[choirboy]

My views;
1) Ask the 10 or 12 Conference clubs if they would be happy to ALL be "relegated" in one sweep down to a new 6th tier of football!...... I am sure that the response would be almost unprintable. I think that Conference clubs have the most difficult job in English football.....being on the cusp of full time management can make or break a club.......eg Hereford? The clubs in the Conference have worked hard, often against great odds, to get where they are!
2) All players want to play "First Team Football" and I know that if I was still playing I would rather play against Morecambe's first team than against Norwich B team!
3) The demise of quality English players has been the result of a range of causes....;
a) The increase in players from abroad taking places in our leagues particularly at higher levels.
b) The reduction in the number of Englishmen actually playing the game at 'grass roots' level.......When I played local football 40+ years ago the Accy Combination had 5 divisions of 20 teams...now I think that there are only 2 divisions of 12 teams! This is backed up by my observations of the state of the local pitches when I am out walking my daughters dogs. The pitches now are full of grass and are used much less...whilst 40 years ago the pitches were worn out early in the season from being massively used.
c) The rest of the world caught up with English and European football at least 30, 40+ years ago.
d) Kids, (and adults too), have many more options of hobbies and sports to pursue these days which are a much 'softer' and easier option than running about like a madman on a cold, wet Saturday afternoon in mid winter!

The pyramid system in my view works well in general, and it certainly did for us, as without it we would not have got back into the Football League.

ON STANLEY ON (against proper 'First teams')

ps. would 'B' teams be entered in the FA Cup? .......Man City v Man City 'B' Team, (not impossible), simply would not interest me!