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Portland United FC#theblues |
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Portland United FC#theblues |
Tuesday 13 Apr 2021
EXTENSIVE work is under way to renovate Portland United’s Camp and Satherley Stadium. The Blues, who opted out of a mini league in the wake of the coronavirus-hit season, have capitalised on the absence of games. Sitting on the halfway line, the Butch Nash stand will receive a new roof, purloins and seating. A metal staircase has been installed leading from the bar to pitchside, while care of the playing surface has also begun. Blues’ chairman Matt Lucas told Echosport: “The pitch is being reseeded and prepared early. “We made a club decision that we weren’t going to engage in any organised cup competition and would bring the players back to get them working together. “And, perhaps do a few inter-club activities to get a head start on the work that’s going on this week. “Also, with regards to developing the Butch Nash stand it’s lovely to see the volunteers working so hard there and Darren and Lewis Whyton, who’ve worked tirelessly at the club.”
Sunday 11 Apr 2021
THE FA will invite 110 clubs at Steps 5-7 for promotion under the planned restructure of non-League football. Relevant officials have met and will recommend the changes to the FA Council in order to 'address the imbalance that currently exists and achieve the 'pure pyramid' at Steps 1-6.' Under the restructure, one additional division at Step 4 will be added to the Northern Premier League. Two new tiers will be administered at Step 5 by the United Counties League and Combined Counties League. Step 6 will therefore have 17 divisions instead of 20 from next season. In total, 20 clubs will be promoted from Step 5 and 60 teams from Step 6 - comprised of 20 to backfill those promoted and 40 to divide between the two fresh tiers. Thirty clubs will be chosen for promotion to Step 6 from regional feeder leagues, such as the Dorset Premier League. Teams eligible for promotion will be decided by an unweighted points per game model, taking in combined results from the 2019/20 and 2020/21 seasons. It will not be mandatory for clubs to apply for promotion when invited. The FA said: "The top three ranked clubs from each of the North West Counties League, Northern Counties East League and Northern League, along with the top ranked club from the remaining 11 Step 5 divisions, will be considered eligible for upward movement to Step 4 and will be invited to make an application to do so. "Multiple clubs will be upwardly moved from these specific leagues, as per the previous ratification by FA Council, in order to address specific challenges with travelling distance and time which exist at Step 4. "The top two ranked clubs in each of the South West Peninsula League divisions, along with the top three ranked clubs from the 18 remaining Step 6 divisions, will be considered eligible for upward movement to Step 5 and will be invited to make an application for upward movement. "Fewer clubs will be upwardly moved from the South West Peninsula League Divisions, as per the previous ratification by FA Council, on the basis of geographical reasons for the relevant divisions at Step 5." Lastly, Step 6 leagues and relevant feeder leagues will liaise to decide the 30 promoted clubs from Step 7.
Thursday 01 Apr 2021
PORTLAND United will lay on six training sessions from Saturday before commencing preparations for the 2021/22 season. Franklyn Clarke’s Blues will train three times in April and on three occasions in May, including a final workout on Saturday, May 29. The islanders saw their Sydenhams Wessex League campaign curtailed by the FA in March, and opted against playing in a replacement cup tournament. Following the six training sessions, Portland will take June off and begin pre-season in July. As with Dorchester Town, none of the Blues’ squad will be paid for coming in to train. Clarke told Echosport: “We’ve got the lads in three times in April and three times in May. “It’s just to get everyone back together again. We’ve got the first team, the reserves and the under-18s. “We want to create that pathway and it’ll give me a good chance to look at the younger lads that we’ve got coming through.” Portland boss Clarke explained there will be no friendlies for the Blues in Spring, but did reveal pre-season’s warm-up matches are already organised. “It’s just training for the time being,” he confirmed. “We’ve got some fixtures arranged for pre-season pretty much sorted. “We’ll have a rest before we come back. We’ll train on the 3rd, 10th and the 24th (of April) and the 1st, 8th and 29th (of May). “Everyone’s missed it and they’re dead keen to come in. “It’s important for us, where we’re a new group, to come in for the next two months before pre-season for everyone to get to know each other that bit more. “It will help us progress.”
