Harley
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Aug 10, 2008, 11:17 PM
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With the Northern League already hosting Penrith, and accepting Whitehaven into it's Division 1, is this a sign of the times that the NL should expand it's boundaries to cover a geographic area simliar to it's counterparts, the NCEL and NWCL. For too long, the NL has been a restricted geographical area, and Cumbria has been an outpost, without a league of it's own. Teams in the extreme North West have been seen as an inconveniences to those in the Lancashire/Merseyside/Manchester North West.
Is this the way forward? - should the Northern league expand it's boundaries westward?
Perhaps Holker Old Boys -from Barrow -(NWCL2 - step 6) might be better paced in the Northern League - along with Carlisle City, Harraby Catholic Club and Northbank Carlisle from the Northern Alliance (step 7) sorry, what about Gillford Park?; Cleator Moor and Dalton United from the West Lancs Prem (also step 7) for a start Cleator Moor Celtic are in the Wearside, and what about Windscale too?
Below that in West Lancs 1 (step 8) are BAE Barrow, Furness Rovers, Millom, and Vickerstown CC...
Other than that, why have the Cumbrian FA not had the foresight to create their own league as a feeder to the Northern League?
Look at the populations of the following Cumbrian / West Northumbrian towns who surely could sustain either a first or secondary non-league team -
Carlisle - 100,800
Barrow - 57,000
Workington - 28,500
Whitehaven - 24,000
Penrith - 14,000
Hexham - 11,300
Ulverston - 11,200
Maryport - 9,300
Cockermouth - 8,500
Egremont - 8,000
Wigton - 5,400
Keswick - 4,300
Carnforth - 4,300
Distington - 4,200
Grange-over-Sands - 4,000
Brampton - 4,000
Haltwhistle, Sedbergh, Aspatria, Appleby and Silloth all have populations of more than 3,000 too.
Other than the largest five of these towns, none have a non-league side to represent themselves anywhwere in the pyramid really? what about:
Hexham - 11,300 Hexham FC - Northern Alliance
Ulverston - 11,200
Maryport - 9,300 Netherhall - Cumberland County
Cockermouth - 8,500 Cockermouth - Cumberland County
Egremont - 8,000 Windscale - Wearside League
Wigton - 5,400 Wigton Harriers - Cumberland County
Keswick - 4,300 Keswick - Westmorland League
Carnforth - 4,300 Carnforth - North Lancs - Millhead - North Lancs
Distington - 4,200
Grange-over-Sands - 4,000
Brampton - 4,000
- and I sense a lot of that is due to the lack of promotion of the Cumbrian FA. Certainly, the predomination of rugby league is a factor, but the elevation of football in the region by the Cumbrian FA is obvioulsly lacking...
A "Northern League" that covers the true "North" of the country would surly benefit the pyramid system tremendously. Is there anyone here from the North who would want, or could instigate such a change?
To be perfectly honest, only small changes are needed and I'd suggest these are more alterations in attitude than restructuring. The Northern League happily accepts Cumbrian members, as do its feeders the Northern Alliance and the Wearside League. The creation of a Cumbrian feeder would, indeed, cut costs for current Cumrian members of the NA/Wearside leagues, but who - aside from the six members of those leagues and, perhaps, Netherhall - do you propose join it. Already teams are fighting over a relatively small pool of players, without needlessly creating more, less sustainable, outfits.
You ask us what the aim is? I tell you it is victory. Victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory however long and hard the road may be; for without victory, there is no survival. Either that, or fried onions at the tea bar. Fried onions at reasonable cost, fried onions in spite of all terror, fried onions however long and hard the hot-dogs may be; for without fried onions, there are only boiled ones.
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