Here is the first edition of this coming season's 'Worcester League News' in which I hope to keep you up to date with everything that you need to know in the Worcester & District Football League

Hi everyone,
 
Firstly, a reminder that the next Delegates meeting is Tuesday 10 August - 7.30 p.m. at the Archdale 73 club, Windermere Drive, Warndon, Worcester. Your club must be represented, otherwise you will incur a £25 fine. The agenda for the meeting is attached together with the minutes of the last Delegates meeting on 17 May.
 
I have already notified you of the other Delegate meeting dates but here they are again - Tuesdays- 19 October and 14 December. Mondays - 14 February, 11 April, 16 May and the AGM on 20 June.
 
Divisional make-up - Since the AGM there have been one or two changes. Four teams have withdrawn from the League - Nunnery Wood Colts (Saturday), Westside (Sunday Premier Division), Powick 'A' (Sunday Division One) and Whitehall (Sunday Division 2). Late applications were received from Newtown Sports (Saturday) and Perrywood Reserves (Sunday). Your Management Committee has accepted these late applications as straight replacements for Nunnery Wood Colts and Whitehall and you will be asked to ratify this decision at the Delegates meeting. For your information, the revised divisional make-up of the League is attached.
 
Hand Books - Each team will receive two copies of next season's hand book on Tuesday. We hope we have got all the information right, but from past experience there is likely to be some human error ! Would clubs please check their details and if anything is wrong or has changed since you first submitted the information, then please e-mail me with the corrections when you get home. I will then issue the first amendment sheet, again by e-mail.
 
Start of the season - The new season commences on 4/5 September and you would normally pick up your first set of fixtures at the August meeting. However, there will be no paper fixtures issued this year and all the information you require can be obtained from our web site - www.wdfl.co.uk
Bob Usher is currently transfering everything from our old web site on to the new one which is the Football Association 'Full-Time' site. The new site will have exactly the same name and should be up and running this coming weekend when you will be able to view your first set of fixtures. More on 'Full-Time' shortly but you will have gathered by now that it is absolutely vital that someone in your club, preferably the secretary, has internet access. Every club has now notified me of their e-mail contact - please !! make sure this is kept up to date !
 
Closed Dates - Whilst we're talking about fixtures, can I remind you that each team is entitled to close two dates during the season, provided that the required six weeks notice is given ! Please note there will be no exceptions to this rule, so please use these dates wisely.
 
Registrations - How many players have you registered with the League so far ? A reminder of League rule 8 (o) - ' Each club must have completed for each team, at least 12 fully and correctly completed Competition Registration Forms ......... no later than 14 days  prior to the commencement of the season.'  Ted is waiting patiently for your forms so please let him have what you have already completed on Tuesday, when you can also pick up your match report books from him.
 
A word of Warning! - This is the time of the year when you can fall foul of the registration procedures. 'Double signings' and the signing of players who are under County suspension can be common place. It is your club's responsibilty to ensure that any potential signings are eligible to play for you. If in doubt, check with Ted to see if the player has already signed for someone else and definitely check this link - www.worcestershirefa.com/Governance/  for a full list of players who are either suspended sine die (usually for non-payment of fines), plus the list of players with a suspension that runs into the start of the new season. The same cautionary approach should be taken when contemplating 'emergency sisgnings' on the day of the match as per rule 8 (a) (2). To be quite frank, emergency signings can be more trouble than they are worth, so the advice is to avoid them whenever possible !! Without labouring the point, can I remind you that any club subsequently found to have played an ineligible player will have points and goals deducted from their record as per rule 8 (m) (i) and (ii).  You have been warned !!
 
Worcester City Council pitches - Clubs who applied to play on council pitches should by now have been told where they have been allocated. There may be one or two of you disappoined in your allocation but some venues were over subscribed and as last season, some venues are being kept in reserve in case of inclement weather. If you have any queries about your allocation, then give me a ring as I can probably give you the answer. A reminder that this season, although you may have paid for the season, you should book your council pitch on a weekly basis which will avoid cancellations when fixtures change at the last moment.

Saturday Baylis/Phipps Cup formats - There are 14 teams in the Saturday Division. This is how the two cup competitions will roll out this season. All 14 teams will play in the preliminary round of the Baylis Cup (7 matches). The 7 winning teams will go into the next round of the Baylis cup (3 matches and one bye) and the 7 losing teams into the first round of the Phipps Cup (also 3 matches and one bye). However, the preliminary round of the Baylis Cup will be seeded with the top 7 teams drawn against the 7 'lesser' teams. Doing it this way should mean (subject to any 'giant-killing'), that the 7 'stronger' sides should compete for the Baylis Cup and the 7 'weaker' sides for the Phipps Cup. This system will also prevent one club appearing in both finals, a bone of contention with some clubs last season, and return as near as possible to the true ethic of the two competitions - the Baylis Cup for the higher Divisions and the Phipps Cup for the lower Divisions. The preliminary round will probably not take place until towards the end of 2010, so we will have plenty of time to consider the seedings, which will be based amongst other things, on early season form.

Click here to view Part 2 of the WDFL News - Season 2010/11 No. 1 or alternatively 'Download' a full copy in PDF format.

Full downloadable copy of WDFL News - Season 2010/11 No. 1 - Download / Open

Minutes of WL Delegates meeting on 17.5.10 - Download / Open