Joint EWL and
EML Management Meeting: Thursday 21st September 2006
Hilton Hotel, Stansted
Present
|
Russell Nutter |
Ö |
Bob King |
|
Richard Munns |
Ö |
|
David Burt |
Ö |
Neil Liversedge |
Ö |
Rosemary Prince |
Ö |
|
Janet Goody |
Ö |
Sarah Mann |
Ö |
Pritpal Sagoo |
Ö |
|
Cliff Gulbis |
|
Steve Mayhew |
Ö |
Robert Southgate |
Ö |
|
Barry Harness |
Ö |
Samantha
Menear |
Ö |
Trevor Williams |
Ö |
|
Mike Huckerby |
|
Jim
Morris |
Ö |
|
|
Chair
Russell
Nutter
Apologies
Cliff
Gulbis, Mike Huckerby, Bob King
1. The
Chairman welcomed Barry Harness, Neil Liversedge and Samantha Menear as new
members of the Committee and reported that Mike Huckerby was in hospital and
likely to be away from Committee for a little while.
2. Minutes
of previous meeting.
There were no issues arising.
3. 2006/7
Season Preliminaries
3.1.
Most had been received. Noted that fines are applicable to clubs
failing to provide the necessary information on time: League Managers to inform TW as necessary.
3.2.
Payment of fees: five clubs still outstanding with two days to
go. Agreed that there should be no
exemptions to the rule, and that universities are not a special case.
3.3.
There will be two new clubs in the
EML: Plashet HC and Rutland HC.
3.4.
EML Premier A and EWL Premier player
registrations are in hand.
3.5.
Club umpires to be Level 1 in all
divisions this season. League Managers
will investigate any apparent failures to provide appropriately qualified
umpires. As regards Probationer Level 1
umpires in some lower divisions, it was noted that Probationer status lasts for
12 months after successfully passing the L1 examination and thereafter lapses.
3.6.
SM will check with County CHUA’s
that Clubs have arranged membership for all their umpires and satisfied the rule
for the minimum number of L1 umpires.
3.7.
Volunteers to manage Mike Huckerby’s
divisions had responded very quickly. Division
4NE Pritpal Sagoo will manage 4NE, Samantha Menear 5NE, and Cliff Gulbis 6NE. Russell Nutter will contact Terry Huckerby
and arrange for any calls or teamsheets still reaching Mike to be forwarded
to himself for redistribution.
3.8.
Noted that limited availability of
astro slots was proving to be a major problem for some clubs in fulfilling the
3 pm rule on latest starts in winter months for higher divisions. Clubs should be encouraged to discuss options
with the County or East pool in cases of difficulty; the League will accept variations from this
rule if the local umpires agree.
3.9.
NL will be abroad from 27th October
for three weeks. RM will manage the
divisions in that period. TW to add note
to website.
3.10.
SM commented that on 30th Sept there
were no home games in the divisions covered by Suffolk pool umpires. RM explained that H/A distributions were set
up to alternate H and A for each team and to give clubs about half H and half A
for all their teams on any one day.
Working this across two leagues, over 30 divisions, and around 130 clubs
left little scope for other considerations.
The result on 30th Sept was pure chance.
4. League
structure and organisation
4.1.
EH Proposals for A Single System for
Hockey: Following the
latest proposals it was agreed that: the East Leagues will carry out a survey
of all clubs to determine the impact on team numbers of EH proposals to ban
U13, U14, and U15 players from senior leagues;
county leagues may wish to make this a cooperative effort. (TW). Also agreed that the East Leagues should not
set up junior or development divisions.
The development of junior or badger leagues would probably be best done
by County Associations as there are already junior competition and child
welfare resources in place at county level.
Travel would also be a more difficult issue for teams including more
junior players than at present.
4.2.
NE – SE quadrant structures: There is no obvious solution to the travel
difficulties for Norfolk and Suffolk clubs.
The possibility of redefining the structure in these quadrants should
however be looked at again once the final impact of the England LTAD proposals
on team numbers and club futures is established.
5. Finance
5.1. Fines
in 2005-6 totalled £1260, all of which have now been received. These monies go to support young umpire
initiatives throughout East.
League fees for the current season are almost all collected. The final total will be £5200, which is
slightly better than budget.
6. Rule
changes for 2007/8 – proposal subject to 2007 AGM
6.1. Agreed
that the posting of venues and start times on the East website be made
mandatory for all divisions in the EML and EWL.
6.2. Agreed
that no more than two teams from one club may play in the same division, to be
achieved by a relegation cascade and/or denying promotion to a team (the bottom
division of a quadrant may not always be compliant).
6.3. Teams
winning trophies must attend Presentation Day to receive their trophy during
the formal presentation ceremony.
7. Umpiring
7.1. Umpire
complaint form: draft still with ERHUA
for finalisation.
7.2. Herts
& Beds pool: now operating on a
reduced basis.
8. Discipline
8.1.
Brentwood HC had now written to the
Ford umpire to apologise unreservedly for racial abuse during a match in
December. The club had also fully
retracted its allegations that delays in dealing with this matter were due to the League failing to provide
reports. As a result the meeting agreed
that the proposed disciplinary measures against Brentwood under Rule 7.2 would
not be necessary.
8.2.
Bedford 1st team discipline and
behaviour towards umpires will be closely monitored by East Pool Umpires throughout the season. The team will be expelled from the League
should any further major incident occur.
Two Bedford players with outstanding yellow card league bans will not play some
league matches early this season. That
one of these players received another red card in a Cup match on 17th Sept was
noted with concern.
9. Presentation
Day and AGM 2007
9.1.
Review of 2006 meeting: agreed that this was a very well organised
and hospitable occasion. Ford HC are to
be congratulated for their hosting of this event. PS will thank the Ford Committee.
9.2.
Date 2007: June 3rd
9.3.
Venue 2007: possibly Newmarket, possibly Royston if the
clubs are willing. RM to investigate the former and DB the latter.
9.4.
Organiser 2007: David Burt volunteered to do this.
10. Future
meetings: Committee
2006-7: 16th Nov, 8th Feb, 26th April, Stansted Hilton, starting time 7.30.