12 Team Elite League
- Thread starter Wannabe2
- Start date
1. Option 1 - 3 mini conferences
Scottish teams - Braehead, Dundee, Fife, Edinburgh
'Arena' Teams - Cardiff, Belfast, Nottingham, Sheffield
'Southern' teams - Manchester, Coventry, Guildford, , MK
2. Option 2 - 2 conferences
North - 4 x Scottish Teams, Belfast, Sheffield
South - Manchester, Nottingham, Cardiff, Coventry, Guildford, MK
2nd option splits the arena teams evenly between both conferences to allow for more competitiveness and fairness. One conference is not more heavily weighted than the other with too many arena teams. Geographical sensitivity to travel costs. Nottingham/Belfast could be interchanged if the league wanted to keep big rivalries together - would help maintain level of gate receipts and number of games played regularly against rivals.
Scottish teams - Braehead, Dundee, Fife, Edinburgh
'Arena' Teams - Cardiff, Belfast, Nottingham, Sheffield
'Southern' teams - Manchester, Coventry, Guildford, , MK
2. Option 2 - 2 conferences
North - 4 x Scottish Teams, Belfast, Sheffield
South - Manchester, Nottingham, Cardiff, Coventry, Guildford, MK
2nd option splits the arena teams evenly between both conferences to allow for more competitiveness and fairness. One conference is not more heavily weighted than the other with too many arena teams. Geographical sensitivity to travel costs. Nottingham/Belfast could be interchanged if the league wanted to keep big rivalries together - would help maintain level of gate receipts and number of games played regularly against rivals.
Can't see it being a single 12 team league. I know we used to do that in old HPL days (and maybe once in the BNL?) but that was when we had longer Autumn Cup tournaments and Playoffs. And even then we still had to pad out the season with Southern Cups etc.
Budgets are based around a 60 game season, whilst one single league would be either 44 (too few) or 66 (too many). Plus the whole point of the conferences was that it helps the Scottish teams with games against more even teams and cuts down on travelling for everyone. The fact that they were going to keep the conferences for an 11 team league (how I don't know) suggests that it will almost certainly be conferences and almost certainly geographical based. Which leaves us with two options:
2 Conferences:
Gardiner: Belfast, Braehead, Dundee, Edinburgh, Fife, Manchester
Erhardt: Cardiff, Coventry, Guildford, MK, Nottingham, Sheffield
This would arguably give Belfast a big advantage in winning the league title. Although it might not be good for them financially as they get their biggest crowds against Cardiff, Nottingham and Sheffield
3 Conferences:
Scottish: Braehead, Dundee, Edinburgh, Fife
Northern: Belfast, Manchester, Nottingham, Sheffield
Southern/Fire: Cardiff, Coventry, Guildford, MK
This would arguably gives us an advantage, although with Coventry's improved attendances they might have a better budget next season. And who knows how competitive MK and Guildford will be. It would be toughest on Manchester but the extra games against Nottingham and Sheffield might bring in extra revenue.
Both conferences will work though with playing your conferences rivals 3xhome and away and the others 2x home and away. So it won't be the huge difference it is now.
Budgets are based around a 60 game season, whilst one single league would be either 44 (too few) or 66 (too many). Plus the whole point of the conferences was that it helps the Scottish teams with games against more even teams and cuts down on travelling for everyone. The fact that they were going to keep the conferences for an 11 team league (how I don't know) suggests that it will almost certainly be conferences and almost certainly geographical based. Which leaves us with two options:
2 Conferences:
Gardiner: Belfast, Braehead, Dundee, Edinburgh, Fife, Manchester
Erhardt: Cardiff, Coventry, Guildford, MK, Nottingham, Sheffield
This would arguably give Belfast a big advantage in winning the league title. Although it might not be good for them financially as they get their biggest crowds against Cardiff, Nottingham and Sheffield
3 Conferences:
Scottish: Braehead, Dundee, Edinburgh, Fife
Northern: Belfast, Manchester, Nottingham, Sheffield
Southern/Fire: Cardiff, Coventry, Guildford, MK
This would arguably gives us an advantage, although with Coventry's improved attendances they might have a better budget next season. And who knows how competitive MK and Guildford will be. It would be toughest on Manchester but the extra games against Nottingham and Sheffield might bring in extra revenue.
