A resounding 'No' to League 3
The United Trust of Carlisle United like so many clubs, trusts and supporters across the country are seriously concerned by the restructure proposal made by FA Chairman Greg Dyke regarding the national football pyramid. The United Trust is totally opposed to this poorly thought out and insufficiently researched idea to include a so-called ‘League 3’ which would consist, in-part, of Premiership B-sides.
The very fabric of the game in this country, the home of football, is under threat as a result of this idea. To simply invent B-Teams of highly paid Premiership youngsters with no real supporter base to play in an additional tier within the pyramid, which will increase the difficulty for Conference teams to achieve their objectives of playing in the football league will change the game at lower league level irreparably. The focus on Premier League clubs and their associated wealth, achieved in-part through the Sky TV deals, highlights the gaping hole in the FA’s understanding of what a football league club actually is - to its supporters, the local Town, City, economy and the very ethos of football - a game for the masses to enjoy, from grass roots to the top tier with the idea that a team can make its way up the football pyramid and bring increased success and a greater sense of pride to the club, its support and the local area.
Greg Dyke’s insistence that supporters of ‘lower league clubs’ would welcome playing a ‘Stoke B Team’ clearly illustrates that the committee is so far disconnected from real football supporters that you have to question if it is actually fit for purpose – speaking on behalf of the United Trust we can assure him that playing the likes of a Stoke, West Ham or Aston Villa B Team would significantly decrease the home and away support, reducing turnover quite considerably at a time where every pound for football league clubs count – on top of that, ‘we simply don’t want ii’ which arguably why we have never been asked.
The United Trust would welcome any genuine proposals that could increase the National side’s opportunity to be successful at major tournaments such as the World Cup and the European Championships, but this proposal appears to show no evidence of this being achievable, whilst at the same time extinguishing the desire, dreams and aims of many lower league clubs. A reduction in the influx of non UK players to the Premier League & Football League with a cap on the numbers eligible to play in each game in conjunction with a more regular competitive home nations competition for the national side such as the 6 Nations that has seen the likes of England Rugby rise to become one of the top 3 or 4 sides in the world are two ways in which more home grown young players could experience playing at the top level and allow the England Team to gain valuable competitive international tournament experience to give them a better opportunity for success in the major European and World competitions. The funding of Youth Teams and development programmes at non-league and football league level would also allow for more raw English (& British) talent to be successfully developed.
We would like to state that we as a supporters trust are also distinctly unhappy with the way in which the FA Commission did not seek to take account of the views of the clubs or supporters of the lower leagues or football conference when researching their report and did not engage with support groups such as Supporters Direct (SD) or the Football Supporters Federation (FSF). As we understand it, SD twice submitted, their response which was never acknowledged until after the report was published. They received an apology from the administrator of the Commission, and he said he would 'pass on the submission' however at the time of writing SD have heard no more from the commission. The FSF submitted their response and had it 'acknowledged' but were never spoken with directly. FSF Chair Malcolm Clarke is meant to represent supporters on the FA Council which makes the fact that FSF were not even consulted so much more insulting. It is important to stress that there are actually ‘no fans on the Commission’.
Interestingly, Roger Burden, the apparent representative for the non-league game on the Commission, and Vice Chair of the Conference, agreed with the findings. Yet Brian Lee, Chair of the Conference said "He doesn't speak for us". Likewise Greg Clarke, Chair of the Football League, whose clubs are in open rebellion about the proposals. The Conference board put out a statement as follows: ’neither its chairman nor any other members of the Board of that particular competition were in any way consulted nor were their views sought directly or indirectly’ despite FA Commissioner Danny Mills stating that they were consulted.