PETERBOROUGH PREM VS U.C.L. DIV 1....

[MELLEN]

I WOULD BE INTERSESTED TO KNOW WHAT THE VARIOUS MANAGERS AND PLAYERS THINK ABOUT THE COMPARISONS IN STANDARDS BETWEEN THESE TWO LEAGUES...AND HOW THIER TEAMS WOULD FARE IN THE U.C.L. DIVISION ONE...

[spec]

Quite simple from my point of view MELLEN, the Peterborough Prem is a better standard of football, If you look at the facts over the last couple of seasons regarding county cup games involving ourselves, Ortonians, Perkins, Moulton if you include the Lincs cup and there equivalent UCL league then you will see we have all beaten or run very close, sides from the top half of the UCL Premier league which if I am not mistaken is even higher than the first division !
I seriously think the top 3 in the Prem at the moment and a couple of sides below would finish every season in the top 3 of the UCL Division 1.

[Tommy Trophy]

Disagree with you this time Spec - Think UCL is slightly better, but not a lot, and most of it down to pace and fitness rather than ability.

I think my side has about 8 players capable of doing themselves justice at step 6. You probably have roughtly the same, though with the likes of Anderson, Favell, Sanderson & Goodayle are capable of playing at step 5 quite comfortably.

Moulton, Crowland & Parson Drove would be okay, but for me the rest would be bottom half. Think the lower half of the UCL 1 is also a bit better than the lower half of Peterborough Prem.

[ianh]

True, Eye United came 3rd and 4th in their 1st and 2nd season from the Peterboro League, But I would say your Premier division is more equal to the Lincolnshire League

in Last years Lincs Junior Cup, Moulton Harrox beat Heckington United from the Lincoln League, a league below the Lincolnshire League (I personally believe teams from Peterborough Prem should enter Lincs Senior B),
Usually teams from the Peterborough Prem play and match Wyberton from the Lincs Lge in pre-season friendlys

As for last UCL-Peterborough Prem game, last week at Huntingdon :scr:

[Harbs]

There's always going to be a difference in standards, if there wasn't then ucl wouldnt be classed as a higher league.
I think the main difference is down to fitness and the standard of opposition they face each week but only having the opportunity of playing against a few teams in the ucl i cant comment too much on how good or bad it is but from the games i have played in i dont think the standard is too different and i agree with spec there are teams in the prem that would hold their own in ucl prem let alone div 1. just an opinion tho :)

[only1fogg]

Agree with tommy and spec, feel no difference apart from fitness as more commitment needed at UCL level. Standards in leagues are equal as constantly proven and numerous players choose not to play UCL but could if they wanted/had time and commitment!!

[MELLEN]

