Email sent to captains and vice-captains 30-July-2009
The entry forms for the 2009-2010 season will be sent out shortly. The date and venue for the 2009 AGM and Captains' Meeting has been decided:
Tuesday 8th September 5.30pm at IBM South Bank
Over recent years there have been a number of accumulating concerns - problems in arranging matches, slippage of playing season well into the summer, increasing demands on business people to work longer hours causing delayed starts - as well as falling numbers in the league and competitions. Though not immediately critical, we also have to consider whether we want to continue to be part of the EBU after they adopt their new funding proposals (P2P) and 'Universal Membership'.
The committee is conscious that long AGMs are not attractive to anyone. Therefore we are canvassing opinion now about some of these concerns and ideas the committee has to address them. We invite your comment on the list below and, within reason, anything that influences our continuing to enjoy bridge in a social competitive framework, after work, in London.
Start Times
Start time of matches must be between 18:00 and 19:00 - no-one can be compelled to start a match earlier or later and 18:30 is default.
Bridge Clubs
We are considering allowing bridge clubs - as opposed to work groups however loosely construed - to join the League.
Make-up of Teams
The LBH has never had a restriction on the number of players a team may field in the course of a season. However, the committee feels it is everyone's expectation that the majority of matches are played by a central core of players. As a guideline we expect that no more than eight players be used. This does not restrict the use of substitutes to ensure a fixture proceeds but the league secretary will monitor clubs that have a long 'tail' of players. If you have many keen people, get them to form a new team!
'Season Creep'
We are considering penalizing teams who have not played a certain number of matches before a significant date in early season, typically Christmas or 1-Jan.
League Reorganisation
We are considering abandoning the existing West-East separation is favour of a London-wide single escalator, one through five, with simple promotion and relegation.
Other Competitions
After the cancellation of the Summer Individual we invite comment on the 'venue competitions' the LBHCBA runs (as distinct to the League and the KO). Are these an attraction? Should there be more? Or Fewer?
The EBU
The committee in unanimously in favour of retaining affiliation to the EBU after the introduction of Universal Membership financed by Pay-to-Play. We expect it to make no real economic difference to the association in the next few years though it will require extra information for the purposes of Master-Points. In any case, as our year starts in September, we will not be affected by UM/P2P until the season after next, starting Sep-2010.
Please forward this to your players, we value all your comments - if there is sufficient interest in debate we will gladly make any of the above items at the next AGM - Tuesday 8-September - 5.30pm at IBM South Bank.
Stay in touch with developments at http://www.lbhcba.org
LBHCBA Committee