Minutes of the League Management Committee Meeting at Croft on Wednesday 21 April 2009

Present: Jim Bingham (JB), Iain Dodds (ID), Walter Dehnen (WD), Sean Hewitt (SH), Jim Miller (JNM), John Pattinson (JP), David Reynolds (DR), Mike Thornton (MT).

1. Apologies

Apologies had been received from Alan Jex, Julie Johnson, Mike Salisbury and Peter Harrison.

2. Minutes

JNM said that the only matter arising from the minutes of the meeting from June 2008 was the draft constitution, which he had amended as suggested and would be circulated to clubs with the AGM papers.

3. League Secretary's Report

JNM reported that the League season had proceeded with very few disputes and problems, though a week of fixtures had been lost due to the snow in early February.  The League Cup fixtures had caused some problems, but both events were entering their final stages.  Entries for the Summer Cups were down on 2008, with some clubs entering only the RP events, perhaps because of the extended League Season and the introduction of the League Cups (see below).  SH suggested that as the Harrod and Birstall Cups had 9 entries an all-play-all format might be possible in each case.  JNM said he would seek clubs' views before announcing a draw.

4. League Structure Proposals for 2009-10

JNM introduced this item, which was covered by a detailed paper circulated to LMC members in advance.  The key point was that recent efforts to provide more games (easing of barring rules, larger Divisions, League Cups etc) had led, despite the very best efforts of the Fixtures Secretary, to a much extended League Season, with very irregular fixtures for some individual teams.  These problems, which had been the subject of quite a number of adverse comments from the clubs, arose directly from the application of the "same week rule" (which, in any case, could not be applied in every case).  As a result a wholly new approach was proposed – almost the inverse of the previous one – which would lead in practice to a reduction in the extent to which individuals played "up and down" (i.e.  in 2 or more teams from one club) and hence would remove the need for the same week rule.

The ideal model was a League based on 6-team Divisions, each team playing the others 3 times per season (15 League matches).  As far as possible these League fixtures would be arranged to balance out travel commitments for any one team.  These 15 matches would be played between early October and mid-April; in many cases each team would have one match per week.  (Playing up and down might then sometimes involve a player turning out twice per week).  The fixtures secretary would be asked to try to avoid neighbouring teams in the same club playing on the same day).  Each team would probably have only four players, two of them barred as appropriate under the present rules (5-member teams would have 3 barred players, as now).  In addition there would be slots in the playing schedules for 5 League Cup games; 5 weeks would be set aside for these League Cup games only.  No matches would be scheduled for the (local authority) half-term weeks and there would be 3-week and 2-week breaks at Christmas/New Year and Easter respectively.  This would still leave (in 2009-10) two free weeks which could be used for re-arranged matches etc.

In addition to a shorter winter season with regular League fixtures this system would have the advantages of extended summer opportunities; much more easily managed League Cups (entry to which would of course remain separate from League entries); and an easier to construct fixture list.  The most obvious possible problems were that the number of teams entered might not be divisible by 6; and that teams which felt that they had won promotion, avoided relegation etc under the present system might find their status changed disappointingly.

LMC members were generally favourably disposed towards the suggestions, and it was agreed that they would be put to the clubs for discussion at the League AGM and at an informal League meeting soon afterwards.  As always, this would be done on the basis that the system would be tried for one season initially.

5. Possible Rule Changes for 2009-10

It was agreed that the grading order flexibility should be increased from 5 to 7 points, and that the Rules should be worded so that it was slightly easier for the League Secretary to assign a new grade to a player on application by a club that was fully supported by evidence.  Such cases would remain very rare, and would be restricted normally to (young or returning) players making very rapid strides, or possibly to seriously ill players.  It was further agreed that in a handicap event, handicaps should be assessed on the same estimated strength as for board order purposes.  When a barred player left a club mid-season his/her unbarring should be immediate, i.e.  the club left by the player should bar another individual in his/her place at once.

6. Any Other Business

MT raised the case of Paul Martin of Syston (graded 151 but playing for Syston 3).  JNM explained the view he had taken earlier in the season, which depended on PM only playing when his father could provide transport, and only on fairly few occasions.  MT said that on one occasion the former condition had not applied, and it was agreed that with immediate effect PM should play in a position appropriate to his grade.

7. Date of Next Meeting

To be agreed at or immediately after the League AGM on May 27th.

JNM – 1 May 2009