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The FA, B Teams and the Future

7/5/2014

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What makes the English football special? If you listen to modern day pundits they would tell you that it is the Premier League, the best league in the world. 

They are wrong!

What makes English football so special is, in fact, the supporters.

Before I get slated for it, I know that football is a British obsession not just English. However, for the purpose of this article, I am only discussing English football. The reason for this will become apparent as we progress.

For many a year now the Premier League has been losing sight of the fact that this is the game of the people. Sunday afternoon kick-offs, matches changed to suit TV coverage, Monday night games and extortionate admission prices all add to the woe of the humble supporter. There appears to be little consideration for your average man in the street when it comes to top flight football. The lower down the leagues you go, the more consideration is shown to supporters. This is probably because the smaller clubs, with less money, are still aware that they depend heavily upon people coming through their turnstiles week in, week out.

The passion for football in England is deeper than in any other country in my opinion. Yes, you could say that German crowds are consistently high in the Bundesliga. Spanish and Italian crowds are extremely vociferous and passionate in their own way. However, take a look a little lower down their respective leagues. In England there is a thriving pyramid, down to seven steps below League Two (or Division 4 as it should be known). This comprises over 1600 teams the majority of which represent small communities across the country. Nowhere in the world can match this pyramid system. It is the bedrock of English football.
The crowds at Step 7 may only be a tiny proportion of the Premier League crowds but each of these teams still has die-hard supporters who follow their team regardless of the weather, results or distances.
We should be proud of our pyramid system. We should cherish it and nourish it. More money should be fed down from the top levels of the game to ensure that these smaller clubs survive. No one is saying that a Step 7 team deserves millions of pounds. Many of them would not welcome millions of pounds. However, they would welcome a few quid to patch a hole in the changing room roof, buy a new match ball or mark out the pitch.

The point behind this is that, this is the foundation for football in England. If we destroy it then, eventually, the game will die completely.

If the FA allow the addition of B teams into the pyramid system then the demise of football will be greatly increased in my opinion. The option to create a new league between League Two and the Conference would spell utter disaster for any team below that level, even if promotion and relegation from that league was restricted. This proposal shows a complete lack of understanding of football in England and what actually makes it tick. Many of the teams below Step 2 of the pyramid already do not have realistic chances of progression but it is the hope and the potential that drives a lot of these clubs on. If the FA puts another barrier in their way, this time a barrier backed by the wealth of foreign investments, it could be the death knell for many a club.

As for the argument that B teams would allow competitive action for future English stars. Seriously? Manchester City B, Chelsea B, Arsenal B are going to pack their teams with English players. Don’t kid yourself. It will be a breeding ground for more young foreign imports brought in at an early age so that they can claim to be home grown by the time they make the first team.
If the FA truly wants to promote more English players in the game and give them competitive chances then they should find a way of restricting foreign imports into the top levels and encourage loan deals to the lower leagues.
B Teams may work in Spain, in Germany and in the Netherlands. However, none of these countries has the depth of club football that England possesses. Look below the Bundesliga, La Liga or the Eredivisie and see the crowds that provincial clubs attract. There is no active non-league system to kill off in these countries. We, in England, have a thriving non-league scene. The Southern League playoffs this season attracted over 7500 spectators to the 3 matches. The Ryman League got close to 5,000 for their 3 playoff finals. These levels of support are unheard of in other countries. We need to ensure that we keep this support going. Kids should be encouraged to watch their local sides, not go to see Arsenal B team or some other collection of imports.

These are just my opinions and I suspect that the FA, backed by the wealth and power of the Premier League, will steamroller over everything in it’s way, whatever the fans think. I do wonder what will happen come the day that the Premier League bubble bursts though. With everyday supporters being priced out of the game, will there be a future once the big corporates get bored and start to take clients to F1 or Rugby?

Food for thought Mr Dyke.





 


