I have just returned from a holiday in Bavaria, Germany, staying just outside the small town of Burghausen. Their local side SV Wacker Burghausen, were promoted to Bundesliga 2 last season from the equivalent of Germany's Southern League. So what? They don't even have floodlights at their ground, and on Tuesday they entertained Aachen (from the opposite corner of a very large country) with a 5.45pm kick-off. This, remember, in Germany's equivalent of our Nationwide Division One. Makes me wonder, are our ground grading requirements too strict?

Yes Gordon our ground grading is too strict.
There are some very good grounds throughout the pyramid of football but we have ridiculous rules where 250 seater stands are required for clubs that would love to attract that number once a season.
Hopefully when the FA's re-organisation is in there will be more sensible guidlines for clubs and each level of the pyramid will have the same rules.

Could someone please tell me what is required from a team in the Premier league.

What happens if you do not meet the requirements? Can you be relegated?

Bishop Auckland fell foul of the ground grading rule last season, and were put into the First.

So, yes, you can get relegated if you don't get your ground up to scratch, although they seem to take an awful long time before they act.

I believe Bishop were told to improve two years ago, and didn't.

That's the only reason that Hyde are still in the Premiership (Just thought I'd mention that )

Iain

P.S. Yes, I would have taken exactly it, had the same route been offered Celtic last season...

Hypocrite? Moi? Surely not. :P

Iain (Celtic) wrote
"I believe Bishop were told to improve two years ago, and didn't."

Not quite true - Bishop Auckland were supposed to move 2 years ago and couldn't - a council cock-up saw to that.

Historically Bishop couldn't do much with the Kingsway ground - it's location has meant that successive building applications have been blocked since before God-knows when.

In reality Bishop should have started ground-sharing 2 years ago. (Plan B)