Essex Olympian League

[TB&G]

Do we really have to start in SD2?

[compaq7500]

Sounds good to me rayleigh town then promoted by default lol,unless we score 11 against leystonstone united this saturday coming.

[Beeswax]

Originally Posted By: TB&G

Do we really have to start in SD2?

why not, if you are any good, you'll get promoted

[Novice]

The problem about having the number of teams you suggest is that with 1 or 2 exceptions, no-one has floodlights. If there are 17 teams in a League, 32 League games and at least 3 cup games, presuming there are no weather problems creates a problem in getting the games in. Add into that, 17 teams means that there is 1 team every week without a game. That would take about 10 months to get all games in. Even if you say there can be midweek games at certain times of the year, it is unfair asking people to leave work early to decide Leagues. Or am I wrong?

[Beeswax]

no-one is right and no-one is wrong, there will be carnage trying to adopt a 14, 12, 12 and 12 constitution.

 

For instance, there are 13 teams at present in the premier so does that mean that only Westhamians go up?

 

In Senior Div 1, count down 10 teams (to promote one) in the current table and Old Chelmsfordians, Herongate, Burnham, Leytonstone and Roydon get relegated.

 

In Senior Division 2, only Sungate go up and Upminster, Writtle, Springfield, Basildon Town, Shenfield and Barnston get relegated to form a division with six new teams.

 

There's going to be some mightily p!ssed off clubs out there!

 

Thoughts?

[rookie]

Poking my unexpected nose in, it would seem from the outside looking in that Novice is right. The league is based on non floodlit, saturday games. Too many teams surley can only lead to not enough weeks. Every league should look to grow and improve but within its own specifications. The answer at this point is that the league should accept the number of teams it can accommidate within its limits before it has to look to stretch beyond. Truth is that the EOL is proving a popular choice for many clubs, especially ESL ressie teams who are looking to cut back on spending through floodlights and fixtures, The danger is that if too many of these do this then they will end up playing floodlit games to finish the season at the inconvience of exsisting EOL clubs. I hear what is more likely in the near future is the the Essex and Herts will reshape with same format as EOL (ie Saturdays only), which will drag back ESL and Ryman ressie teams.

[Novice]

I have to say that given the fact the League have wanted 4 division for a while I think it will be quite smoothly done. As I said earlier, the Constitution states that 2 teams must get relegated from each Division. As a result, I think the remaining 11 sides in the Premier Division will be joined by Westhamians, Hutton and Rayleigh Town, regardless of their end positions. Epping and Faces will be part of Division 1. The bottom Division will be the 3 newly promoted teams and probably the bottom 9 from Division 2, although some of the reserve sides coming in are not great, and having seen Burnham Reserves struggle at times this season and Takeley Reserves just miss out on promotion, some of the new reserve sides may be put into the bottom division. If the reserve teams don't go into Division 1, then Epping and Faces will be joined by the remaining teams down to Old Chelmsfordians in the League. I think the bottom two Divisions will just be made up of the rest. Beeswax, is Dave Lovell still over at Basildon Town?

[TB&G]

I too agree with Novice's surmising. Even the 16 team ESL with floodlights struggled to complete their fixtures by the deadline with some teams having to play 3 games a week at the end. And look at the EOL with 14, 16 and 15 team divisions respectively who are still playing outstanding fixtures.

 

Four 12 team divisions seem to be the best idea however they are constituted.

 

In regard to a possible shortage of fixtures I would suggest that a standby option could be put in place should the season run smoothly in terms of the weather and most if not all league fixtures are completed well before the deadline date.

 

What about the idea of a separate trophy to be played for within each division which would not only give extra needed games but give teams already knocked out of the league cup or, not having title winning chances, something extra to play for.

 

As I said before these trophy fixtures could be initiated if required in the New Year with possible blank Saturdays coming up and would consist of -

 

Each of the four separate divisions being broken down into 4 x3 team mini leagues using their existing league table placings for handicapping (e.g. Mini league A to have 1st, 4th and 8th team, mini league B to have 2nd, 5th and 9th team etc, etc.

 

Each team in each division's mini league to play each other home and away thus giving 4 extra games. At the end of these fixtures the top team in each of the four mini leagues in each division play each other on a knock out semi final and final basis with the team with the best record in its individual mini league table having home advantage each time.

 

A result of this would be that you would have a separate Premier, Division 1, Division 2 and Division 3 trophy winner and runner up who might or might not be very high up in their final divisions full league table but would have had some extra worthwhile competitive games.

 

This would result in every EOL team having played at least 26 guaranteed home/away games plus any league cup fixtures and ancillary cup games they play in during the course of the campaign as a whole.

