the ryman D.M. change around

[CANV EFM]

any views? not taking into account any promotion or relegation issues,of the bigger clubs it seems we lose northern monkeys albans, bedford and aylsebury.. all 500 plus average attendances..

and we get welling and chelmsford both plus 500 and crawley and dover both 1000 plus.. ok there are still some derbies etc to be played that will change the figues, but in general with the local clash with chelmsford (who have big potential if they can get back to their hometown)it seems to be a result..

[YELLOW]

I've always found it weird that Chelmsford play in the Doc Martens but their nearest rivals, the likes of 'ricay', Braintree and ourselves all play in the Ryman. The nearest thing Chelmsford have to a local derby at the moment is a game against Cambridge City or Welling!

 

Certainly if they can sort things out and move back to Chelmsford they will get the crowds of round about 1000 they used to get when they played at New Writtle Street.

 

Certainly a Canvey v Chelmsford derby game is a mouthwatering prospect.

 

The thing that I find weird about this Ryman/Dr Martens regional plan is that according to tonight's Evening Echo the likes of Aveley, Gr Wakering e.t.c will be moved into the Dr Martens Midland/East one and will be playing the likes of Stamford, Rothwell Town, Spalding.

 

Is it me but is this alot to expect clubs of this status to travel even longer distances? At the moment the furthest somebody like Aveley has to travel is probably Slough which takes about 90 minutes, but somewhere like Stamford or Rothwell can take over 3 hours!

Imagine doing this on a Tuesday night and think what it will cost the respective teams!

 

This regionalisation was supposed to help clubs but it looks like it may make life very difficult for them.

[pabird]

I think the Ryman DM proposals sound very reasonable even acceptable it would assist their case even more should they develop fresh ideas on development of the non-league football under their control

Ref and coaching standards for a start with a defined youth policy that skirts around the full time pro game where kids are treated as if in a meat market

But Canv you have to wonder about their real desire to make progress when it takes the threat of being sidelined before they stir into life

 

[pabird]

PS I see the Unibond have appointed a new chairman

There appear to be heavy waking-up noises all over the place

[CANV EFM]

yup..but no matter how good their 'new found' intentions are, the fact remains that 2 feeders into a league is much better than three.. it allows for 2 up with second place going to a play off, something you couldnt have with 3 feeders.. i still think the conf plan wins through as none of the clubs involved will want to miss out

[pabird]

Yes agree the politics would favour Conference change but then again so much goes on in darkened rooms at the FA (darkened physically and mentally)

Only a pipedream but it would be encouraging to see new management with new ideas on the day to day running of the game

So? who has the power

 

[Cressing Toad]

 

In reply to Yellow army's post which began with the following line

 

 

"I've always found it weird that Chelmsford play in the Doc Martens but their nearest rivals, the likes of 'ricay', Braintree and ourselves all play in the Ryman"

 

Its all down to the historical feeder league arrangements. The lowest senior competition for clubs in mid and north Essex (ehere Chelmsford is located) played in the Eastern league as this part of essex was considered the southern limit of East Anglia rather than the The Thames basin where clubs performed in leagues called names like Athenian and Spartan.

For Essex things cleaned up with the formation of the Essex senior league ( I think that was circa 1970 but don't quote me).

 

Braintree thus played in the Southern league after promotion from the Eastern league, but like Wealdstone and Gravesend realised the Ryman is much easier for travel for clubs in the home counties so switched competitions. Braintree unlike Gravesend were not so fortunate in making a sideways switch so were forced to drop down to Ryman 3 and battle it out with minnows like Canvey before restoring their former status on the pyramid.(oops! couldnt resist!)

 

With clubs being able to apply and switch leagues has muddled the whole pyramid scene in the south east.

 

So in summing up, Essex Senior league clubs have an arrangement with the Isthmian while The Kent league, Eastern league and United counties feed to the Southern league.

 

Now i'm muddled lol

 

 

[YELLOW]

Cheers Iron Knob! I think that has cleared things up!

[Simon BTFC]

I think it goes back even further than that - when Chelmsford joined the Southern league the Isthmian wasn't an equivalent league (may not even have existed back then!). According to their website they joined the southern league back in the 1930s! (http://www.chelmsfordcityfc.com/club_history.htm) and have never been relegated below the div 1 level since.

[Cressing Toad]

Yeah Simon, Chelmsford haven't gone far at all (apart from Maldon then Billericay to share grounds). However, some of us semi-oldies recall the sixties when City were denied entry to the football league by a combination of bad luck and mis-demeanours. Of course in reality City are now effectively playing at a lower level than in pre-conference days.

[pabird]

The FA National League Systems Committee today met with The Football Conference to discuss The Conference's membership extension proposals.

For now, it has rejected The Football Conference's application to extend its membership for 2003-04.

 

However, the FA says that it has always supported the move to create a regional two Feeder League structure into The Football Conference, hence The FA's own proposal sent to clubs and leagues at the beginning of 2002.

 

However, given 63 out of the 69 Premier League clubs from the three current Feeder Leagues have indicated their interest to join a regional two Feeder League structure administered by The Football Conference (as indicated by answers to a Football Conference questionnaire), The FA National League System committee will be asking The Football Conference to provide a more detailed proposal that can be further considered by both The FA, and the clubs.

 

It would appear from the above FA statement that the Conference will have their way in the re-shaping of feeder leagues but not this year

[color:"red"] [/color]

[CANV EFM]

i think its a good idea but .. its not viable to change the rules halfway through a season..clubs invest in the close season and throughout the season knowing what they are aiming for.. it could be promotion or survival or whatever, but to change the rules halfway through is just not on.. the following season will give each club time to decide wether they want to be a part of the new set up or not

[pabird]

Its a major opportunity for the conference and the FA to be proactive and go for development of football at non-league level and one more season gives them thinking time for logical joined up change

Why is it not possible for both conf and FA to get into Youth,Ref and Coaches training schemes specifically aimed at non-league?

There are educated players by the score in non-league who could be developed and would be only to happy to be involved in any way that could also develop themselves

Me? Iam so convinced the blazers will get it right this time I am going to hold my breath?