Conference Division Two

[Colin Zeal EFM]

From this morning's Daily Telegraph, via the Canvey message board...

 

<blockquote><font class="small">Quote:</font><hr>

the nationwide conference have announced plans to expand from 22 to 66 teams NEXT SEASON. the nine man conference board have passed a rule change allowing the competition to be expanded from next season, claiming they have been forced into the move by the fa s failure to reorganise the game.

 

The 69 clubs from the dr matens , unibond, and ryman leagues - the feeder leagues for the conference - have been invited to help extend the conference to 2 or 3 divisions depending on how many agree to join. should an extra 22 apply, for example, there would simply be a secondary conference division. if 44 show an interest there could be subsidiary north and south divisions.

 

There will ineveitably be concerns that the conference are expanding their empire at the expense of the three feeder leagues. but the conference chief exec. john moules denied this yesterday claiming "we re doing this for the good of football. the fa have failed to reorganise the game as promised. now we re offering our solutions"

 

<hr></blockquote>

 

Do I read this correctly? Are we likely to be in a Conference 2nd Division next season (assuming we don't win the league)??

 

 

[Rob_the_Saint]

I've moved this to the FF, Colin, as it is quite an interesting football topic.

 

 

[Colin Zeal EFM]

This story seems to be quite big news on other team's sites.

 

Mind you, we've heard all this before, haven't we?

 

 

[Rob_the_Saint]

Yerss, what ever they call it, we'll still be one division below the Conference and the competion will be harder with the top teams from the other feeders involved.

 

Can't see it happening next season somehow, by the time the FA get around to having a meeting about it the season will be over.

[Colin Zeal EFM]

I would imagine if a Division Two is split North/South with 22 teams in each, the competition oughtn't be too much harder than now, with the added bonus of probably an extra promotion place.

 

I would think that Conference will be four-down, with two-up from the two feeder divisions.

 

Alternatively, if a Conference Division Two was just one National Division, it would probably be three-up, three-down.

 

I can't see many teams at this level being too interesting in playing in a National Division, as the cost of travelling would be horrendous.

 

Must admit, I'd love it though!!

 

 

[AFF]

There was a big[gish] article about this in The Non League Paper on Sunday, clearly written after a feed from The Conference and before the Ryman, Unibond and Doc Martens had a chance for a considered response.

 

Reading between the lines, The Conference have passed their resolution which must be ratified by a couple of F.A. Committees, but the Conference expect to formally pass the rule at their meeting on January 29th.

 

Within the last day or so, The Conference have written to the 69 clubs in the Premier Leagues of the feeders inviting them to play next season. If 22 say yes, it will be a Division 2, if 44 or more, a Division 1 North and South [they say].

 

No official, declared response from the Leagues themselves.

 

The suggestion that it will start next season strikes me as either optimistic or an attempt to rush the thing through, or both. I can't see the Executives or the Clubs from the Divisions below the Premier being terribly enthusiastic.

[SAINTS64MAD]

Im not bothered as long as were in the conference!

[EFM The Firm, The Voice]

I got the impression that the FA have dragged thier heels so much on the (much needed) reorganisation of the pryamid that the conference have acted without them. As the conference is a compertition I guess thay can invite as many clubs in as they like (Rangers & Celtic anyone?). You don't have to start at the bottom and work up (look at Aldershot and AFC Wimbledon) so as long as the structure is still there and no club breaks the individal compertitions rules you can let in who you want and as many as you want.

 

I'm sure the FA will have a word though!

[Colin Zeal EFM]

I don't care about the politics. I'd just like a few new places to go to next season, instead of going to the same old M25 sh*t-holes.

 

 

[FleetFanatic]

Quote:

I would imagine if a Division Two is split North/South with 22 teams in each, the competition oughtn't be too much harder than now, with the added bonus of probably an extra promotion place.

I would think that Conference will be four-down, with two-up from the two feeder divisions.

Alternatively, if a Conference Division Two was just one National Division, it would probably be three-up, three-down.

I can't see many teams at this level being too interesting in playing in a National Division, as the cost of travelling would be horrendous.

Must admit, I'd love it though!!

From www.kent-online.co.uk:

Dover heading for Conference place?

DOVER Athletic could be playing in the Nationwide Conference next season even if they don’t win the Dr Martens League Premier Division this time around.

Whites have accepted an invitation to apply for a place in an expanded Conference next season.

Conference chief executive John Moules has written to each of the 69 clubs which form the premier divisions of the Dr Martens, Ryman and UniBond Leagues urging them to break away and join an extended Conference, which will start next season if the plan succeeds.

If up to 22 clubs apply they would form a new league called Conference Two. If up to 44 apply they would form two geographically-based leagues: Conference North and Conference South.

Dover have decided that they would like to be involved if the second option becomes a reality - but not the first. Club chairman Mick Kemp said: “We are going to vote for the two new leagues, north and south.

“We are against the idea of just having a Conference Division 2 because we think the travelling and other costs involved would be too much for most other clubs who are now in the feeder leagues.”

