FA Press Release re step5/6 review

I can't work out a way of getting this pasted onto the forum, which is a bugger. If anyone is interested, though, drop me an e-mail at tgriffiths@mayowynnebaxter.co.uk and I can forward it on to you. Basically the thing tells us:-

a) That as we knew, the FA are wanting "to make every effort" to reduce the number of leagues in step 5 to 12 (which I translate as meaning "we are going to do this whether you like it or not and even if it bankrupts some of you in the process")

b) The new set-up will start from 2013/14

c) Leagues may have as many as 25 clubs in initially and then will get reduced by additional relegation to 22.

d) Step 5 clubs need to have an F grading. (so lucky we're not still at Taff's Well).

e) The step 6 review process will follow shortly. Not that we ought to be very interested in that.

Hopefully, we'll escape all this by getting up before the hammer falls.

11:32 10 Jan 12

THE Football Association is now in a position to update Leagues and Clubs on the current position with regard to a review of the Step 5/6 structure of the National League System (the two levels below the Ryman, Southern and northern Premier Leagues).

There was always the intention, as part of the overall restructure, to align the number of promotion places to Step 4 with the number of relegation places available. With Step 4 now established with 6 Divisions and 12 possible relegation places, the Leagues Committee established a Review Group charged with the task of exploring the possibility of reducing the current 14 Step 5 Divisions down to 12.

A consultation process commenced in September with the Review Group meeting individually with each of the Step 5/6 competitions. Following these meetings it was established that there was a majority of leagues in favour of such a reorganisation taking place at Step 5. At a meeting with all Step 5 leagues held yesterday (8 January) at Burton Albion FC the Review Group presented their current thinking. An example of how a new structure might look was presented. It was emphasised that the example shown included all current Step 5 clubs and did not take into account if the club fully complied with the appropriate grading criteria. There will also be two season’s normal club movements by way of promotion and relegation to take into account. The meeting also highlighted the following:

• That every effort should be made to establish 12 Step 5 divisions each of 22 clubs.
• To be included, Clubs must achieve Ground Grading Category F, as independently verified, by 31 March 2013.
• So as to not disadvantage any club, all clubs that meet the F Grade will be included in the new structure and to facilitate this, in the first season, 2013/2014, the number of clubs in each division may vary between 22 and 25.
• By adjustments being made to the number of relegated clubs from Step 5 over the following one or two seasons, numbers would reduce to 22 clubs.

The next stage of the consultation process sees all Step 5 clubs invited to attend a series of regional meetings to consider the current situation and have any concerns explained to them. These meetings are to take place as follows:

Sunday 15 January at the Thurrock Hotel, Aveley
Sunday 22 January at The West Riding County FA offices in Leeds
Sunday 29 January at the Leicester Marriott Hotel
Sunday 12 February at Yeovil Town FC

Based upon the feedback from both the leagues and clubs meetings the Leagues Committee will determine the way forward. The Review Group will also be looking at Step 6 in more detail in the coming months.

Commenting on the project Mike Appleby, Leagues and Clubs Manager, emphasised that this was very much work in progress and that no final decision had been made: “There are a number of inaccurate rumours circulating at the present time and we must await the outcome of the consultation process before any final recommendation is made.

“Part of the original aims of the restructure process was to try to equalise the travelling of clubs. It is inevitable therefore that some clubs will find an increase in their travel whilst some will see a reduction”

“The leagues themselves have asked that Step 5 and 6 be reviewed and we are following this through but I reiterate that no decision has been made and will not be made until the consultation process has been completed”.

Should any restructure take place it will take effect from season 2013/2014.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Copied this off the Non League Matters Forum :- From the Sunday Independent newspaper - Two Western League clubs have applied, Merthyr Town and Hallen. Dont know where they got this from as the FA have not published anything as yet.

These are the leagues and the teams from each that have applied to go up to step 4 from 5 as you can see there are 14 leagues for only 12 places, some of the teams might not get the grading and not all of them can win their leagues.

