YOUR VIEWS !

[NICE GUY]

Whilst there is a lot of football on the TV covering mostly professional clubs, we only see non-league football in the FA CUP, FA Trophy, FA Vase finals and the odd Conference games....WHY ?

 

There is much debate at the moment about the lack of English young players coming thru' the ''system'' simply because of the amount of foreigners being allowed to play in our league. Now don't get me wrong, the introduction of foreign players in our leagues brings better technique, style and finess to our game, but what can we do to put a TAP on foreign players to give our youngsters a chance to fulfill their dreams ?

 

I recall some time ago, Arsenal fielded a team of complete foreigners not one English player started, can that be right ? Can that be allowed ? We are moaning at the level of our interantional team and perhaps the above is part of the reason.

 

As being involved in football all my life, I have seen the demise of English talent so I think it would be good for the likes of SKY, ESPN, BBC, ITV etc., to start televising Youth team, U19, U21 and non-league football putting it out there, what players are around because scouts cannot be at all places at once, but by televising games its easy to see more players on view that you may have not watched or never will- a wider scope for scouts. Its been proven that there is a lot of talent in youth team, U19 U21 and non-league but do all scouts know about ALL players......I doubt it.

 

The only opportunity to see the above football is on the football clubs own channels (ie) Man Utd, Chelsea and Liverpool. I believe Liverpool are the only club/channel that you do not have to subscribe to to watch their youth team the others you do scandalous ! Or is it that these clubs do not want to show off their youngsters unless you support the team ?. So you may say why I don't you pay to subscribe, well I don't support these teams neither do I think we should have to pay to watch these young teams.

 

These youngsters are desperate to get out there and show what they can do, and you know there is no better advertisement than TV.

 

Look at the interest shown in Wembley's Budweiser programme ! Non-league players like to watch non-league football because they can compare themselves to players they are watching, but you know what....its because the TV channels don't get enough viewers and thats they only care about professional football. Can that be right ?

 

So please SKY, ESPN, ITV, BBC give our kids a chance you may actually be surprised how many watch and gather in growth over a period of time.

 

Sorry to go on thats my journalism coming out !

 

Be interesting to hear other forumites views.

[HKP]

I agree it would be great to see, but even the Vase & Trophy finals were not covered last season. I am sure Sky used to show them when they had the FA contract. Real missed opportunity from ESPN. FA should make it part of the FA Cup contract that the Vase and Trophy finals should be shown live.

[GD The Fall Guy]

It would be great to see more live non league football on TV. I watched a bit of one of Wembleys game on ESPN.

 

It would be great to see more CCL clubs on TV. I'm not sure if a major sports channel would do this though as I can't see the viewing figures being high enough.

 

Maybe if someone did an internet based CCL live stream from matches that might work. A bit like GFCTV but showing all clubs equally ?

 

 

[duncs]

I think with all the bad press football has received in the last few years that a lot of youngsters are turning thier backs on the game just look at the Olympics for example how many youngsters were footballers and gave it up,the problem is the clubs at the top eat up all the money while the rest of the clubs fight for the crumbs if they shared out just 10 % of the money they receive then we could have real youth developement in this country and not just a token gesture

[NICE GUY]

It would be great to see more live non league football on TV. I watched a bit of one of Wembleys game on ESPN.

 

It would be great to see more CCL clubs on TV. I'm not sure if a major sports channel would do this though as I can't see the viewing figures being high enough.

 

Maybe if someone did an internet based CCL live stream from matches that might work. A bit like GFCTV but showing all clubs equally ?

 

GD my topic wasn't just aimed for the CCL. Its aimed for all non-league football, professional clubs youth, U19 and U21 teams to be televised. Non-league players can watch how professional youth, U19 and U21 equip themselves, what their standard is like and actually concentrate on what these players do, it could help them undrerstand more about football at their personal level. Its all well and good watching the Barclays Premier but in all honesety is too far beyond the realms of non-league but they could comprehend youth team, U19 and U21 level.

[NICE GUY]

I think with all the bad press football has received in the last few years that a lot of youngsters are turning thier backs on the game just look at the Olympics for example how many youngsters were footballers and gave it up,the problem is the clubs at the top eat up all the money while the rest of the clubs fight for the crumbs if they shared out just 10 % of the money they receive then we could have real youth developement in this country and not just a token gesture

 

Blimey Dunc the Unc an intelligent response without swearing........impressed !

[Jeff Hamnett TSF]

simple economics, bbc couldnt justify it out of licence fee, and no commercial company would get their costs back.

 

professional youth sides have just as many foreigners as the first teams, I think the age group internationals are shown.

[GD The Fall Guy]

 

GD my topic wasn't just aimed for the CCL. Its aimed for all non-league football, professional clubs youth, U19 and U21 teams to be televised. Non-league players can watch how professional youth, U19 and U21 equip themselves, what their standard is like and actually concentrate on what these players do, it could help them undrerstand more about football at their personal level. Its all well and good watching the Barclays Premier but in all honesety is too far beyond the realms of non-league but they could comprehend youth team, U19 and U21 level.

 

Just giving my view which is what you wanted ! Can't sat owt round ere without gettin ed bitten off !

 

 

[bomaya]

I just think we should pay TRS to go to three or four games a week.

[GD The Fall Guy]

I just think we should pay TRS to go to three or four games a week.

 

Yeah hook him up to a live feed and Roberts your fathers brother !

 

 

[newby marvel]

Id rather learn an see alot more of grass roots football than the prem for instance to many overpaid men throwing themselves about only some not all i may add i seem to enjoy watching any non league football an think it should be highlighted more

The wembley scenario i thought was great coverage an good for lower level football to be put in the spotlight

Regarding foreigners agree its good for our game but not youngsters coming through maybe go back to the only four foreigners rule!??

