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[flaggerstu2]

With more problems in the conference e.g Truro City, is it not time for the conference to go regional again North, South, Midlands.
or just north and south. Surely cutting travelling costs and hopefully creating bigger gates is a way forward. How many more clubs to the wall before it dawns that it needs something.

[Mallorca Alty]

Or cut travel costs further have 4 regional leagues feeding into the Conference. That would be North-West, North-East, South West and South East. That would encourage the Northern League clubs to make the step up. The Evo-Stick Division 1 is so barmy. Instead of a North and South Division they could have an east and west division.

[Hamilton]

I think regionalisation needs to be done from League 1 down (or as us old fashioned people like to call it, League Division 3!)

[roytonmike]

The Conference will make no move to regionalisation of the Premier unless and until the Football League does so. As regards the current North & South, there will always be a geographical imbalance as long as two of the three feeder leagues are basically southern (Southern & Isthmian). No other league is currently strong enough to feed directly into BSBN or BSBS and it would take a long time for the Northern League, for example, to reach that level based on what we saw at Shildon. There isn't really an answer to this in the short or medium term, I fear.

[Bob]

I don't think geography is the cause of a lot of the problems.  It's more to do with poor budgeting, reckless spending and being over reliant on one benefactor.

When we had our crisis ten years ago it was when we were in the Unibond. Now we do more travelling and are in better shape financially.

[Knutsford Alty]

I don't think geography is the cause of a lot of the problems.  It's more to do with poor budgeting, reckless spending and being over reliant on one benefactor.

When we had our crisis ten years ago it was when we were in the Unibond. Now we do more travelling and are in better shape financially.

I agree Bob. 

The players were using their own cars to get to the matches in the Unibond.  Having a coach owner as our Chairman was a huge bonus for us in the period between. 

[York Alty]

I don't think geography is the cause of a lot of the problems.  It's more to do with poor budgeting, reckless spending and being over reliant on one benefactor.

When we had our crisis ten years ago it was when we were in the Unibond. Now we do more travelling and are in better shape financially.

I agree Bob. 

The players were using their own cars to get to the matches in the Unibond.  Having a coach owner as our Chairman was a huge bonus for us in the period between. 

Geography can come into it for those clubs in the far flung corners.  For us it's much less of a factor.  We should be very grateful for the magnificent leadership that our recent boards of directors have provided. 

No Flash Harrys at Moss Lane please. 

[Knutsford Alty]

Geography can come into it for those clubs in the far flung corners.  For us it's much less of a factor.  We should be very grateful for the magnificent leadership that our recent boards of directors have provided. 

No Flash Harrys at Moss Lane please. 

Does that include your avatar?

[York Alty]

By virtue of the economic realities the Conference administrators must look at how things are currently organised.  There are clubs who over-extend themselves through a huge increase in funds from a single source.  That is unhealthy for any organisation and is one area that needs to be addressed.  I can't see an easy solution but those are the clubs most at risk when/if things go wrong.  A wage bill to turnstile revenue rule perhaps (don't we already have one??), or a bond equivalent to six months runing costs for the club must be lodged with the league. 

Other more radical ideas:-

Summer footy (no floodlight costs) below level x in the pyramid.
Fewer, stronger clubs.  Can a town the size of Northwich truly support two clubs?
No promotion unless home gates in the promotion year averaged over a certain % of the gates in the league you're being promoted too.  This would slow down the five promotions in six years scenario, giving more time for the fan base to grow properly.

Regional footy already exists, it's just a question of how far up the pyramid a club has to go before national footy kicks in, at the moment I believe the BSN should remain national.

[Bob]

Interesting how it works abroad

 http://footballscope.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/vigilant-finance-of-german-football.html?m=1

[JDN]

Other more radical ideas:-

Summer footy (no floodlight costs) below level x in the pyramid.
Fewer, stronger clubs.  Can a town the size of Northwich truly support two clubs?
No promotion unless home gates in the promotion year averaged over a certain % of the gates in the league you're being promoted too.  This would slow down the five promotions in six years scenario, giving more time for the fan base to grow properly.

Regional footy already exists, it's just a question of how far up the pyramid a club has to go before national footy kicks in, at the moment I believe the BSN should remain national.

to much

[anglo alty]

Re- organization seems to be rearing its head again and the mentioning of a North Midlands South split for Blue Sq, this would have to involve the BSN and BSS. This whilst reducing travel costs and increasing the number of local derbies would effect the competitiveness of the league. For example a Midland Division would probably consist of Kidderminster,Telford,Hereford,Tamworth,Grimsby,Mansfield,Lincoln,Boston,Alfreton,Solihull Corby,Worcester, Gloucester,Forest Green,Hinckley thats 15 clubs and with a heavier concentration of clubs in the South East compared to the South West a team like Bath for example may well find themselves thrust into the Midland section and face potentially three long trips to Lincolnshire one to Shropshire and one each to Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire and if not worse off would certainly not be better off.We also have to question where the three Welsh clubs Wrexham,Newport and Colwyn Bay fit in  These smaller clubs like Bath wouldn't be able to compete with the bigger clubs and very soon a two tier league would develop. The Blue sq Prem is currently very competitive so far we have seen Alfreton beat Luton as have Braintree and Forest Green topping the league. A two tier league doesn't benefit anyone in the long run and my guess is supporters would eventually stay away. The decision that has to made is wether regionalisation is better in the long run for the competition bearing mind there will always be winners and losers geographicaly, the current situation on BLue Sq North for example is hardly ideal personally i think the North Midland South split is a good idea but do it to involve clubs at level 3 of the pyramid but to do this fairly you somehow have to get over the problem of the no of clubs in the South East compared to the South West and this is where regionalisation always falls down

[bonz]

The Conference will make no move to regionalisation of the Premier unless and until the Football League does so. As regards the current North & South, there will always be a geographical imbalance as long as two of the three feeder leagues are basically southern (Southern & Isthmian). No other league is currently strong enough to feed directly into BSBN or BSBS and it would take a long time for the Northern League, for example, to reach that level based on what we saw at Shildon. There isn't really an answer to this in the short or medium term, I fear.

 You surely can't be basing the standard of the Northern League by ten minutes in ONE game against ONE club!!!!
 Apart from that ten minutes, there wasn't that much difference - I know I'm biased and you were the better side but "a long time for the Northern League to reach that level" is a bit disrespectful to be honest
 I totally agree though that something needs doing to encourage NL sides to take promotion.
 There's also talk that the NL could soon be upgraded to step 4 - which means we would have to enter the FA Trophy.
 Teams from other leagues are getting sick of getting knocked out of the Vase by NL clubs apparently

[SW]

Fair comment Bonz but ground grading kicks in too, which I would agree isn't always necessary for some clubs but the league rules require it.
 

[bonz]

Fair comment Bonz but ground grading kicks in too, which I would agree isn't always necessary for some clubs but the league rules require it.
 

Totally agree that grounds would need improving the more you step up. When Darlo agreed to ground share with us before they buggered off to Bishop our ground had passed for next league up. Agree it needs sprucing up though