A suggestion to the league - If its not too late!

Instead of having the annual debate/argument about the new constitution, why do we not just have a seperate division for all the new teams?

In other words a Prem, Divisions 1 to 6 and a new Rookies division.

The normal divisions can then just have 2 promoted and 2 relegated each year. This would then stop teams being unfairly promoted 2 (or 3) divisions and also stop teams being promoted just for coming 4th!

If we know what we are playing for, surely this also then makes promotion and relegation more meaningful.

The teams in the Rookies division could then be correctly placed in the appropriate division based on their performances following their first season in the Alliance League. To counter the fact they will play more fixtures, they wouldn't be eligible for any league cup or county cup.

They should however be allowed to take their chances in the Billy Walton.

Just a thought...

Interesting thought, can't see it happening though.

Iv got to say I think this is an absolutely fantastic idea! The alliance is probably the best sunday league in the area but I think we would all concede that it isn't right not to know where you need to finish to be promoted/ relegated. In our own instance we went mad after clinching. 2nd. (And therefore promotion) and it was a bit of a slap in the face to learn we could have come 4th and still been promoted. I know its always goin to be difficult. But surely an idea such as this would be the inly way to ever ger ro a point where there is any real consistency as we have to accept there will always be teams wanting to join and likewise teams folding. Also there will be teamsstart again under a new name etc.. Or teams that we are all well aware of but these could be managed by exception rather than every new team being estimated. I really like the idea of a league for new sides to earn and ascertain their place within the alliance. As well as that this would put ab end to the whole new sides folding and. Affecting long standing divisions. Of course we have to (and want to) embrace new teams to the league but surely not to the detriment of teams that have participated and therefore supported the alliance for a number of seasons.
In essence in my opinion this idea would:
1 stop new teams folding affect leagues
2 enable the league to make an informed judgement on where teams would be best placed
3enable all teams to know what they are playing for each season
4 stop a team getting hammered in an estimated division every week or vice versa running away with it

On the flip side I'm struggling to find many arguments agains(...

Essay over!

1. Not all new teams are rookies (eg Bulls Head last season and countless other examples)
2. Teams drop out at the end of the season and so Prem to Div 6 may well have too few teams. This is the main reason for double promotion.
3. Every new team starting in the bottom division would discourage decent teams from joining the League.
4. With eight divisions, there is little difference in standards between teams in adjacant divisions, especially at the lower end.
5. This season there are far too many new teams for them all to go into the same division
6. At the end of the season, how would we decide into which of the higher divisions the new teams would go.
7. It is very unlikely that there will be a new division each year - it gets too big for volunteers to organise and there aren't enough pitches.

The fundamental problem is that many players do not stay with their club throughout the season and from one season to the next and so teams fold. Perhaps we should drop the transfer system so that if a player signs for a club, they have to stay for the season?

Sorry to be so negative, but keep coming up with the ideas - you cannot make progress without making change

very good idea when first read but thinking now dont think it would work you'd still get teams dropping out in that division for example like off bullshead in division 8 with inter mivan never will happen but very good idea

dennis is bang on you might get 5 teams good enough for top 3 divisions and another 5 not good enough to win div 5, maybe the league shouldnt be letting so many teams join this league, in my view it is helping to kill off the leicester sunday league and that should not be happening

saff lounge wrote:

dennis is bang on you might get 5 teams good enough for top 3 divisions and another 5 not good enough to win div 5, maybe the league shouldnt be letting so many teams join this league, in my view it is helping to kill off the leicester sunday league and that should not be happening

You make a good point but we are definitely NOT trying to kill of the Leicester Sunday League. Of course, we want the Alliance to be the best but we are all in this for the love of the game - losing the Leicester Sunday League would be a major set back for local Sunday morning football.

In spite of the growth of the Alliance, open age football on Saturday and Sundays continues to decline in this County.

My personal opinion is that the Alliance League has reached its optimum size - although your Committee may think otherwise at some time in the future.

I agree that you will get all levels of ability all in the one division but it will be a means to an end. Their results and performances will make it a lot easier to decide which is their correct division for the next season. Surely thats got to be a better (and fairer) way of deciding rather than doing it blind. It will also stop pot hunters and stop teams being accused of pot hunting.

You will have 1 division probably totally unbalanced but the other 7 will surely be much closer as a result (and with established Alliance teams in less likely to fold mid season?)

