I'm lead to believe Cooks Hill didn't apply, as for the others I've not heard if they did or didn't.
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Premy, in your honest assessment - how do you think suburbs stack up against kotara in these areas
Don't mistake my comments of unwill towards Kotara. It's the process I'm not impressed with, I said in another thread I wish you guys all the best.
However I'll still answer your question.
1- We helped stabilize ZPL when it was in need. In recent years we have been a successful and stable club.
2-Our future plans are committed to youth development and upgrades of our facilities.
3. Currently in the process of upgrading the surface of our secondary field and reconfiguring it to be a full sized pitch.
Our main oval has funding approved for underground irrigation and work is underway to improve the surface.
Upgrades aside whilst Lance Yorke isn't fantastic I feel it is better than Nesbitt in all areas of Surface, dressing rooms, spectator viewing and catering.
4. I can't comment as I haven't seen you guys play enough.
5. Again I can't comment as I don't know what you guys do with your junior's. I can tell you in this season just gone we have had 16 and 17 y/o start for our first grade. Our U/16 train with our ZL squad and one of them filled in with our 3rd grade (who was only 14). Something we will be working towards even more with our U/17 next season.
My opinion on this, to add to Premy's comments.
Point 1 - We would both have a decent argument or neither club would have applied.
Point 2 - Premy nailed it, but we are also pushing coach accreditation and are currently developing a 10-20 year club plan.
Point 3 - Add to that we have the go ahead to clear the hill on the second ground, turf it and add seating. We are looking at how we can put in an awning over part of the hill in the future. This will give us two grounds with seated elevated hills. Both pitches having fences separating spectators from the fields. When irrigation comes on the bottom ground (within the next 2 seasons) we will in most likelihood jump straight onto the Rye Grass program. We also have plans to have drainage installed on the top pitch.
As a club we have Delegated Authority to manage the facility. We dont share with other sports (cricket, athletics, scouts, etc) which puts us in a good position to drive upgrades specific to our needs.
Point 4 - I dont think anyone can give a definitive indication of their squad when you dont know the grade you will be in.
Point 5 - I think Kotara are stronger than us in this regard through strength of numbers in their junior base. I dont know what connection their juniors have to the Zone League, certainly in the past in our club there was very little line of sight, but in the last 12 months we have really turned this around to have the juniors interacting with the Zone League.
From my perspective, the two clubs are pretty evenly matched. I think we have it over Kotara in the facilities and the potential for development as we aren't a shared venue, but they clearly have it over us with the junior connection. I think both clubs are well run clubs as well with the people behind them focusing on the right things, I hope Kotara do well in the ZPL and that we are back up soon enough to join them.
End of the day though, the decision is made. We will live with it and use it for motivation to try and get back to the ZPL as soon as we can. As a club that is where we want to be and its time to work and earn our place back. We will welcome any players who share this and want to work towards this goal with us.
We have had coaches awaiting to find out what division we would be in before they committed. In the mean time they were approached by other clubs and decided to take other options.
Approaching sponsors with uncertainty around which division we would play has been challenging. Working out budgets and player registration will now have to change. All of these things take up time, something that myself and other volunteers are short on.
I'm sure you could understand our frustrations with now having to squeeze all the planning for next season into a shorter time frame.
Did an extra team come up from ZL2 other then west lakes??
Wallsend went up from ZL2 also.
I guess I just don't understand the difference from the point of view of sponsors, coaches, etc whether it be ZPL or ZL1. Coaches and players maybe I can understand a bit more, but I guess I don't understand why a potential sponsor would give more or less $$ depending on ZPL or ZL1. The exposure seems the same, the amount of grades the same, etc.
I agree uncertainty is never good though.
With respect to who gets prom/rel - I've always been under the belief it should be like in Sydneys NSWPL (NPL) that it should be based on Club Championship rather than solely first grade.
Wallsend FC
Zone League 1
Wallsend FC are seeking expressions of interest for coaching staff for the 2017 Zone League season. Positions are open for both 1st,Reserve and 3rd grade. 2017 will see the 130th anniversary of Wallsend FC and after a strong season in which both teams made the top 4 in ZL2 the club is looking for coaches to take the Zone League squad to the next level.
Coaching qualifications and experience desired but not essential.
Please email applications with relevant details to wallsendfc.zl@gmail.com. For more details contact Ray on 0439 315 690.