Reserves League

[Riaz]

City and other west country sides have had problems giving there reserves enough games......

Now its worse, as the league is down to nine after weymouth withdrew..

http://www.bcfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,1...1056659,00.html

Surely this league is crying out to be played twice home and twice away??

That would be 32 games, which i think would be just about right.....

I think the club should make the suggestion to ther elevant authority...

thoughts?

[ashley (city's no1 fan)]

City and other west country sides have had problems giving there reserves enough games......

Now its worse, as the league is down to nine after weymouth withdrew..

http://www.bcfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,1...1056659,00.html

Surely this league is crying out to be played twice home and twice away??

That would be 32 games, which i think would be just about right.....

I think the club should make the suggestion to ther elevant authority...

thoughts?

yes i think this is a brilliant idea, much better than having to arrange and play friendlies during the season

[Tunley Legend]

City and other west country sides have had problems giving there reserves enough games......

Now its worse, as the league is down to nine after weymouth withdrew..

http://www.bcfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,1...1056659,00.html

Surely this league is crying out to be played twice home and twice away??

That would be 32 games, which i think would be just about right.....

I think the club should make the suggestion to ther elevant authority...

thoughts?

Even if the opposition is not quite what we would like at least your suggestion of 32 games keeps out of favour players match fit and gives the chance for players returning from injury the chance to get match fit. The rub of doing this is that 16 extra games at Ashton Gate will mean that we cannot hire out our pitch to the likes of Rovers and Bristol RFC every other week. Therefore a very good suggestion in my opinion.

[Red_Mat]

What I can't understand is where the other clubs are. Cardiff for a start. And Torquay and Forest Green, who at least are on a par with Weymouth and would give them a chance of winning more points next season.

I'm not that surprised Southampton and Portsmouth don't want to play in the same league. But Southampton, after all, are in the same league as us, now...!

That would at least take it up to 12 teams a season and 22 games, home and away next year, instead of half a dozen!

If not, then home and away twice has got to be an option. They do it north of the border after all.

[Rednready]

With a squad of around 2 dozen Championship pros we need activity. For 3 seasons at least, this point has been continuously raised. There was a recent topic on the matter, and as I recall there is a Premiership reserve division, then just regional Pontins reserve grade leagues. These leagues have nowhere near enough matches in a season for a club with a strong reserve grade squad and a developing academy.

IMO the Championship needs its own reserve grade league, just like the Premiership. The 4th biggest division in Europe deserves that....... surely ???

But no, we are stuck with a pontins league with all the interest of a basket of wet laundry. If thats what we have then the players deserve and need 30+ matches to maintain fitness and a competitive edge.

Meanwhile our fearless leaders, SL and GJ need to get involved in some actual leadership. Approach the FA with a request for a vote to have a Championship reserve grade league, as does the Pemiership. Thats not too hard, is it ?

Get it done !

[Redhyde]

I've never really understood why there isn't a reserve/academy game every week within the club (perhaps there is?)

The reserve will be pushing for a first team place and keeping up their fitness, while the academy will have to deal with the physicality of the senior pros.

If it's taken seriously it's a win win situation surely?

[Riaz]

I've never really understood why there isn't a reserve/academy game every week within the club (perhaps there is?)

The reserve will be pushing for a first team place and keeping up their fitness, while the academy will have to deal with the physicality of the senior pros.

If it's taken seriously it's a win win situation surely?

don't think its as competitive, that could be classed as training

[Redhyde]

don't think its as competitive, that could be classed as training

It could be, unless the importance was stressed of it?

I don't see the difference between our players playing each other and another team, surely it would be more competitive as the seniors would never want to lose against the academy?

[Riaz]

It could be, unless the importance was stressed of it?

I don't see the difference between our players playing each other and another team, surely it would be more competitive as the seniors would never want to lose against the academy?

Might as well do that in training.....

You cant say a game against another club, would be as competitive as two teams from the same club?

players wouldnt want to get injured etc....

[Redhyde]

Might as well do that in training.....

