poll

The Two Counties League should as soon as possible be incorporated leagues of 12 and affiliation to the Premier League feeder system should be scrapped.

1. Senior Leagues of 12 to include all First teams currently in the League + Clacton and BSE in they want to rejoin + any Suffolk Premier or Essex sides who want to apply (if facilities are acceptable) in (probably) 5 leagues. Any new teams after year 1 join then at 5 rather than 9 at present which reduces the inbalance of strength in the lower divisions when new Clubs join. 2 clubs promoted and 2 relegated except in the lowest division.
2. Junior Leagues of 12 to include current 2nd, 3rd and 4th teams + any new teams as above, with rules about not having 2 teams from a Club in the same league, in (probably) 5 leagues. No promotion to Senior League from Junior League. 2 clubs promoted and 2 relegated except in the lowest division.
3. An option to regionalise the lower divisions of both Senior and Junior if a suitable format can be decided regarding relegation/promotion issues.
4. Start fixtures one week earlier in April, use one Bank Holiday monday and 2 in September with the option of September fixtures being on Sunday (or the remaining Bank Holiday monday) if there is a problem with ground availability due to football etc. Much has been mentioned on the above both on this site and in discussions in various bars after matches! For what it's worth how about the following??
5. Inherent in this is that affiliation to the Premier League feeder system should be scrapped.

Please e-mail your votes (by the end of August) or suggestions to rickjones@ntlworld.com.

from Phil Drury (Halstead CC), 21st August 2008

The only area I support on the poll page is to reform the divisions into twelve teams and that this should be done with immediate effect. No-one will be relegated by this process because it will involve moving a great number of teams upwards and therefore the admirable notion that "clubs should know what they are playing for at the beginning of the season" does not apply. If you were to reduce the divisions then that notion becomes paramount and a great deal of resentment would be generated if notice to reduce were not given. This is a hypothetical example used purely for illustrative purposes because clubs would not support such a proposal. The EAPL will comprise twelve teams in 2009 and that means 22 Saturdays of cricket, weather permitting. Why can the Two Counties not follow suit?
Whether or not you like the EAPL set-up, it is a far higher standard than Two Counties Division One (which from a personal angle is the weakest I have seen for many years) and any club with ambitions should have a well defined development plan with aspirations to reach the highest standard of cricket possible within a given period. For many this means the EAPL and to sever the links would be detrimental and a retrograde step. Playing matches on any date othen than that on which an EAPL match is scheduled will generate further incidences of the Long Melford / Abberton-type situation recorded on the Have Your Say notice board.
I know we will not agree on this issue but you asked for views and that's mine.

Editor's Comment:
Thanks for your input Phil. As a well respected previous Hon Sec of the TC as well as your links with the EAPL your views are important and the fact that we disagree occasionally on issues merely reflect diversity of views on matters that we both care deeply about. On the fundamental issuue of divisions of 12 we are in agreement. Let's do it and let's do it now and debate other issues during the close season.