VIEW FROM THE PRESS BOX

Craig Biddlestone

Relatively Straightforward

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ON ONE HAND YOU DO FEEL FOR CLUBS THAT NOT ONLY HAVE TO TRAVEL THAT FAR NORTH BUT ALSO TRAVEL THAT FAR NORTH ON A WINTRY

TONIGHT WE WELCOME CARLTON TOWN TO THE WORLD FAMOUS INGFIELD, AND AS MANY OF YOU KNOW CARLTON ARE FROM MY HOME CITY OF NOTTINGHAM (THEY’RE ACTUALLY IN THE BOROUGH OF GEDLING IF WE’RE GOING TO BE PEDANTIC).

CARLTON TOWN LAST SEASON WERE IN THE NORTHERN PREMIER LEAGUE MIDLANDS DIVISION, AND BECAUSE OF PROMOTION AND RELEGATION THEY ENDED UP, AFTER AN UNSUCCESSFUL APPEAL, IN THE EAST DIVISION THIS SEASON. BOTH THEY AND LONG EATON ARE THE FURTHEST SOUTH IN OUR DIVISION, AND YOU CAN UNDERSTAND WHY BOTH CLUBS DECIDED TO APPEAL THE DECISION TO MOVE ACROSS AS IT IS QUITE A TREK UP TO PLACES LIKE NORTH SHIELDS, DUNSTON AND CONSETT.

GEOGRAPHICALLY THOUGH, BOTH CLUBS ARE VERY CLOSE TO THE M1 AND NOT A MILLION MILES AWAY FROM THE A1, SO ALTHOUGH THERE IS A FAIR DISTANCE FROM THE EAST MIDLANDS TO THE NORTH EAST, THE ROUTES ARE

TUESDAY NIGHT, BUT ON THE OTHER HAND THE NON-LEAGUE PYRAMID IS SET UP IN SUCH A WAY THAT THE REGIONALISED LEAGUES GET LESS AND LESS REGIONALISED THE FURTHER UP THE PYRAMID A CLUB GOES, AND AS SUCH THE DISTANCES YOU HAVE TO TRAVEL BECOME GREATER.

THE MIDLANDS SECTION OF THE NORTHERN PREMIER LEAGUE COVERS AS FAR WEST AS SUTTON COLDFIELD IN THE WEST MIDLANDS, TO AS FAR EAST AS DEREHAM IN NORFOLK, WHICH DISTANCE WISE IS OVER 150 MILES (2 AND HALF HOURS). THE DISTANCE FROM NOTTINGHAM TO NORTH SHIELDS IS ABOUT 5 OR SO MILES MORE (AROUND 15 MINUTES MORE), NOT A MASSIVE AMOUNT REALLY, BUT HAD CARLTON AND LONG

EATON BEEN IN THE MIDLANDS DIVISION AROUND HALF OF THE LEAGUE WOULD HAVE BEEN IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THE M1 AND A1 BUT WITHOUT THE DISTANCES THAT THEY NOW COVER UP TO THE NORTH EAST.

HOWEVER, I PERSONALLY CAN’T SEE A FAIRER WAY TO SPLIT THE LEAGUES (EAST, MIDLANDS AND WEST), IT COULD BE ARGUED THAT

SPALDING UNITED AND STAMFORD FC ARE THE TEAMS IN THE MIDLANDS DIVISION THAT ARE THE FURTHEST EAST AND THEREFORE MORE SUITED TO THE EAST DIVISION, BUT IF YOU CONSIDER