Ian Pethick

On the face of it, yes. But these are pretty straightforward things to put in place I would have thought. Sounds to me more like a **** up/oversight by Exeter Uni. Surely they would have read the ground grading requirements and produced a to do list?

Believe both Dylan Jones and Jacob Smith were involved in the youth system at Exeter City before being released at 16, so would think that new Parkway boss Chris McPhee has previously worked with the pair of them. Hopefully he is aware of a few more gems like these two.

Can't see Ryan Richards dropping down a level. Assuming he's fit and available, will be in demand from plenty of step 4 or 5 clubs. Everybody wants a goalscorer.

The Western and Southern Leagues are the place to be now for Cornish clubs. Wadebridge boss Paul Rowe mentioned this in an interview with the CS Podcast a few weeks, basically said they need to get promoted out of the SWPL or continually risk having their players picked off. No doubt his squad, and several others around, will contain targets for step 4 and 5 teams.

Yes, great models for Bude to follow. Dobwalls differ slightly to Lanson and Cally though in that they aren't local lads. Ben Washam has done a great job in pulling together a talented group of youngsters, but most of them are Plymouth based. Many of them played for Adam Castlehouse when he ran Parkway under 18's.

Truro don't want to go anywhere near Andy Westgarth. Seriously poor, over rated manager...😁

Makes it sound like Pope Francis is in the frame... 😁

Southern Prem football will be a very different environment and mentality to working within a professional club's youth system. Unlike this, it is results, not developing players, that is everything. Chris McPhee spoke very eloquently about his vision for the club and players, but it has to be remembered that they are part time, you only get to see them a couple of evenings a week. Looking at the sides that have been promoted, been relegated from the NLS and then those that are still around from last season, Parkway's league will get tougher again next time around. A strong pre season and start to the campaign proper, is vital. At the end of the day, it is winning matches and getting points on the board that matter to supporters, not "playing identity."

Chris McPhee was the head of youth development at Exeter City, and holds a UEFA "A" coaching licence. Very well travelled midfielder/striker around the league and non league, was previously player/coach at Salisbury City and then briefly assistant manager to Craig Duff at Buckland. Another interesting appointment is his new assistant. Lee Peacock, another ex midfielder/striker at pro level who was most recently Head Of Youth Coaching at Swindon. Both these hires would suggest that Parkway have the aim of moving towards recruiting and developing younger talent. Bit of a change from the usual suspects that were being touted for the role, and I wish them nothing but well in the new era at Parkway.

Getting Paul Wotton to sign a "multi year contract" looks like a great bit of business now.

Would think that Torquay will be looking at full time players and loanees from professional clubs, rather than a wholesale raid on Truro . Especially as it looks like the new consortium is going to bring more financial backing with them, and they will also have use of new Technical Director Neil Warnock's extensive networks and contacts .

Keep hearing that, these sort of rumours do tend to feed on themselves though. Barnstaple would be a very good fit for Hobbs, a very ambitious chairman who sees them as a step 3 club in a hurry to get out of a very competitive Western League and would financially back a manager who's had success at this level and could get players in to achieve this. Lots of similarities to Parkway of a few seasons ago.

Not sure about Matt Cusack to Truro. Very bright, intelligent and ambitious manager, yes. But he's never managed above step 5, and only coached at step 4. It is a huge jump to the NLS at step 2. If it did happen though, Helston would have a vacancy that would need filling by a proven step 4 manager. Lee Hobbs maybe?

Paul Wotton should leave Truro with his head held high and the very best wishes of the supporters (even if it does give Truro a big headache now). The 5 seasons he has spent at the club is a long time at this sort of level, and it's a considerably longer than any of his predecessors managed in the modern "Kevin Heaney and post Heaney" era. When you consider that he has had to manage a club that has been homeless for the last 3 seasons, the season before that being ended by COVID when they looked in a very strong position for promotion and the scant resources at his disposal compared to other clubs in the NLS .He has done an incredible job. Attention will now turn to the next boss through the door, a crucial appointment as a strong start to the season is essential in getting crowds into the new ground at Langarth. There is also bound to be speculation about Wotton taking players with him, James Hamon is the immediate name that springs to mind.

Seems to me that the CCFA needs to revisit this, the landscape of Cornish football has shifted considerably over the last few seasons (and continues to do so). Would be a good question to put to the new chief executive in any future interview with the CS Podcast.

Any sign of white smoke rising above Bolitho Park? Coming up for 2 weeks since the deadline for applications, and would think there is a need to get the new manager in place soon. No sign of a retained or released list yet, and pre season is probably only about 6 weeks away.

Are there any attendance figures available?

Sounded like quite the season finale down at Wendron yesterday. Would playing it at this time every season (after all the respective league issues have been settled) restore the Senior Cup Final's status as the biggest occasion in Cornish football? Getting it well away from the usually congested month of April may also provide a way back in for the Southern, and even National, League clubs.

Believe that Torquay's owners are hoping to announce their new manager as early as Tuesday. The rumour mill is definitely in over drive regarding who it will be (know how social media goes into a feeding frenzy at times like these).

Know that a lot can (and probably will) change regarding players and squads, but out of St Austell and Ivybridge, what are people's thoughts on who will be higher in the final Western League Prem table of 2024/25? I'm going to say Ivybridge.

Wasn't there a "Wotton to Torquay" rumour knocking around a couple of years ago? If there is anything in this story, then surely ex Truro legend Jake Ash would be a contender to replace him.

Looks like the quality of the Southern Prem South will go up another notch or two next season. Wimborne and Frome look like they will be strong, with very ambitious Chertsey (Isthmian South Central champs who only lost 1 league game all season) also projected to be joining them. Add in relegated Gloucester City and Taunton Town, and it will be a tough division.

From Truro City website; "Since vacating Treyew Road in January 2021, the club have led a nomadic existence and despite not having a permanent home venue, have secured promotion to National League South and survival at Step Two of the National League System. Construction work on the club’s new facility is nearly complete, in preparation for Truro’s return to the Duchy for the 2024-25 season. The seated ‘North Stand’ structure has been completed with all seats, clad in the club’s traditional colours of red and black, have been installed. Standing facilities behind the eastern goal (covered) are now in place, along with perimeter fences for the playing area, hard standing all around the pitch and mens, ladies and disabled toilets sited. The floodlights are now installed on four corners of the pitch and are fully operational, having passed all required tests. Works on the playing surface will be completed this coming week, with the first grass cut within the next month despite Cornwall recording one of its wettest winter and early spring periods since records began. The club will provide supporters with updates on the finishing touches of the new facility throughout the off-season, as we close in on the finishing line for the club’s journey back to the Duchy. We thank each and every supporter for their patience and unwavering support for Truro City over the past three years."

You may well be better connected than me, but I was told that Matt Cusack is not amongst the applicants for the Parkway job (over 30 of them according to the piece in the Herald last week) . Going to be a very interesting summer of transfer rumours amongst the West Cornwall Southern League contingent. In my opinion, no such thing as consolidation at this level. If you aren't continually strengthening, you're going backwards. As I've said before, once you get to step 4 level the backroom jobs start to move beyond that of being part time/volunteering roles. Pretty sure that both AFC Totton and Salisbury had full time chief execs in the Southern Prem last season.

Heard that a hen night was complaining that their booked "performer" hadn't turned up. 😁