Ian Pethick

Not surprisingly, given the volume of rain in the Plymouth area recently, Parkway v Dorchester is off tonight. Poole v Truro has also fallen foul of the weather. The forecast looks slightly better in the next few days (showers, sunny spells and a strong wind), which will help in getting the match v Met Police on for Saturday. Situation not quite as bad as last season yet (12 league games played at this point, versus 13 this time), but it is a 42 game season versus last season's 36. As it stands, there are at least a further 26 combined league and cup matches that Parkway and Truro have to play on Bolitho Park in the remaining 21 weeks of the season.

And also considering that Argyle were away, and the major Plymouth Argyle connection within Truro City (Greens legend Paul Wotton as manager), it was a pretty poor turnout. Hopefully this season is the last for this forced marriage.

Anecdotal evidence from what I see on the various parks near where I live, and what family members with school age children tell me, is that age group football for both boys and girls is in pretty good health. It's post 16 when participation tails off. Said it before, but a bit of digging and research by the Cornish FA (for example) to get hard stats and reasons behind this would be very useful. Especially if you are serious about addressing it.

Many, many different reasons both social and economic why grassroots sport (not just football) is dwindling across the country. It's certainly not just a Cornish issue, and it has been talked about many times on this forum. I believe that there is still a strong interest in playing football at youth level though. Very interesting interview with a coach from Truro Grasshoppers on the CS Podcast this week, seemed to me that the club is thriving in terms of numbers (as are other clubs in the area), but there is just nowhere to play in the city. The loss of local authority playing facilities, and the degradation of those that remain, must be a legacy of cuts to council budgets over the last 12 years or so (with worse to come).

After 3 encounters this season, Parkway finally get the better of Oxford City. Into the next round of the Trophy, winning 4-2 on penalties after coming from behind to level 1-1 in the 90 minutes. The big boys of the National League now go into the hat for Monday's draw. Hoping for either a famous club (and big support) at Boiltho, or a tie in the London area.

Only a fiver to watch unbeaten league leaders Truro City v Winchester at Bolitho today. With Argyle away today, it seems like a bargain to me (especially when you chuck in a free coach from Cornwall).

Assume you mean Jamie Lowry. At 35 years old, he just misses out.

I'll start (slightly beyond the 38-40 age range). Danny O'Hagan- 46 years young (according to the internet).

Thiago Silva is probably Chelsea's best defender. He's 38.

Issue both teams with carrots, and hope their eyes adjust eventually? Another example of a general lack of interest around the whole competition (including from the Devon FA). Did notice that Mullion were playing in the Cornwall Senior Cup with no lights (switched their recent home tie to Porthleven's ground). Don't know if a similar arrangement could be made for the St Luke's, but switching it to Coach Road (floodlit and 3G pitch) would solve the problem.

The competition and format does need looking at. One thought that I had was to move it to a regionally based, pre season tournament, possibly featuring under 21 players only. Round robins followed by knockout rounds and the final on the ground of the club with the rest record in the group stage. Could replace some of the endless meaningless and forgettable friendlies played in July and early August nowadays. The League and Southern League clubs do regard it as a nuisance and inconvenience (somebody I have spoken to, and is connected to one of these clubs, called it the "tin pot cup."). It certainly has nothing like the prestige and history of the Cornwall Senior Cup. As a further clue regarding its status, the Devon FA website (in the St Lukes section) carries no information regarding fixtures and results for the 2022/23 version.

Tonight's St Luke's Cup game v Teignmouth is off for the third time ,not surprisingly given the weather in Plymouth today. Assuming the game will be rescheduled for next Tuesday evening (22nd November), which would mean the home game v Dorchester will be postponed. Regardless of people's thoughts on the St Luke's (waste of time and a nuisance competition in my view), it's another league game gone and will leave Parkway 4 or 5 games behind other teams (away to Oxford City in the FA Trophy this Saturday) . Going into the worst weather period of the winter, and with two teams to accommodate on Bolitho, I hope that fixture congestion doesn't start to become a factor again.

