Winter League III

Totally. It's cool either way. As I said, that being the case (one league), then I'll be needing another team.

They're not keen on a one division league as it wouldn't be skill level matched. Not in an arsey way and they're happy to throw in / occasional tourney, but 3 months Vs 3 years in experience wouldn't be fun for anyone.

Sparkle hadn't played that long before we got stuck into the league, IMO you take a fair few whuppins but it's great for upping your game level -

you play with the best, you learn from the best…

+1
the only way to improve your game is to play with better players than you

What happens to the best when they keep playing against new teams/ it must be fustrating.

Comparing watching play att downham with quorn street downham is fast highly skilled and from my perspective, quite scary... if the differential betwwen the top and the bottom is too big then neither party will enjoy it or benefit from it.

i like the idea of a 2nd league

zakly^^ guess who i learned to play from ? A + D

I think London need to have two leagues, for me make sense, but.... it is just my opinion
as Gabes said, the time for the votations and decision making will came...

How would we choose who goes in which league? (serious replies please)

Same way you choose the seedings for the Open (whatever that is) ?

+1 on learning from more experienced players.
But as I said, it's not much fun for noob teams to be thrashed on a regular basis as it wouldn't be challenging for established teams to play against noobs. This is why divisions make sense. But it looks like there aren't enough teams, and what Gabes said ^.
Maybe the top 3/4 ish teams Div 1, bottom 1/4 ish & noobs Div 2.
Contentious issue either way. Tough one.

Relegation, promotion, and play-off clashes would also give non table-topping end of season games some bite.

Same way you choose the seedings for the Open (whatever that is) ?

so you are essentially saying i will be excluded from playing with people that i have been for the last 3 years? no thanks

joni - why not start a beginners league but allow people to join the london league if they want.

everyone should be allowed to play in the league ...if they want. the important thing is the league is not compulsory for london polo players! there is plenty of opportunity for competitive games/team action without being committed to a league.

gabes - i'll help with the proposals.

joni - why not start a beginners league but allow people to join the london league if they want.

Because there aren't enough people.
Nice idea though.
No one is going to be happy being relegated, maybe make it optional?

I guess this is why we have meetings and votes.

until we know how my teams there are it seems silly to discuss 2 leagues... if only 12 - 15 teams sign up then why split the league? As sarah said there are many times to play polo, if you get spanked by the top teams thats life. You don't enter the league only if you think you'll be able to win it, you enter it for the chance to play MORE polo.

so you are essentially saying i will be excluded from playing with people that i have been for the last 3 years? no thanks

Hey take it easy, I wasnt saying anything like that at all.

I get your point about everyone who wants to play should be able to - but if the league gets bigger, say to ~30 teams, wouldnt it make sense to split it in two divisions? (and obviously split it on performance)

You'd be in the top division anyway Hops :-)

Sparkle hadn't played that long before we got stuck into the league, IMO you take a fair few whuppins but it's great for upping your game level -

you play with the best, you learn from the best…
Have an example, Wayne went from his inexperience west standard to doing an amazing job as Apples keeper for the cyclecoop tournament in less than a year.

You don't enter the league only if you think you'll be able to win it, you enter it for the chance to play MORE polo.
Worth quoting.

And it's fuckin fun!

It's not like you're taking a drubbing and everyones miserable - Sparkles came off the court after every league game with lots of 'what-if's' and 'how the fuck did that happen' but also with dirty big grins on our faces most of the time

But as I said, it's not much fun for noob teams to be thrashed on a regular basis as it wouldn't be challenging for established teams to play against noobs.

Not entirely true, Polonium got whooped in pretty much every fixture last season, and we all had a blast! (although granted none of us are particularly competetive, which may have had something to do with it)

As has been said though, its about playing more polo, and you'll quickly find playing FOR something makes you play very differently to throwins.

One league, one love.

Werd.

werderer!

You can always take the scottish football league as an example, start with one league, then split it in half, halfway through.

Otherwise, just have a swiss rounds pre-league quali tourney, with starting positions based on last years league, and summer tournement results.

Personally i'm happy either way. I don't mind getting spanked by the big teams on a regular basis, but i also don't mind having to play a few seasons in the lower league to earn the right to play the big teams.

Tapout got our arses kicked in 90% of games but we had a shit load of fun and learnt a lot. I can see the attraction of getting basic mallet/bike skills in a beginner environment but if you stay there forever you'll always be playing beginner level polo.

It's months until the league actually starts anyway so you have plenty of time to practise.

^ right there. come one come all.

im more than up for getting my ass whooped in the league.
playing better teams raises your games as has said before, and i'd rather be playing the big teams in a leage.
isnt that the reason why theres a beginners night