Mister TwoU
First Team Sub
May 19, 2012, 2:47 PM
Posts: 1160
Location: Bo'ness
Team(s): Cowdenbeath
Post #380 of 457
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Re: [ladderman] Step 4 2012-13
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No one's ever died by playing 46 rather than 42 league games. It's too many for that level, but if the NL actually promoted clubs, the problem wouldn't be there.
I wouldn't be against the NL moving up a step if a 1-2-4-8 system was brought in. In fact it's possibly the only way it would work. But its member clubs would have to accept promotion to step 3 when they earned it, and play a full a proper part in the non league system. Do you think they would happen?
I'm inclined to agree, with reservation as many questions are raised.
Does the NL 'deserve' such elevation? Would doing so be beneficial to the other clubs in the higher steps? Could it actually be done in a logical and universally fair manner? What would be the most sensible format? Would the NL find the idea acceptable?
While I cannot see elevating the NL by one whole level en-bloc necessarily solving things, I quite like the three-division-split idea for it (previously posted above), although I'd handle it by creating; to begin with; a 10 team NL Premier Division, to place at step 4, while the remaining 36 teams form Divisions 1 & 2 at 18 teams each.
We've already embraced a little assymmetry between the step 3/4 leagues with the IL's increased numbers and relegation places for the 2012-13 season, so another little assymmetry here shouldn't matter.
As the NPLP will now number 24 teams, there could be two relegation play-out positions created at 20th. & 21st. positions, over and above three relegation positions.
There would be the three automatic promotions from NPL1N, NPL1S & NLPrem. Thereafter the NPLP 20th./21st. teams would enter the play-off/out in the 2nd. round against NLPrem 2nd. & 3rd. placed sides + the four winners of standard 1st. round play-offs in NPL1N/S divisions. They would expect to be kept in two seperate groups and would be seeded (see seeding details in section below for the seeding-plan style I'd envisage). The 3rd.-round winners would take the final two NPLP places.
If things had played-out so for 2011-12 for example (acknowledging Northich's disgrace):-
NPLP definite relegation for Northwich Victoria, Burscough & Mickleover Sports. NPLP play-out teams are then Chasetown & Frickley Athletic. The three direct promotees would be AFC Fylde, Grantham Town & Spennymoor Town. First Round play-offs in NPL1S/N progress as usual - we know these results.
In 2nd. round the NPLP teams & NLPrem. teams enter and a seeded draw might be as follows_
GROUP A
Match 1 Frickley Athletic (1st. seed) v. Leek Town (4th.)
Match 2 Curzon Ashton (2nd.) v. Dunston UTS (3rd.)
GROUP B
Match 1 West Auckland Town (1st. seed) v. Ilkeston (4th.)
Match 2 Chasetown (2nd.) v. Witton Albion (3rd.)
3rd. Round (winners to NPLP)
Team A1 v. Team A2 (higher seed at home) Team B1 v. Team B2 (higher seed at home)
That embryonic NLPrem. division could slowly be built-up two teams at a time over the following 6-12 seasons - it's reasonably easy to manufacture fair-enough fixture programmes for the interval divisional numbers of between 36-46 matches per season - although it's questionable whether the 24-team NPLP could finally sustain six relegation places per season as would eventually be required if 'standard' prom/rel. practices were to be reinstated.
I could see the requirement for a 1st. round play-off match being introduced for the NLPrem. when divisional size were 14/16/18, but as soon as it reaches 20 teams, then it ought operate a full 1st. round, the same as the other two step divisions - at which point I'd expect there to be two-up guaranteed for all three.
I suppose that a slightly different play-off/out could suffice:- 19th.-21st. in NPLP join a second round including the three step 4 2nd. & 3rd. sides + winners of the three 4th. v. 5th. 1st. round matches.
They're drawn into three seeded groups, each headed by an NPLP team, with one NPL1 2nd. & one 3rd. & one 1st. round winner. The top seed for each subsequent match would accrue home advantage and 19th. NPLP side would always be first seed, 20th. always 2nd. seed & 21st. always 3rd. seed in their own groups.
Again, if things had played-out so for 2011-12 for example (acknowledging Northich's disgrace):-
NPLP definite relegation for Northwich Victoria, Burscough & Mickleover Sports. NPLP play-out teams are then Chasetown & Frickley Athletic. The three direct promotees would be AFC Fylde, Grantham Town & Spennymoor Town. First Round play-offs in NPL1S/N & NLPrem.
In 2nd. round the NPLP teams enter and a seeded draw might be as follows-
GROUP A
Match 1 Carlton Town (1st. seed) v. Sheffield/Leek Town (4th.)
Match 2 Ilkeston (2nd.) v. Chasetown (3rd.)
GROUP B
Match 1 Curzon Ashton (1st. seed) v. Farsley/Garforth Town (4th.)
Match 2 Frickley Athletic (2nd.) v. Witton Albion (3rd.)
GROUP C
Match 1 Stocksbridge PS (1st. seed) v. Sunderland RCA/Ashington (4th.)
Match 2 West Auckland Town (2nd.) v. (3rd.) Dunston UTS
3rd. Round (winners to NPLP)
Team A1 v. Team A2 (higher seed at home); Team B1 v. Team B2 (higher seed at home); Team C1 v. Team C2 (higher seed at home)
Note that the seeding system is intended here to localise fixtures as far as possible, to try to ensure equal opportunity for promotion for each step 4 division and to give appropriate advantages to successively higher-place achievements in each of the four divisions involved.
Ut temporibus est cum diabolus accipit renes
Still the original Paddy MacNab.
(This post was edited by Mister TwoU on May 19, 2012, 3:09 PM)
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