Ronnie Watson....

[TB&G]

Talking about filthy lucre. Know what I mean John?

 

Ain't it sad that we're talking about pennies here and pennies (or even pound notes) there to attract players.

 

Don't you think that the FA should re-institute purely amateur football from level 5 (perhaps even level 4) downwards.

 

Then clubs could spend all their hard earned money on club and ground instead of mercenary wanderers and suchlike.

 

If there is a fixed divide at that point they could decide if they want to consolidate where they are and remain financially stable and happy or take the chance of promotion if achieved on the field with all the dangers that go with it!

 

We don't pay our players any wages at Romford I believe. Not that we have any to do so anyhow. So they play for love of the game, the club and their manager in no particular order.

 

Isn't that the way it should be at our level?

[The Invisible Man]

They were a good side, Mercenary Wanderers.

 

The problem with the concept of "amateur" status is expenses payments. Unless you ban all reimbursements to players, and ask them to pay all their own expenses as in Junior football, some clubs will pay shall we say more generous expenses than others.

 

And of course there are downright backhanders.

 

As I understand it, it was because of this that the distinction of pro and am was abandoned in the early 1970's.

 

 

[TB&G]

But is the game at our level any better now?

 

Could be wrong but don't remember many clubs going out of business because of the 'expenses' situation.

 

They all attracted the players their finances could afford and accordingly played at the relevant level. Promotion wasn't an issue either in most cases.

 

Is it the 'Pyramid' issue that's screwed everything up?

 

If anyone knows the answer/s to this conundrum please send it/them on a postcard please to " The Football Association, Soho Square, .........etc.

[theabbeyabbott]

Quoting

 

We don't pay our players any wages at Romford I believe. Not that we have any to do so anyhow. So they play for love of the game, the club and their manager in no particular order.

 

Waltham Abbey don't pay players either, they simply can't afford it at this level and I would doubt if they could at the next step either. The problem is people get dillusions of grandure that they cannot sustain. If every club in the country "paid to their strengths" then the levels would soon balance out. One club I know were challenging two years ago and talking conference football, a Director pulled out and bang last season they were 4th from bottom, despite crowds averaging 400 every week.

 

Any thoughts on this?