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stevegraze
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Sep 29, 2009, 3:35 PM

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Best Non Pyramid League in London?	Can't Post or Reply Privately

Although Sunday football is often dismissed as the worst standard of football in the country, there are some surprisingly good Sunday leagues. I’m thinking of leagues like the Hackney and Leyton league which at Premier/Div 1 level has a very good standard of play.
http://www.hackneyandleytonfootballleague.co.uk/#/history-of-league/4529692287

Matches between top teams in the Prem often resemble semi-pro matches as there has been a tradition of the top Prem sides fielding several semi-pro players playing at Conference, Ryman and other senior level. The Hackney and Leyton has a very strong claim to be the highest standard of Sunday league play in London. Recently several teams from the league have won London wide FA competitions (3 of the last 4 LFA Sunday Intermediate Cups have been won by Hackney and Leyton league teams):

Albion Manor won the LFA Sunday Intermediate Cup in 05/06.
The next year Albion Manor played in the LFA Challenge Cup and knocked out Aris who were arguably the best Sunday team in London having won the LFA Sunday Intermediate Cup twice in a row in 02/03 and 03/04 and the LFA Sunday Challenge Cup in 04/05 and 05/06 (four consecutive years as London champs).
Two years after Albion Manor won it, the LFA Sunday Intermediate Cup was again won by a Hackney and Leyton league team: Eureka.
Right now the Hackney and Leyton league’s Clapton Rangers are the holders of the LFA Sunday Intermediate Cup. They won that cup after winning the LFA Sunday Junior Cup the season before (became the first side in history to win the LFA Junioor and Sunday Intermediate Cups in successive seasons). They entered the nationwide FA Sunday Cup but their application was rejected for some reason.

Clapton Rangers had several semi-pro players on their books:

*Michael Filletti – played in the Conference for Dagenham & Redbridge.

*Ben Gracey – played in the Ryman Prem Div for Leyton. Now at Waltham Forest.

*Ashley Taylor-Forbes (Ryman League – Chestnut)

*Nathan Scarborough – this kid was picked up by Redbridge of the Ryman league after scoring an incredible 64 goals in 27 starts…including an amazing record of scoring in every single game that Clapton played in the 07/08 season.

*Bradley Drisdale (Ryman League - Ilford)

(This post was edited by stevegraze on Sep 29, 2009, 4:39 PM)

cope1
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Sep 29, 2009, 4:48 PM

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Re: [stevegraze] Best Non Pyramid League in London? [In reply to]	Can't Post or Reply Privately

Sunday football is indeed dismissed as a load of glory-hunting thugs kicking each other (not unfairly in most Sunday leagues I've played in) but there are certainly some quality teams out there. The Mercury Waltham League I found to be a well organised competition which would be a credit to any Saturday setup. In terms of best non-pyramid league in London I'd still go for the SAL. It has a lot of players who could, in other situations, play semi-pro football but who choose not to (have other commitments, don't want the travelling etc of pyramid leagues). In addition I think it has consistency which most Sunday leagues lack as they have a very high rate of turnover.

Aside from all that, I think Sunday league football is a hugely under explored area. There are a lot of people on this site who do masses of work researching and analysing Saturday football but I don't know of any large deposits of info about the Sunday game. This is largely because the leagues themselves don't keep records as much but it would be interesting to pull these bits together.

ps. the link didn't work when I clicked it - can you check it for me?

If you're looking for a new website for your club, league or any other organisation give me a shout at www.acwebcreations.net.

stevegraze
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Sep 29, 2009, 5:16 PM

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Re: [cope1] Best Non Pyramid League in London? [In reply to]	Can't Post or Reply Privately

Yes, I've heard good things about the Mercury Waltham League too. But is is interesting to note that teams from the MWL who came up against teams from the Hackney and Leyton league in LFA competitions got trounced. Right now, there is a debate going on at an MWL club's forum saying that Eureka are the best team they have ever played. Yet Eureka are a mid table team in the Hackney and Leyton's Prem! The Hackney and Leyton won the Inter-league cup the last time they bothered to enter a team.

