Pennine League strcuture

[bowes]

Drighlington are no longer in the premier and they've bumped up top 5 in the championship to make 11 teams in premier. 4 Championship clubs have dropped down to Championship 1 which is now 12 teams as Boothtown have dropped to division 1 and Birkenshaw have folded. Only really division 3 that's looking a bit dodgy now

[carlos]

Such a sad situation and sadly its only getting worse. Having played in the Pennine League for 15 years through ebery division, the standard is poor this season and only getting worse.

 

Without wading into the summer/winter debate, it is now clear what damage the Summer RFL regime is doing to the winter game. A number of quality players have gone to Union clubs over the winter qith the intention of returning to Summer clubs, but there is no gauarnatee that this will happen, further diluting the talent pool.

[bowes]

I don't think it's reasonable for winter clubs to rely on players coming from summer clubs as that means they don't have a team come March (entry league sides in the summer aside). I think it's a case of the same issues affecting the game in both seasons as neither has been a big success

[brassey]

it likes its sour grapes too take a quality team like drig out of  premier put them down a few divisions  just because they are going into the ncl next year its there lost  not drigs

[brassey]

bowes not been put in the champinship there been kick out of the pennine premier 

[bowes]

I guess if they were going to have to expand the premier due to teams looking to drop out they couldn't have fit the fixtures in before March but even so not a great situation. I initially put kicked out in my post but edited it as didn't know the situation.

[brassey]

most teams there put in wont furfill  there fixtures there will sh it there  pants  when there play sharlston  and queens

[bowes]

You're probably right. I guess it was a difficult situation as neither Chequerfield nor Upton were happy at that level but if they'd kept Drighlington in a 12 team premier would be about 19 games in 4 months. Suspect it was more an act of desperation than calculated. Unsure what the future holds for Queens, Sharlston and Fryston to be honest.

[fatboystu]

Id be more inclined to be worried about the future of the game as a whole. When the governing body and and the supposed voice of the amateur game can't get together for the good of the game we're in the ****. It makes me glad I don't play anymore and it shouldn't be like that.

[brassey]

who is voice of the amateur game fatboystu to me governing body not got a clue about the game proberbly  never played it

[Phil]

So far Halifax Irish, Brighouse, Illingworth and Queensbury have said they won't accept their "promotion" and are refusing to fulfill this weekends fixtures

[Li0nhead]

Sorry but this Pennine season:

 

[bowes]

Are West Bowling happy with it?

[fatboystu]

Brassey, I did say the SUPPOSED voice of the amateur game. It is looking more and more that neither the rfl or barla could run a p155 up in a brewery

[Phil]

Are West Bowling happy with it?

Don't know

[bowes]

Chequerfield's have pulled out of the premier division. This far doesn't look like they're in a lower division but unsure if that just means it hasn't been agreed which one or if they've folded

[Marauder]

Chequerfield's have pulled out of the premier division. This far doesn't look like they're in a lower division but unsure if that just means it hasn't been agreed which one or if they've folded

Chequers had 8 players to travel to Queens yesterday, they have injuries but the main reason seems to be with players moving to other clubs (Fryston, Brotherton and Kellingley) this for some reason seems to have become the norm over the last 4 or 5 seasons for players,  It does seem to be having a destabilising effect throughout the game, certain areas however do have a history of producing some very good amateur sides who only last 3 or 4 seasons before players move on and Pontefract is one of them along with Airedale, you only have to check how Methley have gone down the hill since Fryston have started up again.

[bowes]

Assumed Fryston starting back up had something to do with this. Letting 2 sides (Methley and Chequerfield) drop out of the premier division for the sake of having one extra team hasn't worked well especially as they are another side that would put clubs off stepping up a la Queens and Sharlston.

 

For what it's worth these issues would have happened sooner had the NCL stayed winter but added a division 3 as clubs would have stepped up. At the end of the day though Hunslet Parkside, Drighlington and Wibsey Warriors all deserve their chance at the NCL so you can't hold them back.

