Semi-pro football

I have seen quite a bit of this division (Ryman Prem) this season. Dartford are walking away with the league and will be challenging for promotion into the Blue Square Prem next season. Harrow Borough are also a top-half team, with a 'keeper that has played in the African Nations Cup.

The standard is far far superior to sunday league. The fitness levels required for this level are a step up,and the intensity is greater. The football is not always like watching Barcelona but I have seen some goals scored that a sunday league side could never score. There are mistakes but where the difference seems to lie is in the players' speed of thought and awareness.

This video does not do the teams justice. The grass is so long on that pitch that the ball hadly rolls. Also, you film an Argyle game at pitch level with a cheap videocamera and you'll be suprised at how poor it looks.

Golden Hind":1u18aq16 said:

I have seen quite a bit of this division (Ryman Prem) this season. Dartford are walking away with the league and will be challenging for promotion into the Blue Square Prem next season. Harrow Borough are also a top-half team, with a 'keeper that has played in the African Nations Cup.

The standard is far far superior to sunday league. The fitness levels required for this level are a step up,and the intensity is greater. The football is not always like watching Barcelona but I have seen some goals scored that a sunday league side could never score. There are mistakes but where the difference seems to lie is in the players' speed of thought and awareness.

This video does not do the teams justice. The grass is so long on that pitch that the ball hadly rolls. Also, you film an Argyle game at pitch level with a cheap videocamera and you'll be suprised at how poor it looks.

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Ummm no i dont think i would at the moment actually :lol:

CoulsdonGreen":w92uwv34 said:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewrapFmRfWE&feature=related


Infact does anyone know the best place to access an up-to-date ladder of non-league tables and teams etc?? And does anyone know off the top of their head the nearest club to the centre of Birmingham?? Nearest I could find was Solihull although that was about 6 miles away ...

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http://www.mikeavery.co.uk/index.html

Go here to learn everything about non-league including maps showing where every team is located.

It's pretty poor yeah. I play Sunday morning football and often find myself up against Taunton Town players, who play 3 divisions below the Conference.

Harrow Borough.......... that's out near Callington, isn't it? :?

CD, I discussed semi-pro with you a while ago, via PM. I played for Callington, and the standard is a lot higher when you play, trust me.

If you're thinking of giving semi-pro 'a crack', I'd suggest, in the nicest possible way, you're not good enough. If you were, you'd be there by now, you'd have ben sounded out, even if it was by somone who knew someone. I really don't mean to sound harsh, but it's the truth :wink:

Golden Hind's comments are spot on.

Most sunday leagues or district leagues have a smattering of players who could play higher up the pyramid but don't for whatever reason (generally laziness or a desire to play on the same team as their mates in my experience).

I remember a local non-league coach moaning about how he'd lost half his squad to Sunday morning football when I lived in Brighton a few years ago.

One thing I would say to Coulsdon is that there have been quite a few occasions when I've been a sub in a game and thought the standard looked absolutely pitiful, only to not get a kick when I finally got on