Fixtures

[The Purest]

The league must look at new ways to sort out this ridiculous fixture organisation.

 

Now the 25th September, season started 15th August and Colney Heath have played only 3 league games. League leaders Biggleswade have played 8 league games and are now 19 points clear of Colney Heath. You then have St Margaretsbury having played 4, four teams having played 5 and the rest a mixture of 6, 7 and 8, with London Colney having played 10.

 

Some of these cups have to go, or alternatively start certain cups around mid November, in order to allow teams the opportunity to get some league form going and be on an even playing field.

 

FA Cup and FA Vase games that finish in draws after 90 minutes, should go to extra time and then penalties, to avoid replays which further hamper teams fixtures. 

 

Effectively given the margins, Colney Heaths season is over before the end of September!!! Complete madness.

 

 

 

 

[nonleaguewizard19]

The league must look at new ways to sort out this ridiculous fixture organisation.

 

Now the 25th September, season started 15th August and Colney Heath have played only 3 league games. League leaders Biggleswade have played 8 league games and are now 19 points clear of Colney Heath. You then have St Margaretsbury having played 4, four teams having played 5 and the rest a mixture of 6, 7 and 8, with London Colney having played 10.

 

Some of these cups have to go, or alternatively start certain cups around mid November, in order to allow teams the opportunity to get some league form going and be on an even playing field.

 

FA Cup and FA Vase games that finish in draws after 90 minutes, should go to extra time and then penalties, to avoid replays which further hamper teams fixtures. 

 

Effectively given the margins, Colney Heaths season is over before the end of September!!! Complete madness.

Completely agree with this!! If clubs do well in the FA Cup/ Vase they are effectively punished as they have so many league games to catch up. 

[Munchkin]

The league have no control over the FA vase and cup rules, equally presume FA Cup rules would have to be adopted across all rounds so likelihood of that changing any time soon is unlikely as replays earn money for clubs further in to the competition.

 

So in Colney Heath’s case what could the league do differently, maybe they didn’t have to play the Challenge Trophy and Premier Division cup fixtures so early which could have allowed 2 league fixtures.

 

Equally would it be noticeable if they hadn’t lost all 3 league games?

[Whitley Bay]

The answer is to not enter the FA Cup or FA Vase - or if you do, do not draw the game if it has to go to a replay!! In addition, make sure you get a bye in the Preliminary Round of any League Cup Competition.

 

Oh, and of course, win your League games if you want to stay in contention for the League title!!

[Uncle T]

I have just checked Levy fixtures for the season and we have 5 free Saturdays. This I have never know this to have happen in the past. Yes Sun Sports have folded so that causes some gaps, but we played them before they folded.

 

Of course they may be some adjustment with bad weather and vase games. But 5 free Saturdays, in fact the next two weeks are free Saturdays.

[Jonno]

A lot of unrest from clubs this season regarding fixtures, more than the usual grumbles and groans. I heard the under 25 league is under scrutiny at the moment due to people being made to travel an hour and a half on a midweek game.

[Karen Browne]

Think the best way forward is to go back to monthly fixtures

[GinolaII]

I am not sure I agree that the fixtures organisation is ridiculous.

 

 

Looking at the Bostik North for comparison, and to which most, or rather some of us aspire, has a range of 6-11 games played.

First world problem.

 

 

What does grind my gears is that games that are postponed or delayed seem to take weeks to re-arrange.

How hard can this be? Next available slot in a week in which neither side are potentially in a cup replay.

 

Sorry, but for me, monthly fixtures are Mickey Mouse.

[agamemnon3]

I'm with Ginolall on this --- monthly fixtures are for pub leagues...

 

And, in passing, I don't see Baldock complaining about the fixture situation --- could this possibly be because they aren't losing any games ? 

[Arsenal fan]

The premier should stay on an annual fixtures list like the other step 5 leagues around the country. They manage it without lots of blank Saturdays and long runs of home games and away games. It is different clubs in our Premier each year that get the bad fixture list and some moan more than others.

 

Perhaps our league should invite another league's fixture secretary to do the Premier fixtures for them. Yes you need to know BIggelswade Town, Hendon and Northwood's fixtures first, but plenty other leagues cope with that number of groundshares and cup draws and do an annual list competently.

 

The other divisions should have monthly fixtures like reserve leagues do for good reasons. Division 1 is impossible annually with Arlesey, Burnham, Haringey Borough, St Neots. Athletics stadia, Harefield & Broadfields sharing just to name a few.