 

Not sure what the end result of this is as Halifax Irish, Brighouse and Illingworth in particularly are furious (Queensbury caved in under pressure to play West Bowling). Even seen club members proposing to pull the Halifax, Huddersfield and Bradford clubs out into their own divisions. Not convinced it will come to that but shows how destabilising this can be

[Marauder]

Assumed Fryston starting back up had something to do with this. Letting 2 sides (Methley and Chequerfield) drop out of the premier division for the sake of having one extra team hasn't worked well especially as they are another side that would put clubs off stepping up a la Queens and Sharlston.

 

For what it's worth these issues would have happened sooner had the NCL stayed winter but added a division 3 as clubs would have stepped up. At the end of the day though Hunslet Parkside, Drighlington and Wibsey Warriors all deserve their chance at the NCL so you can't hold them back.

 

Not sure what the end result of this is as Halifax Irish, Brighouse and Illingworth in particularly are furious (Queensbury caved in under pressure to play West Bowling). Even seen club members proposing to pull the Halifax, Huddersfield and Bradford clubs out into their own divisions. Not convinced it will come to that but shows how destabilising this can be

Always happened, just been talking to one of our ex players who went to Chequers, he said it was fine when he went on holiday 4 weeks ago and came back to carnage, he says he hasn't got a clue what's gone off.

[bowes]

Yeah going to be tough for them to find a full fixture list even in future seasons for Queens, Fryston and Sharlston but on the flip side those clubs can't join the NCL. I'm not even going to pretend to know the answer. I always thought the Pennine League were well run but they seem to have started to struggle, suspect it's a case of things being difficult for anyone to organise. Whether summer will benefit from this, whether there'll be a break away winter league or whether things will get sorted out amiably I don't know. I do know the Pennine league can't unrestructure as they'll be down to 5 premier division teams but they also can't force teams to stay up who don't want to without causing a backlash

[Defender1]

Is the head of the Pennine also not head of BARLA (who?) who now sits on the community board, maybe the RFL attitude has rubbed off.

[Marauder]

Yeah going to be tough for them to find a full fixture list even in future seasons for Queens, Fryston and Sharlston but on the flip side those clubs can't join the NCL. I'm not even going to pretend to know the answer. I always thought the Pennine League were well run but they seem to have started to struggle, suspect it's a case of things being difficult for anyone to organise. Whether summer will benefit from this, whether there'll be a break away winter league or whether things will get sorted out amiably I don't know. I do know the Pennine league can't unrestructure as they'll be down to 5 premier division teams but they also can't force teams to stay up who don't want to without causing a backlash

Why is it going to be hard to find fixtures ?

[bowes]

Why is it going to be hard to find fixtures ?

Noone will play them, that's the sole reason why the premier division is in melt down. I really don't think Halifax Irish etc are scared off by Upton

[Marauder]

Noone will play them, that's the sole reason why the premier division is in melt down. I really don't think Halifax Irish etc are scared off by Upton

Obviously you've never played at quarry lane I've actually played against all those teams on a regular basis in the past, and Quarry lane is as intimidating as anywhere if you let it.

 

What you have to realise teams can lose or gain half a dozen players before and during a season, so top dog this year could be the candidate for the wooden spoon next year.

[bowes]

Obviously you've never played at quarry lane I've actually played against all those teams on a regular basis in the past, and Quarry lane is as intimidating as anywhere if you let it.

 

What you have to realise teams can lose or gain half a dozen players before and during a season, so top dog this year could be the candidate for the wooden spoon next year.

Yeah I know of Upton's reputation so fair point, I was more thinking playing standard. Nonetheless it is a tough issue. What you say may be true of Fryston but can't see Sharlston and Queens struggling unless the lack of fixtures sees them lose players to the NCL as they've been this good consistently ever since I started following the sport.