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Over the past twelve months, the League Management Committee have been carrying out a review and seeking opinions from clubs regarding the future of the League’s Reserve Division.

Since the NWCFL began in 1982, the Reserve Division has always been an integral part of the League’s structure, but in recent years the number of clubs willing to commit to running a reserve team in the Reserve Division has dwindled.

As a result, the League Management Committee have been canvassing opinions from club officials regarding the way ahead for the Reserve Division, and as Secretary John Deal explained, there has been a mixed response from the various officials around the member clubs.

“The clubs who currently run teams in the Reserve Division are very committed towards it, but as a committee we are a little disappointed that only 12 out of a current membership of 40 clubs take part, although there have been seasons in recent years when the number has been less than that.  In addition, last year’s Premier Division Champions New Mills also enter a team, bringing the number up to 13.

“Having asked our clubs for feedback and observations on the Reserve Division, it seems the main barrier to clubs entering a team appears to be down to travel and cost.  However, 11 of our clubs currently enter reserve teams in other leagues, and in many instances have to travel distances to away fixtures that appear to be in excess of the travelling that would be involved if they competed in our Reserve Division.

“In addition, those clubs with reserve teams playing in a Supply League Division have Level 4 Referees and Assistants in charge of games, incurring a higher cost for match officials than they would do in our Reserve Division.  So it’s a little difficult to understand why travel and cost should be cited by some of those clubs as reasons for not to compete in our Reserve Division.

“The committee accepts that certain clubs may have a valid reason for not running a reserve team, such as having available manpower on match days, ground sharing, or if they are on the far edges of the geographic boundary that the North West Counties League covers.  However, in many cases we feel that with a little more effort, clubs could enter a team into the Reserve Division and derive benefit from it. 

“We are always open to suggestions for ways in which the Reserve Division might be made more attractive.  The issue of travel costs, for example, could easily be addressed if we had more clubs involved, as we could regionalise and set up a North and South Reserve Division.  Even with just 16 clubs, we could look at having two leagues of eight, perhaps playing one another three or four times a season.

“Another possibility would be to have more midweek reserve games, and clubs should remember that there would be no issue in moving a Saturday fixture to a midweek night as long as both teams agreed to the move.  This would help to alleviate any perceived problems for clubs who may be concerned about having enough people available on a Saturday to organise two teams, if the first team and reserve team were both playing at the same time.

“We cannot force clubs to join our Reserve Division, but the League Management Committee would be failing in their duty if they did not take steps to try to strengthen and develop the quality of the leagues that come under their jurisdiction, and there is definitely room for improvement as far as the Reserve Division is concerned.  On that basis, we are always open to suggestions as to how it can be improved

“However, the Reserve Division will only be a viable Division with the support of the member clubs”.

Clubs are reminded that the deadline for informing the League Secretary regarding the entry of a team into the Reserve League is the 30^th April 2012.