For the link, go to: http://www.hackneyandleytonfootballleague.co.uk/

Then click "Articles", then click "the history of the Hackney and Leyton Sunday Football league".

On the topic of the standard of play, in the 1990s Ordell of the Hackney and Leyton league won the LFA Sunday Intermediate Cup three times (including 2 successive victories). That team of theirs was made up mostly of a semi-pro team that played in the Spartan League. Some of those players included midfielder Tim Hambley who went on to play in the Conference for Havant & Waterlooville (yes the same Havant that nerly knocked Liverpool out of the FA Cup!) and the England semi-pro team, and prolific scorer Darren Gallery who played Ryman league football.

(This post was edited by stevegraze on Sep 29, 2009, 5:24 PM)

cope1
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Sep 30, 2009, 10:55 AM

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Re: [stevegraze] Best Non Pyramid League in London? [In reply to]	Can't Post or Reply Privately

Oh I'm not suggesting the MWL challenges the HLL, just that it's a good, well organised league with players who turn up on time and want to play football rather than fight, which is what I've found in the other Sunday leagues I've played in. The top teams in the SAL are about step 5 standard and one or two have been known to beat Isthmian League sides on occasion. I still reckon the SAL is the strongest non-pyramid league in London on a consistent basis. Of course, a lot of SAL players also play on Sundays as well.

If you're looking for a new website for your club, league or any other organisation give me a shout at www.acwebcreations.net.

HughesVideo
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Oct 3, 2009, 10:59 PM

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Re: [stevegraze] Best Non Pyramid League in London? [In reply to]	Can't Post or Reply Privately

In Reply To

Right now, there is a debate going on at an MWL club's forum saying that Eureka are the best team they have ever played.

Yes, here's the link to that on my website. Sly

I agree that the SAL is probably the best Non-Pyramid League in London, but there are certainly a few Sunday Leagues that run them very close....these being the afore-mentioned Hackney & Leyton League and Mercury Waltham League (The 'Mercury' sponsorship has now been dropped actually), and also the Orpington & Bromley League, the Morden League, and particularly the Cypriot (KOPA) League and the Turkish Community Federation.
The Cypriot and Turkish teams tend to dominate the later stages of the London F.A. Sunday Cup competitions as they attract a lot of Step 3 & 4 players because of 'rewards' from the rich businessmen from those particular communities who sponsor their clubs. Just have a look at the squad lists of the top clubs in the KOPA League and you will see plenty of familiar names if you follow the Ryman League. You will also see some of the Cypriot teams paying to use stadiums for their home ground instead of park pitches.
When Aris reached the London Sunday Challenge Cup Final, they produced their own match-day programme which was more-or-less a 100-page book full of adverts from sponsors. Absolutely incredible, and your average English Pub Team will never compete with that.

Just to correct Steve on the MWL clubs being 'trounced' by Hackney & Leyton League clubs in LFA competitions. That's not strictly true as the now-defunct Trent Park (Arkay) from the MWL beat Eureka 2-1 in the LFA Sunday Intermediate Cup the season before Eureka beat us 4-0.
I don't know which other teams from our League have faced Hackney & Leyton League teams in recent seasons, as most teams in the MWL are Herts, Middlesex or Essex-affiliated as opposed to London.

Debates about Sunday League football often centre on the vast reduction in the number of clubs and Leagues over the past 10-15 years, which therefore leads observers to believe that 'it is not as good as it used to be', but having run Edmonton Rovers for 33 years now, I can honestly say that the standard now is actually better than it used to be because you have to be more committed to play Sunday League football nowadays what with Sunday work commitments and nightclubs open all night.
The 24-hour drinking (and drugs !) culture has weeded out most of the beer guts and 'glory-hunting thugs'. Virtually every team we play in the MWL these days (and we are only in Division One, not the Premier) turn up an hour before kick-off in sponsored track tops, they do properly-organised warm-ups for 30 minutes before the kick-off, they are much fitter than teams we used to play in the 70's & 80's, and virtually all of their players have either played in the Ryman League, Spartan South Midlands League Premier Division, or for Professional clubs' Academies as youngsters before being released.

