Promotion from Step 7 - from NWCFL bulletin

[RalphC]

Promotion From Step 7

 

The FA have announced the procedures surrounding applications for promotion from Step 7 Leagues to a Step 6 League for Season 2013/2014.

 

The FA have made it clear that they will control and adjudicate on all applications, with the individual Step 6 Leagues having to accept whatever ruling is made with regard to applications. The only exception is where Step 6 competitions have Step 7 divisions as part of their Constitution, a situation which, of course, does not apply to the NWCFL.

 

Applications from Step 7 clubs must be received by the FA by 31 December 2012. Any applications received after that date will not be accepted.

 

The following rules will be strictly applied:

 

To be considered for promotion a club must finish in first position in their Step 7 competition. If a club finishing in first position does not wish to be considered for promotion then a club finishing in second, third, fourth or fifth position may be considered. A club finishing below fifth position will not be considered for promotion. Only one club will be promoted from each Step 7 competition.

 

In order to be considered for promotion a club must comply fully with the requirements of Grading Category H as at 31 March 2013.

 

Clubs may be considered for promotion without having floodlights in place however, those clubs without floodlights must comply with the following

requirements as at 31 March 2013:

• Planning permission for the provision of floodlights must have been approved by the Local Authority
  

• Evidence provided that funding applications have been submitted
  

• Evidence provided that the balance of any funding required is in place
  

• Evidence provided that quotations have been obtained from appropriate contractors
  

• Provide a copy of an appropriate development/installation plan
  

• Floodlights must be installed and in working order by 30 September 2013. Step 6 competitions would be at liberty to impose a penalty on any Club that failed to comply with this requirement. Clubs that fail to provide floodlights by 31 March 2014 will be classified as a relegated club regardless of their finishing position at the conclusion of Season 2013/2014.
  

 

Clubs promoted to Step 6 must comply fully with the requirements of Grading Category G by 31st March 2014. Clubs that fail to achieve this Grade will be classified as a relegated club regardless of their finishing position at the conclusion of Season 2013/2014.

 

Whilst existing ground share arrangements are acceptable, Clubs are reminded that new ground share arrangements are not permitted in order to gain promotion. A copy of any existing ground share agreements must accompany the application.

 

League Secretary John Deal said: "Although we welcome the FA's statement of intent with regard to promotion to Step 6, I doubt if it will make much difference at all to us. As with any promotion criteria, its success relies on the will of the clubs and the Leagues concerned. There is, in my opinion, two fundamental problems in the Step 7 Leagues - the lack of facilities at Clubs and the unwillingness of certain Step 7 Leagues to push clubs forward for promotion. One should remember that whoever is at the bottom of a pyramid will suffer. As Clubs above fold due to financial problems etc., it reflects down the system, and as we all know there have been numerous seasons when no club has been relegated from Step 4 to us. The Step 7 Leagues have a completely different attitude to promoting clubs, and it is clearly not their main priority, as it is with us. What's happened to the FA's statement that each Step 6 League would have two quality Step 7 Leagues feeding into them? This appears to have been put on the back burner, or more likely there has been a realisation that a complete overhaul of the Step 7 Leagues is too big a task. We do get enquiries from clubs outside our League, but it is disappointing when some advisory ground grading visits reveal undersize pitches, no covered accommodation or no plans for floodlights.

 

However, that being said, Ashville and South Sefton Borough both enquired last season, but unfortunately application deadlines (Ashville) and lack of cover (South Sefton Borough) prevented any progress. We have had enquiries this season and are hopeful that two Step 7 clubs may apply. We have also had enquiries from Widnes Vikings FC (new club), a club from the Isle of Man, and a Welsh club. In each of those instances there are

issues to overcome. Widnes Vikings would have to pass the FA's criteria for entry and make a good argument as to why they should be admitted to Step 6, when they currently don't play in one of our Step 7 feeder Leagues. The club from the Isle of Man would also have to be approved by the FA and have some form of financial package for visiting teams, similar to Guernsey FC. Welsh clubs can't be admitted to our League as FIFA regulations state that a club must play in the country of their National Association, although how that applies when a considerable number of Welsh Clubs play in the English System already is rather strange. Maybe someone will have to take the matter to the European Courts to get this issue resolved. At present it is a case of wait and see, but don't hold your breath!

 

All we can do is to remind people that we currently have four vacancies in our First Division (Step 6) and state again that if any club in the Step 7 Leagues is considering applying for promotion, they should make it known us and their existing League, and make sure they apply to the FA by the 31 December".