There wouldn't be an additional division every year, it would be used purely for new teams entering the Alliance - every team in it would then be allotted their correct division for the next season.

I dont think it would discourage new teams from joining the Alliance either. It wouldnt be the bottom division and it wouldnt be called Division 8 - Its just a special one off division (granted probably with a better name than the 'Rookies Division!) I actually think the proposition of playing in a one off division against all other new teams might actually appeal to some.

I dont think you can have too few teams in a division - it only takes a little cup run and a couple of frosts in winter and you end up playing Wednesday, Friday and Sunday in May! The league could create an 'Invitation Cup' in January for teams whose season is clearly going to finish early - I remember winning such a thing with Red Cow a few seasons back!

Not sure there is anything wrong with slight imbalance between top and bottom of the league. Look at man utd against west brom or wolves

Widds wrote:

Not sure there is anything wrong with slight imbalance between top and bottom of the league. Look at man utd against west brom or wolves

ok then lets put crawley town staight into league 1, as the bookies have them down as being far too good for league 2

saff lounge wrote:

Widds wrote:

Not sure there is anything wrong with slight imbalance between top and bottom of the league. Look at man utd against west brom or wolves

ok then lets put crawley town staight into league 1, as the bookies have them down as being far too good for league 2

don't think they Will be too good for that division unless of course everton fold and half of their players drop down to a lower division and join that team?

i cant understand crawleys odds, 3-1 to win league 2, shrewsbury 2nd favs with swindon at 10-1

All this aside I definitely agree with LKFC's points about the end of season. It would be a lot better if promotion actually meant something and that you knew who you were up against. Next season we have a hell of a lot of new teams in our division I am guessing at least three will be far better than the rest of the teams in division 7.

saff lounge wrote:

i cant understand crawleys odds, 3-1 to win league 2, shrewsbury 2nd favs with swindon at 10-1

there odds are because they have very rich owners,but money does not guarantee success,they were 5-1 when the odds came out but have been backed heavily so now 3-1

littlebigman wrote:

saff lounge wrote:

i cant understand crawleys odds, 3-1 to win league 2, shrewsbury 2nd favs with swindon at 10-1

there odds are because they have very rich owners,but money does not guarantee success,they were 5-1 when the odds came out but have been backed heavily so now 3-1

yep more money that gets put on them the more the odds are going to recline a favourite is not necessarily the best team but the team most people are putting their hard earned cash on

Hellboy wrote:

Aussie Owl wrote:

In spite of the growth of the Alliance, open age football on Saturday and Sundays continues to decline in this County.

My personal opinion is that the Alliance League has reached its optimum size - although your Committee may think otherwise at some time in the future.

Yes but you are letting too many tatty and none serious sides join up, and this in itself is scarring the alliances reputation, too many thrown together sides are getting in, and they've no intention of hanging around for the whole season, but it impacts on all the loyal serious teams.

Make sides who join, put down a refundable deposit so if they fold due to a pathetic reason, they lose it.

We could do that, but it is expensive enough stating off a new team. We have recently had a promising enquiry (middle division standard) walk away because their sponsor had done the same thing. The problem is sorting out the wheat from the chaff - all of the accepted teams put up a convincing performance in interview.

Hellboy wrote:

littlebigman wrote:

saff lounge wrote:

i cant understand crawleys odds, 3-1 to win league 2, shrewsbury 2nd favs with swindon at 10-1

there odds are because they have very rich owners,but money does not guarantee success,they were 5-1 when the odds came out but have been backed heavily so now 3-1

a yellow card for littlebigman, for breaking the forum rules, we cant break yours on the field without you getting upset.

you can break rules with me all you like,i dont ever get upset because yellow and red cards don't cost me a single penny

littlebigman wrote:

Hellboy wrote:

littlebigman wrote:

saff lounge wrote:

i cant understand crawleys odds, 3-1 to win league 2, shrewsbury 2nd favs with swindon at 10-1

there odds are because they have very rich owners,but money does not guarantee success,they were 5-1 when the odds came out but have been backed heavily so now 3-1

a yellow card for littlebigman, for breaking the forum rules, we cant break yours on the field without you getting upset.

you can break rules with me all you like,i dont ever get upset because yellow and red cards don't cost me a single penny

You swine....

Haha, must be fun having that much power.

also to go back to the very first post, don't think any team can decline entry into the county cup