F&W Division One contenders in short supply

AT an extraordinary meeting of the Fermanagh and Western League prior to the most recent AGM club delegates rejected proposals to reduce the number of teams in Division One.

Following on from the decision to conclude the 2019-20 season using an average points format with promotion and no relegation meant there were 14 teams competing in the top flight last season.

As we know last season failed to take off and as a consequence the full quota of 14 teams will again set out to challenge for the Mercer League.

In an ideal world and in the interests of bringing more balance to the shape of the Fermanagh and Western League, proposals were put to club representatives back in June with the aim of reducing the top division to 12 teams.

One proposal advocated relegating four teams in one foul swoop, a second proposed a staged approach with three teams being relegated over the course of two seasons.

In the end both proposals were rejected and so for the foreseeable future a 26-game first division is going to be the norm while divisions two and three will be made up of nine and seven teams respectively.

That decision shouldn’t have come as any great surprise given that in some respects turkeys were being asked to vote for Christmas.

Aside from that, the decision spoke volumes! It suggested that quite a number of teams in the top flight are more concerned about relegation matters rather than challenging at the right end of the table.

It begs the question how many teams see themselves as genuine contenders for league glory over the coming weeks and months? Very few by the sounds of things!

FULL 20-PAGE PREVIEW IN TOMORROW’S ULSTER HERALD