Div 1 Div. 1 'CAT'

[GhostRider]

IDEA?

Guys -

I'm considering making this proposal as a league rule for next season. Please post any feedback/suggestions/refinements.

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The top 2 teams in Div 1 CAT at the end of the season win the right to participate in the Imperial Cup the following season with a path to the Div 1 Cup if they are knocked out in the first round of Imperial Cup. If they progress past the first round of the Imperial Cup they lose the path to the Div 1 Cup.
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A variation to this rule would be to have the top 2 teams after [x] amount of games in the season can participate in Imperial Cup with a path to the Div 1 Cup in the same season.


Any thoughts?

 

[Regs]

I like the sounds of it Ghosty but I'm afraid that it would be shot down immediately by the league executive.

It's much too confusing for them in it's simplicity...

~TB.

 

[whataboutbob]

I like it

Ghost

I like the idea. It definitely gives the CAT1 teams something to shoot for. But it should not be the team that won the league the prior year; things change too much from year to year. At X-mas break, the 2 teams leading the CAT should be in the Imperial that same season come January. Regardless of games played (to hard to keep straight).

The Imperial should start 1 week prior to the Div 1 Cup to sort out the Div 1 Cup schedule for the following week. Only some minor changes would have to be made.

Note: Like this year, any other CAT team could also participate in the Imperial Cup but without the luxury going to the Div 1 Cup if they lose the first round.

This year Sap CAT played in the Imperial. One game and they were out. As a result, with respect to points and placement, they haven't played a truly meaningful game all year. Is that fair to the present and future players the CAT system wants to attract?

 

[Guinness]

CAT system

Great idea, but it's organization is dodgy at best...
WAB great point:

Is that fair to the present and future players the CAT system wants to attract?

Nothing to play for is the problem with the system... At our Club, we have 20 guys signed to the premier squad so they are Cup tied to that particular team, but at least 5 of us play on a regular basis with the "Reserve or CAT" team for maximum game time... The problem is (for CAT) clubs are interested in winning the Premier League and BC's... they're reserve team is always put on the back burner leaving the players feeling unimportant... to build the CAT system up the players need goals to strive for (team goals), unfortunately not many clubs have a total of 40 guys signed... so as the season winds down, the CAT players are done and have nothing to show for their season... last year our CAT team finished off 1st place by 1 point... really it didn't matter that much, because the top players were with the Premier team anyway...
CAT teams are great for giving injured or role players game time, but the incentive to collectively as a group battle hard week in week out to win the championship just is not there!!! the system was put in place to develope youth with the assistance of some veterans playing along side them... these players in which we are attempting to develope need to to learn the sence of comrodery and participate in the tough and long battle it takes to be successful in the League...
Having a free flowing program where the top players play 90 mins in Premier, the middle of the pack play between teams and the youth/role players stick to CAT sounds ideal... well it is for the Clubs, but the players won't last as long in the program if they feel they won't get their chance to play top flight football... because of this, more players will be tranferring to new Clubs and possibly even into the Valley in search of 1st team football and a chance at contributing to a championship of sorts...


Is CAT a good or bad idea???

 

[whataboutbob]

Good Question

The CAT is like communism:

Good in theory, bad in practice?

Until they get a chance to play top flight ball or play for something else, we will lose the players. But I still like the CAT idea....just bring in more "real" incentive to play there.

 

[whataboutbob]

Sap 4 - Toons 2

The CAT guys played great. With 2 - 18yr olds, 4 - 21yr olds, and an old, brutal player nick-named "Mums" (he missed the PK the day before-BRUTAL ), the Sap CATs killed the Toon CATs. Most played the in Premier league game the day before and they carried it on to the CAT game. One of the better games for us this year.

Adamo Artuso, Chris Todd and Mike Kehoe (18yrs - 2 goals) had impressive games....along with everyone else.....except this old guy named "Mums".

The Toons had a couple of really good players, but they didn't show up in the 2nd half.

 

[whataboutbob]

CAT Champs

Sap 2 - Westside 2

Sap wins its side. Both teams were missing some starters, but it didn't hamper the celebrations after the game. Having that perennial Div 1 team, Clan Alumini, lose was an added bonus.