This means, when relegations taken into account that one team from the North must go West

I believe the new structure got rid of the concept of a home league.

The organizing committee simply divides the sides to minimize travel.

While at level four, with only three leagues the structure is highly unlikely to change, there is no guarantee that the leagues at lower levels will not be completely rearranged

I recall when there was just a North and South, after a year of levelling up, you could return to your natural group and it would be someone else's turn, now with three leagues that rule may well have been changed, but it could well happen if not.

CAMBORNE!!

I believe it is the mileage as given by Google Maps for road travel by the best route.

And total mileage across both leagues.

But we will not know until the moving finger has writ and having writ moved on.

That suggests it is very close between Lymm and Chester - there used to be a rule that if the calculatio was within a certain %age difference (5?) Then the team lower the previous season would move.However, I don't know if this still applies.

Don't want to say I told you so............... but

Where is that posted please?

Really pleased that Chester are staying in N2N. A great set of lads, on and off the field.

And yes a good prediction victory over Piff Paff despite all those decimal points😂😂Does that give me a 5 point start in the Prediction League for next season?? 

I'm glad we get another year, hopefully we're able to keep the lads from this season that haven't already called it a day.  

“Southwest every other week”; what is your definition of the south west? Shropshire? Leicestershire??

Yes there's 7 or 8 long trips - depends how they fall. You wouldn't want Redruth, Camborne, Exeter Uni and the 3 Bristol clubs all clumped together on alternate weeks

DD 

I feel for Lymm. A great club and set up, with a deserved promotion this season. To get this is a real kick in the teeth. However the same would have been said if it was Chester or come to think of it the countless other clubs that have had to make this huge sacrifice over the years. This seems harsh but alas those are the protocols for league structures. 

I just hope Lymm can withstand the shock. Good luck next season. 

All the best 

ST 

I’m not sure that clubs from Cornwall, Kent and Suffolk in the same league was a better arrangement.

This is the problem, someone has to go to Cornwall, just as lower down, someone needs to travel to Cumberland. And those are going to be long trips.

Overall, I think three leagues works better than two.

I am still not convinced we need two layers of regional league.

But we do need to look at the cups, the distances are two large to arrange in such a compressed schedule, and if we are going to have that many teams travelling nationally at short notice, they need more financial support.

How can they get "more financial support" when there is eff all at present?????

CE 

Far from it. My apologies if you thought I had. After making those trips to and from Cornwall and the South West when Sedge were at Levels 2 and 3, I know just getting out of Cornwall is a big trip.  I would never want to play down the enormous  effort, time and monetary demands on the players and clubs alike, who have to undertake this effort every other week in some cases. Total respect for all and any teams around the country who do this. I feel for them and very much for Lymm. 

My post was more about the fact it’s a regional and National game at different levels and sometimes regrettably within these league structures others have greater mountains to climb. It is and always will be a solution that may never suit all due to the many permutations involved.

All the best 

ST 

Their travelling is a doddle compared to that which Camborne and Redruth are faced with.

Redruth have always considered the trips to Bristol as an easy day out! Off the pitch that is.

Tigerburnie, you are preaching to the choir.

We all know this.

But all the money goes to the Premiership clubs pay superannuated foreigners.

Bury St Edmunds

Canterbury
Dorking

Esher

Guernsey

Henley

North Walsham

Old Albanians

Sevenoaks

Tunbridge Juddians
Westcombe Park

Wimbledon

Worthing
A very good league and (luckily - this time!) not the same "issues" as West (club locations etc).
Welcome to Esher, Westcombe Park and Wimbledon !
Hopefully fixtures will be out soon.  

There has for the last two years been a travel fund to which clubs can apply. I have done ours for the last two years and got some of what we asked for. The principle is to support travel greater than 150 mile round trip.

Apart from a miserly contribution to the Guernsey trip, I think we got  &*(. all.

We got more in Nat 2 than we did in Nat 1! Mainly extra money for Guernsey, I expect! 

That is being discussed seemingly.

That means either smaller leagues, or teams playing at this level that would otherwise have been playing at level 5 - with less travel.

If you really want to reduce travel, have three leagues at level 3 (made up from current Nat 1 and 2 sides) and nine at level 4 and then county leagues.

Now there would be some terrible mismatches. Sale and Rams would put 50 points on possibly two thirds of the teams in their leagues - but the rest of the leagues should be competitive.

And the ex-regional 1 sides would probably thrash the ex- regional 2 sides, and the regional 2 sides might bully the county sides - but as other people have said, things would even out.

