Spring Cups (Optional) - 2005/06

Fixtures Dates – and Arrangements

All fixtures will be arranged by the League Match Secretaries & posted on the fixtures bulletin in the usual way.

Group games will be played on Saturday 18th March, Saturday 25th March, Saturday 1st April and Saturday 8th April. The extra date (four Saturdays to play three games) is included to allow entries from clubs who have one league game remaining, and may have to wait beyond 18^th March to play it. We consider it to be essential to get all of the group games played by Easter (weekend of Saturday 15^th April).

Semi finals are to be played Saturday 22nd April, Finals on Saturday 29^th April.

Fixtures and Home Pitches

Home pitches should be agreed by the two clubs - we expect clubs to co-operate on pitch availability, particularly after Easter, as some clubs will struggle for home pitches, whilst others will have pre-booked (and pre-paid) for pitches and will wish to use them.

If clubs cannot agree whose ground to use, the first named club in each fixture should host the game unless the LMS determines otherwise. In the semi finals, the group winners should have the option of home advantage. In the final the home advantage option is given to the team with the best record in the group stages.

Postponements

Your CLUB cannot cancel a league game and play any Spring Cup game on the same day. Cancellations “from the bottom” must begin with Spring Cup games.

No postponements in the Spring Cups for lack of players are allowed - if you cannot field a side, you concede the points (in the group games, walkover in the knockout stages).

League games take precedence over "Spring Cup" games. If a club cannot field a set of teams on a Saturday then “Spring Cup” games must be cancelled before league games, even if it is for a higher side (our priority is to finish the league season – there is no increased concern about clubs “loading” sides – if we didn’t have the Spring Cups clubs would have these players available anyway).

Group Games

Each team plays each other team in its group once. Group games will be played under normal AFC League rules.

If any group games have not been completed by Monday 17^th April due to inclement weather, one point will be awarded to each side.

Knockout Games

The top two sides in each group qualify for the semi finals.

Each group winner plays the runner up of the other group in the semi-finals.

Knockout games will be played under rules identical to London Old Boys Cup Rule 12:-

“All matches shall be of 90 minutes, with 30 minutes extra-time if a draw after normal time. If the result still remains a draw the tie will be decided by the taking of penalty kicks from the Penalty mark as set out in the Laws of the Game. The referee is entitled to reduce normal time to 60 minutes, extra time to 20 minutes or to dispense with extra-time and go straight to the penalty competition if conditions make this necessary to obtain a decision.”

Entries

We are delighted that a total of 54 sides have entered the 2005-06 Spring Cups. Consequently we are running seven separate competitions, as follows. Each competition is shown with the two groups, and also the League Match Secretary (LMS) responsible for running it:-

General Notes

The 2005-06 season has seen a “good” winter, with few postponements, and as a consequence many clubs and sides will finish their league programmes by the middle of March, even by the end of February. Generally these will be clubs who do not have fixture backlogs because they have exited early from cups. A number of clubs have approached us about the early end to the season, with its effect on bar profits, player retention and so forth. We also recognise that many clubs and players do not simply want to play “friendlies” – in the modern world there is much more of a wish for “competitive football”, in whatever guise.

To try and provide football to the end of the season (end of April) for our clubs we have introduced these “Spring Cups”. This is an experimental idea, and would not necessarily run every season as it will be weather dependent. We envisage these cups as being of “minor” status – they are an optional competition to provide a form of competitive football for clubs whose seasons would otherwise finish early.

ENTRY IS OPTIONAL.

Entry has been restricted to sides with no more than one league (or outside cup) game remaining after Saturday 11^th March. Clubs may enter more than one side in the same cup and may enter sides who are not entered in the league at present, at the discretion of the Fixtures Committee.

Notes: this latter restriction is crucial. Our priority is completing the league programme, which is the main AFC competition. Sides who still have a number of league games, for whatever reason, are expected and required to complete their league programmes. These optional cups are for the “early finishers” - an alternative to friendlies.