TOP CLUBS WILL PULL OUT IF CONFERENCE PLAN GETS GO-AHEAD
Requiem for Ryman, by David Watters, From The Non-League Paper
The Isthmian League is facing the biggest crisis in its near 100-year history after many of its top clubs admitted they could be forced to abandon the League. With the Nationwide Conference proposing to recognise only two feeder leagues from the 2002-03 season, a straw poll of leading club chairmen suggests such a move would seriously damage the country's biggest senior League. Under plans exclusively revealed in The Non-League Paper two weeks ago, the Ryman-sponsored Isthmian League would lose its promotion spot into the Conference, effectively consigning it to the backwaters of the national game. The plans need FA approval, but many leading Ryman clubs are already signalling their intentions to join the exodus into an extended Southern feeder League for the Conference. Sutton United, relegated from the Conference in May after their first season in the top flight for eight years, say they could not afford to stay in a league offering no way into the top levels of football's Pyramid. Like several Premier clubs questioned, Sutton say they would be forced to look to their own best interests. Barry Aplin, chairman of Sutton who two season ago lifted the Ryman Premier championship, said: "Any ambitious club would want the opportunity to rise through the Pyramid into the Conference. Although our sympathy lies with the Ryman League, we would still have to move. "The Pyramid has needed to be shaken up for a long time and if that is the way the cookie crumbles we will have to consider our options.
There are some clubs who will want to stay in the Ryman League because of
their finances and ambitions. Many others like us couldn't afford to see their investments wasted. There aren't many ambitious clubs who could accept the rug being pulled out from underneath them if staying in the Ryman meant they couldn't reach the Conference. " Who is going to stand by and happily watch all their investments go down the tube?" Aldershot chairman Karl Prentice has no doubts where his Hampshire side's future would lay. "The, league has been very good to us, but we are a progressive club and we couldn't afford to be held back. At the moment we are among the most successful Non-League clubs in the country and we want to stay that way. You cannot be emotional about these things. We would move, it is as simple as that." St Albans chairman Lee Harding was equally adamant. If there is a reorganisation, clubs like ourselves will have to look to the future. If we were invited to join a new league we would consider it very seriously. Our position is similar to that at Sutton and Aldershot who are spending a lot of money chasing promotion to the Conference and could not afford to be left out." Slough also admitted that their future would lie outside the Ryman if the Conference shake-up was sanctioned. Chief executive Roy Merryweather said: 1f the Southern League gained supremacy, Slough would have to consider its best options." Echoing Sutton's views that no ambitious club could afford to be left out, the Wexham Park official added: "The object of this club is to get into the highest standard of football possible." Canvey Island chairman Ray Cross revealed that he had already being meeting with club officials to discuss their attitude towards the proposed shake-up. But Cross said he believed the outcome would in any case be academic. I think the Ryman League will be here in two years time, but by then we will be in the Conference or even the Third Division," said Cross.Ryman League chairman Alan Turvey said he understood the pressure club chairmen were under to look after their own interests, but warned that the battle to restructure non-League was far from over. "If we knew where we stood we would call a meeting of all the clubs in our league today," he said. "Unfortunately we don't, but we appreciate the support we have already received and are trying to conduct ourselves in a professional manner in order to look after the interests of all our member clubs."