Kettering

[boris]

Apparently Radio Northants confirmed today that should Kettering finish in the play-off positions they will not be allowed to take part* because the lease on Rockingham Road isn't long enough. The announcer claimed that the team that would face them will be given a bye through to the final, rather than the team finishing 6th taking their place.

*I understand that Kettering also won't be allowed to take part should they not finish in the play-off positions, in case anyone was wondering.

[Sideshow Rob]

Let's hope that proves to be a psychological blow just before they play the U's.

[GodalmingYellow]

This has been in th epublic domain for quite a long time and was the primary reason for Ladak to step down as Chairman.

[boris]

Ladak stood down as chairman because he was getting nowhere with negotiations on a new stadium with the council, and felt that someone else might have a better chance of making progress, and there was still hope that something might be agreed with the landlords about getting a new lease in place before the League's deadline. Yesterday was the first time that it's been publicly acknowledged that this isn't going to happen.

This could be significant if we finish second (yikes) and K'tring finish 5th. It means we won't have the play-off semis to bottle.

[Snake]

This could be significant if we finish second (yikes) and K'tring finish 5th. It means we won't have the play-off semis to bottle.

Bet it won’t be significant. If we finish second you just know it’s going to be Luton Town we face in the play-off semi-final..

[boris]

This is the relevant rule from the Conference:

&quotTHE FOOTBALL CONFERENCE PLAY-OFFS &amp PROMOTION FINAL SEASON 2nd v 5th &amp 3rd v 4th. If for any reason the clubs in second or third place are unable to stage the second leg ties at Home on the dates required the tie will automatically be reversed. Any club not able to forfill a fixture (first or second leg tie) on the scheduled date may be subject to exclusion from the Play-Offs. Should teams in first, second, third, fourth, or fifth place not meet the Criteria of The Football League by 1st March in the season or the Criteria of the Full Membership of the Football Conference Limited they will be excluded from participating in any Play-Off matches. In the event of any club(s) not able to meet the criteria Play-Offs may be replaced by a club in the next qualifying position, should the club being excluded being based on a reduced position at the end of the playing season by a points sanction, which places their final position below 5th place and the draw for the matches will be made on the basis of final qualifying positions. &quot

Maybe Myles or someone could translate it for us?

[Hog]

Christ! Who wrote that?! So if Kettering finish in 2nd-5th inclusve and are excluded will any clubs below them move up a place so that 6th becomes 5th and have to play 2nd, or will 2nd get a bye to the final and the other two have to play-off?

This needs clarifying by Lee and Co. as soon as possible!

[Snake]

I kind of understood until this bit.

In the event of any club(s) not able to meet the criteria Play-Offs may be replaced by a club in the next qualifying position, should the club being excluded being based on a reduced position at the end of the playing season by a points sanction, which places their final position below 5th place and the draw for the matches will be made on the basis of final qualifying positions.

WTF does that mean?

I spent the last few years before I retired working in a legal and constitutional affairs department but this is incomprehensible to me.

In fact it would be easier to teach my cat about the Duckworth Lewis formula than work out this one.

Gotta get out of this poxy League.

[Mally]

You poor deluded fools. When will you learn? The conference rules aren't worth the paper they are printed on. We all know they make up or change the rules as they go along.

[HayfieldYellow]

In the event of any club(s) not able to meet the criteria Play-Offs may be replaced by a club in the next qualifying position, should the club being excluded being based on a reduced position at the end of the playing season by a points sanction, which places their final position below 5th place and the draw for the matches will be made on the basis of final qualifying positions.

I think it's confusing because they've stupidly tried to squeeze two separate points into one sentence, when it should be two:

In the event of any club(s) not able to meet the criteria Play-Offs may be replaced by a club in the next qualifying position.

Straightforward enough (though still illiterate and unnecessarily ambiguous): Kettering (if they qualified for the play-offs), because they fail the FL criteria, wouldn't be allowed to take part, and the team in 6th place would take their place in the play-offs. That word may suggests, however, that discretion can be applied (by the Conference?) to be watertight it would needed to have said shall.

Should the club being excluded being based on a reduced position at the end of the playing season by a points sanction, which places their final position below 5th place and the draw for the matches will be made on the basis of final qualifying positions.

Dreadfully written again, but seems to be saying that if a team would have finished in the play-off places but for a points deduction, then the points deduction shall be applied before calculating the final qualifying positions (e.g. us last year). Again, fairly obvious.

Is this a direct and accurate quote from the Conference? If so, they need to sack their bloody editor. Sheer incompetence.

[SmileyMan]

Dreadfully written again, but seems to be saying that if a team would have finished in the play-off places but for a points deduction, then the points deduction shall be applied before calculating the final qualifying positions (e.g. us last year). Again, fairly obvious.

Is this a direct and accurate quote from the Conference? If so, they need to sack their bloody editor. Sheer incompetence.

Welcome I think you'll fit in well around here!

[Snake]

Dreadfully written again, but seems to be saying that if a team would have finished in the play-off places but for a points deduction, then the points deduction shall be applied before calculating the final qualifying positions (e.g. us last year). Again, fairly obvious.

Is this a direct and accurate quote from the Conference? If so, they need to sack their bloody editor. Sheer incompetence.

Welcome I think you'll fit in well around here!

Seconded, and welcome to Rage Online, HY.

However, I still don’t get it, and it’s not as if the play-off frame can be discounted given the way the team* are playing.

* = I say ‘team’ but to be honest I struggle to keep up with the comings and goings in the dressing room since Christmas.

[Brahma Bull]

So am I right in thinking we could get a 'Bye' to the Final?

[A-Ro]

So am I right in thinking we could get a 'Bye' to the Final?

Maybe.

It's all down to that word may. If Brian Lee is the one who has the task of deciding whether we do or not then I suspect not.

[Myles Francis]

This is the relevant rule from the Conference:

&quotTHE FOOTBALL CONFERENCE PLAY-OFFS &amp PROMOTION FINAL SEASON 2nd v 5th &amp 3rd v 4th. If for any reason the clubs in second or third place are unable to stage the second leg ties at Home on the dates required the tie will automatically be reversed. Any club not able to forfill a fixture (first or second leg tie) on the scheduled date may be subject to exclusion from the Play-Offs. Should teams in first, second, third, fourth, or fifth place not meet the Criteria of The Football League by 1st March in the season or the Criteria of the Full Membership of the Football Conference Limited they will be excluded from participating in any Play-Off matches. In the event of any club(s) not able to meet the criteria Play-Offs may be replaced by a club in the next qualifying position, should the club being excluded being based on a reduced position at the end of the playing season by a points sanction, which places their final position below 5th place and the draw for the matches will be made on the basis of final qualifying positions. &quot

Maybe Myles or someone could translate it for us?

It translates as:

The Conference reserves the right to allow Brian Lee to make things up as he goes along.