UCL Division 1??

[Trek]

Take out King's Lynn from the Premier and the rest look poor in attendance terms.

http://www.thelinnets.co.uk/homeattendances.php?l=15

[Pigman]

I looked at those attendances tables ages ago, they're woeful aren't they?

At the end of the day we'll make an application, show them the business plan, and the decision is their's - if they feel its best to place us in the Prem, so be it, likewise if its UCL 1.

Part of me would like the journey back up to be started from UCL 1, would seem fairer that way and less likely to upset others, then another part of me looks at those attendance tables and thinks its just plain daft putting us in a league where the average attendance is 50 or less - how the hell do some of those clubs (Wootton Blue Cross for example with an average attendance of 23 and a season's highest of 52 ) survive?

[therushden]

the att. doesn't make a football club though. just because we could muster a few hundred on a cold wet sat in dec. doesn't mean we should be put in a higher league.
i'll just be happy to have a team to watch on a saturday.

[Pigman]

I agree therushden, but it's about putting a club at a level that it will be competitive at isn't it? With the crowds we can expect next season (fingers crossed) we should be able to attract some decent players, if we're in the Prem the quality of those players will be higher (one would hope). If in UCL 1 we could be held back.

Last year Portsmouth looked like they'd fall foul of the authorities due to financial irregularities, would you really expect a club like them to be thrown into the UCL (or its local equivalent, for example?) - it'd be plain daft and most of the clubs they'd be visiting couldn't cope on safety grounds alone.

What we think is immaterial anyway, the Authorities will make the decision and personally I'd like it to be as far up the ladder as the rules allow for, who wouldn't? But I sooooo agree with your last comment - just to have Saturday football back will be terrific

[BartonRaz]

Provided this is gone about the right way and we don't just throw these U18's in like lambs to the slaughter, like I said earlier, I don't see any benefit from us being in Div One.

It's wasting our time, it's wasting the time of everyone else in that league as the competitive balance will be totally destroyed, and it might even impact negatively on our club.

The UCL Premier will be a bit of a shock to those that have given football a miss this season since our demise, but it's something that you could get used to watching each week in my opinion. The UCL Div One on the other hand is not. I play against and with players on a Sunday that play at that level as i'm sure others do too, it's not a good standard, and I don't honestly think it would be very enjoyable going to places like Wootton in the middle of winter with 10-15 home fans, and our attendances might suffer. Not to mention the fact we'd have considerably less games. I think Pigman has been to a few games at this level next season and can testify to this?

Maybe some of the people that actually WANT to be in Div One should be careful what they wish for.

Also, I'm refusing to believe that 'upsetting people' is a valid reason for not putting us in the highest league possible.

[Pigman]

Raz, I can confirm - UCL 1 is dire and I'd prefer not to be there !! I'd prefer UCL Prem and I do agree with what you say about upsetting folk, we're R&D, no-one likes us anyway so an extra 50-60 people a week won't hurt will it?

What I don't want to see is our fans entering into any league like "Billy Big Bollocks" and giving it the large one about what we'll do - wherever we end up lets show some respect to the opposition eh?

[BartonRaz]

What I don't want to see is our fans entering into any league like "Billy Big Bollocks" and giving it the large one about what we'll do - wherever we end up lets show some respect to the opposition eh?

I'll do a deal. I'll be Billy Big Bollocks if we're in Div One, but not if we're in the Prem. ;)

The Prem is very competitive. St Neots have obviously made additions but for those who have seen them this season, players like Tolley, Moore, Halford, Konadu and others were there last season in the UCL. I've also seen Kings Lynn this season - managed by a very portly Gary Setchell - and they were really quite decent, as was highlighted by them running Tamworth close on their own patch in the FA Cup. There's also Long Buckby in there who have just set a record for consecutive wins, something like 16/17.

[bedforddiamond]

Part of me would like the journey back up to be started from UCL 1, would seem fairer that way and less likely to upset others, then another part of me looks at those attendance tables and thinks its just plain daft putting us in a league where the average attendance is 50 or less - how the hell do some of those clubs (Wootton Blue Cross for example with an average attendance of 23 and a season's highest of 52 ) survive?

Piggers as with the majority of club's (AFCRDFC probably the exception), look to other income streams to support there football. Wootton have a fairly successful social club that probably takes 100 times more a year than they do on the gate.

Likewise at Kempston we are a seven day a week operation with a bar and 3G pitch that take in excess of £100k a year, gate income, on the pecking order of income stream is probably, in a league table, down at number 8 or 9!

Be grateful for your support, I think personally its bloody fantastic, but don't ever take your eye off raising funds from other income streams, them fans might not always be there ;)

[Pigman]

I'm pleased to hear it Alan (and kinda guessed it), because there is no way gates alone would keep them alive eh?

I'm only too aware that we need more than just numbers through to gate - but hopefully that will come in time, we're only 7 months old and where we're at now is terrific, but its a marathon, not a sprint - its where we are in 5, 10, 15 years time that matters. If we're like Wootton with our own ground and a nice little social club that pulls in £100k a year I'll be a happy bunny

[bedforddiamond]

So perhaps Jim the morale of the story for some fans is don't look at down on club's who don't muster the support you do, they survive in there own merry way and at a level they are comfortable with and can afford to sustain. The original RDFC didn't hang around to long, even when gates were good, it's all about finding a standard and maintaning it with the resource you have.