Personally, I'd rather Welling concentrate on the league and FA trophy than the Kent and London trophies. So I'm fine with them putting out youth players.
What I do mind, however, is the club charging full admission price for games that they know are basically going to be youth team games.
I don't know the rules and regulations of the regional FA's but have always been given to understand that we are compelled to enter these competitions though how that fits with the occasional inclusion of pro clubs (who obviously don't field the first team) I can't fathom. Historically the Senior Cups were respected trophys within the football world (after all the LSC Cup bears the names of Arsenal and Chelsea) but over time their significance has decreased to the point where their importance/value to top non league sides is questionable.
I have no problems with fielding a side which is primarily made up of players on the fringe of the first team squad and sides outside of it, especially when we have an important Trophy game in a matter of days though I'm not sure that the regional FA's see things this way. Didn't the Kent FA give Dover a several year ban from its Senior Cup a few years ago for fielding a weakened side which was subsequently ignored.
I basically agree with Moo on pricing but would go one step further and suggest that irrespective of the team fielded the admission fee for minor competitions should be less than that for League matches.
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YOUTH are the future
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"The worst thing you can do is make a committment and not meet it and I understand that." Barrie Hobbins 14 August 2010
I have looked into the LSC and discovered the following
CUPS TO BE COMPETED FOR ANNUALLY
The Senior Cup competition shall be open to all non-F.A. Premier League and non-Football League Senior Clubs affiliated to the Association or approved by the Cup Committee
ENTRY OF CLUB
Applications to enter the Cup competitions shall be made in writing to the Chief Executive of the Association by 1st June in each year and shall be accompanied by the appropriate entrance fee. The Cup Committee or the Sunday Cup Committee as appropriate shall have the power to decline the application of any Club.
QUALIFICATIONS OF PLAYERS
In all rounds of the Cup competitions, a player must have been a Recognised Playing Member of his or her Club.
A Recognised Playing Member is:-
(i) in the case of the Senior Cup, the Intermediate Cup, the Junior Cup, the Women’s Cup, the Sunday Challenge Cup, the Sunday Intermediate Cup and the Sunday Junior Cup competitions one who has actually played for the Club in the current Season, or has been registered as a player of his club with a League in which the Club competes, at least seven clear days prior to the date on which the match is played;
ORGANISATION OF THE COMPETITION
Clubs competing in the Senior Cup will be expected to field the strongest team available in every tie. Should the Cup Committee decide the spirit of this rule is being breached it will reflect this when positioning Clubs in the draw for the following season.
GATE CHARGES
In the Senior Cup competition gate money must be taken and in the Intermediate Cup competition gate money or a collection should be taken. The minimum charge for admission to ties in the Senior Cup and the Intermediate Cup competitions shall be determined by the Cup Committee.
I have searched for further written information regarding a requirement to enter the competition and charging but have found nothing.
I would suspect that similar conditions apply to the KSC.
From this I would conclude that we opted into the competition, we have breached the organisation of the competition rules and the admission charge is determined by the regional FA. My message to the Club would be don’t bother applying for entry into these competitions next year.
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YOUTH are the future
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"The worst thing you can do is make a committment and not meet it and I understand that." Barrie Hobbins 14 August 2010
