The unofficial AFC Rushden & Diamonds messageboard

sussexdiamond wrote:The UCL is not meant for clubs like us and Kings Lynn.....

I totally agree, we should have been placed at Step 4 when we reformed and then we wouldn't have been such a burden on them ;)

Blame the stupid FA - I do !!

The UCL fixtures secretary does have a difficult job, but he does heap criticism on himself when he creates fixtures that see us finish our league campaign on the 6th April and our title opponents finishing on the 25th (or whenever it was), plain daft!! Sure it's been sorted, but the minute he wrote it down he should have though that's not on - but he went ahead and published them !! :roll:

It will be interesting to see where the new Hereford get placed. I bet they wont start at Step 6!!!

Pigman wrote:

sussexdiamond wrote:The UCL is not meant for clubs like us and Kings Lynn.....

I totally agree, we should have been placed at Step 4 when we reformed and then we wouldn't have been such a burden on them ;)

Why??. Why should we be treated any differently to anybody else? Who could predict the following and success we would have??
Secondly, isn't your argument one of the reasons you despise MKDons?
I detest them too BTW.

It was meant as a joke RH - hence the winky eye!

We started at Step 6 because that's the rules, I have no problem with that providing the rules are applied fairly across the board.

MK is different in so far as they took another club's league position - money talked and supporters had their club stolen from them - a totally different scenario. That's why I detest them!

I stand to be corrected on this, but didn't AFC Wimbledon start their journey up the pyramid at Step 5?? One for you trek/Formic?

Pigman wrote: I stand to be corrected on this, but didn't AFC Wimbledon start their journey up the pyramid at Step 5?? One for you trek/Formic?

Actually, at the time AFC Wimbledon started in the Combined Counties Premier it was Step 4 because there was no Conference North/South back then.

Pigman wrote:It was meant as a joke RH - hence the winky eye!

We started at Step 6 because that's the rules, I have no problem with that providing the rules are applied fairly across the board.

MK is different in so far as they took another club's league position - money talked and supporters had their club stolen from them - a totally different scenario. That's why I detest them!

I stand to be corrected on this, but didn't AFC Wimbledon start their journey up the pyramid at Step 5?? One for you trek/Formic?

Wimbledon, like most reformed clubs*, started at Step 5. We were a very odd exception for starting at Step 6, and aside from the UCL being cross after having Kings Lynn (I think?) start in the Premier after reforming, I have never really understood why we were placed in UCL1.

*When I say like most reformed clubs, this is once the FA decided it would stop letting clubs back in at Step 3 (or 4?) level - Telford, Halifax and Chester spring to mind?

I meant to add RH that we were aware of what our potential crowds would be as we had a season with the U18s that clearly gave us an indicator that crowds for a senior side would be quite large!

An argument for placing clubs like ourselves at a higher level than step 6 is safety! Many of the UCL 1 clubs struggled to cope, they didn't have the manpower or the facilities to cope - a few at Prem level have struggled as well. Should Hereford (for example) turn up at a ground like Stewarts and Lloyds there would be carnage and public safety put at risk - that's a fact!

In principle I'm all for starting at the bottom and working up and I've enjoyed the UCL (just hope I don't have to enjoy it too much longer ) the reality is if clubs at that level can't cope do you run the risk?

AndyKirkup wrote:

Pigman wrote: I stand to be corrected on this, but didn't AFC Wimbledon start their journey up the pyramid at Step 5?? One for you trek/Formic?

Actually, at the time AFC Wimbledon started in the Combined Counties Premier it was Step 4 because there was no Conference North/South back then.

Thanks AK !!

Pigman wrote:

AndyKirkup wrote:

Pigman wrote: I stand to be corrected on this, but didn't AFC Wimbledon start their journey up the pyramid at Step 5?? One for you trek/Formic?

Actually, at the time AFC Wimbledon started in the Combined Counties Premier it was Step 4 because there was no Conference North/South back then.

Thanks AK !!

Thanks too AK, will remember that next time!

I think Hereford FC are anticipating starting at two levels lower than their old club which would be Step 5 however I understand that they will play 'the attendance card' and try to persuade the FA that in the interests of safety at away matches they be put in Step 4.