This is just for the future as the league fixtures have all been sorted now, but surely getting shuffled down is a bit of a pi** take. We fought to stay in div 2 last year, and scraped it i believe on the last couple of weeks last summer. We were one of the first to send out payment and forms in for the new season. And we get relegated/shuffled down anyway.
I understand it's to even the league out, so there is a bye in each div so we can get full divisions, but at the expense of pushing a team down who at the end of last summer worked hard to stay up I think is a bit unfair.
As it happens as a team we aren't overly pissed off about it. After loosing players at the beginning of the winter season, signing new guys who have never played in a league before, and getting shuffled up to get a whooping all season in div 1, div 3 in the summer will be a welcome change of pace for our new players.
As I said i understand we want to keep as many divisions as possible, and it is great we have gone back up to 5 now, but for a team who worked hard to earn their place in their division (who have also been in the league for many many years), we feel a bit hard done by.
I've looked at the new divisions and agree its very hard to work out any way to make it fair for all parties. Any thoughts for a way of doing it in the future?? Surely a team who earns their league position, pays their fees on time, should be able to play in the div they worked for. A team who works for promotion wouldn't then be moved down, so why should a team who worked to stay up be moved down.
Just a thought for the future. The main problem we have is the fact we miss the jolly sailor now as they went up to div 2. Our old team mates play their now and we were looking forward to a massive piss up.
Edited by Dogger on 22-04-2012 20:02
Hey Danny, I fully agree with you. It's not fair ! The Flying Machine is a long standing quality team. I guess someone has to suffer it to keep the cogs turning. You guys are a team of quality gentlemen with great ability of the game and I'm sure it won't take you more than this summer season to be promoted back into your correct position.
I know you suffered in the winter season but atleast your team made it to every fixture as did The Pawleyne Fouler and put up a battle. And especially you traveling from Portsmoth every week. That deserves a 10 out of 10.
I think your results show that you were missing some of your key players and I have every confidence that you Guys will bounce back.
I for one will miss traveling to you Guys and the wonderful food your venue provides unless we meet in a KO comp along the way.
Blimey, it only took me about 4 seasons to rememeber where you are and on the 1st, 2nd & 3rd visit I was lost for about an hour. Don, one of our players still can't get it. Mention Flying Machine to him and he still heads to the Warbank. hence why he's always late.
I understand that there is a new team in Div 1 from BH this season. Gosh, how longs that going to take me to find !
On a serious note, I think Rileys have dominated far too much for far too long of this league and hence why there are few pubs in it any more. Close PW at the drop of a hat and you see the race on for all the teams looking for venues. Shame really but there you go. I've seem many teams drop out over the years for many reasons but they can come back and thus what's happened to you guys wouldn't have happened. The League fees are very competitive now amoungst other leagues so I don't see why not.
At an AGM that I attended it was said that the League was going to tout new and old business. I'm not sure if this has began yet but it's a way forward.
One of the problems is that we have certain blinkered individuals who seem to forget that we're called Croydon & District and see anything outside of Croydon coming in as a foreigner. Well that doesn't help the figures does it !
I see no reason why we can't become 6 divisions again and in time for the next winter league.
We need to look a bit further afield, there's Norbury, Steatham, Balham and many many more areas with pubs in it that would welcome the opportunity for extra business on a quiet Tuesday evening.I know of another pubs or 2 in my area alone that would like to bring teams into a league. The problem is they don't know where to turn or how to do it. I personally think that we could all act as ambassadors for our league and do a little marketing ourselves to drum up extra business.
All in all, little effort from us all could show outstanding results on the whole and prevent what's happened to your team happening again.
Maybe this could be a topic of discussion at the meeting on April 30th.
Gosh, I've really gone on here. Guess I had better sign out now.
Out Fishing and LKING for a bite !!
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