Veterans League
Yesterday's posting about the imbalance of teams in the 5 divisions of the Veterans 10-Man League has provoked a response from the League & Competition Secretary David Sykes. He posted his comment on this website which is reproduced further down in full but indicates no need for any change from the format used this season.
This response indicates that he sees no need to change the spilt of teams between divisions and the League should just carry on as it has done this year with 10 teams in Division 5, 13 in Division 1, 14 in Division 2 and 12 teams in Divisions 3 and 4 which totally ignores the crux of the complaint and does not address any of the concerns raised in that posting.
I am struggling to make sense of the content of this response as it indicates no relegation from Division 1 either - what's that about?
The posting asked two main questions:
What is the League going to do about the imbalance of teams in the divisions especially regarding the reduced number of 10 teams in Division 5?
How many teams are going to be relegated from Division 1 at the end of the current season assuming team numbers remain at 61?
The answer to Question 1 seems to be we are going to do nothing at all and Division 5 will remain the same 10-team division as this season. Has the League not listened at all to the argument that providing a fixture programme with 8 empty Tuesdays in a 26-week season is totally unacceptable? Only one league fixture in July for one club is not what we signed up to, it is a complete joke and is unbelievably disrespectful to teams in Division 5.
There is no logical answer provided to Question 2 but taking the League Secretary's response at face value there doesn't seem to be any relegation from, or promotion to, Division 1.
Neither response is satisfactory and will only add to the uncertainty, cause confusion and indicate that the League hasn't grasped the problems at all and will continue to saunter along in the mind-numbing manner they disbelievingly think is managing the league.
This is the League Secretary's response reproduced in full.
David Sykes
Veterans League Secretay & Competition Secretary
this is only my opinion as to what the structure should be for next season,assuming we have 61 teams again
Pos. Team DIV 1
1. Marsh United A
2. Kirkheaton Con. A
3. Golcar Lib A
4. Rastrick
5. Lockwood Con. A
6. Cowcliffe
7. Meltham A
8. Elland C & BC A
9. Waterloo
10. Clayton West
11. Lindley Lib. A
12. Longwood
13. Lindley B.C. A
Pos. Team DIV 2
1. Milnsbridge A
2. Almondbury B.C. A
3. Bradley & Colne
4. Netherton Con. A
5. Slaithwaite
6. Lowerhouses
7. Broad Oak A
8. Shepley
9. Hemplow A
10. New Mill A
11. Thongsbridge A
12. Thorpe Green
13. Lockwood Con. B (rel)
14. Brockholes A (rel)
Pos. Team DIV 3
1. Paddock I & C
2. Linthwaite hall
3. Holmfirth A
4. Denby Dale
5. Huddersfield rec
6. Golcar Lib B
7. Kirkheaton C & BC A
8. Lindley Lib. B
9. Skel Windmill
10. Almondbury Lib.
11. Springwood (rel)
12. Marsh United B (rel)
Pos. Team DIV 4
1. Elland C & BC B
2. Ravensknowle Park
3. Outlane
4. Lindley B.C. B
5. Primrose Hill Lib
6. New Mill B
7. Meltham B
8. Huddersfield RUBC
9. Thongsbridge B
10. Almondbury B.C. B
11. Milnsbridge B (rel)
12. Brockholes B (rel)
Pos. Team DIV 5 1. Marsh Lib 2. Dalton 3. Greenhead Park 4. Netherton Con. B 5. Broad Oak B 6. Kirkheaton Con. B 7. David Brown Sports 8. Holmfirth B 9. Kirkheaton C & BC B 10. Hemplow B
To have 5 Divisions with the same number of teams seems the right way to go as we all pay the same fees.
Unfortunately, whatever is decided means you can’t please all the teams as it may be some Divisions won’t have promotions and/ or to have promotions some Divisions may have more than two teams relegated.
So, the Management Committee have difficult decisions to make.
All Clubs ask is that whatever is decided is decided asap so that we all know what we are playing for well in advance of the end of this season.
I accept that the decision can only be made on an assumption of the number of teams next season. Philip of Lindley
This would make the division 5 into a more acceptable 12 man section in line with the others, only if the top 2 were not promoted. If my club was in line for promotion, I would be disappointed. Perhaps it would be better to relegate the bottom 4 in division 4 and promote the top 2 in division 5.
To ask the division 5 teams who play 18 games to pay the same fees as division 1 teams who lay 24 games is, in my clubs opinion unacceptable, but what option do we have ?
So just to be clear are you saying that you will be recommending to the Management Committee that there is no promotion for teams out of Divisions 3,4 and 5?
as i said in my last post this is only my opinion, i did miss off the div 1 relegations and div 2 promotions. but if looked at properly it does indicate a change in the structure,giving div 5 12 teams. or is it me that is missing something, let me try again with a new structure.
Pos.
Pos. Team div 1 13 teams
1. Marsh United A
2. Kirkheaton Con. A
3. Golcar Lib A
4. Rastrick
5. Lockwood Con. A
6. Cowcliffe
7. Meltham A
8. Elland C & BC A
9. Waterloo
10. Clayton West
11. Lindley Lib. A
12. Longwood
13. Lindley B.C. A REL
Pos. Team div 2 12 teams
1. Milnsbridge A PROMOTED
2. Almondbury B.C. A
3. Bradley & Colne
4. Netherton Con. A
5. Slaithwaite
6. Lowerhouses
7. Broad Oak A
8. Shepley
9. Hemplow A