I am now putting highlights of Edmonton Rovers matches on You Tube from this season onwards. If you take a look here at the goals our opponents scored in our first League match this season, you will probably be quite impressed.

http://www.hughesvideoservices.co.uk
http://www.edmontonrovers.co.uk
http://www.youtube.com/user/hughesvideo

cope1
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Oct 4, 2009, 12:09 PM

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Re: [HughesVideo] Best Non Pyramid League in London? [In reply to]	Can't Post or Reply Privately

Can anyone help me get 08-09 sunday cup results for London and Essex? I'm trying to a bit of a comparison of sunday leagues but they're sites only seem to have the current season. I've got Herts, Middx and Surrey. Also need Kent who have nothing on their site.

If you're looking for a new website for your club, league or any other organisation give me a shout at www.acwebcreations.net.

HughesVideo
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Oct 4, 2009, 3:47 PM

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Re: [cope1] Best Non Pyramid League in London? [In reply to]	Can't Post or Reply Privately

In Reply To

I have got the 08-09 London Sunday Cup results for all three competitions, so I'll scan them and e-mail them to you later. I made sure I printed them off before the London F.A. took them off their website, as they don't keep an archive for some reason.

http://www.hughesvideoservices.co.uk
http://www.edmontonrovers.co.uk
http://www.youtube.com/user/hughesvideo

cope1
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Oct 4, 2009, 4:20 PM

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Re: [HughesVideo] Best Non Pyramid League in London? [In reply to]	Can't Post or Reply Privately

Cheers. My efforts have dipped somewhat, since a fuse went and my PC switched off losing the 30+ Sunday league tables and all the cup data I've gathered so far this morning Crazy

If you're looking for a new website for your club, league or any other organisation give me a shout at www.acwebcreations.net.

Geoff
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Oct 5, 2009, 6:39 PM

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Re: [HughesVideo] Best Non Pyramid League in London? [In reply to]	Can't Post or Reply Privately

Sunday footballers turning up an hour before kick off and warming up properly in matching sponsored track suite tops!
Things have changed a bit since I played, arrive in time to change, have a fag and take three pot shots at the goal before kick off (omitting the fag & shots if you had come directly from your Saturday night out) .
Teams would display an assortment of colours among their shorts and many players had odd sock. Having any sort of track suite top was considered showing off and a bit wimpish, .
Perhaps taking it so seriously, while improving the standard, has had an effect on the numbers that play. It does not sound as much fun as it was in the 1960s &70s.
I note that there is no mention of the after match trip to the pub which was, I believe, enshrined in the rules of some of the early Sunday Football leagues

cope1
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Oct 5, 2009, 8:32 PM

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Re: [Geoff] Best Non Pyramid League in London? [In reply to]	Can't Post or Reply Privately

My memories of it were the corners. A load of unfit hungover lads sweating alcohol and farting in a small (but thankfully not enclosed) space - I'm surprised no one passed out...

I have put together some stats of leagues in and around London using data from Middx, London, Herts and Surrey cups (thanks to HughesVideo for the 08-09 London results - still trying to find Kent and Essex data from 08-09). Some of the league allocations are from 09-10 constitutions where I couldn't find the team in 08-09 tables. Feel free to peruse and correct.

www.crouchendvampires.co.uk/sl0809.pdf

If you're looking for a new website for your club, league or any other organisation give me a shout at www.acwebcreations.net.

HughesVideo
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Oct 5, 2009, 8:58 PM

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Re: [Geoff] Best Non Pyramid League in London? [In reply to]	Can't Post or Reply Privately

One of the biggest problems with men's Sunday League football today is that the WAGS wear the trousers. It's all Victoria Beckham's fault IMO. Wink

My own team have 39 players registered for this season, yet we only run one team. They are all very good players, but not one of them can play week-in, week-out because of family commitments, which invariably mean babysitting while the WAG goes out shopping on a Sunday or visiting the in-laws for an early Sunday lunch. If we are playing a Cup game, we are in big trouble if it goes into Extra Time, as half our team need to be substituted after 90 minutes because the missus is waiting for them in the car park.
That's why we have to have so many players registered. Back in the 70's and 80's, our players were able to turn up every week because shops were not open on Sundays and the Spice Girls were yet to be formed !
The successful teams in our League are the ones whose WAGS don't mind coming along to watch the matches, so the players are more likely to play on a regular basis.

