Whatever happened to the Central League? (part 2)

[Mala591]

The subject of having a 'reserve team' playing in a relatively local league (North West England?) has been discussed before but I am still of the opinion that our first team 'fringe players' would benefit from playing regular, highly competitive football in a structured league format.

Who decided to scrap the excellent 'Central League' setup and why?

Is it because teams now have to have several substitutes sitting on the bench 'wasting away their careers'?

Why can't we have a NW England reserve league for PL/Championship teams?

If Keighley Green FC could manage to put out an A team and a B team every Saturday afternoon then why can't Burnley FC?

[bareclaret]

Hi, as I am a member of the Central League Executive, i am in a good position to inform you. The Central League is still running and caters for the "reserve"/under 23 teams of clubs mainly in League 1 and 2 of the EFL, and sometimes clubs in the National League. All clubs are outside Cat 2 of the EPPP system. Burnley as a cat 2 club in the EPPP are in the 2nd division of the EPPP system which is for under 23's. If Burnley attain Cat 1 status, we would go up to the top level of the EPPP playing system.

The Lancashire League (of which i am Chairman) where Burnley A , B and on occasions C teams played, has since the reorganistaion of reserve and youth football after the formation of the Premier League and the club system(afore runner to the EPPP) and EFL Youth League in the late 90's has seen the reserve and development sides from non league teams and university schemes competing within it,

So whilst EPPP is not played on Saturdays and is mainly midweek(Burnley at Curzon Ashton),the club still have the ability to give players a run out in the Under 23's as 3 over age players are allowed, although, a lot of clubs keep players fit by playing "bounce" games against other clubs, that whilst refereed, their are no stringent rules, except that it is 11 v 11!!

Hope that helps

[ClaretTony]

The subject of having a 'reserve team' playing in a relatively local league (North West England?) has been discussed before but I am still of the opinion that our first team 'fringe players' would benefit from playing regular, highly competitive football in a structured league format.

Who decided to scrap the excellent 'Central League' setup and why?

Is it because teams now have to have several substitutes sitting on the bench 'wasting away their careers'?

Why can't we have a NW England reserve league for PL/Championship teams?

If Keighley Green FC could manage to put out an A team and a B team every Saturday afternoon then why can't Burnley FC?

We played in the Central League but withdrew as there was no benefit given the teams who were in it. That league is for cat 3&4 academies. We’ve now moved up and play in the PDL and will hopefully be in Premier League 2 next season.

[houseboy]

The good thing about the old Central league reserve games was that they were included in your season ticket. At a loss what to do on Saturday afternoon? I know, I'll go watch the reserves. Everyone in the Bob Lord I recall.

[TheOriginalLongsider]

As a kid I used to go on Central League matches because there were always free tickets available from season ticket holders. Early on I think all 4 sides were open but later it was just the Bob Lord.

[mdd2]

In the late 50's early 60's the Central League games at the Turf would on occasions have over 10,000 watching
I think i was on once when the gate was over 12,000

[exilecanada]

I'd go on Central League games often back in the day, was excellent for autograph hunting. Quite often the opposition would field well known players, either coming back from injury or been dropped from the 1st team for some reason.

[evensteadiereddie]

I remember one Central League game v. Wolves and me and my mate, Roy Thistlethwaite (!) - another Nelsoner - and we were stood right next to the benches, the enclosure, I think.
Frank Munro, a poor man's George Best or Willie Morgan, took a fearful clattering from one of the Burnley lads and, after cursory treatment - the cold sponge - he tried to run it off.
He gave up and as he hobbled to the bench, the Wolves trainer asked him how his leg was.
"It fuckin' hurts, Boss" came the reply.
We can't have been very old but I reckon it was the first time we'd heard the "f-word" said by anybody else but us or our mates in the schoolyard.
We were stunned that such a relatively public figure should say such a thing. We weren't offended, we nearly wet ourselves laughing.

Sorry about the edit - where the hell I got Peter Knowles from, I'll never know. Reading too many old programmes, I guess...

[ClaretTony]

I remember one Central League game v. Wolves and me and my mate, Roy Thistlethwaite (!) - another Nelsoner - and we were stood right next to the benches, the enclosure, I think.
Peter Knowles took a fearful clattering from one of the Burnley lads and, after cursory treatment - the cold sponge - he tried to run it off.
He gave up and as he hobbled to the bench, the Wolves trainer asked him how his leg was.
"It fuckin' hurts, Boss" came the reply.
We can't have been very old but I reckon it was the first time we'd heard the "f-word" said by anybody else but us or our mates in the schoolyard.
We were stunned that such a relatively public figure should say such a thing. We weren't offended, we nearly wet ourselves laughing.

Peter Knowles was such a good player but just suddenly gave it all up to become a Jehovah’s Witness.

[Blackrod]

Oh dear. Good job he didn’t need a blood transfusion after the clattering. He’d be dead.

[ClaretTony]

Just for additional information - had we not moved up to category 2, and we wanted to play competitive reserve/u23 football in the Central League we we would now be in a league with Blackpool, Fleetwood, Huddersfield, Morecambe and Tranmere. Those clubs, as of 16th January, had played either three or four league games this season.