 

Hope I have made myself reasonably clear with my ideas. Please comment honestly on them if you wish or even PM me for a clarification on any points if required.

 

 

[compaq7500]

Another trophy to play for,at present my club rayleigh town already play in 3 cups them being,essex premier,olympian league cup and southend charity cup,me personally i would be against this,i would rather play more league games 20 is not enough

[TB&G]

Yes but it would be an additional Olympian League based competition and only played if blank Saturdays seem to be looming up towards the end of the season. At the most any team involved would play only 6 extra games in addition to 22 league games (based on a 12 team division) and the usual Essex Olympian seasons trophy.

 

In a 12 club based Essex Olympian division you would play 8 league games less than you have in this season. What would you fill the blank dates with?

[Beeswax]

ok, some good debate going on on this and perhaps more people could join in? Rookie is right, Novice is right and so am I.

 

The league rules state that two teams shall be relegated and two shall be promoted.

 

Therefore the Premier league will have 13 teams in it. Unless the League AGM determines that Rayleigh go up to make it 14. Reserve sides from the ESL cannot go straight into the Premier.

 

That leaves 11 teams (three up and two down) in Div 1 to be joined by 2 down (from the Premier) and 2 up (from Div 2) to make it 15 in Div 1.

 

Reserve sides of step 5 clubs are coming into the EOL from the E&HBC to save expense in travelling and floodlights costs and are being accepted carte blanche. If that is to be acceptable then floodlights should not be used in this league. Otherwise we could see the ambitions of Senior Division 2 and 3 sides thwarted when a step 5 "reserve" side play under lights in midweek and play a number of step 5 players.

 

For instance, this season, Basildon Town travelled to Takeley mid-week and got hammered by a team fielding seven players from the squad put out the week before in the ESL. On the following Saturday, Takeley reserves were turned over at home by Ramsden, whilst their first team was playing away.

 

Goodness knows what the final outcome will be but I am sure that there will be some angry clubs at the EOL AGM.

 

Novice, Dave Lovell is Basildon Town!

[Novice]

You'll be playing 26 next season anyway!!! I like TB&G's idea of divisional cups, however, I am not sure it's practical. There is the Denny King Memorial Cup competition, into which all losing 1st round League Cup teams are put, and that had to be scrapped this year because of lack of time and availability to play. The League also have to fight against the fact that a number of teams play on parks or share with cricket clubs, therefore, struglling to use their facilities early and late in the season. At worst, teams in Divisions of 12 teams will play 25 games. If the season starts in September, and taking into account Christmas and New Year, they will have enough games to get them into March, and that presumes they play every Saturday. By the way, I know it may seem that I am defending League decisions, however, I can assure you I am nothing to do with the League committee.

[Beeswax]

Good suggestions Baz

[Novice]

Beeswax, I agree re floodlights, although I would add that if one of the reserve teams want to play a midweek game and another team is willing to play, knowing the potential for first team players playing, then that would be OK. I took a team to play Burnham Reserves midweek this season accepting this, so could not complain if we had been beaten. Say hi to Dave from the ex-Galleywood manager!

[TB&G]

Beezer. Romford reserves will be playing at The London Fire Brigade's ground in Aveley which, as far as I am aware, does not have floodlights and will be used as a typical EOL type based ground.

 

With two senior non league first teams using Mill Field at 42 league games each plus, plus cup games during next season with (probably) Aveley's Capital league side there in mid week too it will be very unlikely, I suspect that, Boro's stiffs will be able use it floodlit at any time.

[Beeswax]

Cheers Baz, I appreciate that.

 

However, if we consider that it's a done deal and the new reserve step 5 sides go in Senior Div 2, then the Senior Div 3 constitution will be made up of the 3 new junior sides - Wadham Lodge (Walthamstow), Catholic United (Westcliff) and Cranes United (West Ham) plus the bottom nine sides in the present Senior Div 2 - from the bottom up - Barnston AFC, Shenfield AFC, Basildon Town, Springfield, Writtle, Upminster, Ramsden, Newham United, and either Broomfield or Debden Sports who now as it turns out play each other on Saturday for the right to stay in Senior Div 2!! :gulp:

[Groyney]

Going at a tangent, congratulations, Rookie, on becoming the new manager at the Town, Basildon's most honourable of football clubs.

[Beeswax]

Well done Rookie, I thought that the selection of a new manager was some way off

[rookie]

Originally Posted By: Beeswax

Well done Rookie, I thought that the selection of a new manager was some way off

Got call today mate.

[Jockey]

Congratulations Rookie, looking forward to next season already. If I can get fit in time!!!