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End of Season Review

6/5/2014

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So, another season draws to a close. I have to say that I have enjoyed every minute of my non-league ground-hopping this year. From Daventry in early September through to Chesham in late April, I have seen some great matches, met some really interesting people and visited 23 new
stadia.
I have seen a lot of football in my almost half a century. I clearly remember the first time I saw West Brom play because they were relegated that day (21 April, 1973). I am pretty certain that I saw Stourbridge play before that date, possibly in 1972 and I have a vague recollection of Nuneaton Borough being the opponents. My first ever football match, however, was Brierley Hill Alliance v Kidderminster Harriers in the late 60’s (1968/69 season is most likely) of which I have a very clear memory of rusty corrugated  ironwork and a fuzzy recollection of a 4-4 draw (this may be totally wrong). My  point is, I have seen a lot of football. I was in Munich when England won 5-1,  I was at Wembley when West Brom beat Port Vale in 1993, I saw SuperKev put  the  Wolves out of their misery in the playoff semi-final and I saw Stourbridge play Cardiff in the Welsh Cup Final in 1974 ( a Stourbridge side that I believe featured Chic Bates and Ray Haywood). However, I can honestly say that I have never enjoyed a single season of football as much as the 2013/14 season.
The highlights, as far as matches go, this season have to be Stourbridge scoring 9 at Chippenham. Hemel 4 Stourbridge 3, and the surprising performance of bottom club Fleet Town at North Leigh.
The 9-0 away win at Chippenham was an extraordinary game of football. There was no indication of the drama to come when the sides kicked off on a damp October evening. The home fans were not
particularly happy with their club at the time and results had not been going their way but nothing could prepare us for what happened next. Stourbridge started the stronger and took an early lead. Chippenham lost two players to red cards and Stour got two more goals to lead 3-0 after 23 minutes. Remarkably, there was no more scoring until the 67th minute. In fact, Chippenham’s nine players were the better team for 10 minutes at the start of the second half. Once the 4th went in, the floodgates opened and the home team’s heads dropped somewhat.
http://basepyramid.weebly.com/2/post/2013/11/nine-against-nine.html

The late season match at Vauxhall Road between the two top scoring sides in the Calor Premier lived up to the hype. What a game! Hemel took a very early lead but Stour pulled it back to 1-1 by half time. The second half was a blur of end-to-end attacking football, goals and action (even a controversial decision to play on after the ball was put out of play). My team may have lost but this was one of the best £10s I have ever spent to watch football.
http://basepyramid.weebly.com/2/post/2014/03/the-ton-up-club.html

My final selection followed a spur of the moment decision to watch North Leigh v Fleet Town in March. If you have never been to North Leigh you should. It’s a most interesting location. However, that is not the reason I picked this game. The real reason was the performance of the away team. Second from bottom and looking doomed to relegation they took on a team pressing for the playoffs and completely played them off the park for 50+ minutes. Fleet’s style of play was a joy to watch. Quick passing, continuous movement off the ball and a willingness to run and run. If only their finishing could have been better. Eventually the home team got on top with two quickfire goals which deflated Fleet. To their credit, they kept plugging away and got a consolation to end up beaten 3-1. If this is the way Fleet intend to play football (and I am pleased to say they stayed up due the Thatcham’s resignation) I am certainly putting Calthorpe Park near the top of next season’s hops. http://basepyramid.weebly.com/2/post/2014/04/april-09th-2014.html

My favourite stadium has to be Hardenhuish Park. Not because of the scoreline that I saw there but because it is a proper old-fashioned football stadium. A tight, enclosed space that generates atmosphere. I look forward to visiting that ground again soon. Not least because, another award, the Cuppa League Championship, is also wending it’s way to Wiltshire. The tea bar at Hardenhuish has the honour of being the inaugural BotP Cuppa League champion (2013/14).

My team of the year has to be Hemel Hempstead Town. They played great attacking football and just over-powered everyone in their path. Worthy champions of the Calor Premier League.

Referee of the year goes to Mr E Turner who I saw take charge of Ardley United v Holyport in the Hellenic Premier.
http://basepyramid.weebly.com/2/post/2013/09/a-few-hardy-souls-and-the-laughing-official.html

One of my favourite moments was meeting the Stratford Town supporting dog and his owners who were forced to stand out in the pouring rain so that their pet could get a good view of the match. That’s dedication for you.
http://basepyramid.weebly.com/2/post/2014/02/the-tempest.html

Lowlights of the season were obviously the playoff defeat at Chesham and the 0-2 reverse that Stourbridge suffered at Burnham. Not only was that an awful game of football on a very cold night, in a stadium with no toilets, but I also returned to find my car back window smashed and some of my
possessions missing. I will not be in a hurry to return The Gore for a number of reasons.
http://basepyramid.weebly.com/2/post/2013/12/a-bad-night-all-round.html

The thing that stands out most of all from my visits to non-league stadia across the country is the hard work put into these clubs by mainly volunteers. These people are not motivated by money or European glory. They do, however, all have a love of the game and an attachment to their local community. That’s what non-league is all about. Community.
Just as I write this, I am reading about the latest possible FA proposal of introducing B teams at a level between League 2 and the Conference. I can feel the anger rising as I type. I am describing the feeling of community in the game whilst, meanwhile, the FA dreams up another plan to destroy
it.

I must, before I close, thank a few people. First of all, a couple of people who have retweeted me and plugged my blog to their followers. Thank you Richard Clark (@sfcofficial) and my brother-in-law Chris
  (@chrislepkowski). Very much appreciated.

Finally, and most importantly, my long-suffering wife Dot who not only has to put up with me getting home at an unearthly hour at least one night a week but also has to explain to our 4 year old why Daddy is standing in a field in Gloucestershire rather than reading her stories. 
 
I’m already looking forward to the new season and planning which stadiums I will visit first.

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