What’s happened to Burnley & District amateur football league...

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Mala591
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What’s happened to Burnley & District amateur football league...

Post by Mala591 » Thu Aug 18, 2022 9:55 pm

What’s happened to the local amateur football league that used to fill the football pitches in Towneley park every Saturday afternoon?

Has it died out due to apathy? Lack of referees?

Where do the ‘young lads’ who’ve left school or university play amateur football?

I remember four very competitive local divisions on Saturday afternoons, we used to finish at 3.45pm and be on the Turf at 4.20 when the gates opened.

I made some very good lifelong friends and it was just a brilliant phase of my life which I remember very fondly.

Are our children/grandchildren missing out on an important life experience?

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Re: What’s happened to Burnley & District amateur football league...

Post by fanzone » Thu Aug 18, 2022 10:12 pm

I believe there's effort going into get the Sunday league going agian

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Re: What’s happened to Burnley & District amateur football league...

Post by Milltown1882 » Thu Aug 18, 2022 10:14 pm

BGSOB on Saturdays 2006-2010 were some great times, then play Sunday mornings in the Sunday league. Shame to see it die out. On the Sunday league side I don’t think the nightclub generation of not going out till midnight and opening till 6am has helped at all.

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Re: What’s happened to Burnley & District amateur football league...

Post by HuncoatClaret » Thu Aug 18, 2022 10:26 pm

The Accy combination has gone as well which folded after 99 years.
Drinking culture is the main reason, people now drink until 8 in the morning, and can't get up for a 2 O'clock KO.
In my era, we drank until 2am were in bed for 3am and home for 4am.
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northeastclaret
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Re: What’s happened to Burnley & District amateur football league...

Post by northeastclaret » Thu Aug 18, 2022 10:38 pm

Milltown1882 wrote:
Thu Aug 18, 2022 10:14 pm
BGSOB on Saturdays 2006-2010 were some great times, then play Sunday mornings in the Sunday league. Shame to see it die out. On the Sunday league side I don’t think the nightclub generation of not going out till midnight and opening till 6am has helped at all.
Just the same experience, brilliant, but my BGSOB days were 1976-80 and then Sunday football , I think then it was a 2pm ko so we could recover from the Hop and the Angels the night before.

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Re: What’s happened to Burnley & District amateur football league...

Post by ClaretTony » Thu Aug 18, 2022 10:41 pm

It’s such a shame that these leagues don’t exist any more and it’s the same for the cricket leagues.

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Re: What’s happened to Burnley & District amateur football league...

Post by Steve1956 » Thu Aug 18, 2022 10:46 pm

Used to be 5 or 6 divisions when i played in the Burnley league and the rivalry between Teams from the Rossendale Valley & Burnley where always quite fiesty affairs as where the presentation nights
I think Michelin where the top dogs in those days.

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Re: What’s happened to Burnley & District amateur football league...

Post by Mala591 » Fri Aug 19, 2022 10:37 am

HuncoatClaret wrote:
Thu Aug 18, 2022 10:26 pm
The Accy combination has gone as well which folded after 99 years.
Drinking culture is the main reason, people now drink until 8 in the morning, and can't get up for a 2 O'clock KO.
In my era, we drank until 2am were in bed for 3am and home for 4am.
I agree that changing the licensing laws has been a significant factor but attending a nightclub until 6am/8am in the morning isn’t compulsory. Admittedly there are also lots of other alternative ‘distractions’ (usually involving minimum physical effort) that we didn’t have in the 1970’s/80’s.

Good luck to anyone attempting to revive the Saturday/Sunday local amateur football leagues, I’ll certainly encourage my grandson to (be home from the pub at midnight) clean his boots and be ready for the 2pm kick-off!

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Re: What’s happened to Burnley & District amateur football league...

Post by Funkydrummer » Fri Aug 19, 2022 11:11 am

Everything seems to have to be put on a plate for people these days.
Tournaments galore, even during the summer, top facilities, plastic pithches,
bags of balls, strip provided, sponsors adorning shirts, indoor footy, portable goals.
nets at all games,

All up to the age of about 12 or 13 and then nowt.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6jAdv14W-M

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Re: What’s happened to Burnley & District amateur football league...

Post by 4midable » Fri Aug 19, 2022 11:13 am

Nobody wants to play anymore

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Re: What’s happened to Burnley & District amateur football league...

Post by FCBurnley » Fri Aug 19, 2022 11:15 am

X box taken over from penalty box

Mala591
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Re: What’s happened to Burnley & District amateur football league...

Post by Mala591 » Fri Aug 19, 2022 11:16 am

4midable wrote:
Fri Aug 19, 2022 11:13 am
Nobody wants to play anymore
But WHY?

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Re: What’s happened to Burnley & District amateur football league...

Post by NottsClaret » Fri Aug 19, 2022 11:18 am

Just a change in people's habits and lifestyles. Not many people go ballroom dancing now either.

There's as many kids' leagues as ever, if not more, with far better facilities than we had to put up with. Same for cricket. But then after that, it's just 7 a side on a weekday evening.

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Re: What’s happened to Burnley & District amateur football league...

Post by Goody1975 » Fri Aug 19, 2022 11:19 am

The Prairie playing fields were lost to junior football due to lack of interest in the senior game.

In the late 80's there were four divisions of ten teams in the Burnley Sunday League, lads hanging around the changing rooms at Higher Towneley with their boots hoping to get a game as was the popularity of amateur football at the time.

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Re: What’s happened to Burnley & District amateur football league...

Post by 4midable » Fri Aug 19, 2022 11:22 am

Mala591 wrote:
Fri Aug 19, 2022 11:16 am
But WHY?
We tried for years to get a team
Nobody can be bothered when it comes to turning up

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Re: What’s happened to Burnley & District amateur football league...

Post by ClaretLoup » Fri Aug 19, 2022 11:25 am

I think one reason for this might be facilities. People don’t want to get changed in sheds any more or turn up and go home in their cars in full kit.

Another is commitment. It’s a big ask to give up your Saturdays or Sunday mornings for 9 months.

One more is Saturday jobs. They didn’t exist when in the sixties/ seventies. I know loads of teenagers including my own who pack up football as soon as they can earn some cash at the weekends in shops cafes and in my lads case the local golf club.

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Re: What’s happened to Burnley & District amateur football league...

Post by Goody1975 » Fri Aug 19, 2022 11:26 am

4midable wrote:
Fri Aug 19, 2022 11:22 am
We tried for years to get a team
Nobody can be bothered when it comes to turning up
Or even worse, you get a team and lads disappear during the season meaning the team folds and somebody is left heavily out of pocket

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Re: What’s happened to Burnley & District amateur football league...

Post by ClaretLoup » Fri Aug 19, 2022 11:34 am

A shame it’s all gone in my time I played in the Blackburn Combination, North East Essex League, Suffolk & Ipswich League & West Suffolk.

A great way to meet like minded folk, get some exercise and gain some interesting life experiences. Keeps you grounded as well, I played with blokes who had been in prison, had all sorts of trades and backgrounds, useful if you need a local plumber or builder.

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Re: What’s happened to Burnley & District amateur football league...

Post by jrgbfc » Fri Aug 19, 2022 4:07 pm

Pendle Charity Sunday league is just about on its last legs as well. Young lads just aren't arsed anymore, or aren't willing to put up with crap facilities/poor pitches when you can play 6 a side midweek on a decent surface and be done in an hour.

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