100% agree. It's free of charge, many pharmacies are doing "no appointment needed" walk ins, it's quick and painless (I had very mild flu symptoms the next day, which quickly passed). One less thing to worry about this winter. Don't forget your flu jab as well.

As ever at this level, it's what happens if Truro lose a key player for a lengthy spell ( Tyler Harvey, James Hamon or Connor Riley-Lowe spring to mind) as there are no obvious replacements within the squad. Wotton has shown in the past though that he is good at using his connections and networks in the pro game to find gems in the loan market.

Very unlikely (Sportsman 10 gives good reasons why not above), but we did see last season what happens when Parkway gain a head of steam. Very tight league outside of Truro and Weston, few wins strung together can propel you up the table (Dorchester and Tiverton). But, on the flip side, a few defeats on the bounce can send you from play off contenders down towards the wrong end pretty quickly (Gosport and Hayes). A nice boring last month of the season, with relegation not an issue, would feel like a successful campaign. The "fortress Bolitho" effect makes the next two league games at home Dorch and Met Police look winnable, but the away form needs to improve alongside this. Only 1 win and a draw from the 6 games on the road so far.

Most talk on this site surrounding Truro is about the new ground (understandably enough), and their excellent start to the Southern League is overlooked a bit. Unbeaten from 15 games so far (more than a 3rd of the season) is quite a run, and going to clubs like the Met Police and getting a win underlines the quality of the squad and their resilience.

Well with the festive season coming up, I would say that we have found our pantomime villains. Are Bude the ugly sisters to Liskeard's Cinderalla? 😁

My thoughts exactly Sportsman10. It is great that Truro City are moving from aspirations to plans (even if action is still a little way away), but cannot see how you go from where we are today to step 2 (hopefully) ready facility in just over 6 months. Especially when, as you say, we are heading up to the Christmas/New Year shutdown and the coldest,darkest,wettest time of the year. Surely City are in discussions about temporary lodgings for the first half of next season. Another thought as well, given that a lot of players and volunteers in Cornish football come from the building and construction game, has anybody heard of anybody being hired to work on the initial groundwork?

With Falmouth losing away, that's the end of the Cornish club's involvement in the Vase for another season (thought that Mousehole could potentially have gone deep into the competition). Am I right in saying that it's the second season in a row that nobody has gone beyond the second round proper?

4 league wins on the bounce for Parkway now, vindicating Lee Hobbs' decision to shake up the squad. With the exception of Truro and Weston at the top, pretty tight division with no side really putting a run together. Parkway now 10 points off the play off spots, but with 4 games in hand on some of the teams above them. Surely it's not possible to get into contention...

Off to the Emirates Stadium tomorrow for the England v Samoa RL World Cup semi. If it's half as good a game as Samoa v Tonga last week, then it will be a hell of a watch.

The playing surface is something to consider as well. Getting the ground levelled, foundations and drainage built, soil prepared, pitch laid, established and bedded down might be a challenge in this short time period. Older would have had a few thoughts.

Good interview Dave, well done for getting Alex Black on the podcast. Those timelines look daunting though, can't see any way they go from "sloping farmer's field" (to quote Mr Black) to a 3000 capacity, possibly step 2 compliant ground by the start of next season (effectively 30 weeks now as I would guess it would need to be ready and signed off by 1st June 2023 latest ), even 12 months would seem a tall order. Wonder if discussions are under way about "lodging" at Bolitho for the first part of 2023/24 at least? On the whole, pretty positive stuff. This adds to the good things that are happening on the pitch with all three City sides.

Only conceded more than 1 goal on a couple of occasions in league games.

The front players Dan Jennings and James Lorenz grab the headlines, but it should be pointed out that Liskeard have only conceded 9 in their 13 league games. Dylan Peel is a big part of this in central defence and a key player.