We are actually sponsored by a pub, but rarely get any more than half a dozen players down there after a match nowadays because of post-match family commitments.
As for pre-match arrival and warm-ups, ours are nearly as bad as that which Geoff describes and we definitely still play for fun first and foremost.
We are very-well organised in other ways though, as we do have drill tops for our pre-match 'sort of warm-up', you will rarely find any team in our League wearing an assortment of different coloured shorts & socks, and especially not us, we have one of the best club websites in Sunday football, we video all of our matches (properly) and here's the best one...we have been doing zonal marking from corners for the past 15 years, and we know what we are doing with it, unlike Liverpool ! Smile

http://www.hughesvideoservices.co.uk
http://www.edmontonrovers.co.uk
http://www.youtube.com/user/hughesvideo

stevegraze
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Oct 8, 2009, 3:32 AM

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Re: [HughesVideo] Best Non Pyramid League in London? [In reply to]	Can't Post or Reply Privately

Hey Mr Hughes. Thanks for the additional info re MWL and other leagues. Please don't think I was belittling the MWL. You are spot on re the Orpington and Bromley league. There is a team from that league with a long history called Kenningwell Utd that always does very well in the LFA Sunday Intermediate Cup. As for H & L teams playing teams from MWL:

*Trent Park were knocked out by Albion Manor - of the H & L.

*I believe your Edmonton Rovers were knocked out by Bancroft Utd and Eureka - both of the H & L. From the comments on your website, I read you/your players saying VERY complimentary things about both teams. I believe you said Bancroft were the best team you've ever played (a lot of people saidamazing things about that Bancroft team), and then updated that comment after the more recent clash with Eureka.

I'm glad you made the point about how sophisticated Aris are and their large budget. Like I said in the prior post, Aris won the LFA Sunday Junior/Intermediate cups 4 years in a row until their undefeated run was ended by Albion Manor of....you guessed it, the H & L league.

Great videos by the way. You were very objective in posting the clips of Enfield Royals' silky football. Very impressive skills on display. Also noted the absence of any players with beer bellies!

(This post was edited by stevegraze on Oct 8, 2009, 3:42 AM)

stevegraze
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Oct 8, 2009, 4:48 AM

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Re: [cope1] Best Non Pyramid League in London? [In reply to]	Can't Post or Reply Privately

You'd have to look back at longer than one season to get a fair reflection of the relative strengths of different leagues. Perhaps the winners of the LFA Sunday Cups of the past 5 years will help?

London Sunday Challenge Cup

2004-05 Aris (KOPA Cypriot Football League)
2005-06 Aris (KOPA Cypriot Football League)
2006-07 Akincilar (Turkish Community Football Federation)
2007-08 New Salamis (KOPA Cypriot Football League)
2008-09 Baldon Sports (London and Kent Border League)

London Sunday Intermediate Cup

2004-05 Mehmetcik (Turkish Community Football Federation)
2005-06 Albion Manor (Hackney and Leyton League)
2006-07 Frenford Sunday (Essex Sunday Corinthian League)
2007-08 Eureka (Hackney and Leyton League)
2008-09 Clapton Rangers (Hackney and Leyton League)*

London Sunday Junior Cup

2004-05 Fenerbahce (Turkish Community Football Federation)**
2005-06 Red Star Camden (Musical Associations League)
2006-07 Rolls Park (East London Sunday Football League)
2007-08 Clapton Rangers (Hackney and Leyton League)
2008-09 Cetinkaya Cinar (KOPA Cypriot Football League)

*First team to win the LFA Sunday Junior and Intermediate Cups in successive seasons.
**Transferred to the Hackney and Leyton League, then returned to the TCFF.

Based on this, Mr Hughes analysis about the Cypriot, Turkish and Hackney and Leyton league being very strong is spot on. Looks like the leagues producing the best teams are the KOPA Cypriot Football League and the Hackney and Leyton League – both of which have produced 4 cup winners in the past 5 years.