Both conferences will work though with playing your conferences rivals 3xhome and away and the others 2x home and away. So it won't be the huge difference it is now.
It makes the League a bit southern based heavy if we take Hadrian's wall as the dividing line. Put Belfast in with the Scottish teams. along with Manchester, that's if they continue with the Erhardt and Gardner system. Same with the Challenge cup groups. Trying to figure out how many games in the regular season 40 games (H & A x 4 times with teams in same conference) and 24 games ( H & A x2 against the teams from the other conference), Plus 10 games at least in the challenge cup group so that makes 74 games in a regular season increasing potentially to 5 extra games if progress is made in the Challenge cup .
Alternatively Ashipp's 3 conference option could work but how many games would it mean for a season? His 2nd options seems the more fair with the weighting but I think Sheffield and Nottingham could want to put their own self interests ahead of those of the league and demand they were in the same conference.
Alternatively Ashipp's 3 conference option could work but how many games would it mean for a season? His 2nd options seems the more fair with the weighting but I think Sheffield and Nottingham could want to put their own self interests ahead of those of the league and demand they were in the same conference.
Last edited:
I can't personally see it being 3 conferences of 4 so for me it'll be 2 of 6! For fairness I think they have to split up the so called top four so it could be Cardiff, Belfast, Coventry, Manchester, Guildford, MK and then Sheffield, Nottingham & the 4 Scottish Teams! Bit of extra travel for Belfast but they haven't got it easy as things stand. 3 Home & Away in Conference and 2 Home & Away out of Conference - 54 Games
Does anyone know what has upset Simmsy this week? He has tweeted this twice this week "And history will still show that Tuesday was a bad day for our sport. Night all." He is only ever interested in what's best for the Steelers, could it be that Steelers and Giants have been moved North to make way for Flames an Lightning?
I think that's a possibility. I don't think the giants will be happy to move to the gardiner on their own. Belfast and Sheffield in one conference and Nottingham and us in the Other? He might be disappointed that Sheffield will lose 4 home games v us and Nottingham, their two biggest money makers. Just a guess.
Every decision at the board needed to be agreed by 7 out of 10 clubs. I'm assuming that's gone up to 8 out of 12?
Every decision at the board needed to be agreed by 7 out of 10 clubs. I'm assuming that's gone up to 8 out of 12?
Thread starter
#10
I reckon that's spot on, I think Steelers might well be in a conference with the Scottish teams, someone won't be happy that's for sure. From a selfish point of view I would like Devils, Steelers, Panthers, Blaze, Lightning, and Flames, my first choice would be one conference, but can't see that happening,
Would prefer 12 teams without a conference system due to teams playing eachother an even number of times and would be a true reflection of the leagues best team IMO.
Can see why conferences are implemented though but I don't think it makes sense unless you have a 'proper' play off system. But I can't see that happening either
Can see why conferences are implemented though but I don't think it makes sense unless you have a 'proper' play off system. But I can't see that happening either
If the rumors are to be believed they hold him responsible for splitting them up for next season with Sheffield and Belfast going north. It would add up with the Simms tweet about it being a bad day in hockey on Tuesday, as he only cares about his team Sheffield losing 2 or more Panthers games is gonna hit them hard.
Yes, Simms would be upset because his beloved team would be split from Nottingham. If it is this, he is failing to see the bigger picture that the conference system requires balance and competitiveness with 2 new teams joining the league. That ideally would mean 2 'arena' teams, in each conference. Of course, the other 3 arena teams will also face a reduction in games against eachother given that scenario.