What if the Vets Lge used a different scoring system?

Veterans League

What would be the impact if the Veterans League used a different points-scoring system to determine league positions? We know that there are supporters of different scoring systems but would it make much of a difference?

I took the final league tables from the season just completed and made the comparison in the tables below. The first table shows the 2023 final tables based on the current practice of using game points meaning that there are 9 points at stake in every match through the season.

The results from a popular alternative system based on Aggregate For totals is shown alongside for comparison purposes. Does it make much of a difference? Well yes it does actually with all 5 divisions of the Veterans League showing a change in positions and these extend to the outcome of title, promotion and relegation places in 3 of those 5 divisions.

In Division 1 there was a change of position for 9 of the 13 teams. Marsh United dropped 3 places to 5tth and handed the runners-up place to Lockwood Con. More importantly, Clayton West were relegated instead of Meltham.

Minimum changes in Division 2 with no impact at all at either end of the table.

Denby Dale moved up 2 places to become the Division 3 Champions and deprived Golcar Lib B of the title and Almondbury Lib of their promotion place. Huddersfield Recreation Club were relegated instead of Lockwood Con B and only 5 teams were affected in this division but they were in the major issues at both ends of the table.

The bottom two teams in Division 4 reversed positions but both would still be relegated and no change at the top of the table.

In Division 5 Broad Oak B moved up 2 places to take the 2nd promotion place by 5 aggregate for points from Brockholes B.

I am not advocating any changes to the current system and this is all just of end-of-season interest but it may fuel some discussion in some clubs. The tables below show the difference in each division with the blue shading indicating all teams that moved places under an alternative scoring system. There are other alternatives of course including an Aggregate Difference method or a new major points scoring system based on losing points scored in each game. That might be for another day but this is just for fun today.