Re: Jardine

By VoR3/6 17:24Wed Jun 3 17:24:58 2026In response to Re: Jardine

Views: 373

IMO, Level 8/ Step 4 is the ideal place to aim for if you want to test your credentials, as a club & a player, to progress any higher?

It is the lowest level of the Trident Leagues (Northern, Southern & Isthmian) & is one Step above the abyss of non-league football, (the County Leagues with hundreds & thousands of football clubs).

If you look at the clubs at Level 8/Step 4 they are mostly small town or village clubs, who are sampling life at that level, while working out what to do next plus a few fallen giants of non-league football.

This is where ambition/aspiration takes over!

Harborough Town, Quorn & Anstey Nomads are examples of clubs that have done exceptionally well, considering their roots were in the Leicestershire Senior League.

Two clubs who Town will be playing next season, Basford United & Mickleover will be familiar to Town's supporters.

I suspect all five of those clubs are being bankrolled by benefactors to some degree.

When it comes to the players with ambitions to play higher, they will migrate to the ambitious clubs, because those clubs will also pay the best wages.

So, back to the likes of Kyle Jardine & choices, he & many others I am sure don't see playing at Step 4 that big an attraction, at the detriment to their happiness in the rest of their lives?

Step 4 will bring that realisation to some players who have never had the ambition/or even the opportunity to play at that level before & the increased demands on their time more importantly if they want to succeed?

Just my thoughts!

Edited by VoR at 17:54:21 on 3rd June 2026