The unofficial AFC Rushden & Diamonds messageboard

I see the UCL are to run their own U18 league next season:

http://full-time.thefa.com/DisplayNews. ... ue=1625657

As the NSYL seems very well run and covers essentially the same area (i.e. not just Northants), what is the point? I guess this will mean the end of the NSYL.

Why should a fledgling league spell the end of an established and well organised two division league that contains members from clubs that are not UCL members eg Oxford City, Woodford United, Daventry?

It will be interesting to see what Pitchero has to say about this new league. ;)

Trek wrote:Why should a fledgling league spell the end of an established and well organised two division league that contains members from clubs that are not UCL members eg Oxford City, Woodford United, Daventry?

It does beg the question if UCL senior teams will be expected to have their U18 compete in this new League.

I very much hope you are right, I think the NSYL is excellent. However 15 of the 20 members are current UCL clubs, K*ttering FC and Woodford United will almost certainly be next year, I am sure the UCL would try to recruit sides from non member clubs as well.

Biggles wrote:
It does beg the question if UCL senior teams will be expected to have their U18 compete in this new League.

Can't see how the league can insist on that. What happens when those ambitious clubs get promoted from the UCL Premier to a higher league? Presumably they will the have to find another Youth league to compete in.
Although the new league is described as U18 there might youth teams from clubs, such as us for example, with only U17/16 players. The problem for us and indeed Wellingborough Town would be that further matches would need to be played on the already overused Dog n' Duck pitch which is hardly practical given the history and state of the playing surface.

But it doesn't say non UCL teams will be excluded and I'm sure they will be welcome. The UCL Reserve divisions have always had outside clubs, only Woodford at the moment i think, but in the past many including K*ttering Town, Bedford Town, Corby Town and indeed Rushden & Diamonds!

Sid wrote:I see the UCL are to run their own U18 league next season:

http://full-time.thefa.com/DisplayNews. ... ue=1625657

As the NSYL seems very well run and covers essentially the same area (i.e. not just Northants), what is the point? I guess this will mean the end of the NSYL.

I know you are waiting for my response to this thread!!

I can assure everyone that all of us on the NSYL management committee are fully aware of the UCL`s proposal.

It`s actually been going on for some time - when they first tried to start this up three years ago they got a severe rollocking from the FA as they did it `illegally` without consultation with them or the NSYL.

They have now been given the go-ahead to start a league for the east of the region because the Thurlow Nunn League`s u-18 league currently covers such a wide area.

Therefore we may lose Yaxley and Eynesbury, although both have said they are happy where they are.

Although the advert from the UCL doesn`t look as though it is east-orientated, this is what it is, although of course any team is welcome to apply, but somehow I can`t see Desborough, Rothwell, Spencer or Olney etc., wanting to go to Bourne, Wisbech or Spalding for a midweek game!!

One of the joys of the NSYL is that it is run in a relaxed manner - I think we implemented 2 fines last season and both of those were to Corby Town!!

Good luck to any club who wants to swap that with the UCL`s way of running things!!!!