im puzzled

[tinywils]

1-Cant get my head around the cancellation of a first team game on i believe 18th feb by a first team when there res and "a" s are playing ? is this a mockery of the rules ? 2- I hear the distance from the pitch to the changing rooms is back in??? how many times are the boundaries being moved until the step 7 is clear in black and white?? I understand the annoyance from the club in question and i hope they keep there players for div 1 .

[normanvasey]

1-Cant get my head around the cancellation of a first team game on i believe 18th feb by a first team when there res and "a" s are playing ? is this a mockery of the rules ? 2- I hear the distance from the pitch to the changing rooms is back in??? how many times are the boundaries being moved until the step 7 is clear in black and white?? I understand the annoyance from the club in question and i hope they keep there players for div 1 .

Distance from the pitch to the changing rooms is NOT included in The FA questionnaires that I am completing for Step 7, which have a deadline date of 29th Feb 2012 for their return to Wembley. It was a requirement a long time ago but after representations to The FA we managed to get that removed. If it was to be included again, we would lose more than a few of our current Prem teams from The FA Step 7 . To be fair to The FA the "boundaries" or requirements have been changed several times but at the behest of our and other leagues. All the changes have resulted in a relaxation of what is needed. Do you know where this story came from?

[tinywils]

i do , i spoke to a prem secratary last week and he is extremely upset that that has cost them there place in the prem as they cant change the distance to there pitch.

[Tommy Trophy]

I am quite amazed by how much disinformation there is around about Step 7 Ground Regulations, particularly when this has been clearly outlined by the FA via the League to all clubs back in November. Popular myths that DONT now apply include changing room distance from the pitch. The changing room size is 12 square metres or 18 if new build, toilets don't have to be in changing rooms (can be adjacent) the pitch size is smaller (can be just 45 metres wide!) and that you must have dug outs and technical area is NOT a requirement but "permitted" (dug outs) and "desirable" (technical area).

Will confess a bit of sympathy for Oundle if toilets for spectators IS the reason they have failed. Stipulation is that "provision should be made for adequate toilet facilities" for spectators which is very subjective and I would say that with Oundle do, even if shared with players.

On Monday we at PSL had a further meeting with Parkway, councillor Swift, the Council Architect and the regional FA men in charge of Fotball Foundation grants and whilst the FA guys were very good, I did have to correct requirements as you step through the leagues on a couple of occassions afterwards with the architect. (Like you will be fine with 16 square metres!)

Norman, always grateful for your efforts on here and a breath of fresh air from officilas of any description. Campbell Drive however misses a few ticks for next level up. Pitch size at 92X60 ok for Step 7 but not for Grade H and application for Step 6. We have arranged to pay £264 for the pitch to be remarked and increased to Step H size of 100X64 even if we only pay about 5 games there, it will benefit any adult side that plays there in future having a full sized pitch. The ground is not enclosed as well, but when we were scratching our heads around for a site with future potential, Campbell Drive was one of the few that sprung to mind.

[Dunny]

I presume by the 18th Feb you are talking about Netherton. Whether they asked for the date off or not, you can understand I am not happy about it. We have been left without a game when we still have 17 league games to play. Couple that with the 2 saturdays we were left without a fixture in October and you can understand our frustrations. We have 2 cup semi finals over the next 2 weeks, which we shouldn't have to apologise for, we have earned the right to get there. So the league should be doing everything they can to make sure us and other teams who haven't played as many games, are playing each week. This could leave us playing 3 games a week for the last few weeks of the season. If we win the league, we will definitely have earned it!!

[normanvasey]

i do , i spoke to a prem secratary last week and he is extremely upset that that has cost them there place in the prem as they cant change the distance to there pitch.

