further agreed that discussions should take place with all leagues to look at the possibility that, regardless of any vacancies occurring, the club finishing in the bottom positions in divisions at Steps 1 to 5 of the National League System will be relegated.

 

· That there remained issues to be addressed at Step 6, not least in the Essex area, and these will be progressed in the coming months.

 

 

Review Group wished to place on record their thanks to all those leagues, clubs, County Football Associations and others that had contributed in any way to the consultation process.

 

 

 

Mike Appleby

Leagues & Clubs Manager

On behalf of the Leagues Committee

May 2012

 

ENDS

[Smudge]

Cheers A.K.

[AK11]

No worries Smudge, happy to be of service.

[Lee Farmie]

They need to address the too small Kent League immediately by putting Whyteleafe and Croydon into it now

 

:-)

[Green_Fingers]

So the good news is that at the end of next season there will be one-off opportunities for additional Step 5 teams to be promoted to Step 4 - particularly in the South. Could make the challenge at the top of our Premier even more exciting . The bad news is after next season we're back to 1 promotion slot with no hope for increasing to 2.

[Krooner]

Interesting that people were quick to condemn the FA for not listening but I have yet to see anyone praising them for doing exactly that. For me the pyramid remains very lop sided and that Step 5 is more of a nuisance than part of it.

[Chris Clapham]

I was not expecting that!

Reckon there will be a lot of movement later in the month to get step 5 leagues towards minimum 20!

[jertzee]

Although at first it seems the FA made the right decision, you have to take into account that the main reason they they didn't put their changes through is that they ran out of biscuits, couldn't agree on who was going to nip out to the Londis to buy some more and then forgot what they were debating when they came back from their port laden lunch.

[Lee Farmie]

I have written to Mike Appleby to express our "willingness" to join the Kent League in 2012/13. Also suggested they move Croydon at the same time. Dixon Gill will love me...

 

 

[E&E Rich]

jertzee I think that's a bit harsh on the FA. They're damned if they do, but damned if they don't by your rerasoning.

 

I amongst 99% of the people out there probably thought that, despite all the "consultation process" that the FA would force this through one way or another. We were all wrong and fair play to them for listening.

 

Although we would obviously love an opportunity for two to go up from each Step Five league, it was never on the table and maybe is less of an issue in the short to medium term now as quite a few of the "top" clubs will get the chance to move up.

 

The move to relegate three at the bottom of Step Four is long overdue and with 24 clubs in there (in Ryman at least) from August 2013 the Step Four clubs can have no argument. Expanding to 24 at Step Three is also sensible.

 

As I think I understand it (but could easily be wrong on this), there will be an extra four clubs at Step Three (again, in our area), which means that for those in the Ryman catchment area there would be 6 extra spaces and maybe 8 if you include the increase at Step Three in Southern League too) to allocate amongst (probably) the home counties leagues. Surely the Combined Counties will get at least two of those next season in addition to the Champions.

 

This is of course assuming that there will still be guaranteed relegation at those steps. It is certainly recommended from August 2013 but its not so clear whether it will happen next May as the release only refers to the "bottom position". Otherwise it could mean that the bottom clubs in step 3 and 4 all get reprieves, which would mean their seasons would be quite dead next year once they know that promotion is gone.

 

Looks like all the news about which of Guernsey, Windsor, Whyteleafe, Egham, Hanworth Villa etc will go up may not turn out to be so relevant as many of them might go up in one chunk. It is certainly good timing for Guernsey, as I suspect that their plan to go straight through Step Five might not have been as easy as they thought it would be. Now they will probably have three spots to aim at.

 

It looks like points coefficient will be crucial next year for those clubs as they will almost certainly be competing against clubs in other leagues for those places, and this factor affects our competititve league harder than it does for other, "less competitive from top to bottom" leagues. In a perfect world you'd have playoffs instead which would be interesting, but it would require extra organisation that I'm sure the FA will believe is not required.

 

Maybe to be fairer they should work on points coefficient just based on games against teams in the top 10 instead of 22. You only have to look at the United Counties League to see how poor the bottom clubs are in some of the other feeders with Kings Lynn finishing runners up with 106 points out of 120 available!!

 

Of course, that's my view. What I and no doubt many others here are now waiting for is Whitelaw's considered opinion.................

Edited May 10, 2012 by E&E Ed

[jertzee]

jertzee I think that's a bit harsh on the FA. They're damned if they do, but damned if they don't by your rerasoning.

 

 

My post was in jest, but I have to say I agree with you in that I thought they would force it through. For once they took the sensible approach which they should be praised for.

But it doesn't happen often, BUT the FA are a [****!!****] embarrassment, clueless and pander to the needs of the Premier League to the detriment of football..

Edited May 10, 2012 by jertzee

[Smudge]

I have written to Mike Appleby to express our "willingness" to join the Kent League in 2012/13. Also suggested they move Croydon at the same time. Dixon Gill will love me...

 

Shrewd move Farmie,as it seems there could be 2 Promotion places from the Kent League up for grabs.Not shrewd in inviting Croydon over though,would mean more travelling.Guernsey/Windsor must be over the moon with the proposals?

[Lee Farmie]

I'd rather play in a Kent League with 18 sides than 16 - even if one of them is at the Arena!

 

[Smudge]

But Croydon should do their own bidding surely.Especially as you have seen a niche in the market,that could maybe gain promotion quicker,back to the Ryman.This could have a good outcome for Chessington and Hook,and Mole Valley,in that they would not be relegated.

Edited May 10, 2012 by Smudge

[Lee Farmie]

It may be seen as an anomaly for Croydon to be in the CCL and us in the KPL. We have more to gain by being in Kent than they have as I don't believe an early return to R1S is very high on their agenda. Mine must be the logical solution from the FA's perspective if not Dixon's.

[E&E Rich]

It would certainly make sense for the FA to start increasing the Kent numbers this summer.

 

Whether it will happen is another idea though.

 

Certainly you'd have to fancy Chessington's chances of survival now.