Phil Maynard calls for promotion and relegation rethink.
By Brian Dick, Coventry Telegraph.
April 3 2012
JUST days after Coventry secured their third-tier status Phil Maynard has called for a rethink on promotion and relegation to and from National One.
Despite losing 36-23 at home to Blackheath last Saturday ,Cov’s safety was secured as Barking, Stourbridge and Bees were all demoted.
That confirmed the recent progress the Blue and Whites have made and will hope to continue in their final three matches and throughout the summer.
However, Maynard believes the current structure needs looking at, particularly the inequity of three clubs being relegated and only one promotion place available.
“Three down and one up over 30 games needs to be looked at,” he said. “Two up and two down would be more fair and although people would argue it will affect them above and below National One, we are being affected at present.
“It’s certainly the most ferociously difficult competition I have ever known, a team will go down having won ten games this year and when it comes to that there is something wrong with a league.
the league systems throughout rugby from premiership down should all be open to change.Futility of winning the premiership based on a couple of games.Championship where you have to get promoted twice and a silly meaningless cup competition,instead of more teams in the division.One team to go up certainly does temper clubs attempts to go up.The structure of proffessional/ semi rugby is just a great big mess,with different controlling powers all wanting whats best for them....and little attention to the paying member of the public.
Its a closed shop designed to keep the bigger (or more success clubs) pulling in the cash from sponsorship deals and to keep other "smaller" clubs out.
There is no other reason, perhaps someone should challenge this in the courts.
We are not a "smaller" club and I resent the ceiling above us preventing our progress, I feel sure we would have competitive gates if we got back to the prem.
I know where you are coming from Street, and sympathise. But I can't agree.
Two sides get promoted from Level 4. That's more than get promoted from Level 3 where realistically clubs are (or at least should) invest more. It just suppresses competition.
No, two-up, two-down is the way to go IMHO.
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