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Ferring FC in the County League





May 27, 2014
1,638
Littlehampton
The County League is finished unfortunately. What's the incentive for the players when they could have a relaxed game with their mates elsewhere?

Just a few clubs who pay.

Shame as the community spirit amongst the clubs is great.

Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk
 




BensGrandad

New member
Jul 13, 2003
72,015
Haywards Heath
How times change late 70s early 80s I was vice chairman of Ferring and we had a good team in the West Sussex League but found the step up to County football was too much for them.
 


drew

Drew
Oct 3, 2006
23,008
Burgess Hill
The County League is finished unfortunately. What's the incentive for the players when they could have a relaxed game with their mates elsewhere?

Just a few clubs who pay.

Shame as the community spirit amongst the clubs is great.

Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk

Really, three divisions with a total of 53 teams. Surely the incentive is to play a sport at the highest level you can, not to use it to earn a bit of beer money.
 




May 27, 2014
1,638
Littlehampton
Really, three divisions with a total of 53 teams. Surely the incentive is to play a sport at the highest level you can, not to use it to earn a bit of beer money.
Oh I agree, but the standard is dire, it's part time work with no reward - why do 3 trainings a week a whole Saturday out to play in front of 80 people when you can play with your mates on a Saturday and still get pissed on a Friday night?
 


Sussex Nomad

Well-known member
Aug 26, 2010
18,185
EP
How times change late 70s early 80s I was vice chairman of Ferring and we had a good team in the West Sussex League but found the step up to County football was too much for them.

Oh dear that's scary, I probably know you or have passed you by.
 


Sussex Nomad

Well-known member
Aug 26, 2010
18,185
EP
The SCFL as the incumbent or in previous forms is nothing nowadays, totally void of a good class of football. It's fun to go down to the local side yes, but to watch quality football? Pass it by. It isn't even at a level of West Sussex League from the 70s and 80s. They also get throttled to death by FA demands for stands that never get filled, growing legislation from the farts in the towers that really have no clue what grass roots is all about. The lower non league steps have become something of a joke.
 




Sheebo

Well-known member
Jul 13, 2003
29,226
A Worthing Town Leisure player scored a double hatrick in 30 mins :ohmy:

Someone had alerted me to this teams results earlier in the season. How they're still going is beyond me. Played against a number of the names on that scoresheet before for various Sussex teams as it goes...
 


Sheebo

Well-known member
Jul 13, 2003
29,226
Oh I agree, but the standard is dire, it's part time work with no reward - why do 3 trainings a week a whole Saturday out to play in front of 80 people when you can play with your mates on a Saturday and still get pissed on a Friday night?

I very much chose the second path when the first one was achievable to be honest (and not wanting to sound arrogant). I also chose watching Albion over my own football right from a young age. Dropping down from E Sussex Prem to mid Sussex div 4 or 5 was quality too :lol:
 


BigGully

Well-known member
Sep 8, 2006
7,139
The SCFL as the incumbent or in previous forms is nothing nowadays, totally void of a good class of football. It's fun to go down to the local side yes, but to watch quality football? Pass it by. It isn't even at a level of West Sussex League from the 70s and 80s. They also get throttled to death by FA demands for stands that never get filled, growing legislation from the farts in the towers that really have no clue what grass roots is all about. The lower non league steps have become something of a joke.

Thats quite a harsh assessment of the level of play that the County League (or whatever it is called nowadays) has to offer.

I have watched a few local games and the level is probably similar to when perhaps we were involved playing, I actually saw a very young and good Peacehaven side this year.

Firstly you have to recallobrate your expectations, I have seen a few shockers in the Championship recently and they pay their players £10 000+ per week so expecting tiki taka football on an enclosed park pitch my a bunch of part timers is asking to be disappointed.
 




Sussex Nomad

Well-known member
Aug 26, 2010
18,185
EP
Thats quite a harsh assessment of the level of play that the County League (or whatever it is called nowadays) has to offer.

I have watched a few local games and the level is probably similar to when perhaps we were involved playing, I actually saw a very young and good Peacehaven side this year.

Firstly you have to recallobrate your expectations, I have seen a few shockers in the Championship recently and they pay their players £10 000+ per week so expecting tiki taka football on an enclosed park pitch my a bunch of part timers is asking to be disappointed.

I don't think I'm being harsh, the level has dropped significantly. But more than that, as I mentioned is how the FA expect these clubs to shell out thousands for stuff they don't need. It is difficult enough running a non league club without the added bonus of FA legislation, as most clubs run on a shoestring anyway.
 


BigGully

Well-known member
Sep 8, 2006
7,139
I don't think I'm being harsh, the level has dropped significantly. But more than that, as I mentioned is how the FA expect these clubs to shell out thousands for stuff they don't need. It is difficult enough running a non league club without the added bonus of FA legislation, as most clubs run on a shoestring anyway.

I have this discussion alot regarding the level, why do you think that the level should be worse than previously.

