From the Dugout (Dobwalls Home)

“It is the clubs who you represent who will feel the greatest impact of this outcome”

This one line from the FA’s statement about the falling apart of the merger between the Western and Peninsula League is the only nod I’ve seen, towards the consequences to clubs and individuals. Empathy has been very thin on the ground.

Wadebridge, along with several others, were handed a target. Top 4 would guarantee promotion to a new step 5 division.

Everything we have done as a club since then has been geared towards seeing if we can achieve this

Management structure, coaches, new Veo, analysis, recruitment and watching opponents are just some of the tangible efforts made, but as most managers will tell you it’s also the brain time being a gaffer takes up. The agonising over team selection and tactics, leaving players out, indeed having those tough calls when players are no longer part of your plans. It’s a difficult job but one that was just about worth it, towards a purpose, a defined goal, this year set not by ourselves, but the league which was meant to represent us.

Yet on the receipt of one tweet, those efforts have been for nothing. The goalposts not just moved, but essentially taken down with 5 games to go.

Players who had invested so much to our common cause have wasted a season.

We weren’t guaranteed a top 4 spot and that just added to the excitement of this run in. We were in the mix and every game was a big one. Now we are looking at 5 dead rubbers.

We need to pick the players up, they are flat, we want to finish strongly and set ourselves up for a crack at the league next season.

That seems a bit of a way off, time wise, we are only in March after all, but I do believe we have the foundations of a squad to challenge. Talk of top 4 next season doesn’t do it for me, and that would be a tough sell to the lads too.

A trophy next season will be the only consolation, after our ambitions for this term, were cruelly pulled from under us.

Enjoy the game everyone.