More importantly, we need to sort out, or simply get rid of, the cup which patently did not work.

This just did not happen in Nat2 West this past season, maybe all the best clubs were in that league and the other two were not so good....................................................................

The funding you could lose includes anything you might get from your CB, not just the RFU. That includes hosting matches, mini and junior tournaments, sevens, etc. I know that doesn't affect everyone but to some it's a key income.

I did watch the Lions on youtube after the games, so aware of the standards and could directly compare with leagues 2 and 3 in NE Scotland. Some clubs were struggling with the step up, nothing new there it takes time, sure the Lions will see a huge difference in Nat1. But clubs were able to turn over those old Nat 2 South side, Luctonians in particular had a pretty good season and didn't show any lack of talent or ambition and those sides who escaped the drop will I'm sure be all the better for their experiences next season. It's a bit like Jersey, if you don't let these sides step up and have a go, we never will improve the standards.

Reds 92 Newport 7 wasn’t too close.

Soccer, often seen as a Northern game, has an even larger Southern bias than Rugby.

And that is after almost all the Yorkshire and Lancashire clubs, and some of the Northern ones, went to Rugby League - they were replaced by the new clubs founded mainly by soldiers returning after World War 1.

Bradford, the winners in 1884 of the Yorkshire Cup, who along with Manningham, defected not just to the Northern Union but thence to Soccer, but have just been relegated from National 2 North.

With no RFU funding the travel costs were too great for Nat 2 though, with money in short supply clubs will struggle, we have already had a conversation re Lymm being put in the same league as the sides from Devon and Cornwall.

I believe there closest away fixtures will be in Lincolnshire. 

Ultimately it is a national league, semi professional competition and clubs should expect travel and associated costs to get the level of competition the standard should provide, it’s all part of the kudos of playing at that level. Some support should come from the RFU but I don’t agree with how they’ve diluted the standard at L4 to reduce the travel burden, it’s a worse product that before

But if you look at the results and the table they do not bear out what you think, the two sides relegated were not new sides, they were in Nat 2 South and the promoted sides had some good results too, just as in the West league. Those clubs who came up and survived will be more ready for the standard that is needed and will no doubt be better prepared, which is what it's all about, giving teams and their players a chance it it not?

Had Rochford & Westcliff not been saved from relegation in 2021-22 by the reorganisation, the two bottom clubs would have been N Walsham & Sevenoaks, both promoted sides. Barnstaple would also have been relegated and in N2W their absence would have seen another promoted side, Hornets drawn into relegation.

It's about time we had some ring fencing further down the pyramid, not just The Premiership. 

Are you volunteering Cambridge for staying in Nat 1 for next season Fog Horn?.....................

A few years ago in football Gloucester City were in National League North and Worcester were in National League South!

(I believe the FA seconded someone from the RFU to handle the allocations that year. Either that or whoever did it was pi$$ed at the time).

If it is filled from below there is going to be a ripple effect on the leagues below. If a team is taken from National 1, then Fylde could have the opportunity to go up as the club which has won the most games across the second placed teams from our three leagues. It could also mean Lymm coming into N2N to replace Fylde.

If it isn’t filled, expect a lot of shouting from the Championship for the loss of match income.

Either way, RFU need to make a decision quickly so clubs can plan, oh pigs might fly!

I think this is a gross exaggeration.

The RFU's principle used to be that teams were not promoted as a result of "vacancies" appearing at a higher level, rather that teams were saved from relegation. Thus Richmond, Esher and then, based on geography, Rochford would remain in their previous leagues. There would be a knock on through the lower leagues.

I realise I have used RFU and principle in the same sentence and await a ritual flogging 

The ideal situation for the PRL sides was a five-week tournament.

So four pools of six.

I am sure they will not do anything until they know what is happening with London Irish - which we should know in two weeks.

And there has been talk of a Barbarians side in the Cup - though I am not sure where they could play.

Sixways 

Where from ?

Nothing on any relevant websites etc.

Mmmmm, flavoured clubs! ;)

I've heard it from people at both clubs, both with the same version of the story.

Went to the very top, and the original decision overturned.

"Both clubs favoured a 15 team league" If that is/was an actual suggestion then both clubs are being run by buffoon's (which I'm sure they're not!!)

Such a proposal would require 15 extra playing Saturdays to accommodate 1 club "resting" every week - so effectively almost a full year to complete a full league programme - never going to happen!