HughesVideo
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Oct 8, 2009, 10:09 AM

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Re: [stevegraze] Best Non Pyramid League in London? [In reply to]	Can't Post or Reply Privately

I may be wrong, but I understand that the Cypriot and Turkish Sunday Leagues allow contract players from Saturday football to play in their League matches. They then make the mistake of thinking that is allowed in London F.A. Cup competitions as well, and therefore get thrown out of the competition. On the LFA website they put 'removed' for the offending team amongst the results, and you see it every season.
The Cypriot and Turkish Leagues also have a rule that limits each team to having only two (or it might be three now ?) non-Greek/Greek Cypriot/Turkish/Turkish Cypriot players on the pitch at any one time, so those particular players are invariably the best they can find from 'Semi-Pro' Saturday football.
A lot of the Greek and Turkish players used have played professionally in Cyprus though, some of them in the Champions League !

Regarding Bancroft United, we were only in Division Five of our League when we played them. They had several Ryman League players playing for them, mainly from Witham Town. C.J. Emmanuel was one of them. I can't remember the others.
Don't forget that Edmonton Rovers are only a lower/mid-table side in Division One of the MWL, not the Premier Division. Most of the sides we play in the LFA Sunday Intermediate Cup are in the Premier Divisions of their Leagues. (e.g. Eureka).

I will be posting more highlights of our matches so far this season on You Tube towards the end of October. Following that Enfield Royals match, we lost 4-0 to East Herts, who beat Enfield Royals 3-1 last Sunday. However, we have since gone three matches unbeaten. This Sunday, we are playing AFC Cheshunt, who are all current or former players of clubs from Steps 4-7 on Saturdays.

The MWL (or Waltham Sunday Football League as it is now known) now use the F.A.'s Full-Time website to list registered players for each club. You can view AFC Cheshunt's players here and all other teams here by clicking on the club name in a League table, then clicking on one of their listed fixtures.
If you have a look at Lea Valley Royals in the Premier Division, you will see a certain Lee Marshall of Enfield, Norwich, West Brom, Leicester & England U-21 fame playing regularly, and there are several other less well-known ex-full-time professionals playing for other clubs.

http://www.hughesvideoservices.co.uk
http://www.edmontonrovers.co.uk
http://www.youtube.com/user/hughesvideo

cope1
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Oct 8, 2009, 11:08 AM

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Re: [stevegraze] Best Non Pyramid League in London? [In reply to]	Can't Post or Reply Privately

I don't have 5 years' worth of LFA results - they don't seem to keep archives on their site. If anyone's got them I'll happily compile another set of stats on the back of it. Winners are some indicator but I prefer to use all the results to create a UEFA style co-efficient for each league/division.

If you're looking for a new website for your club, league or any other organisation give me a shout at www.acwebcreations.net.

HughesVideo
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Oct 8, 2009, 8:00 PM

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Re: [cope1] Best Non Pyramid League in London? [In reply to]	Can't Post or Reply Privately

In Reply To

I normally print off the LFA Sunday Cup competition results at the end of every season and I think I have those print-outs somewhere that I can scan in for you when I can find the time. However, I missed the 2007-2008 Season. They took them off the website and deleted the files before I realised.

What exactly is that PDF of Sunday League stats you have done there ?
Is it based on just the Winners and Runners-Up of Sunday County Cup Finals over the last five years for London, Middlesex, Essex, Hertfordshire & Surrey ?
I can't see the Mercury Waltham League there, but we have had numerous teams reach County Cup Finals over the years, and in fact I can't remember the last time that our League failed to be represented in a County Cup Final at the end of any particular season.
I have this list on the League Website, but unfortunately we have not kept records of who were beaten Finalists.

http://www.hughesvideoservices.co.uk
http://www.edmontonrovers.co.uk
http://www.youtube.com/user/hughesvideo

cope1
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Oct 8, 2009, 10:40 PM

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Re: [HughesVideo] Best Non Pyramid League in London? [In reply to]	Can't Post or Reply Privately

It's based on results in one cup from London, Herts, Surrey and Middx (can't get Kent or Essex). I have taken what appears to be the highest cup from each county. I can have a go at more once I get the info, but as you know, London is a problem because back results are not online.

