Ground Grading

[DerekR]

Has anyone seen the new National Ground Grading document from the FA?

I believe their 'grade E', which is applicable to step 5 leagues, such as the ESL, are going to cause serious problems for most current ESL clubs, in one way, or another. Even ETFC, which received a 'Ryman B' grade earlier this year does not meet the new grade in several aspects. I don't see how the majority of ESL clubs will be able to have everything in place for the start of the 2005/6 season, which I understand is the deadline.

[lovely stuff]

What parts do ETFC not meet.?

[Guest]

I understand that all the ESL clubs have been given a strong indication of what is expected for the ESL Grading " E " in a communication from the LC and that implimentation is from season 2006/2007 with everything to be in place for 2007 ? But the final document has not been cleared by the FA so I suppose the LC's correspondence will not be for publication other than privately to clubs at the moment though it won't be long before all will be revealed and at least the time for getting things right is a bit longer than you invisiged. When I saw the excellent facilities at Brimsdown a couple of weeks ago I am surprised at your concerns - things look fine to me or is there a sting in the tail with "E" now ?

[Southport - TOWNER]

Derek - not particularily helpful

 

You say "you believe" doe sthis mean you have seen it or not?

 

"cause serious problems" - please enlighten us all; such as what? dressing rooms? lights? fencing? snack bar?

 

"ETFC, which received a 'Ryman B' grade earlier this year does not meet the new grade in several aspects. " which ones??

 

 

Come on "give us clue"; you have obviously seen something, spill the beans.

 

 

[MbrunoB]

The sooner we are told what the requirements are, the sooner the few came carry them out for the benifit of the many.

[andyetfc]

As my mate Churchill once said. "Never has so much been done by so few to the benefit of so many" or something like that!

[Southport - TOWNER]

this grading stuff comes from the same FA, that forced the Mickey Mouse League sorry Ryman League to withdraw the 2 written invites to join their merry thong!

 

"never has so much cr&p come from so many stuffed blazers" Basil Brush

 

 

[MbrunoB]

Boom Boom!!!

[Guest]

On my visit last Sunday, one of my fellow Hawks fans was saying that he didn't think your perimeter fence was big enough for Ryman league ground standards. Pedantic I know, but it does seem to be too low.

[Southport - TOWNER]

6ft in places; higher than Hemel's!

[lovely stuff]

I believe the requirement for the Ryman is a six foot perimeter fence. ETFC's meets that requirement. I think ETFC consulted the Ryman before erecting the fence.

 

Anyway, we hopefully will be promoted to the Southern league if we win the ESL. So Ryman rules will not matter anyway.

[DerekR]

Quote:

Southport - TOWNER said:
Derek - not particularily helpful

You say "you believe" doe sthis mean you have seen it or not?

"cause serious problems" - please enlighten us all; such as what? dressing rooms? lights? fencing? snack bar?

"ETFC, which received a 'Ryman B' grade earlier this year does not meet the new grade in several aspects. " which ones??


Come on "give us clue"; you have obviously seen something, spill the beans.

OK, I have not seen the document. An extract, containing the sections relevant to ESL clubs has been distributed by the league, and our ground committee have made a summary of it. (BTW, I have tried to download a copy of the document from the FA website, but although the anchor points are there, the pages are empty - at least, as of yesterday!)
The areas that will hit ETFC, as I recall, are:
You need at least 10 years remaining in any lease/agreement.
You need at least three turnstiles, including provision for segregation.
You must have emergency ground lighting in place which meet local authority requirements.
The PA system must be audible in all sections of the ground.
Adequate provision must be made for disabled spectators.

I think the first item will hit Romford hard, and could possibly affect the other clubs that groundshare.
The item relating to turnstiles will hit the clubs that only have, for example, a single entrance with a pay box. (For ETFC, probably we will have to construct another turnstile at a second entrance to the ground - a facility we will not actually use for the forseeable future. Note, this appears to be the only refence to segregation at this level, nothing about implementing anything else!)

[lovely stuff]

As the average step 5 attendence is below 50. Why would each team need 3 turnstiles and segregation.Especially as most clubs have no stewards to enforce a segregated area.

 

Half the teams at step 5 don't have any PA. Let alone a loud one.

 

 

 

[Southport - TOWNER]

think about it APSA had 4 at a game recently; they could have sponsored the turnstiles!

 

[The Invisible Man]

If this is true, then some kind of concerted combined protest is needed by ALL clubs at or around our level (sorry "Step").

 

I had understood from previous discussions on the forum that the revisions to the grading rsystem were to make the requirements more realistic and consistent across the pyramid (essential now that promotion/relegation is not exclusive between set leagues).

 

These requirements would be lsughable if they weren't potentially so serious. Three turnstiles? You don't really need one!

 

These incompetent self-serving badged and blazered oafs need a dose of reality.

[andyetfc]

Or had one each!

 

4 turnstiles = 4 Jim Cantells.

 

If Jim can get 391 into the ground on his own, then why have 3 more turnstiles?

 

However, if the rules say that this is something that is needed, then we have no choice but to add it to the list of things we have to do and try and find the money to complete the tasks by the date given in the document.

 

Looks like we will need lots more workers on Sunday mornings through the winter. It will be a lot better than staying in bed and reading the Gladwish / AFC Wimbledon Non League Paper.

[Guest]

"D" Grading is 3 turnstiles and "E" is 2 as far as I am to understand. Obviously as a contender for the title you will be aiming for a "D" so I can see why its giving you concern. The 250 covered with 150 seated at " E" and 300/150 at "D" is a right nasty for some of our clubs .. but surely at the end of the day, bearing in mind the incredible work you have done, its not much more to achieve "D" is it ?

[Southport - TOWNER]

ANYTHING is acheivable.

 

All you need is people to do it and money. easy hey!

 

what a joke at this level of football

 

does this mean that clubs that do not meet the criteria will be relegated? Brentwood? Stansted etc?

 

 

 

[Junior]

right joke for clubs like APSA to have 3 turnstiles, seeing as their last attendence was 4, that seems a complete waste of money!

[Guest]

Its no joke, its the most serious situation to confront clubs at our step ( 5 ) and that's why it doesn't come into force until 2007. I was at a match today where a league official was saying that four of our clubs had attendances of 20 today ... what a nightmare for Senior football at our level. How many should we get through the gate before we break even ... is this why the F A want 12 feeders at Step 5 and not 15 ? They obviously detect that there are some who will fall by the wayside in the next couple of years .... its serious folks !