[GD The Fall Guy]

Id rather learn an see alot more of grass roots football than the prem for instance to many overpaid men throwing themselves about only some not all i may add i seem to enjoy watching any non league football an think it should be highlighted more

The wembley scenario i thought was great coverage an good for lower level football to be put in the spotlight

Regarding foreigners agree its good for our game but not youngsters coming through maybe go back to the only four foreigners rule!??

 

I thought the 4 foreigners rule was a superb rule. It forced clubs to bring through young English players and give them a chance at 1st team football.

 

 

[newby marvel]

My point exactly it can only be good for our youth systems an would encourage more to continue there goal rather than drop down or change sport as duncs pointed out

[The Mayor Of Simpleton]

The problem with non-league can be summed up in one word: INTEREST.

 

Non-League sides, even up to Steps 1&2 struggle to attract much interest, as they are dwarfed by the bigger clubs.

 

Gloucester City, for instance, rarely get above 300 through the gates. Yes, there are extenuating circumstances for us (being nomads since 2007) but even before the Meadow Park floods the club struggled to gain new fans and interest. Couple in the fact that up the road at Kingsholm you have a professional rugby side which is very active in the community and is the biggest 'draw' in town and unless City get a new stadium and promotion to League 2 in five-seven years they will only be a side that flip-flops between Step 3 and 2.

 

Unless a non-league side can do what Chasetown did a few seasons ago, that is get to the 3rd Round of the FA Cup and get a big side to play at home, they will not get the full houses that they need in order to kick on. Would you rather watch (and sorry to Tommo for picking on them) Sandhurst Town v Chessington & Hook United in the league or Sandhurst Town v Liverpool in the FA Cup 3rd Round? If that happened,I can just see the programme notes - would be something along the lines of the Rowan Atkinson Vicar sketch (i.e. 'where were you b*stards last week?')

 

Interest and money are the two things that non-league clubs need to keep them off life-support. A well run, friendly, cost-effective club which works with the community and is a part of it and not apart from it will always survive even during economic dark days.

[NICE GUY]

The problem with non-league can be summed up in one word: INTEREST.

 

Non-League sides, even up to Steps 1&2 struggle to attract much interest, as they are dwarfed by the bigger clubs.

 

Gloucester City, for instance, rarely get above 300 through the gates. Yes, there are extenuating circumstances for us (being nomads since 2007) but even before the Meadow Park floods the club struggled to gain new fans and interest. Couple in the fact that up the road at Kingsholm you have a professional rugby side which is very active in the community and is the biggest 'draw' in town and unless City get a new stadium and promotion to League 2 in five-seven years they will only be a side that flip-flops between Step 3 and 2.

 

Unless a non-league side can do what Chasetown did a few seasons ago, that is get to the 3rd Round of the FA Cup and get a big side to play at home, they will not get the full houses that they need in order to kick on. Would you rather watch (and sorry to Tommo for picking on them) Sandhurst Town v Chessington & Hook United in the league or Sandhurst Town v Liverpool in the FA Cup 3rd Round? If that happened,I can just see the programme notes - would be something along the lines of the Rowan Atkinson Vicar sketch (i.e. 'where were you b*stards last week?')

 

Interest and money are the two things that non-league clubs need to keep them off life-support. A well run, friendly, cost-effective club which works with the community and is a part of it and not apart from it will always survive even during economic dark days.

 

Missing the point.

 

Interest exactly, so how does one gain an interest ? ,,,, by viewing non-loeague games on the box. I'm not concerned about non-league attendances thats no the issue here, I'm talking about televising more games, then when doing so people could become more interested and give non-league a higher profile. The Wembley TV programme could prove to be a success as I would have thought that many non-league players including the CCL (one of their clubs) can relate more closely with this standard, instead of watching the profesional game which hardly any could play in.

 

Problem being : SKY covers a Barclays Prem game and ESPN cover a non-league game who would get most views ? The professional game..... thats the problem. If the FA want to give non-league a higher profile, then what better way than advertise and televise games !

..

[E&E Rich]

Just an aside on this, as I'm interested in NG's theory that tv interest will bring more interest.

 

Have Wembley's attendances gone up for standard league matches or are they the same as before?

[The Mayor Of Simpleton]

NG, I think that you develop an interest overtime. It's like people who go angling, or whom collect Koi Karp or model trains - there is something inside them which interests them.

 

I've been interested in non-league ever since watching the FA Cup on Grandstand (showing my age a bit, still just the right side of 30!) where you'd get to hear of teams besides those in the league - Enfield Town, Merthyr Tydfil, VS Rugby, Woking, Kettering Town, Aylesbury United (who once played England) etc.

 

With regards to Wembley, I hope that the programme does lead to a swell of interest locally and that the new fans aren't just the fair-weather lot i.e. they turn up when it's all going great but when there's trouble they don't want to know.

 

As for televising more games, it depends on the target audience. I'm no media expert (although I have a GCSE in Media Studies) but it is supply and demand - you will not get millions of people tuning in to watch Step 5/6 standard football (although if it's on in place of Big Brother some people with IQs of more than 1 might be tempted to watch) yet Manchester United v Liverpool live will see millions tuning in to watch.

 

If you want non-league to have a better profile, then the clubs and the FA have to work together to market the product better. People will not fork out £5 to sit in a rickety old stand where there is no atmosphere and the football standard is worse than what you get on the parks on Sunday morning. People MIGHT fork out £5 to attend a friendly, welcoming, well run club where the players work hard and go out every game to give it 100%. The FA cannot do everything, and sometimes clubs need to use a bit of imagination.