If you're looking for a new website for your club, league or any other organisation give me a shout at www.acwebcreations.net.

stevegraze
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Oct 9, 2009, 10:54 AM

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Re: [HughesVideo] Best Non Pyramid League in London? [In reply to]	Can't Post or Reply Privately

Good points re the use of senior players by Cypriot, Turkish teams and Bancroft Utd. Didn't realise you were that far down when you played Bancroft Utd. Spot on about CJ Emmanuel (played for Ilford in the Essex Senior league). They had others too like Steve Osibote (played for Essex FA). More recently you will notice that Bethnal Green Utd (who are now in the Essex Senior League after winning the Middlesex County League) won promotion with a side that can almost be described as "Hackney and Leyton League" allstars with Kadir Jama and Justin Weatherman (Bancroft United), brothers Tony and Ricky Field (Hoxton Athletic), Shane Baptiste (Eureka) and Marlon Campbell (Clapton Rangers).

Do the Cypriot/Turkish teams really have a limitation on the number of non-Turks/Cypriots that can play? Looking at these team photos, it seems like there are quite a few non-Cypriot looking players in these squad pics!

http://www.kopaleague.com/Pages/Team.aspx?ID=135
http://www.kopaleague.com/Pages/Team.aspx?ID=145
http://www.kopaleague.com/Pages/Team.aspx?ID=149

New Salamis of the KOPA Cypriot league played at Chestnut FC's ground. Must help them recruit good players.

GSB
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Oct 9, 2009, 11:20 AM

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Re: [stevegraze] Best Non Pyramid League in London? [In reply to]	Can't Post or Reply Privately

Genuine question - CAN you legally stipulate nationality/ethnicity quotas in any team or club?9

Sunday teams might be happy to field players who are contracted to Saturday teams, but why would a Saturday team allow this to happen and why would a player getting paid on Saturday risk injury on a Sunday?

cope1
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Oct 9, 2009, 11:27 AM

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Re: [GSB] Best Non Pyramid League in London? [In reply to]	Can't Post or Reply Privately

I don't know how the nationality/ethnicity thing works, except that it has something to do with private clubs being allowed to admit whoever they like on whatever grounds. The contracted players obviously have nothing in their contract preventing them from playing, and they probably just like playing, so they do. I'm sure Thierry Henry's contract stipulated that he was NOT allowed to play for anyone else, especially in a Sunday league where he might get his leg broken. In terms of risking injury for those contracted players who do play, I'm sure it's no different from being self-employed - you are risking your income by doing something which could prevent you working, but you decide that the risk is low enough vs the enjoyment you get from playing that it's worth it.

If you're looking for a new website for your club, league or any other organisation give me a shout at www.acwebcreations.net.

GSB
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Oct 9, 2009, 11:54 AM

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Re: [cope1] Best Non Pyramid League in London? [In reply to]	Can't Post or Reply Privately

I can remember a case about 15 years ago when Merthyr were reported to have sacked a (very good) player because he was playing Sunday football without their permission and he joined Newport shortly afterwards, presumably with that condition reinforced. I think they were still in the Conference at that time.

HughesVideo
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Oct 9, 2009, 11:54 AM

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Re: [cope1] Best Non Pyramid League in London? [In reply to]	Can't Post or Reply Privately

I believe that contracted players from Saturday football do have it in their contract that they cannot play for Sunday clubs, but some ignore it and take a risk because they enjoy playing with their mates, and also it gives them some match practice in a good standard when they may have been sitting on the bench as an unused sub the day before.
The MWL will stop contracted players signing up to play for teams in their League, but some have played as 'ringers' over the years or have 'slipped through the net' during the registration process. I dare say this happens in most Sunday Leagues, but the F.A. are now finally getting to grips with computerised registrations across the board so it seems, and that might stop it happening to some extent.
@
Regarding Steve's question 'Do the Cypriot/Turkish teams really have a limitation on the number of non-Turks/Cypriots that can play?', you will see numerous non-Cypriot/Turkish players listed in their squads, but only two (or three) are allowed to be on the pitch at any one time in their League matches...or something like that ?
That rule does not apply in County Cup games though, so they field all their non-Cypriot/Turkish 'semi-pros' in those matches, and that is why they are so strong ijn the LFA Sunday Cups.