Clubs have until January 16 to reply to Mr Moules’s letter and Mr Kemp said that in some ways Dover were being “rushed into making a decision”.

He added: “We feel that we can’t sit back and not do anything, because if the Conference does expand then I can see the premier divisions in the feeder leagues disappearing next season and we could end up in the Dr Martens Eastern Division."

MICK KEMP: "We are going to vote for two new leagues, north and south"

Report from Dover Mercury

[AFF]

I'm surprised that there hasn't been more comment on here concerning this issue.

 

On the face of it, if the thing goes ahead, the choice for the clubs in the Unibond and the Dr. Martens [the old Northern and Southern leagues] seems quite straightforward. They simply 'rebrand' as Conference North and Conference South and will hardly notice the difference.

 

It's different for The Ryman as we all would appear to have a choice. Newport County or Colwyn Bay? Weymouth or Whitby? Less of an issue for, say, Basingstoke but an interesting one for SACFC. In a totally unscientific manner, a scan of the total attendances of the three Premier Leagues over the past couple of weeks suggests bigger gates in the Dr. Martens.

 

That said, the Conference would probably reply that we don't have a choice in the event of promotion from the lower tier, which is a fair point.

 

It would appear that if the new regionalised Conference Leagues are formed, remaining in the Ryman Premier would be, effectively, a relegation to the extent that we would be one League further away from the Conference itself.

 

The Executives of the Ryman in the article in the NLP last week, seemed to be suggesting that any Ryman club that applied to join could forget about Ryman Premier status in the event that the Conference thing doesn't come off. They referred to Hastings some years ago [No, not 1066. Apparently, Hastings applied to join the Southern or something a few years ago, then changed their minds and expected to resume their position in whichever one they were in before they applied to join the other [are you following this?] and then the first League threw them out with bathwater and toys.]

 

I imagine that there is much discussion going on 'behind closed doors'.

 

[pabird]

A well described petty situation that has all the hall marks of the blazers that run No-league football

Football needs logical men who understand the gravy train is over

The new Conference shape will happen and only the final shape is blurred at present

The Ryman, Dr Martins etc will slip down the pecking order as the ambitious move on and the safer sponsership money homes in on the new shape

The small minded blazers will fight to the death to retain their hallowed status without genuine thought for the game

Non-league requires safe secure shop window status where clubs can develop inside a well funded professionally supported set-up that can form essential linkage to the full-time game

The feeder leagues have done their job but the changing circumstance will continue until there is a single body controlling feeder league affairs

Lets trust the dozens of unwanted blazers are thanked politely in farewell speaches

 

 

[AFF]

As always, nothing is ever straightforward.

 

Presumably, Nationwide B.S. currently "puts in" money to sponsor the Conference League of 22 Clubs. Is it intended for Nationwide to increase their sponsorship if one or two more Divisions are formed?

 

Might Dr. Martens sponsor Conference South and Unibond Conference North? That's only 22 clubs for each to support. What happens to Dr Martens East & West and Unibond Div. 1 then?

 

At present, Ryman [the stationers] sponsor 4 Divisions. What happens to those that don't apply to join the Conference?

 

A Nation holds it's breath.

[David Holden]

This isn't going be straight forward, particually for the Ryman Clubs.

 

Not only do you have to apply and be accepted for the expanded conference, but you have to resign for your current league. Now according to the latest issue of NLP, the position for each of the feeder leagues seems to be as follows:

 

Unibond - Must resign by 28th February, but if C2 doesn't happen then you can come back.

 

Ryman League - Must resign by 31st January, and probably won't be allowed back in.

 

Dr Marten's - As Ryman but resign by 1st January.

 

As that nice Mr Turvey said, remember what happened to Hastings.

[ESG]

would it be a bad thing if we didn't get accepted back to the m25 league?

personally rather play in the dr. martens...

[Colin Zeal EFM]

Let's resign. NOW!!

 

 

[David Holden]

Quote:

would it be a bad thing if we didn't get accepted back to the m25 league?
personally rather play in the dr. martens...

I doubt that would be an option, you would probably have to go back to the bottom of the pyramid <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

[Colin Zeal EFM]

I'd like to take that risk.

 

 

[AFF]

This chap David Holden from Gravesend [now there's a nom-de -plume if ever I saw one] seems to know a bit about it.

 

From his posting I wonder whether we should resign from The Ryman and immediately apply to join BOTH the Unibond and Conference 1/N/S. That way, if the Conference thing doesn't happen, we can at least play in t'Northern. Rather that than London Colney or Long Melford.

 

I warn you that not all my ideas are good ones but sometimes the easy solution is right under one's nose.

 

Come on David H. Presumably you are a 'Fleet supporter. What would you be suggesting if you hadn't gone up to play with the big boys last season?

[AFF]

A quick P.S. to the above with a simple question to Mr Holden who, I see, is a green Moderator. We have two of those. One's alright but the other never gets to games.

 

If 44 clubs apply to join the Conference N/S thing having resigned from their League as required under the current rules, what can stop the new structure taking it's place next season?