Published: 30 May, 2013
by STEVE BARNETT

FORMER Labour leader Lord Kinnock has joined a growing number of petitioners urging action to be taken against the organisers of the Camden and Regent’s Park Youth League.

They are calling for the football clubs who play in the league to be given ownership and for there to be more transparency and accountability.

Supporters of Regent’s Park FC and sister club The Heath were left outraged when the league introduced a cap for the coming season limiting the number of teams a club can enter to 18. As a result 110 children from the clubs who played in the league last season have now been frozen out.

Reflecting on the decision Lord Kinnock posted a message reading: “No private concern should own and control such a facility.”  

What was needed, he said,  was a policy “…which guarantees public accountability in the governance of the essential sports facilities.”

In 2011 the responsibility of running the league switched from Camden Council to Camden and Regent’s Park Youth League Ltd following a vote by the clubs.

The petition, which is set to surpass 1,000 signatures, calls for Camden Council – and the Royal Parks who manage the pitches – to enforce greater transparency and accountability within the league.

Supporters also want a new management committee put in place to ensure fairness for all.

Current league co-ordinator Will Cave, who has been involved in the league since it launched in 1999, insists that the concerns of all the clubs is a priority issue.

“It became clear in our recent AGM that not everyone was able to say what they wanted or got the answers they were looking for,” he said. “It’s important to us to listen to the clubs, so we are holding a series of meetings so that managers can share their concerns and their ideas on how to improve the league.”

Having revised the number of teams that will be in the league next season Will added that the only driving force behind the cap was to help smaller clubs grow and fairly share out the little space that was available. “Next season we’ll have approximately 268 teams taking part in the league, with around 80 new teams from existing clubs,” he said. “There will also be 70 teams on our waiting list, some of which have played in the league before. We’re still looking for ways to fit in as many teams as possible.” 

Acknowledging that the available space will never be enough for the growing number of teams Will also admitted the league is looking for additional venues.