Bennellick excited by prospect of promotion to Western League
ILFRACOMBE TOWN manager Clem Bennellick says he is “trying not to get too excited” about his team’s likely promotion to the Western League.
On Monday, the Football Association was asked to ratify a restructuring of non-League football which would involve Ilfracombe moving up to the Premier Division of the Western League from the South West Peninsula League on the strength of their results over the last two uncompleted seasons.
The calculation that will be used to see who goes up from Step Six to Step Five involves adding up the points-per-game totals from the cancelled 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons, and the top two teams from the Peninsula League’s Premier East and West divisions will get the nod.
On that calculation, Ilfracombe are top, with Millbrook in second in the East division, while Saltash United and Helston Athletic are top in the West. Moving up to the Western League would be massive for the north Devon club which has played at that level before, but pulled out in 2014 because finances were tight.
Bennellick, 26, has masterminded the recent return to the glory days – but remains wary that everything still has to be signed off by the FA.
“We’re delighted as a club,” he said. “I personally am trying not to get too excited yet in case something changes – but fingers crossed it all goes ahead.
“The club is in good shape at the moment and we have got a young and super-keen squad.
“It would be a massive opportunity for myself and the club to reach the Western League Premier and we will give it a go and try to establish ourselves in the league.
“I look forward to hopefully being able to give the lads across our area the chance to play at Step Five and progress in the football pyramid.”
Promotion would be a huge reward for all the hard work Bennellick and his players and coaches have put in since he took over as a 21-year-old manager in 2016.
“The five years have gone insanely quickly,” said Bennellick.
“It has been a tough five years with some big decisions, but when I came to the club we had a plan to take the club back from the North Devon League to the Western League.
“If this league restructure goes ahead, we will have achieved that goal,” he added.
“I think the boys deserve the recognition after two years of battling at the top and finishing with the highest points per game.
“So, although we may not get to lift a trophy, the promotion would be the perfect prize.”
The statement from the FA read: “Following the curtailment of the 2020-21 league season for Steps Three to Six of the National League System, the FA’s Alliance and Leagues committees announced that they would consider the feasibility of undertaking the restructure at Steps Four to Six (which was intended to take effect from the 2020-21 season but has been delayed due to the impact of Covid-19).
“The committees have now met to consider this matter and will be recommending to FA Council that the structural changes to the number of divisions in the NLS be completed in order to address the imbalance that currently exists and achieve the ‘pure pyramid’ at Steps One to Six.
“The planned and delayed restructure comprises of one additional division at Step Four, two additional divisions at Step Five and a reduction of divisions, from 20 to 17, at Step Six.
“As part of the proposals, 110 clubs would be upwardly moved within the pyramid at Steps Four to Six in order to facilitate the new divisions, protecting the integrity of the NLS while supporting clubs with a desire and ambition to progress, without undermining the stability of the system. The restructure will have a positive impact on a significant number of clubs, supporting them with reduced travel and costs and providing greater opportunities for generating income via localised fixtures.”
‘I think the boys deserve the recognition after two years of battling at the top’ CLEM BENNELLICK