http://www.hughesvideoservices.co.uk
http://www.edmontonrovers.co.uk
http://www.youtube.com/user/hughesvideo

stevegraze
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Oct 10, 2009, 10:38 AM

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Post #23 of 540 (39665 views)
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Re: Best Non Pyramid League in London? [In reply to]	Can't Post or Reply Privately

Yes I am sure pro/high level semi-pro players have contractual prohibitions on playing for ANY other teams (whether Sunday or Saturday). But I'm not sure what the case is for players at lower levels of the pyramid (e.g. Steps 5-7 etc). I mean it is not a secret that these guys play on Sundays. Their names and exploits for their Sunday teams get published in local newspapers!

HughesVideo
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Oct 10, 2009, 1:23 PM

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Location: Edmonton
Team(s): Edmonton Rovers (Sunday League), Ebbsfleet United (Club Cameraman)

Post #24 of 540 (39648 views)
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Re: [stevegraze] Best Non Pyramid League in London? [In reply to]	Can't Post or Reply Privately

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A lot of Step 5 - 7 Team Managers try to stop their (non-contracted) players playing Sunday football by dropping them to the bench or leaving them out of the squad altogether. This is because a) they don't want them getting injured by 'beer-bellied' players / 'glory-hunters' and b) because of the different system of suspensions for sending off offences whereby a dismissal for violence in Sunday football and the AFA Leagues can be a 35-day ban (which is then also imposed on the pyramid club), but in the pyramid it is only a 2 or 3-match ban.

What I find now is more and more players simply pack up playing in the pyramid both because of that, and also the hassle of travelling to midweek matches when they have increasing work & family commitments, thereby strengthening the Sunday Leagues and the AFA Leagues on Saturdays.
The average age of players in the top Divisions of the (Mercury) Waltham Sunday League is something like 27-28, an age when players are at their peak and should still be playing 'semi-pro', and I am pretty sure that is the case in the top Divisions of the SAL as well.
There are several Step 5-7 clubs in the Waltham Sunday League's area who consistently field teams with an average age of about 19-20 because they use almost exclusively college/University players and ex-pro club Academy players who have not started playing mens' Sunday football yet and have plenty of time on their hands to travel around the M25 for midweek matches.

SAL teams' First XI's and the top Sunday League teams would probably beat these inexperienced Step 5-7 teams most of the time, despite the difference in fitness levels. I think the greater experience would prove crucial.

http://www.hughesvideoservices.co.uk
http://www.edmontonrovers.co.uk
http://www.youtube.com/user/hughesvideo

(This post was edited by HughesVideo on Oct 10, 2009, 1:35 PM)

kenningwellfc
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Oct 28, 2009, 11:21 PM

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Post #25 of 540 (39170 views)
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Re: [HughesVideo] Best Non Pyramid League in London? [In reply to]	Can't Post or Reply Privately

Hi guys,

I came across this thread whilst doing a search on my own club and just couldn't resist having a post!!

I have been in Sunday footy for about 15 years now and have to say the standard both on and off the field has really improved. I can honestly say that I think our club is one of the better Sunday teams, but almost all games are played on privately owned grounds, most teams do turn up with club tracksuits and do proper warm ups. Our club also produces a matchday programme that in my humble opinion would rival many of those I have seen at non-league level.

As you can see on our website, the videos are very good quality. The only problem we have is the cameraman (i.e me!) is now back from suspension and we have no-one to video the games!

The standard of football is now very high. As previously mentioned, a lot of players are playing semi-pro whilst also playing Sundays. We do infact have an international in our 1st team!

Of the clubs mentioned, Aris is the one that immdeiately springs to mind. We played them in the final of one of the London Cups (intermediate I think) a few years ago at Wingate & Finchley. From what I remember they brought a couple of hundred supporters and stunned us in going 3 - 0 up after 15 minutes. After that we settled down but they were so strong in defence and so well organised.

Anyway, have added my two penneth and am more than happy to share my views or experiences of Sunday football at a pretty decent standard!

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