Combined Counties League
Camberley Town
Egham Town
Guildford City
Molesey
Windsor

Eastern Counties League
Wisbech Town
Wroxham

Essex Senior League
Burnham Ramblers
Enfield 1893
Witham Town

Hellenic League
Binfield
Flackwell Heath
Shortwood United

Kent League
Beckenham Town
Corinthian
Erith & Belvedere
Erith Town
Fisher
Herne Bay
VCD Athletic

Midland Football Alliance
Causeway United
Coventry Sphinx
Gresley
Rocester
Stratford Town
Westfields

North West Counties League
Barnoldswick Town
Bootle
Glossop North End
Ramsbottom United
Runcorn Linnets
Runcorn Town

Northern Counties East League
Bridlington Town
Brighouse Town
Parkgate
Retford United
Scarborough Athletic
Staveley Miners Welfare
Tadcaster Albion
Thackley
Winterton Rangers

Northern League
Bishop Auckland
Dunston UTS
Sunderland RCA
Whitley Bay

Spartan South Midlands League
AFC Dunstable
Berkhamsted
Dunstable Town
Haringey Borough
Royston Town
Tring Athletic

Sussex County League
Lancing
Pagham
Peacehaven & Telscombe
Redhill
Three Bridges

United Counties League
AFC Kempston Rovers
Kings Lynn Town
Long Buckby AFC
St Ives Town

Wessex League
Bemerton Heath Harlequins
Winchester City

Western League
Hallen
Merthyr Town

Here's a quiz question - apart from ourselves two other names on that list are of clubs that were once in the Football League. WITHOUT LOOKING IT UP can you name them?

I'm not counting Scarborough Athletic as the club that were once in the League were plain 'Scarborough'.

Merthyr Imp wrote:Here's a quiz question - apart from ourselves two other names on that list are of clubs that were once in the Football League. WITHOUT LOOKING IT UP can you name them?

I'm not counting Scarborough Athletic as the club that were once in the League were plain 'Scarborough'.

Okay I did have a guess, then I started googling, or more accurately, I started looking on Wikipedia. What is surprising is the number of clubs in that list that are recently refounded clubs.

Oh and I still haven't found the answer, but I was going to guess Bishop Auckland, surprised to find out, that is a no.

Bootle & Glossop?

Merthyr Imp wrote:Here's a quiz question - apart from ourselves two other names on that list are of clubs that were once in the Football League. WITHOUT LOOKING IT UP can you name them?

Ditto - and easy if you look on Google - which one once won the World Cup (and yes, I mean World cup - albeit Wanderin' would have been in short trousers when they did!)

Solihull Martyr wrote:

Merthyr Imp wrote:Here's a quiz question - apart from ourselves two other names on that list are of clubs that were once in the Football League. WITHOUT LOOKING IT UP can you name them?

Ditto - and easy if you look on Google - which one once won the World Cup (and yes, I mean World cup - albeit Wanderin' would have been in short trousers when they did!)

I didn't look on Google cos I don't know how to use it! If I am right it's because I'm roughly the same age as Wandering.

Old Sod wrote:Bootle & Glossop?

Yes, they're the ones. Whether the clubs have been reformed since those days I don't know, but the name's the same (like us).

Old Sod wrote:I didn't look on Google cos I don't know how to use it!

So whats your answer?!!

Old Sod wrote:If I am right it's because I'm roughly the same age as Wandering.

Impossible, unless Merfa is the Welsh equivilent of Aasgard!

Why aren't you at tonights friendly?

Solihull Martyr wrote:

Merthyr Imp wrote:Here's a quiz question - apart from ourselves two other names on that list are of clubs that were once in the Football League. WITHOUT LOOKING IT UP can you name them?

Ditto - and easy if you look on Google - which one once won the World Cup (and yes, I mean World cup - albeit Wanderin' would have been in short trousers when they did!)

The team that won the world cup was West Auckland, the movie of this event is on Youtube - a captain's tale starring Dennis Waterman. Incidentally A Captain's tale features fictional matches as they did not actually play some of those games suggested in the drama, I believe it was Torino they played in the defence of the cup and not Juventus. A website about the West Auckland world cup suggests that the cup was stolen in recent times.

oops I got some of the detail wrong myself there, but I am sure in the movie they played Juventus. The fixtures and results for the Thomas Lipton Trophy, the first world cup, are here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sir_Thomas_Lipton_Trophy

With regard to the original post there is a two page spread on the FA's major shake up of the pyramid in todays Non-League paper.