Tyro Cup shocker

Bishop's Waltham and Netley were both happy to move their Under-15 Trophyman Cup final date from May 1 at Stoneham Lane to another day.

That was because Waltham had pre-booked to go on an end-of-season tour to Sussex.

The squad were split as to whether to go on tour or play in the final - but they had NOT made a collective decision by the time the Tyro League wrote to them this week to inform them the final was being cancelled anyway.

The Tyro League, the main provider of football for under-11s to under-15s in the Southampton area, said they couldn't agree to Waltham's request because it would set a precedent.

Mick Colbourne, the Under-15s referees appointment secretary, said: "The Tyro League have sympathy for Bishop's Waltham, of course we do.

"But they knew the date of the final before they booked their tour."

But Waltham boss Dave Emmence fumed: "The Tyro League has now sunk to an all-time low. They are showing double the heartlessness by now also breaking the hearts of all the Netley players as well as my players.

"I regard this as a snub to all the under-14 and under-15 managers who supported us at the last section meeting and just shows the callous mentality of some of the individuals running the league.

"It seems to me that some of the council members are there for their own personal glory and the feelings of the children are not worthy of consideration.

"I have not yet had the chance to contact my players but my outrage is likely to increase rather than mellow as I speak to each player individually and inform them of this news."

Tyro Under-14/Under-15 secretary Jane Smith, in her letter to Waltham, wrote: "I understand that the Bishop's Waltham Under-15s have made alternative plans for the day and re-arranging is not an option. Therefore the Cup Final cannot go ahead.

"I realise it is very difficult to plan events around the possibility of being in a cup final several months away, but life is all about making choices and in this instance the team chose another activity above the final.

"I wish the team well in their final tour."

Colbourne continued: "The under-14s and under-15s finals are always played on the first Sunday of May every year.

"We have the pitches to consider, we have the officials to think of and we have the sponsors to think of.

"We couldn't re-arrange it for another date. If we did, what's to stop other teams asking to do the same?

"I do feel for the boys but there's nothing we can do about it."

Colbourne revealed that BTC Southampton, beaten by Waltham in the semi-final 3-0, were contacted about possibly being asked to play Netley in the final.

"We always do programmes for the final and they were asked if they could get some player profiles together, but they didn't want to play in the final."

Netley boss Tim Middleton described the decision to cancel the cup final as "hideous."

Middleton said: "I'm bemused by the decision. It beggars belief

"You have to wonder what the Tyro officials are doing - are they running the league for themselves or for the kids?

"They tell us everything we do must be for the kids, then they turn around and stop 30 kids from playing in a final they had qualified for on merit.

"It's hideous. They haven't even told me yet - I had to find out from Dave Emmence.

"The Tyro League have caused the problem. Dave told them before his quarter-final that he had a problem with the final date yet they still allowed him to carry on.

"Everyone I speak to says it's a joke. Why can't they move the date?

"Somebody mentioned tradition, but tradition is there to be broken. As Peter Osgood said at the managers meeting last week, it was tradition to play the FA Cup final at Wembley, but that was broken."

Emmence had offered to pay any cancellation fees incurred by the Tyro League for switching their final date, and also offered to pay for the hire of any replacement pitch.

"If they couldn't have found one I would have found one myself, even if I'd had to put the goalposts up and mark all the white lines out myself."