So we begin this season minus Bath City, R.N.S.T.S. and Uley.

And do we even remember Avon County Rangers, Bristol Bluebirds,

Copenacre, Piersons and Ex-Devon league sides Crownhill,

Elmore, Heavitree and Nat West Bank ? What about Cornish clubs like Altarnun, Callington, Calstock, Dobwalls, Launceston, Lewdown and S.P.L.A.S.H. These eighteen clubs have all pulled out of thier respective leagues since 1976, while we have gained just three clubs, Illogan and Kingsteignton in the Ex-Devon, (now South Western league) and Barry in the Western league. The Cornwall league is no longer with us at all, and with ten clubs in the Western league and seven in the South Western league, there aren't even eighteen clubs left to pull out in the next four years. Despite this, there is a smaltering of teams who are able to turn out in friendlies, local competitions and five-a-sides but do not join a league usually because they cannot afford to. In the begining, Women's clubs were few and far between, so out of necessity leagues encompassed a wide area. Two seasons ago Torbay proposed that the Devon league should accept no more new clubs unless they came within the boundaries of Devon. Exeter supported this motion and agreed with Torbay's reasoning that a more localised league with less exspense involved would be more likely to encourage new teams to join. The new teams around who were around then, Newton Abbot Dynamo's, Shaldon Villa and Chelston were, it is true, in very embryro stages but they got no further after the Torbay motion was defeated ; and Exeter Ladies reserves withdrew from the league the next season due to lack of transport, or the finances to provide such transport as was needed. More and more clubs are feeling the pinch moneywise, or growing older and not bothering to replace thier players with youngsters, or losing the administrative enthusiasm, and thus pulling out of thier leagues. Meanwhile the financial and transportation problems stop new clubs from committing themselves to a league programme. There were rumours last season of a new ladie's team in St Ives but are they likely to join a league where they have to travel to chard ? The Women's Western league used to stretch from Plymouth to Cardiff but the boundaries have lessened somewhat since Plymouth (thier own finances stretched to the limit ) withdrew to enter the South Western ieague.They were fortunate to have a more suitable league availible. There is one team in Plymouth giving an opportunity for eleven or so Plymouth girls to play full eighty minute matches regularly, yet the Plymouth Mayflower league for five-a-side Womens football boasts fourteen teams. All thier matches are played at the Mayflower centre making seventy girls wanting to play, and able to play when travelling and expenses are cut to a minimum. I am not saying that the clubs we have gained are not good, well organised teams - they certainly have to be well organised to be able to join a league. However, I wish that it were more easier for smaller clubs to find a way into competitive football. Maybe localised leagues would encourage a few schools to join us too and this would help a lot, because at present there is no room on the school corriculum for a sport which leads to a dead-end competition-wise. Two years ago Exeter Ladies had thirty-eight players signed on and ran three sides. Finance has now excluded two of these teams. Players are not that difficult to find, schools abound with would-be girl footballers, and of our previous under-sixteen side, nine stepped up to play Western league football, but now we have no youth side whats the point of recruiting from the schools ? Four years ago Rod Hawker, Then Exeter Ladie's manager, said that he visualised Women's football eventually becoming a game for a few elite clubs who could travel countrywide to play. I thought that he was bieng very pessimistic but now I'm not so sure. Maybe we are going to be the last of the few and maybe our daughters won't be able to play the game we all love so much. Unfortunately, I have no instant answer to the problem.

Illogan, Pelynt and Plymouth are the only three clubs in the Cornwall area - but if they proposed a Cornish league would Launceston, Callington, Looe and St Ives be tempted to join ? Exeter, Exmouth, Kingstiegnton, Chard, Tiverton and Torbay would be Devon based with Frome, St Catherines, Top Rank and Warminster teaming up with Barry, LIanederyn and Newport making up another league, and maybe regaining some of those lost Western league: sides. The main reason for clubs opting out of the Cornwall league to the Devon league, and out of the Devon league or Welsh league to the Western league has been the desire for a better standard of football' but sneering at those who play in 'inferior leagues' does no-one any good. A race for the big-time will lead very neatly to Rod Hawker's prophecy coming true. So who cares ?, so long as as your club is there. Well don't be so complacent. Surely Q.P.R.-Ladies three times W.F.A. Cup finalist, once.W.F.A. Cup winners, would have qualified easily for any Women's football superleague.

And where are they now ?