I'm quite baffled about this. Each and every Prem Sec. has already completed The FA questionnaire, from which they can clearly see that there is no longer a requirement regarding the distance from the pitch to the changing rooms. Let me know the Sec. involved and I will contact them immediately and put their mind at rest. Even more surprised because there has been a great deal of contact between club sec's, Wendy and myself, particularly where there has been any perceived problems and this has not been mentioned by anyone. It's not even a requirement in the next level up!
Tommy's correct re the pitch size for Grading level H, I should have made it clear that I was referring to the building facilities at Campbell Drive as meeting Grade H, fortunately it is a large field with plenty of room for increasing the pitch size.
Just an update and to clarify the situation on the descriptive words that The FA use on the guidance forms like desirable and should etc that Tommy mentions. A recent meeting at Wembley confirmed that these words now mean "must". Gives a small insight to the ambiguities we have been working under!
Finally at the end of this saga, each ground is to be inspected by a neutral person, from an adjacent County FA or league and they will decide if a ground reaches the desired level for Step 7.
With regard to Oundle, The FA have confirmed that it is not allowed for spectators and players to share toilets, separate provision has to be made. Hopefully though we can see a way forward with this and are working with the NFA to satisfactorily resolve this problem( sorry issue).
Happy days.

[Number 5]

Dunny - Welcome to local football!

Agree it is baffling and you should not be penalised for being successful, could seriously hinder your title challenge playing so many mid week games. We at PSL do not have a game this week and neither do Ramsey and yet neither are playing? why are we not playing them to help clear both clubs fixture backlog?

Hopefully, these things can be ironed out and by my going on the PDFL board (if elected) I can have input into getting issues like this resolved

[Dunny]

Local football shouldn't be used as an excuse though. It's just common sense and logic. How can teams not be playing when they need to get games in and aren't down to have fixtures. And surely, a stag do should not be a reason for having a free week. I wasn't allowed to cancel a game for my wedding. Where's the consistency??

[Dunny]

I take it back. Wendy has been a superstar and sorted us out with a game for the 18th. The power of the ET hey!!

[Number 5]

Calm down Dunny, you will break into a sweat!

[Tommy Trophy]

Thanks again Norman - Dunny good job you did not get our fixture list for Feb which showed 3 free Saturday's until we managed to arrange 1 for the 11th but still miss 2. (one at the end of Feb can't be helped - everyone else is playing) When there were 18 in the League, we made the conscious decision to deprioritise (whatever that means!) the County Cup as we could have faced 45 games if successful in both cups which is just not possible to fit in without floodlights.

Whilst I sympathise, being near the top of the league should not be the driver for ensuring you get a fixture, but how many league games you have left, with every effort made to help teams keep up, which will be mainly down to cup runs. In that instance Ramsey should be getting a game every week rather than missing out again this Saturday (though weather looking a bit dodgy in any case).

Fixture production is a really tough job and I think John in his first year is recognising the challenge and needs us to support and help - such as pointing out anomolies that both PSL & Pinchbeck have done.

I think teams quite a way up the pyramid have the option to ask for free Saturday's with the correct notice period? As it is Netherton their performance is more likely to be impacted by overdose of Dr Pepper than Alcohol related.

[Hairy]

Dunny - the rules are quite clear!

'Premier Division clubs may apply to call off a maximum of two Premier division fixtures during the season except for FA and county cup competitions. All teams to advise the Fixture Director and give at least 6 weeks’ notice prior to calling off a fixture which is intended for social purposes only and not to play any other football match.

I guess you did not give 6 weeks notice?

[alex]

Tommy you kill me...depriorities my a%*e.. you turned up for a county game without a full quota of players and got beat. Surely your not suggesting this was done on purpose so you would have no fixture congestion.?
Perhaps some teams should of made themselves more available for fixtures at the start of the season when some of us had scrape sides together for midweek games, perhaps then we wouldn't have so many playing catch up.
I personally find it ridiculous that any team can have a free week at this stage of the season. We have enough sides in the league to be able to have games week in week out as well as allowing for teams still left in cup competitions.

