The first, and probably most important criterion is that a club has to have a private ground. By this, what is presumably meant is that the club has to have a contract to play on an exclusive site.

This does not, of course, exclude ground-sharing. Barry Town currently play at Treforest while their problems at Jenner Park are awaiting resolution, but the point is that the pitch is not open to the public in the same sense that a public park is, on which anyone can play provided they pay the hire charge.

The League Management Committee is empowered to make a decision as to whether or not the ground is deemed to be suitable to host Welsh League matches, and this is usually decided after an inspection of the facilities of the applicant club.

The Management Committee has prepared guidelines to assist applicant clubs, and these are paraphrased below.

1. ENCLOSURE
   • The ground has to be fully enclosed with a solid structure of at least 4 foot 6 inches (these are apparently quite old requirements) in height and capable of preventing any authorised access.
   • The foregoing notwithstanding, there needs to be an entrance to the ground for spectators and where an admission price may be taken
   • Where several pitches are included within the enclosure, no other match may take place on an adjacent pitch if there is a likelihod that any action on an adjacent pitch my interfere with the Welsh League match.
   • The pitch must be enclosed by a solid barrier (nether ropes nor wires) during the season
2. COVERED AREA
   • Two dug-outs must be provided adjactent to the pitch
   • They must
     • Be covered
     • Have seating for 6 persons
     • Have a solid floor, such as paving stones, tarmac or concrete
   • Each dug-out must have a technical area correctly and clearly marked out in accordance with FIFA rules
3. STAND
   • There must be a stand adjacent to the playing area
   • This stand must
     • Be covered
     • Be of solid construction
     • Have seating for at least 100 persons
     • Have a solid floor, such as paving stones, tarmac, or concrete.
4. PLAYERS' DRESSING ROOMS
   • There must be separate dressing rooms for each team
   • These should be
     • Adequately heated
     • Adequately ventilated
     • Free from damp
     • Secure
     • Within the boundary of the ground
     • Able to accommodate 16 persons
   • There should be
     • At least
       • 1 WC
       • 1 hand basin with both hot and cold running water
       • (wherever possible) one urinal
       "within the vicinity of" each dressing room Now, this is likely to be a contentious requirement. How can anything be "within a vicinity"?
     • A separate shower area, with at least four heads, for each team.
5. MATCH OFFICIALS DRESSING ROOMS
   • Match officials must be provided with a separate and exclusive area
   • There should be space for at least three people
   • There should be
     • A shower
     • a WC
     • a washbasin with hot and cold running water
6. MEDICAL FACILITIES
   • All clubs must possess first aid equipment, including a stretcher
   • Its location must be clearly marked in all dressing rooms
   • Clubs should (note that it does not say must) provide an area for first aid to be given
   • Properly qualified and / or certificated staff must be available during the match
7. HOSPITALITY
   • A room should be made available for club officials and guests, as close as possible to the playing surface.
   • Tea or other drink must be made available to
     • players and match officials at half time and full time
     • visiting officials and guests at half time

Now, in common with Kenneth Williams' "Lady", who was "half-removed from the wolf-pack", these rules are only half-removed from the public park class of football.

Grounds in the next tier of football up from here, the Welsh Premier League, are expected to comply with full UEFA rules, including helicopter landing pads and the like (and I am not joking either - I have the UEFA ground compliance rules in front of me as I write) so it's hardly surprising that so many clubs that do so well in the Welsh League decline promotion to the top tier of domestic football.

These ground rules are probably quite satisfactory for Third Division games, but by the time a club arrives at the First Division, surely some grounds of a much higher standard should be expected, if clubs are to be expected to make the leap onto the nationwide stage.

This kind of thing just illuminates two problems - namely

1. No-one in Welsh football talks to anyone else. Like, why isn't there any dialogue between the FAW, the WPL and the Welsh League to discuss this kind of issue of ground grading? Not that there is much chance these days of enticing anyone from the FAW out of Ceaucescu's Palace and into grassroots Welsh club football. It doesn't go with the image, of course.

   But in my opinion, just as up north there are different ground grading levels for each step of the pyramid, shouldn't the Welsh League officials be considering ground grading for each of the different levels in the South Wales pyramid? If it's good enough for the English Football League, or the Scottish Football League, then why not for the Welsh League? Somehow, something has to be done to sort out the men from the boys in South Wales football.

2. But this brings me to the second point I would like to raise. I have the rather uncharitable (and hopefully incorrect)impression that the administrative body of the Welsh League seem to be quite happy with the current situation. Promotion into the Welsh League is easy, but promotion out again is not so. Hence, the pool of willing clubs continues to grow. This smacks a bit of empire-building to me, and it doesn't do the game any good at all.

   There is, of course, a risk that it might backfire and blow up in the face of the Welsh League committee. There is talk of reducing the Welsh Premier League to 12 clubs, and those clubs in danger of being cast adrift are not taking kindly to the risk of abandonment. Several have been talking rebellion for quite some time, and it is likely that the outcome of restructuring at the highest level of the pyramid will be that it will expand to 24 clubs, formed from 17 of the current 18 WPL clubs plus several of the more ambitious clubs lower the pyramid, and make a two-division WPL.

   So, not only will several clubs defect from the Welsh League (and I'm sure you're naming names already), these clubs who have made some major investment to join, probably at the expense of their playing staff for one or two seasons, will want to protect their investment by demanding some kind of "lock-in" for a period of maybe 5 years. That will effectively mean the end of the pyramid as we know it.

   While many might question the interest and the commitment of the Welsh League administration in continuing the pyramid structure, there will be several clubs that will be extremely concerned. After all, there is some (but not much) ambition somewhere lower down the pyramid. If these clubs feel that the Welsh Football League isn't protecting their own interests, then they will look out for themselves. And if they lobby on their own and win some concessions, what is their opinion likely to be of anyone else who wants to freeload on their campaign? Will we see a breakaway out of the Welsh Football League of the more ambitious clubs who have negotiated some kind of promotion up to the top? And where will the Welsh Football league be then?

Another problem that seems to be overlooked is the question of the dressing rooms for match officials. "There should be space for at least three people", so the regulations above tell us, but what considerations have to be provided for Paula Stockley, the League's Lady Linesman? It'as all very well, this question of Diversity in the Workplace, but if the League is considering having officials of the fairer sex, then presumably these ladies will want a dressing room of their own. And what happens if one is not available? And who is expected to pay for its provision?

As usual, all the questions revolve around the issues of funding. And as long as the members of the FAW are content with spending any gains (ill-gotten or otherwise) on Ceaucescu's Palace while their subjects have to make do with portacabins behind what passes for a stand in some WPL circles, then no-one is seriously expecting the situation to improve.

But if you have something to say on the subject, then you can join the discussion group and post your observations. It would be nice to see some FAW or Welsh Football League officials engaging in debate.