I WOULD HAVE TO AGREE WITH TOMMYS OPINION ON THIS SUBJECT-& PERSONALLY THINK SPEC IS SLIGHTLY BIASED IN HIS.
BOTH ORTONIANS,HOTPOINT, & MOULTON (IN MY OPINION THE 3 BEST SIDES IN THE PBORO PREM) WHILE HAVING PROBABLY HALF A DOZEN PLAYERS CAPABLE OF PLAYING STEP 5 & EVEN 6 (SOME INDEED HAVE!)
YOU NEVERTHELESS HAVE TO POSE THE QUESTION; WHY DONT THEY THEN?
SURELY U.C.L. & E.C.L. MANAGERS MUST OF APPROCHED SOME OF THESE PLAYERS?
PERSONALLY I THINK AS A FOOTBALLER YOU SHOULD ALWAYS TRY TO PLAY AS HIGHER LEVEL AS POSSIBLE-DURING MY PLAYING DAYS I ALWAYS ENJOYED PLAYING AGAINST THE BETTER TEAMS IN THE U.C.L. & E.C.L.-IT WAS A GOOD CHALLENGE FOR MY SKILLS & IM CONVINCED IT MADE ME A BETTER ALL ROUND PLAYER-THE LITTLE THINGS YOU PICK UP ESPECIALLY FROM THE EXPERIENCED EX-PRO'S THAT FREQUENT THESE LEAGUES (...AND BY THE WAY WOULDNT GO NEAR THE PBORO PREM!) WERE PRICELESS.
THIS IS JUST MY OPINION BUT I THINK THERE ARE ALOT OF PLAYERS (PARTICUALLY AT HOTPOINT!) WHO ARE JUST POT HUNTERS AND GLORY MEN WHO LIKE BEING "BIG FISH IN A SMALL POND" WHO PATENTLY LACK THE COMMITMENT AND ATTITUDE TO PLAY HIGHER. (REMEMBER ABILITY IS NOT THE ONLY REQUIREMENT NEEDED TO PLAY NON-LEAGUE)
TAKING SPEC UP ON HIS POINTS YOU ONLY HAVE TO LOOK HOW EYE (NOW P.N.S.)HAVE FARED TO BLOW HIS THEORY OUT OF THE WATER!
HAVING DOMINATED LOCAL FOOTBALL IM SURE MANY OF THE EYE PLAYERS THOUGHT THEY WOULD FIND U.C.L. FOOTBALL JUST AS EASY-WHAT A RUDE AWAKENING THEY HAD-AND THEY EYE TEAM THAT COMPLETED THAT FIRST SEASON IN THE U.C.L. WERE A FAR SUPERIOR OUTFIT TO ANYTHING PLAYING IN THE PBORO LEAGUE TODAY.
SPECS AGING HOTPOINT SIDE WOULD BE MID-TABLE AT BEST AS MANY OF HIS PLAYERS ARE TOO OLD! FOOTBALLS A YOUNG MANS GAME WHICH IS WHY I THINK TOMMYS ORTONIANS WOULD FARE BETTER-MAYBE AFTER A SEASON OF "BEDDING IN" THEY COULD EVEN CHALLENGE P.N.S. AS THE BEST CITY SIDE!
BUT FOR ME MOULTON WOULD BE THE BEST BET-THEY ARE PHYSICALLY STRONG WHICH IS A PRE-REQUISITE FOR COMPETING IN THE U.C.L. & VILLAGE TEAMS WITH THE RIGHT INFASTRUCTURE & MENTALLITY TEND TO PROSPER IN THE TIGHT,FAST & PHYSICAL FOOTBALL OF U.C.L. FOOTBALL.
ANY THOUGHTS GENTLEMEN?

[spec]

Not really a constructive post there Mellen was it, I don't think you have read previous posts on here as you have totally misconstrued everything I said (you don't work for the ET do you ?). I don't really have time for this but just to put you right on a few points you have chosen to have a dig at me with : The Eye team that left the Peterborough Prem finished a respectable 3rd or 4th if I remember but I may be wrong, which is a good start after having to adapt to a different level of football, they then lost the nucleus of that side because players didn't want to travel etc which we covered in another post a while back, so to cut a long story short it was not the same side that went into the UCL from the Prem.
Pothunters and glory men at Hotpoint simply do not exist because we haven't won anything, the reason I attract the better players is because of our brilliant set up we have there. We have an excellent home ground, excellent training facilities, excellent coaches for training, excellent insurance cover for injured players that the club itself contributes towards and not the players, an excellent social club that provides us with 2 excellent kits every year and the best thing about all this excellent b******s is the fact we know how to party after games, we also have social functions throughout the year for the players and wives, partners, bits on the side and probably boyfriends in this day and age.
Ageing side ?? I have 2 players in their late 30's in Ian Rudd and Sean Bingham and if you cared to see them train and play the way they are doing at the moment you will see why I continue to play them every week. We have some very good youngsters in the side and on the verge of being in the side so I think that has blown your theory out of the water regarding Hotpoint.

As we were talking about UCL football I will re-itterate that having played at that level for over 10 years I think that I am suitably qualified to say that fitness is the only difference, talent wise our Premier League would leave it standing, perhaps that's why you wouldn't go near the Peterborough Prem. There is a big difference between being a footballer and an athlete.

[topband]

Keep it short and sweet lads almost fell asleep reading the last two items. Oh what time is it :bst:

[spec]

Thanks for your contribution Topband, I look forward to your next sentence with baited breath.

[pmcvey]

On the topic of UCL Division 1 and Peterborough League there are three differences that I have seen as I have refereed in both leagues this season.

Firstly, players at UCL tend to accept the cautions more so than in Peterborough League.

Secondly, the fitness levels are slightly higher and I presume this is due to more midweek training.

Thirdly, the administration of the teams is better. League rules state team sheets must be with the referee 45 minutes before kick off (happens at 95% of the grounds) and also the club assistants must be in the dressing room 15 minutes before kick off (and they stay with you at half time - a bit un-nerving the first time you go to Thrapston but you soon get used to it)

One last thing that I have noticed is that there is more interest in the teams in the UCL - 24/12/05 Wellingborough Whitworths vs Wellingborough Town - over 1000 spectators. I now this figure is a lot but most UCL Div 1 teams get between 60 - 100 a game.