[Dunny]

Let me be clear, I'm not having a go at Netherton. You asked and got the date free. That's fine. We just wanted a game, like PSL also do at the moment and we had to as the question as we have a lot of games to fit in. I just wanted the league to realise that there were a lot of teams playing on the 18th that would have played 20 games by that point, whereas we would have been left on 15 for another week. It made sense for us and other teams that have played less games, who are missing fixtues on other dates, to be playing, to help catch up with the other teams. To me that was just common sense and I wanted people to be aware of it. Fortunately, it's worked out for us and it has been sorted.

As far as I'm aware we did ask for the date off with plenty of time to spare and weren't allowed. That's what my club have told me. I could be wrong.

[Number 5]

All got valid points, Alex we went with 9 players plus Chris and Malc and got beat - Just! so we did not deserve to go through and thats a shame as the county cup is THE MAJOR trophy in local football. Alex, agree again (must stop that) that no clubs should be without a fixture but as it is the guys first year we need to try and help him so that this does not happen again next year and we are not having the same conversations.

Good luck Sat (will be there if its on), if you need some background on Weldon you know where i am as played them in the final last year and Weldon are a good, strong, physical side who we just got the better off in a tight game

Dunny, Successful teams always have a fixture backlog and is part and parcel of being successful in a season and you will no doubt deal with it as best you can but is the true mark of a top side to come out the the side with silverware!!

[Glasgow Rangers Champions]

I presume by the 18th Feb you are talking about Netherton. Whether they asked for the date off or not, you can understand I am not happy about it. We have been left without a game when we still have 17 league games to play. Couple that with the 2 saturdays we were left without a fixture in October and you can understand our frustrations. We have 2 cup semi finals over the next 2 weeks, which we shouldn't have to apologise for, we have earned the right to get there. So the league should be doing everything they can to make sure us and other teams who haven't played as many games, are playing each week. This could leave us playing 3 games a week for the last few weeks of the season. If we win the league, we will definitely have earned it!!

Thats the price you pay for success mr Dunn... Im pretty sure you would rather have 2 many games and be in the position you are in than have 1 game a week left and be out every cup comp and no chance of winning the league... Basically stop moaning and enjoy it!!!! Plenty others would rather your situation.

[Tommy Trophy]

You saw through my irony Mr Brun. Hope you enjoyed Prague.

[tinywils]

Surely not having dugouts and small pitches isnt step 7 but a step backwards ? if the league insist on following the letter of the law according to step 7 surely the so called "prem " isnt any different to any other league in peterborough?? what would be the point of that ? the "prem " is called that for a reason , roped off pitches , pitches as big as possible to play the great game on , and dugouts to sit in with the typical english weather , and good quality refs , good quality football , whats gone wrong? its not been like that for years and yet the sort after step 7 rules dont include most of these things that once stood out to all !! there isnt the money about now there use to be and things are tight why change a way of life away from your misses on a saturday afternoon and something you look forward too cause grassroots football is seen to be not up to scratch anymore !!

[Tommy Trophy]

I think Norman's response clarifies the approach where ambiguity existed. "Must" is much clearer than "May" or "Desirable".

For me that is another £700 for 2 8-man dug outs to shell out for at Campbell Drive on top of the £264 for the pitch markings (not forgetting the recent £380 fine). We also now how have the increased weekly cost of hiring Campbell Drive and the club are made up about losing £200-£300 in bar takings from the 50 or so extra people in the club. All worth it though to retain our Premier status and have nothing but sympathy for the position the League have been put in by the FA.

Having had a somewhat "Shafted" January for the 2nd year on the trot, I intend going back to Africa next January and keeping my head down!

[normanvasey]

i do , i spoke to a prem secratary last week and he is extremely upset that that has cost them there place in the prem as they cant change the distance to there pitch.

Still waiting for you to get back to me with the name of the secretary. I need to contact him/her soonest. Simply can't understand why tthe sec. should be under this illusion.