Minutes of the Informal League Meeting at Spinney Hill on Wednesday 17 June 2009

Present: Alan Jex (Chair, Melton); Jim Miller (League Sec., Loughborough); Rich Davis (Spinney Hill); John Dawkins (Loughborough); Paul Deacon (Spinney Hill); Walter Dehnen (Wigston); Brian Foreman (Scraptoft Valley); Peter Harrison (Heathcote Arms); Romilly Ilersic (Market Harborough); Andy Morley (Wigston); John Oliver (Braunstone); Mick Tate (Scraptoft Valley); Mike Thornton (Oadby).

Apologies: Graham Booley, Sean Hewitt, John Pattinson, Brian Radesk, and Steve Wylie.

1. Welcome

AJ welcomed people to the meeting, explaining that it was a follow- up to the League AGM, and was designed to give further thought to the League structure for 2009-2010.  JM pointed out that the final responsibility rested with LMC, but he was sure that the Committee would not go significantly against the wishes of the clubs in practice.  Rich Davis was warmly thanked for hosting the meeting at Spinney Hill WMC once again.

2. AGM Summary

JM summarised the AGM discussion for those who had not been present.  Broadly the AGM felt that LMC had correctly identified the main problems with recent seasons, i.e. that the League season was too long, and the fixtures for individual teams were too unevenly spaced.  It had been accepted that it was mathematically impossible to retain the "same week" rule and have regular fixtures for all, so the priority should be reversed in favour of regular matches.  However the AGM also felt that LMC's other proposals for change were too far-reaching, at least to be activated all at once.  In particular the proposal for 6-team Divisions had not found very much support.  Overall the AGM consensus had been in favour of ~8-team Leagues (2 matches against each opposing team), with separate weeks set aside for League Cup fixtures, and the season running from the first week in October to (roughly) mid-April at the latest.

3. Discussion

In the subsequent discussion this basic scheme was fully endorsed by the meeting, and JM reported that the comments he had received from members apologising for missing the meeting were also in support.  There was a substantial discussion of the size of each team, but it was generally felt that the present format of 5-board teams in the upper Divisions and 4-board ones in the lower ones, should be retained.  It was accepted that the abolition of the same week rule might make clubs more cautious about the number of teams they might enter.  However JM and AM suggested that this problem might be offset by limiting the number of barred players to 2 in every Division, allowing more players to play "up and down".  This change would also reduce the concern of some 1st team barred players that they do not get offered enough chess, though it would obviously also help the 2nd and lower teams of the stronger clubs especially.  The meeting generally supported this idea, at least as an experiment for 2009-2010.  It was also suggested, with general support, that (a) Divisions larger than 8 teams should be avoided if possible; (b) the principle that teams from the same club in the same Division should play their two matches very early in the season was not especially important – it would be sufficient if the second match was played soon after Christmas (Steve Wylie had suggested this by e-mail); and (c) the 1st teams of clubs having 2 or more teams in the League should be given at least one fixture early in October, to minimise the manipulation of the barred player rule by clubs who do not submit barred player lists in advance.  JM said that these proposals would be put a.s.a.p.  to the members of LMC (not all of whom were present), and that he would also ask clubs, informally and without commitment at this stage, how many teams they would be likely to enter into the League.  He mentioned that there was apparently some hope that Oakham and/or Uppingham might return to action, which would be a welcome development.

4. Other Rule Changes

JM reported that the Rule re playing order would be altered so that there would be a 7-point flexibility re grading order rather than a 5-point one.  In addition the Rules would be re-worded so that it would be slightly easier for the League Secretary to allow players with obviously too-high or too-low grades to play out of order, though such instances would continue to be rare.

JNM – 18 June 2009