Feelings are running high in local football circles about a set of new proposals due to be discussed at a special meeting of the Costcutter Ceredigion League this week which many feel could have severe implications on the long term health of a league that is almost a century old. Writes Andrew Clarke
Many well known football players and followers have expressed concern at three options which they say could well finish off many teams in the area at a time when soccer is on a huge high in most other parts of Wales.
A number of Costcutter clubs are struggling for both players and volunteers to help run their football sides with some on the verge of pulling out their reserve teams and other clubs such as New Quay are struggling to field just one side.
St Dogmaels for example have been forced to pull out their reserve team and School Field stalwart Steve ‘Gerry’ Williams told Sportsline that the Saints can barely get one strong team together at the moment. There are many other clubs facing similar dilemmas.
A chronic shortage of referees is also a problem and the league administrators, who work very hard to maintain football in Ceredigion face a daunting challenge in finding a structure that suits all.
What are these proposals?
At the recent AGM of the Costcutter Football league a proposal from the management committee was for a similar format to that which is in place at the moment with two divisions and a reserves cup competition based on the current teams. There would be a 12 team first division and a slimmed down division two of just six teams who would all play each other four times and a ten team reserve league.
Would players in division two really look forward to the prospect of playing the same team four times in a season? Probably not.
There are two further options.
One of these is option 2, and this would take the form of a ten team first division but without newly promoted champions Cilgerran and runners up Dewi Stars. There would be ten teams in division two and seven teams in the reserve section.
Sportsline and many others feel that this would be very unfair to both Cilgerran and Dewi Stars as they have worked hard to get back up into the top flight and would be insulting to the respective managers Neil ‘Mogs’ Morgan and John Jones and this proposal is sure to cause a great deal of tension at the meeting.
Why not just give the two promoted teams a taste of the division one football they are entitled to and have a reduced second division just for one season?
Option 3 would be a straightforward two division structure with all the reserve teams playing in division two. This though looks like going down like the proverbial lead balloon as all the reserves teams would have little or no chance of going up as their first team would already be in above them in division one.
Many would soon become disillusioned and move clubs and those in charge would be unable to field a team. The effects of course are obvious.
There will be fewer teams and a decrease in the amount of people playing the game.
Confused? Yes probably!
But what do real football people think?
Seamus Doherty:” I think some of the options on the table are doomed to fail and it will be just as well to keep with the current format as it works reasonably well as long as there are enough referees to go around.
“ However playing the same team four times in a season is daft and won’t work and leaving Cilgerran out after they won promotion should be a non starter.”
Maesglas FC manager Paul Jones:” It will be difficult to find a solution that suits everyone and I think it maybe be just as well to keep it as it is as long as there are enough referees to go around.
“ I don’t think playing the same team four times in one season is a good idea even though it does give you more chances to get your own back if you have lost to that team earlier in the season.”
Chris ‘Coco’ Davies manager of Llandysul said he had mixed feelings but is of the opinion that option one is probably the best for his club and commented:
” Proposal three is mad in my eyes and I would probably favour option one although understandably our second team want to remain in division two, even though they will be the only reserve team in it.
“However ,both Cilgerran and Dewi Stars must be allowed to play in division one.”
Llanboidy stalwart Stephen Scouse’ Roberts said:” In my personal opinion option one should not even be on the table. Playing any team four times in one season is ridiculous.
“Just ask the teams who ended last season in the Reserves Cup. It’s tedious, boring, and makes the league less enjoyable. And I just fail to understand why option three is even being considered.
“ This should never even be contemplated, unless the league is looking to see football in Ceredigion die a death. Who in their right mind would want to play for a team, where the only chance of promotion is being called up to their first team?
“This structure will kill off the reserve teams if there is no chance of promotion.”
Another major problem is that there is a dire shortage of referees with very few volunteering to take up what has increasingly become a difficult and thankless job and the men in the middle are not prepared to take the stick that comes with the whistle. Some experienced officials have said that they have had enough and are standing down.
This problem ofcourse has in the main been caused by the players themselves despite repeated warnings for many years.
The abuse of sporting officials both verbally and physically is on the rise and it has finally been recognised by the FA only last week and red cards will now be shown to players who verbally abuse officials.
This new hardened approach has probably arrived ten years too late and it will take some time for the penny to drop and the climate to change but it is a step in the right direction.
But what about the direction of the Costcutter League?
What do you think should happen?
What advice would you give the management of the Costcutters League?
Do you have any positive suggestions?
Feel free to comment on the sportsline powered by BCC IT face book page.
The three proposals can be viewed on the Ceredigion League Website link below.
http://www.ceredigionleague.co.uk/
