One major update of note - P11 AND p23 rule 18.5 - the email address for all 1st XI fixture results and scorers is once again
incorrect ! (Sorry Nicola..) The address for Nicola Russell has not changed from last year - and remains as
nicola-russell @ rfumidlands.demon.co.uk - full details to Nicola by Tuesday noon please.
If you spot any other mistakes please let us know .... we will be happy to post corrections - but please be aware
that any address details or phone numbers you post will be available to ALL viewers....
Telford and Wrekin won the DTZ Midland League title and promotion to the England Hockey League with a sustained run of victories that saw their early season rivals drop away one by one. It appeared that Mansfield, in their debut season in the top flight, might collect the runners up pennant but they were shaded on goal difference by fast finishing Harborne who must be rueing their five defeats in the first five weeks of the season.
There is a nice symmetry about Telford's success as forty years ago Midland's treasurer Mike Lowe and his Telford colleague Jeff Fletcher persuaded Midlands Council to set up a Midland Men's League. Today Mike's son David, as club secretary, is at the heart of Telford's planning for life in the England Hockey League.
The expansion of the England Hockey League that saw the rise of participating Midland clubs from 6 to 12 was reversed when Lichfield and Nottingham were relegated causing extra relegations down our first team league as we had made the decision to stick with our divisional winners and runners up being promoted. Worcester regained their Premiership status a point ahead of North Stafford in Midland Division 1. Northampton Saints finished clear of Derwent in East Midland Premier while in the west, Warwick were worthy winners followed by Walsall
Leicester Westleigh were unbeaten champions in East Midland 1 from Ramgarhia (Derby) while Reddich, such a busy club both on and off the pitch, finished 13 points clear of Leamington in West Midland 1. Ludlow took the West Midland Division 2 title from Pershore on goal difference while Loughborough Sharks, in only their second season in the league are the East Midland Division 2 champions chased to the line by runners up Daventry.
The Second Team League was again dominated by Cannock and Loughborough Students. The Staffordshire club regained their title from the students in a match I was privileged to watch at Loughborough where Cannock inflicted the only home defeat the Students suffered with a magnificent 9-1 win. Cannock also wrested the Third Team title from Loughborough Students grasp but they lost their Central League title by a point to Birmingham University's fourth team.
A total of 3,843 fixtures were played in the four leagues and I must thank my Chairman Barry Forrester for his leadership and my fellow league secretaries Chris Forde (Second Team), Mike Austin (Third Team) and Jules Brooks (Central) and their teams of Divisional Secretaries for their work, together with Nicky Russell who collates the first team results on Saturday evening and Michael Hooper who produces the results and league tables on our website. Michael does so much more on the website and his latest initiative is to set up a fixture bureau where clubs can display their fixture vacancies. It is dedicated to the memory of David Morgan who ran such a fixture bureau for many years.
Running the league is a huge and costly operation but we are able to keep your teams' affiliation fees down to £1 per match through sponsorship. Last summer it seemed that we might not have a sponsor and then our old friends at DTZ stepped in at the last minute to provide the support we needed for a year to add to the nine seasons they were our sponsors between 1994 and 2003
I regret to have to report that the number of cards increased for the second successive year reversing the successful downward trend of the previous five years. 45 red cards/MMOs and 1356 yellows compared with 20 and 1200 two years ago from an almost identical number of matches was disappointing, The league as always is grateful to the umpires both from the three umpires associations and also the club umpires who officiate at over three quarters of our matches Check the umpire associations website to see the Fair Play and Sociability ratings of teams in the First Team League. It lists the best, and it's good to know that the long journeys to Newtown and Oswestry are rewarded it also rates the best by divisions and by counties. It also lists the bottom ten per cent and while any list will have a top, middle and bottom I am sure you would rather your club is not at the foot of these tables.
The full League Committee had to deal with a number of teams that blatantly broke league rules or produced a standard of behaviour that was unacceptable which has resulted in three second teams being relegated, two first teams having points deducted before next season starts and the antics of a third team resulting in the largest fine we have ever imposed. Every club secretary will be written to before the start of next season listing the standards we expect from our member clubs.
Hopefully we can look forward to 2007/8 and welcome our new sponsors BodyKraft, the vehicle repair specialists from the West Midlands. As is often the case with sponsors there already exists a strong connection with hockey in the midlands.
These are interesting but uncertain times for regional hockey at the moment. I do not pretend to be able to predict the future but cutting back the EHL from 44 to 40 teams, the exclusion of youngsters from adult leagues and indoor hockey priorities are going to affect us all.
I am not sure that the Midlands can continue to provide over a quarter of the teams in the England Hockey League, relegations of Midland teams from the national league could result in a cascade of relegation down the first team divisions. We currently have two vacancies in our eight divisions and there is pressure from the other end with clubs wanting to join. Berkswell and Balsall Common, Wellingborough and Loughborough Sharks have been recent and successful debutants in our league and we have welcomed back Oswestry, Ashbourne and Aldridge. We might have to create a ninth division either resurrecting Midland Division 2 which would create extra promotion from the divisions below but would send a dozen clubs off on pan-midland fixtures or turning EM2 and WM2 into EM2, NWM2 and SWM2.
This year under 13s as at 1/1/08 may not play in an adult league and the signs are that this will be extended to U14s, U15s and U16s. Providing that it is done gradually clubs should be able to cope, but something has to be provided for these boys and it is up to clubs to liaise with their county associations and the Midland schools and youth committee. I listened spellbound at a meeting of regional leagues at Milton Keynes as the chairman of the South League and the secretary of the East League tore into hockey officials over the lack of consultation on the proposal to exclude youngsters from adult leagues and the effect it would have on clubs particularly in rural areas. The officials were left in no doubt of our concerns and a questionnaire has been sent out to clubs. The many clubs that have established and well run colts/youth/badgers teams will be ok, those that have not could lose their juniors to other clubs or possibly they will be lost to hockey.
The success of indoor hockey in recent seasons culminating in a huge finals night in Birmingham has given indoor hockey a huge boost and now indoor has priority over regional leagues in December and January. If the take-up for places in a Midland Indoor League in December is small we could probably cope with a few re-arrangements but if many of our Midland Premier and Midland Division 1 clubs go indoors in December then consideration should be given to cutting one or both these divisions back from 12 to 10 teams to leave December and January clear.
I would like to thank Lesley Boyles who is retiring after two years representing Northants on the Committee and looking after West Midlands Division 1 and welcome Steve Brooks the busy Secretary of Beeston who will run this division.
Peter Cranswick Hon Sec. - September 2007
If you decide you wish to play you must inform your opponents that you will be forfeiting the game and they will be awarded a 3-0 win.
By playing this friendly two teams and two umpires will get a game instead of missing out for two weeks, two clubs will get match tax income, the pitch hire will be paid and the home side gets some bar income.
Peter Cranswick
Hon Secretary