| The Essex League 2007-08 |
PAGE DATE: 07-May-2008 |
Details of the League re-structuring for 2007-08 have been released following the decision of the GPC in May to adopt a revised format based on 6-team double-round divisions.
26 entries were received, which a swift burst of mental arithmetic will tell you does not make for an equal number of teams in each division. The problem was more difficult than it appears from these bare facts as the GPC in its wisdom had decreed all divisions but the lowest to have 6 teams. Whereas 10 in the bottom division would allow that to be followed, the rule change also stipulated double round competition in each division! Clearly, both elements cannot be satisfied from 26 entries.
After an intense period of behind-the-scenes negotiations, a solution has been reached and the League Secretary, David Millward, has today circulated to Clubs the make-up of the new League, comprising first and second Divisions each of 6 teams, a third Division of seven teams and, (for the first time since 1998-99) a fourth Division, also seven teams. All Divisions will play a dobule round, home and away. Board numbers will be the same as previously: 8, 8, 6 and 6.
The League Secretary and the League Management Committee are to be congratulated on reaching, what is inevitably a compromise solution, in time for the Fixtures meeting at Brentwood, Thursday 13-September-2007. We must also acknowledge the cooperation and pragmatism of those Clubs who have modified their aspirations in the interests of reaching a solution to a puzzle without an obvious answer. The result should be a more vigorous and vibrant competition.
Latest update supplied by David Millward on 07-May-2008 uploaded by the Webmaster the same evening.
Adjudication Procedures
League Rules 29(c-f) deal with the means by which Clubs submit games for adjudication, but the League Rules are silent on how the adjudication process works. The Executive intends to codify the adjudication process, and the basis on which decisions are to be reached, for inclusion in the Rules Compendium, but in the meantime has agreed that the website should carry a description of the process for information purposes. IT IS STRESSED THAT THE PARAGRAPHS THAT FOLLOW ARE NOT FORMAL RULES, BUT SIMPLY A DESCRIPTION OF HOW THE ADJUDICATION PROCESS WORKS. The adjudication process has worked in this way for many, many, years. What follows is therefore nothing new, it has just not been set out in this way before.
1. Adjudicators are members of a variety of Clubs in the Essex League and beyond; the criteria for selection is simply their willingness to do the job with reasonable speed (it is intended that any initial adjudication claim should be resolved within four weeks), without sacrificing accuracy. (The current panel represents four Clubs currently playing in the Essex League and two other Essex Clubs.) All adjudicators are volunteers, receiving no payment for the hours of analysis which they often have to carry out to reach a decision.
2. Each adjudication is sent initially to two adjudicators who work independently to reach their decision. They must not be members of either Club concerned, they are totally unaware of the identities of the players and Clubs involved and neither are they aware of each other's identity. In addition, as far as possible, they are always significantly stronger than the players concerned.
3. If the decisions given by these two adjudicators agree, then that is the result of the game which is then notified to the Clubs concerned.
4. If the decisions differ, then the position is sent to a third adjudicator, generally stronger than the two original adjudicators; this will usually achieve a 2-1 majority verdict which becomes the result of the game and is then notified to the Clubs concerned.
5. Clubs have the right of appeal against the adjudication result. An appeal must be supported in writing with the analysis on which the appeal is based. The appeal analysis (together with any analysis provided by the opposing Club in support of the original decision) is then submitted to another adjudicator who was not one of the two (or three) original adjudicators and who will be a stronger player than any of the original adjudicators. This adjudicator’s decision is final.
Anyone not on the adjudication panel, but who would like to help the Association in this way, should contact David Smith.
