If Buckland went up ?

[Karen & Mark]

For anybody who is interested Dawlish Town are no longer, they have had to withdraw from all football, huge debts. Maybe this will make people stop and think about the viability of Western Lge in Devon and Cornwall

Reading this post made me a think about what the so called huge additional cost on travel would be for teams and supporters thinking of going into the Western Premier ?

Calculated from and to Homers Heath TQ12 5JU

CLUB MILES TRAVEL TIME

Barnstaple Town 66.48 1hr.25m

Bishop Sutton 85.36 1hr.46m

Bitton 102.67 1hr.57m

Bridport 55.20 1hr.12m

Brislington 99.23 1hr.51m

Bristol Manor Farm 91.07 1hr.36m

Corsham Town 121.40 2hr.14m

Hallen 93.45 1hr 45 m

Ilfracombe Town 82.15 1hr.52m

Larkhall Athletic 113.66 2hr.06m

Longwell Green Sports 102.23 1hr.55m

Merthyr Town 142.31 2hr.35m

Odd Down 109.79 2hr.08m

Radstock Town 92.41 1hr.56m

Sherborne Town 69.75 1hr 36 m

Street 71.15 1hr.24m

Wells City 78.21 1hr.36m

Willand Rovers 0.43 0hr. 43m

TOTAL x 2 3153.9 Miles 62Hrs.12m

CLUB MILES TRAVEL TIME

Bodmin Town 61.92 1hr.27m

Bovey Tracey 7.4 0hr.18m

Camelford 71.17 1hr.29m

Cullompton Rangers 29.31 0hr.38m

Dartmouth United 16.61 0hr.40m

Elburton Villa 29.13 0hr.50m

Falmouth Town 95.40 2hr.12m

Ivybridge Town 22.38 0hr.35m

Launceston Town 55.94 1hr.09m

Liskeard Athletic 50.63 1hr.13m

Penzance 108.22 2hr.30m

Plymouth Parkway 33.49 0hr.51m

Royal Marines 21.16 0hr.31m

Saltash United 36.11 0hr.52m

St Austell 69.08 1hr.38m

St Blazey 65.06 1hr.30m

Tavistock 45.09 1hr.06m

Torpoint Athletic 36.51 1hr.00m

Witheridge 49.84 1hr.14m

TOTAL x 2 1726.9 40hrs.18m

DIFFERENCE

+ 1427.0 Miles

+20HRS.18M Travelling Time

Furthest to travel would be Merthyr and only a five minute difference in journey time v Penzance.

Of course this is just league matches and does not include cup ties.

But that said we played Radstock in the FA cup last season.

Going on petrol @£6 per gallon and averaging 30 Miles to the gallon that would be an increase in fuel costs per car of £285 over the season and perhaps around £428 on a team mini bus @20 per gallon ( if we were to use one - plus hire charge of course )Also it should be considered that most trips especially to the Bristol area would nearly all be dual carriageway and motorway.

It would average out on journey times as Aberfalman says @ 35 minutes additional time each way.

I usually do Newton Abbot to Gordano in 1Hr 15M.

Calculations via AA Route Finder.

[cornishteddyboy]

They are single journey distances and times. Double everything.

[Aberfalman]

More of an increase if you look at in percentage terms; 75% extra mileage, 55% longer travelling time.

Looking at the figures from the best angle; that's only an average of an hour extra travelling per fixture.

[Karen & Mark]

They are single journey distances and times. Double everything.

Thanks for that CTB .

Now corrected in totals ...Doh!

[Goldeneye]

Going on petrol @£6 per gallon and averaging 30 Miles

Change your car!! My diesel does 60mpg on a long run. :thumbsup:

[hoppit]

It's not the distance travelled that matters it's whether the club has ambition to move up the pyramid, clubs that don't stagnate the pyramid system. Clubs should have two chances to take promotion, if they decline they should be relegated to give more ambitious clubs a chance. In Cornwall rugby, bowls, darts, pool, hockey and LADIES football teams travel all over the country, so there really is no excuses, least of all for Buckland in South Devon, so get on with it.

[Karen & Mark]

Actually I want to make it clear that I did not intend this post to be a debate whether Buckland should go up or not.

Anyone at Buckland knows I am for going up.

[The Professor]

If 'wages/expenses' were more realistic for the level of football being played - think of the extra revenue available for petrol costs.......

[DanBlazey]

Going on petrol @£6 per gallon and averaging 30 Miles

Change your car!! My diesel does 60mpg on a long run.

I drive a Polo Bluemotion and can get up to 75mpg on a decent run. I don't get why more people don't jump on the band-wagon, when ultra fuel effiicient cars are now much more affordable.

[DanBlazey]

Bottom line is this:

If a club wants to be ambitious, they should work out how to sustainably go up to step 5.

It might be that there is a 2, 3, or even 5 year plan in place to do this, but the aim for any senior football club should be to play at the highest level possible.

Nothing damages Cornish football more than clubs failing to show ambition and my own club is a bigger culprit than most.

[Daily Observer]

If 'wages/expenses' were more realistic for the level of football being played - think of the extra revenue available for petrol costs.......

Quite right Professor, unfortunately this will never happen whilst certain managers pour funds into their teams which are unsustainable by the club itself.

Certain clubs in this league pay an average amount, try to get the best players they can within that budget, reach a certain level of "success" and then their best players are swiped away by the managers with more money.

This all happens in Pen Pem - which, in all honesty, is a local league and pushes up the market price for an average player, let alone a decent player - look at the big club down my way, they have players travelling from Exeter and beyond, presumably on big money, they signed lads from Barnstaple on big money allegedly - are they worth this money? Absolutely no chance are they, not in this world or the next, in my opinion. The big lads are mostly awful, sometimes win a few headers from what I've seen.

But, what can other clubs do about it? Compete and go bust, or be happy with success within your means - if that's a good run in the Vase, or finishing in the top 6, then be glad about that, but you have to accept that players will be tempted by the promise of big money, no matter how loyal they are.

History shows, those with the most money get most success in this league, but have they been the most ambitious...not a chance...big fish little pond brigade.

Still, I'll keep on enjoying my ground hopping - off to catch Godolphin at home to Helston tomorrow, weather permitting!

[Aberfalman]

If more clubs took promotion the travel situation would improve. Would love to see six or seven more clubs from Cornwall and Devon in the Western league.

[Karen & Mark]

The point I am trying to make is the "old chestnut" of additional travel costs, it holds no water for a club geographically placed like Buckland, because as I have shown , they are not that great.

Now Penzance going up would be a different kettle of fish, but as Aberfalman says, get a handful of clubs from this area taking the leap and costs will come down for everyone, even for Penzance.

Of course the other point often made is the standard of football.

Is it better in the Western league ? There are those that say no and those that say yes.

I too drive a diesel and get around 55MPG on a run, so the run to Merthyr (mostly motorway) and back would cost around £32 in fuel, take three passengers and its just £8 quid each on the longest run.