4NCL NORTHERN LEAGUE

[Alex Holowczak]

I think it is more important to get new players to play chess, rather than give the current players more and more opportunities to play it. If there were twice as many entrants at congresses, suddenly they'd become more popular, new tournaments would appear etc. The people who play chess probably play just as much as they ever did (if not more due to improved transport - particularly overseas). Those players don't need more and more places to play chess in. We just need more players. If we get that, then local leagues, congresses, county chess and the 4NCL wouldn't be a problem. The infrastructure would sort itself out by default.

[Ben Purton]

Sheffield might work due to KX line etc. But Stoke? You having Giraffe? Id rather play chess in just US boxers in central Bagdad.

Ben

[Roger de Coverly]

Sheffield might work due to KX line etc. But Stoke?

Ben

Stoke is on the direct line from London to Manchester. One and a half hours from Euston by direct train, two and three quarters from Reading (also by direct train). Sheffield is two hours 20 from Kings Cross.

[Alex Holowczak]

Sheffield might work due to KX line etc. But Stoke? You having Giraffe? Id rather play chess in just US boxers in central Bagdad.

Ben

What's wrong with Stoke?

[Ben Purton]

bit of a dump?

[Ben Purton]

However Wokfield part is lucky not to be in Reading there.....If anyone cant get a place you stay at the Travel Inn etc down the road, Which is next to Whiteley which according to the evening post has "more sexual assaults per person than any estate in Britain" - LOVELY!

[Angus French]

Sheffield might work due to KX line etc. But Stoke?

Ben

Stoke is on the direct line from London to Manchester. One and a half hours from Euston by direct train, two and three quarters from Reading (also by direct train). Sheffield is two hours 20 from Kings Cross.

FWIW, I checked the cost of a return fair from Euston to Stoke. If you buy in advance, you can get two singles (one there and one back) for a total of £21. If you don't buy in advance, you make have to fork out more than £100.

If you can get to Stoke in one and a half hours from Euston then surely you can get there - via London - in quicker than two-and-three-quarter hours from Reading.

[Alex Holowczak]

You can even go via Birmingham, I know Birmingham New Street has trains to Reading and Stoke-on-Trent. That might cut down on the time.

[Mick Norris]

We're not talking about Sheffield and Stoke as potential venues

Harrogate and Pott Shrigley (Macclesfield) are more likely

[Mike Truran]

We are also looking at Blackpool and Buxton (like Harrogate and Macclesfield, Barcelo venues) as possibilities. We may also talk to De Vere as well in due course to see what they can do.

[Andrew Wainwright]

I think this idea is fantastic.

I will guarantee right now that I will enter a team (Idle Knights) in this competition if it is set up with central venues with good transport links - e.g. Leeds/Bradford/Manchester/Sheffield and not Blackpool/Scarborough/Hull etc.

I would also suggest this to White Rose as they may well enter a 3rd team in this league.

Please keep me informed of what happens.

[Mike Truran]

As has been mentioned on this thread already, the 4NCL have recently been working to develop the idea of a 4NCL Northern League in response to the comment often made in the past that the 4NCL's choice of locations for its weekends has not always been conducive to northern teams playing in the 4NCL.

After various discussions with the Barcelo and De Vere hotel/conference centre chains we have now been able to secure weekends for a 4NCL Northern League on the same terms and conditions as our other 4NCL venues as follows. Within the constraints of venue availability, venue willingness to host us, coordination with other 4NCL weekends etc we have tried to get an equitable geographical spread between the north-west and the north-east:

6/7 November 2010: Barcelo Redworth Hall (nr Darlington)
15/16 January 2011: De Vere Wychwood Park (nr Crewe)
19/20 February 2011: Barcelo Majestic Hotel (Harrogate)
26/27 March 2011: De Vere Wychwood Park (nr Crewe).

These weekends are the same as those already booked for rest of the 4NCL for the 2010/2011 season to avoid the 4NCL taking up too many weekends in an already crowded chess calendar. We envisage all 4NCL teams (Divisions 1, 2, 3 and the Northern League) coming together at the fifth and final weekend on 30 April-2 May 2011 at the 4NCL's Hinckley Island venue (between Coventry and Leicester) for what would hopefully be a memorable and spectacular coming together of chess players from across the country.

As regards format etc:

1. The Northern League would have a similar format to existing 4NCL Division 3 (six boards, no female player requirement, Swiss system, FIDE rated, ECF graded etc etc). There would be two matches a weekend as with the rest of the 4NCL.
2. Rules, entry guidelines etc would be the same as the 4NCL. You might want to visit these links for the 4NCL's rules and entry guidelines for the 2009/2010 season for an idea of what playing in the Northern League would entail: http://www.4ncl.co.uk/0910_rules.htm and http://www.4ncl.co.uk/0910_announce.htm
3. Our current thinking is that the Northern League would be combined with the current 4NCL third division for the fifth and final weekend, with match and game points carried forward from the first four weekends. Promotion places to Division 2 would be from the combined Northern League/Division 3 league for those teams that wanted it.
4. As with the existing 4NCL, rules around the composition of teams would be as relaxed as possible. Teams can be existing clubs and teams, amalgamations of two or more clubs and teams, groups of friends, junior teams etc etc etc.

I need now to gauge more specifically the level of interest for a Northern League that we would get from northern clubs and teams. Ideally we would need at least 12 teams from across the north to get things started (and if we did so, we could probably guarantee a prize fund of at least £1,000 to provide some further interest and incentive) - but by the same token if there is minimal interest in the idea, then the sooner I know the better so that I can cancel venue bookings in good time so as to give the venues a decent chance of finding alternative bookings.

I have also emailed the various northern federations and associations directly, including as many individual clubs as I was able to find email addresses for, so if this project doesn't take off it won't be for lack of publicity.

I look forward to hearing from you. Do feel free to contact me by email or on 01993 708645 if there is anything you would like to discuss in more detail.

[William Metcalfe]

I was at todays NCCU meeting the northern 4NCL was discussed with possative feedback 2 people said they will be putting teams in and i am in the process of setting up a team so the wheels are in motion.Lets make this event a huge success and show the negative posters just how wrong they are.

[Sean Hewitt]

Well done to Mike and the rest of the 4NCL. Lets hope the whole thing takes off!

[Eric Gardiner]

As someone who lives in a remote Northern area (or so it seems ) I hope it takes off too. I've not played in the main 4NCL League but would be very interested in playing in this Northern League. I doubt many other players from the Hull area would be interested (though I'd be happy to be proved wrong) so I would be happy to join another team, probably Yorkshire based, if anyone wants me!