Middlesex Athenian League

[The Invisible Man]

Bubs, as far as I am aware Saffron Walden were not in any league last year.

 

They wanted to join the Estern Counties League but couldn't for some reason but hasd already resigned from the ESL. I don't know if they will enter the ECL this year.

 

Anyone confirm or correct this?

[Mark (Flag) Braintree]

Invis, taken from the Ridgeons League Bulletin emails i get. (Braintree reserves requested to join Ridgeons League got turned down, I was contact)

 

The official response. pasted below.

SAFFRON WALDEN TOWN FC dated 20th May 04.

Saffron Walden Town have been given the all clear to play in the First Division of the Ridgeons Football League next season.

Following strong representations made to the Football Association by the Ridgeons Football League, with the backing and support of Michael Game, Chairman of Essex County F.A., and the Essex Senior League, approval was received this weekend.

This means that Saffron Town Football Club, formed in 1872 and one of the oldest football clubs in the world still in existence, will return to the League after an absence of 20 years. The Club were League champions in their penultimate season in 1982/83.

The Club have spent the last twelve months sitting outside the National Leagues System, having resigned from the Essex Senior League at the end of season 2002/03 to enable them to move across the pyramid to the Ridgeons Football League.

 

 

[The Invisible Man]

Cheers Mark, I was more or less right then!

[Guest]

I understand from various sources that the "strong representations" made to the FA were because they (the FA) were NOT going to allow SWT to go to the Eastern Counties Div 1 , despite saying it was OK last year, for them to sit out a year and then move on .. just like Woodford, Abbey and Barkingside did a few years back. The new rules are supposed to send any club wanting to move in this way , back two steps before they can " start again" and the FA were demanding that SWT do this ( a move as stupid as allowing the Isthmian's to make up up their Div 2.) The folk who appealed on SWT's behalf got their case over that this was totally unfair to SWT for them to be involved in a rule change that really should be for anyone wanting do do this in the future .... history now tells us that they won and I am sure everyone wishes that club well in their "new life" !

[MbrunoB]

So after all that I was right with try Clactons league,just a division down.

[Football Man]

Saffron Walden were told by the FA that they would have to start at Step 7 as they were not in the system at the time of the reorganisation. However, the FA also told the ECL that they could take them if they had a vacancy and their constitution was not full. This is the loophole that got them in. Still think it was a silly thing for SWT to do to pull out of the system in this of all seasons. They were extremely fortunate to get away with it.