Season 1956/1957 Archive

Article from the Dorset Daily Echo (dated May 16^th 1957)

NEW DORSET LEAGUE COMES UNDER FIRE

Will make football in County dearer – D.C.F.A. member

There was immediate criticism when the Special Committee set-up to form the new Dorset County F.A. Combination League – to improve the standard of football in the county – reported their acceptances for the competition at last evening’s meeting of the Council of the D.C.F.A at Dorchester.

Mr. R. V. Clark described the competition as being "Nothing better than a glorified Dorset League," and another member quickly rose to say, "Football is too dear in this county as it is, and this is going to make it even dearer."

The committee reported that applications for membership had been received from 15 clubs and after careful examination of entry forms, records and ground amenities, it had been decided to accept the following clubs into full membership : Portland United, Bridport, Blandford, Wareham, Swanage, Wimborne, Shaftesbury, Hamworthy, Whiteheads and Sturminster Newton.

It was also decided that Longfleet St.Mary’s and the 15^th R.A.S.C. should be invited into associated membership for one season only – further participation in the league to be governed by their having been able to register a fully enclosed ground.

Applications made by Flight Refuelling, Cattistock and Upwey and Broadwey were rejected by the committee.

Bound to succeed

Said the secretary, Mr. J.J. Hodges, "This is a new venture – something you have wanted to do to try and improve the standard of Dorset football. It is going to have its teething troubles – there is bound to be early difficulties – but give it two years and I think it is bound to succeed. I can’t see anything failing in it."

Mr. N. Restorick was far from satisfied, however as he considered the standard of some of the teams accepted to be very low. He asked why Upwey and Broadwey had been left out. The standard and records shown over the past four years by that club was far better than others.

The strength of the new league was exactly the same as that of Dorset League 1 today, he said. There was no improvement.

"The clubs that have struggled for years to get promotion have been swept aside," he declared. "The standard does not seem to have been taken into account at all."

Mr. J. D. Beasley was concerned over why the Cattistock club had been left out. They had spent a lot of money on their ground and more was to be spent in the future, he said. He could not see why they had been refused entry.

Every Consideration

Support for these views came from Mr. Clark, who said that more consideration should have been shown to the Upwey and Broadwey and Cattistock clubs.

Commented the chairman, Mr B.C. Hunt : They were given every consideration.

Mr. Clark replied that the council face the fact that not many outside clubs would want to join such a league especially as it added extra travelling difficulties.

A member of the Special Committee, Mr J.R. Porter, said he wanted to make it quite clear that he was not in favour of the position as it was mainly for one reason – at the outset they had agreed not to accept entries from clubs playing on public recreation grounds.

Through agreeing on that they had probably prevented Poole from entering a team, he said. And yet at the last meeting of the committee they had decided to accept an application of a club with a public recreation ground – where the whistle from a game being played on a nearby pitch could be heard during a match.

Mr. S.A. Fordham another member of the committee, said he was satisfied with the start which was made. They now had the nucleus for a good league competition.

Stressing that in his opinion promotion and relegation had not worked in the Dorset League. Mr. Fordham said that the new league gave clubs of Dorset a chance to get back into the top class grade. The county had slipped for years, he continued, adding , "Here is a chance to put things right.

There may be hope for Upwey and Broadwey and Cattistock yet as, Mr. W.G. Tizard was successful in proposing that the two clubs should be given fresh consideration at the next meeting of the committee.

The new "Combination" League, with a "Combination" Knock-Out Cup tourney will be running as separate competitions to the Dorset League next season.