Regional Reserve Competition?

[ianh]

With the sad demise of Holbeach United Reserves, although not a shock. what do people on here think of a north/east and south/west reserve league split.

mainly the reserve divisions are about providing a game for bringing on kids and first teamers returning from injury.

Maybe teams such as Boston, Holbeach, Potton, Daventry and ourselves at Sleaford may join/return

I know this has been discussed before but What do you think?

[lordbyron]

Think its generally percieved that its a better standard in the ucl reserves and that in order for the players to get to the standard required in ucl they need the best standard they can play at.

if travelling was a problem i think both clubs an players would stay in local leagues to provide players with games

[ianh]

Do you mean yes its the best standard, but only if you can travel.... or the standard is the same as the local leagues........ or if you cant travel, tough

You didnt quite make yourself clear there LB

[lordbyron]

sorry .....i meant the standard is better in the ucl reserves
If travelling was a problem then they would stay in their local leagues

st neots ressies went into the ucl so that their yougsters could play at a better level this in turn would help them as an when they played for their 1st team


hope that helps

[buggalugs]

I think you need to leave it as-is, so the two reserve divisions are on merit.

There's always the discussion on why a reserve team is there in the first place, and all the different reasons are valid. However, ultimately you have a football team competing in a league competition, and as such the competition should be on merit not geography (obviously within the context of the geographical coverage of the overall league).

On another note, I still think work needs to be done looking into playing fixtures on Fridays to try and ensure first teams and reserve teams don't play simultaneously, giving fringe players a chance to sit on the first team bench but also play for the reserves.......amongst other benefits.

[judgejohn]

I sort of agree with bugs, however it strikes me that if you had 2 regionalised divisions and there was a play-off competition at the end between those finishing in the top 4 of each (QF format) that might make it quite exciting? What do you think?

[buggalugs]

I still think you'd get a main season where half the fixtures were a bit too one-sided......or maybe it would raise the games of the so-called weaker sides?

If a team can't get players to travel, then they should play in a local league. If the players make the first team they'll have to travel, so they should show the same commitment in the reserves.

I don't know if it's the case, but do you have to have a first team in the UCL for your reserves to be in the UCL Reserve divisions? If that is the rule, maybe it should be opened up to reserve teams from other higher clubs (assuming they have a reserve team) like Corby Town etc.

[thehollowfan]

I know Potton had shown interest in re-enterting their reserves into the UCL if the league was organised on regional basis and we actually put in a suggestion that the league used the A14 as a divider so that the leagues were north/south. We then suggested that the reserve koc reverts to the old format so you would meet different teams. I was told it was a lot of the Northamptonshire clubs who opposed the move but as they are central to most UCL teams they are probably the ones with the least travelling. The problem with asking reserve players to travel close to a 100 mile round trip is that many clubs do not pay petrol money.

Corby Town used to have their reserves in the UCL and Rothwell Town and Woodford have reserve teams in so there is no rule regarding this.

[giln68]

Regional reserve leagues might not work - I can see the travelling argument, but take a look at he results in this years regionalised Reserve League Cup - some sides were on the end of a thumping or two. Surely it cant be right to play all season knowing that neither promotion or relegation is a possibility.

[blissycook]

yep its true, its the standard of play which is at risk. Better sides will not keep players in the league if standards drop. Round this way they will simply go to UCL division One clubs or Northants Comb sides

[ianh]

But, Unfortunately teams such as Boston (Lincs League) Potton, Wooton and Kempston (Beds County Reserve Lge) and Newport Pagnell (Suburban League Nth?) will play elsewhere because of travelling.

and as intimated elsewhere, is not necessarily any lower standard (Lincoln United Reserves in the Lincs League, Bedford Town Reserves in the Beds county)

It would be better to have these clubs in the UCL reserve league then we could maybe attract reserve clubs from other Higher leagues, Kettering, Stamford, Spalding, Rushden & Diamonds?

[afcrover]

Ian

I agree that it would be better for the teams currently in the Beds County Reserve League to re join the ucl. The fact that these teams joined the county league was to cut down traveling and expenses. We only play other teams in Bedfordshire so even a midweek game does not involve too much traveling.

If we entered back into the Ucl as the current leagues are set up we would be asking players to travel a much further distances than we currently do and some of these games may be played midweek evenings.

If you want to attract clubs from outside the core Northampton area the league must be split locally. We only play local sides in our league and the standard of the league is very good.

You are always going to get weaker teams in even two divisions, if the league do not re-organize I can see the numbers falling even further and teams entering local leagues.

[no8]

Have to disagree with most of the points above (From Newports decision), Newport left due to the poor quality of the reserve leagues they have joined the Suburban league which is filled with teams from the North London area whose first teams play either the same level as UCL prem or higher. The reasoning for this was that like Newport these teams use their reserves for blooding youngsters with Newport regulary playing 6 or 7 16 - 18 year olds in their starting line up. The league also provides 3 officals to all matches therefore removing the age old argument from the UCL of poor club linesman.

[npinsider]

Newport Pagnell Town did not leave the UCL Reserve league because of the travelling, the club was just looking for a better standard of football. The club last season fielded a very young side (which it still does) and felt that the UCL reserve league did not really inspire the younger lads who were getting 3 good officials midweek in the U18 league and a Veteran Ref and a dubious club linesman on a saturday. The Suburban League has proved a very good alternative with 3 officials and playing against clubs, the majority of which are Southern/Ryman League. The furthest trip is Fleet in Hampshire (hardly local) but as been mentioned in an earlier post, if players step up into UCL prem they are going to have to travel anyway. Newport see it as an Investment in youth, time will tell if it works or not. (although 4 U17 players played at Bourne last saturday) The additional cost is obviously an issue, but other clubs are spending a lot more on 1st team wages than Newport who only pay a win bonus.
The UCL reserve league has suffered a number of withdrawals over recent years, and I don't think regionalising it will help, as the stronger clubs will feel the competition has been weakened in terms of quality and facilities. I know Newport would much sooner go to Deeping/Blackstones etc than ON Chenecks (no disrespect intended) even though the latter is only 14 miles away.