March St Mary's??

[MagicMan]

So whats the story there?

I've just been looking over the fines for this months clubs and St Mary's stand out as being the worst team for fines by far.

Do they just not pay anything? Do they have trouble getting money in?

I also read that they owe about £450 by the end of the month or they'll be suspended until the end of the season.

[DBISH]

Think it's just poor adminstration, then obviously forms into a slippery slope as they get fined for teamsheet/scoreres etc then fined for not paying that fine then fined for not paying the additional fine and then fined for consistant fines.............before you know it it's a lot of money, got lost a bit myself there!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[MagicMan]

Surely the league should be trying to help them then, instead of charging them funds which they are unlikely to be able to pay. I thought originally, back in the day, the FA was there to help clubs not hinder them.

[Harbs]

but the rules are there for a reason buddy.
dont get e wrong the league has plenty of funds but in all honesty the point is if every team did it their money would soon run out.
they have to be fair to everyone.

[Teilo]

Where can you get the info on what they owe?

They are struggling but they are trying. The ressies have folded leaving just one team. I understand the league needs to punish them, but there is a clear need to provide support to them as well. At the end of the day they are a group of lads that want to play football who just don't have the admin skills.

I did sign a week or so ago to help them out when my Cambs team doesn't have matches. I think I may regret that decision as if they do get suspended, I may well not be able to play full stop. That said I've dropped out today because of illness!

[moe]

It will be interesting to see what the league do.
Chances are they will fine them for dropping out the league ect...
Which is always a good way of helping a team in financial difficulty!!!!
The fine from what I gather is then shared out between the players signed on and all are suspended until their share is paid!! I may be wrong.
What they should do is suspend any fines until the end of the season and maybe help them with the admin side until a suitable alternative can be found, try and keep the side going until they are back on their feet, I do not mean financially although it would be a nice use of the money every team pays in at the start of the season, maybe a loan with interest free repayments.

But that will not happen the league will just shaft them as usual. (opinion only)

[Teilo]

I managed to find some of the fines.

One or two lads played when the paperwork hadn't reached the league. One of the lads is a mate of mine, and as far as I am aware he thought he was legit. If they went out to deceive then they would have put him down as a ringer, which we all know goes on. The other lad mentioned I played regularly with last season, and if he wasn't signed on, it was down to poor admin.

Several other fines are for things like not ticking the subs used box, not listing goalscorers etc. The club deserves to be punished, but there should be a supporting role. They called in St. Marys and gave them a telling off, and threatened to recommend at the AGM that they should be kicked out come end of the season. It would have been more helpful if they'd put forward one of their committee members to mentor the team for a period of time. I hope come end of the season the clubs support St. Marys even though they are having a tough time at present.

I know lots of people who sit on various league committees, and many seem to forget that the main thing is people playing football and having fun. St. Marys have a group of players who want to play football. They may not win but the league needs all the teams it can get.

Well done to St. Marys who only lost 2-0 to Eye Sports. I know several reserve team players have stepped up, and I think that is a good thing.

[Teilo]

A LOCAL side has been spared suspension from the Peterborough League by paying fines amounting to almost £300.

The March St Mary club were
given a deadline of yesterday lunchtime to cough up for what league spokesman Graham Phillips described as 'general misdemeanours', but they have withdrawn their reserve team with immediate effect.

The Fenland side also settled a debt with the Cambridgeshire Football Association but despite coughing up, Peterborough League chiefs will still recommend they are axed at the end of the current campaign.

Phillips said: "Their fines began to mount up over a period of time and we tried to be as helpful as possible.

"But it got to a stage where we had to be heavy-handed and they would have been suspended had they not paid.

"We have given March St Mary the ultimatum that we will not be recommending they are re-elected at the annual meeting.

"As far as we are concerned they are not doing the business, but ultimately it will come down to the member clubs to decide at the meeting."

The full article contains 484 words and appears in Peterborough ET newspaper.

[March Lad]

I would just like to point out that St Mary's were not getting any paperwork notifying them of fines as the league were sending it to the wrong address!!!

[Admin]

In which case, the League need to make sure that they regularly get updates from clubs as to their details - maybe mid season as well as at the start. Would only take one phone call to each club?

[March Lad]

Bit of a strange story but league were actually sending the post to 3a instead of 3b (something like that anyway) and this was an empty house! had to persuade the estate agents to give access!!!