Long Ashton FC

As of last nights meeting we are still promoted pending a decision on Broad Plain Reserves being accepted back into the League, if this happens we will be dropped back down to the fourth. However, it only takes one team in a division above to fold and we will be back up again. Last season we had three teams fold out of our division by the end of September so there is a good chance of this happening. I am sure Tills will be hammering home the feelings of the club and how we want to be in Division three not four next season.
The league voted on a number of issues last night including the addition of another division but reducing the number of teams per division to 13. I objected to this as it leaves an odd team out every week and it only needs a team or two to drop out and you end up with weeks off when everyone wants to play. The league voted to add the division and go to 13 per division. This also puts more pressure on us going back to division four.
Rolling subs were voted against by 50 votes to 8 (rough figures) when a debate was allowed to take place unlike the Avon League where pressure was put on by the League. All GFA Cup games will have roling subs for the next two years when a decision wll be made across England and Wales.
Rolling subs will lead to multiple substitutions at the end of a game to break up play or you could bring on a dead ball expert for free kicks similar to American Football. It seems a crazy rule to me but it will be interesting to see how our A team cope with it.
The League wanted to stop extra time in Cup games, this was also rejected by the clubs.
Cup semi finals will be played under floodlights at a neutral ground this season.
Due to the lower number of clubs the aim is to avoid night matches and the problem of playing a completely different team in midweek games due to ringers.
After the Whitchurch Cup cheating last year they have changed the rules to confirm any player who has played in a higher cup may not then play for any club in a lower cup competition.