There are as many young kids playing, more qualified local coaches than before with many being sucked into the Academy systems at different levels and for different time periods mostly then spat back out into the local system and so on.

I agree the football is different, as it tends to replicate the Premier League in terms of tackling and diving etc. but similarly they generally they try and pass the ball a lot more too.

I think slightly older ex participants have fond memories of their playing days and a slightly flawed view of the quality of football played back then.
 


Sussex Nomad

Well-known member
Aug 26, 2010
18,185
EP
I have this discussion alot regarding the level, why do you think that the level should be worse than previously.

There are as many young kids playing, more qualified local coaches than before with many being sucked into the Academy systems at different levels and for different time periods mostly then spat back out into the local system and so on.

I agree the football is different, as it tends to replicate the Premier League in terms of tackling and diving etc. but similarly they generally they try and pass the ball a lot more too.

I think slightly older ex participants have fond memories of their playing days and a slightly flawed view of the quality of football played back then.

I think mate, generally, the standard has dropped quite severely. This isn't just my view. Yeah I agree, the way clubs nurture kids now is much, much better than it was back in the day, but the standard just isn't there anymore. Non league players just don't have the motivation any more. No-one could tell me there is a club in the SCFL that could compete with the likes of 90s teams like Wick, Littlehampton, Peacehaven, Langley Sports, Stamco or Burgess Hill?
 




Cowfold Seagull

Fan of the 17 bus
Apr 22, 2009
21,578
Cowfold
How times change late 70s early 80s I was vice chairman of Ferring and we had a good team in the West Sussex League but found the step up to County football was too much for them.

I suppose my local team Cowfold did much the same thing , two seasons ago , stepping up from the West Sussex, to the County League. (or the Southern Combination, as they have rebranded themselves), the difference is they won it in their first year, and are mid table at the moment this season.

Well done to all involved, but such a shame there will never be any chance of promotion, just playing on a pitch on the local playing fields. To play in Division One, clubs have to charge for admission, have a seating area, and presumably have floodlights too.
 


BigGully

Well-known member
Sep 8, 2006
7,139
I think mate, generally, the standard has dropped quite severely. This isn't just my view. Yeah I agree, the way clubs nurture kids now is much, much better than it was back in the day, but the standard just isn't there anymore. Non league players just don't have the motivation any more. No-one could tell me there is a club in the SCFL that could compete with the likes of 90s teams like Wick, Littlehampton, Peacehaven, Langley Sports, Stamco or Burgess Hill?

Those teams are always cited and I know a bit about them during this time too.

I am convinced that the level is similar but the power shifts to different clubs and depending which team you align yourself to at any particular era will then offer what you think of the playing standard.

The clubs you have mentioned were not all playing at their pomp at the same time, I am guessing those teams currently topping the County League are feeling pretty good about the standard, but unless Haywards Heath and Shoreham are your team you are left with quite an average County League side to watch and that changes your perception of the standard.

When Peacehaven were domininating there were some pretty dire sides too, but we look back and cite the clubs mentioned as if these were an accurate representation of the league as a whole, when it really wasnt.

I guess it might be argued that if there are more higher graded clubs today than back in the 80's and 90's they would be sucking the better talent away from the County League into their higher standard and higher paid counterparts, but I do not know if that is the case.
 


Sussex Nomad

Well-known member
Aug 26, 2010
18,185
EP
Those teams are always cited and I know a bit about them during this time too.

I am convinced that the level is similar but the power shifts to different clubs and depending which team you align yourself to at any particular era will then offer what you think of the playing standard.

The clubs you have mentioned were not all playing at their pomp at the same time, I am guessing those teams currently topping the County League are feeling pretty good about the standard, but unless Haywards Heath and Shoreham are your team you are left with quite an average County League side to watch and that changes your perception of the standard.

When Peacehaven were domininating there were some pretty dire sides too, but we look back and cite the clubs mentioned as if these were an accurate representation of the league as a whole, when it really wasnt.

I guess it might be argued that if there are more higher graded clubs today than back in the 80's and 90's they would be sucking the better talent away from the County League into their higher standard and higher paid counterparts, but I do not know if that is the case.

Take this up later, I'm concentrating on the wireless now :smile:
 


BensGrandad

New member
Jul 13, 2003
72,015
Haywards Heath
The SCFL as the incumbent or in previous forms is nothing nowadays, totally void of a good class of football. It's fun to go down to the local side yes, but to watch quality football? Pass it by. It isn't even at a level of West Sussex League from the 70s and 80s. They also get throttled to death by FA demands for stands that never get filled, growing legislation from the farts in the towers that really have no clue what grass roots is all about. The lower non league steps have become something of a joke.

At Ferring when we entered the County League we had a chap Peter Strutt go to the ground on a Saturday morning to put up a tarpaulin all around the pitch as it had to be enclosed and charge admission. There was I resident Tom Carver who maintained that the pitch was public land and used to go from one corner to another stopping in the centre circle and then turned up his wheel barrow and sat on it and had a smoke either to delay kick off or to hold the game up.
 









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