You cant say a game against another club, would be as competitive as two teams from the same club?

players wouldnt want to get injured etc....

Well yes, I'm not suggesting to play it at Ashton and sell tickets but it's a football match which if taken seriously benefits both sides.

Why would they have any less risk of injury against another team? That makes no sense.

[Nibor]

The academy has a full fixture list against quality opposition, it's part of the FA scheme and sees them playing Premiership opposition regularly.

There are several problems for the reserves.

First off the Premiership clubs play in two reserve leagues, north and south. Outside that there are regional leagues like the one we're in, which means there's a lack of decent opposition.

Even the Prem clubs only play 18 games in that per season, because of problem number 2 - reserve football is a loss making venture. Even if we were willing to play more, I doubt other clubs all would be.

It would be nice if the reserve league had the same structure as the first team one nationally but it's a non starter for many clubs because there's no money. It would also be nice if the Premiership didn't run an exclusive club, but it's not going to happen.

The best we can do right now is friendlies unfortunately and I can't see it changing.

On a positive note, at least our younger squad members are getting 28 games and several cup games against top quality young players every season.

[Riaz]

The academy has a full fixture list against quality opposition, it's part of the FA scheme and sees them playing Premiership opposition regularly.

There are several problems for the reserves.

First off the Premiership clubs play in two reserve leagues, north and south. Outside that there are regional leagues like the one we're in, which means there's a lack of decent opposition.

Even the Prem clubs only play 18 games in that per season, because of problem number 2 - reserve football is a loss making venture. Even if we were willing to play more, I doubt other clubs all would be.

It would be nice if the reserve league had the same structure as the first team one nationally but it's a non starter for many clubs because there's no money. It would also be nice if the Premiership didn't run an exclusive club, but it's not going to happen.

The best we can do right now is friendlies unfortunately and I can't see it changing.

So playing the games twice home and away is the only solution??

[court_bcfc]

I think thats a great shout, 18 games through a whole season is pathetic and the fact that they have to arrange friendlies during the season porves that its just nonsense, two games both home and away would be the perfect way to solve the matter!

[tompo]

[Nibor]

So playing the games twice home and away is the only solution??

Since the clubs lose money on each game I doubt any will want to do it.

[22A]

[22A]

IMO the Championship needs its own reserve grade league, just like the Premiership. The 4th biggest division in Europe deserves that....... surely ??? But no, we are stuck with a pontins league with all the interest of a basket of wet laundry. If thats what we have then the players deserve and need 30+ matches to maintain fitness and a competitive edge.

I see from your profile you've supported City for over 60 years. You'll remember then in the 50s and 60s all League clubs in the North fielded their reserves in the Central League whilst those in the South played in the Football Combination and both of those leagues had two divisions. Even in the early 70s we had gates of 2,000 at AG when Arsenal or Spurs reserves were visiting. Some clubs then either scrapped a reserve team or played in a local league to save travelling costs. For example City's reserves have played in the Western League several times. The Central and the Combination both dropped to one div each and now we have today's scenario. For the record in 1965(?) City were the last team to win Combination division 2 before it folded. 30 years ago they came close to winning the Combination league title and it was reported in the EP the club might end up holding both trophies as no one asked for the div 2 trophy back following it's demise. Just out of interest, is that trophy still lurking around AG in some dusty cupboard?

[CGS RED]

22A, I can remember those reserve grade fixtures in the 1950's, used to pull 1500+ crowds on alternate weeks. No television or computors to compete with a footy match at the Gate.

The reserve grade squad as in recent seasons, is made up of unselected first squad players, Players coming back from injury, and the best Academy players. A good mix, not requiring us to have a huge squad for 2 teams + reserves.

I like the idea of some sort of reserve grade league. Perhaps a southern division of 20-24 teams from the Championship and Division 1. Players have short careers, and having a season as an almost man, resrves/bench/ too old for Academy, is a waste of life. We will have around 24 pros all wanting to play in the Championship, only 11 names will be on the starting list, thats 15 players every week who wont make that starting list. They need something other than the current Pontins mini league.