The league was better when we withdrew in 2012 but even then it was obvious why we pulled out with the number of clubs reducing.

[NL Claret]

Hi, as I am a member of the Central League Executive, i am in a good position to inform you. The Central League is still running and caters for the "reserve"/under 23 teams of clubs mainly in League 1 and 2 of the EFL, and sometimes clubs in the National League. All clubs are outside Cat 2 of the EPPP system. Burnley as a cat 2 club in the EPPP are in the 2nd division of the EPPP system which is for under 23's. If Burnley attain Cat 1 status, we would go up to the top level of the EPPP playing system.

The Lancashire League (of which i am Chairman) where Burnley A , B and on occasions C teams played, has since the reorganistaion of reserve and youth football after the formation of the Premier League and the club system(afore runner to the EPPP) and EFL Youth League in the late 90's has seen the reserve and development sides from non league teams and university schemes competing within it,

So whilst EPPP is not played on Saturdays and is mainly midweek(Burnley at Curzon Ashton),the club still have the ability to give players a run out in the Under 23's as 3 over age players are allowed, although, a lot of clubs keep players fit by playing "bounce" games against other clubs, that whilst refereed, their are no stringent rules, except that it is 11 v 11!!

Hope that helps

Excellent post, didn't understand the structure below the first team these days since all the changes. As kids we were taken to watch Central League games on a Saturday afternoon at Turf Moor and Gigg Lane, even saw United reserves play Liverpool there , Patrik Berger was playing and David Johnson for United. Interesting about the bounce games which I assume is an opportunity for players to get match fit, some players take that opportunity others don't which might have been the case with Drinkwater.

[ClaretTony]

Excellent post, didn't understand the structure below the first team these days since all the changes. As kids we were taken to watch Central League games on a Saturday afternoon at Turf Moor and Gigg Lane, even saw United reserves play Liverpool there , Patrik Berger was playing and David Johnson for United. Interesting about the bounce games which I assume is an opportunity for players to get match fit, some players take that opportunity others don't which might have been the case with Drinkwater.

Our manager prefers the bounce game approach to keep players ticking over. We do occasionally use the under-23 games for first team players who are coming back from injury. Both Tom Heaton & Nick Pope have done so in the last couple of seasons and last season we saw Steven Defour, Robbie Brady and Ben Gibson play in some of the games. More recently, JBG played in the final U23 game of 2019 at Birmingham.

[ClaretTony]

Just for additional information - had we not moved up to category 2, and we wanted to play competitive reserve/u23 football in the Central League we we would now be in a league with Blackpool, Fleetwood, Huddersfield, Morecambe and Tranmere. Those clubs, as of 16th January, had played either three or four league games this season.

The league was better when we withdrew in 2012 but even then it was obvious why we pulled out with the number of clubs reducing.

To add to that, in our last Central League season, which was 2011/12, the other teams in the league were Macclesfield, Morecambe, Oldham, Preston, Tranmere and Wrexham.

[claretgoss]

We played in the Central League but withdrew as there was no benefit given the teams who were in it. That league is for cat 3&4 academies. We’ve now moved up and play in the PDL and will hopefully be in Premier League 2 next season.

Tony/anyone, if after we're audited we become a Category 1 academy, do we automatically join Premier League 2? I've been trying to find info on it but haven't had much joy.

Teams don't seem to be relegated/removed from its second division, so I was wondering if only a set number of clubs can achieve Cat 1 at any time, or if the league is just expanded.
Thanks!

[ClaretTony]

Tony/anyone, if after we're audited we become a Category 1 academy, do we automatically join Premier League 2? I've been trying to find info on it but haven't had much joy.

Teams don't seem to be relegated/removed from its second division, so I was wondering if only a set number of clubs can achieve Cat 1 at any time, or if the league is just expanded.
Thanks!

Should we be successful, and I know both Crystal Palace and Leeds are also applying, as far as I know we would go into Premier League 2. Teams won't be relegated from the second division of Premier League 2 unless they decide to drop from Cat 1 as Bolton did three or four years ago. I'm sure the Premier League wouldn't want too many Cat 1 academies but I'm not aware of any limits.

[claretgoss]

Thanks Tony. Yeah I suppose the more teams striving to and reaching Category 1 reflects well on the system too. Looking at the level of team and competition we could be playing at is fantastic. It's exciting times, fingers crossed all goes well!

[bareclaret]

I think it is fair to say, although the powers that be from the Premier League that led on introducing the EPPP programme would more than likely never admit to it, but the audit tool and criteria was heavily balanced in favour of Premier League Clubs and the elite championship clubs, which had or would be Premier League Clubs in the past or in the future. They were quite surprised when 3/4 Championship clubs met the criteria. The cost to achieve the criteria and cover the expenditure after the Premier Leagues funding is substantial, which does rule out the majority of EFL clubs. How Crewe manage to maintain their status is amazing, especially as they have not recently had a big sale of an academy product to help fund the scheme.