Andrew Farthing wrote: What matters is doing everything possible to give the new arrangements the best possible chance of success.
From the ECF's viewpoint perhaps. From the point of view of local clubs and organisations, they will do what they need to survive. It remains my view that near compulsory membership and evening leagues as we know them cannot co-exist in the longer run.
David Sedgwick wrote:
If the Board needs to reduce the income forecast in the budget as a result of this particular change, then in my opinion the original budget figure was grossly inflated.
For adults too. If the budget contains any substantial amount raised by £ 2 per head, it's just looking at a bad debt figure. £ 6 per head for Congresses would bring in a reasonable amount, provided Congresses don't run ungraded sections. There are already un-rated Rapid Plays, more may follow this route.
Chess organisations have budget and rate setting meetings at the lower level. A realistic income budget by the ECF has to factor in possible behaviour changes by these bodies.
If the £ 2 figure had been £ 1, you could summarise the changes as
(1) Game Fee up from 58p to £ 1 and concessions for internal events and Juniors mostly abolished
(2) All non international Congresses deemed to be six rounds and standard play
(3) MO players denied access to Congresses and International events except on additional payment
(4) An on-line version of MOs introduced for all players
(5) abolition of Family Membership, Corporate Vice Presidency and three year concessions.
All these are money raisers
and finally the give away
(5) Game Fee abolished for leagues where players are members.
This extends the financial uncertainty caused by MOs to the entire country. I see the SCCU thinks it can send a £2 per non member Game Fee bill to the counties taking part. Whether counties would wish to enter teams with that rule in place remains to be seen.
The ECF have also set up an arbitrage whereby for non-members, it's cheaper for an event to be classified as a Congress. We've had rows about the head count in an event where a player from the Open plays someone from the Major as a filler game and whether inclusion of filler games in an All Play All turns it into a Swiss.