BUCS fixtures

[LPierce]

Well when the draw was done for last year we were sitting third in our division, and Stirling were second. We ended up coming second in the division so if it was based on seeding we should now have their draw which we don't.

Also I never said you'd beat them I more meant that it's a 50 50 chance which is still ridiculous!

[appleclan]

Trophy fixtures could've been mixed up a bit! For the FOURTH year running we look set to have Lancaster Uni. Trophy draw seems to be exactly the same... Show a little love to Aberdeen and don't once again give us games at least 6.30 hours away?

are there any teams less than a 6 hour drive from Aberdeen? surely you wouldn't want a cup fixture against one of the scottish teams who you already play 3 times each during the season?

[DWhite]

Trophy fixtures could've been mixed up a bit! For the FOURTH year running we look set to have Lancaster Uni. Trophy draw seems to be exactly the same... Show a little love to Aberdeen and don't once again give us games at least 6.30 hours away?

are there any teams less than a 6 hour drive from Aberdeen? surely you wouldn't want a cup fixture against one of the scottish teams who you already play 3 times each during the season?

Exactly Stop moaning. Stirling LOVES to play English teams. (and would happily host any that wants to come up and play, we would get a few of the Scottish teams there for a day/weekend of playing) We had no hesitation in getting a bus at half 5 in the morning to head down to Birmingham last year( for a game where our freshers learned loads) and we will have no hesitation this year if we had to go down as far as Lands End to play. Us Scots dont get the opportunity very often to play anyone out side of Scotland at lacrosse unless we play for Scotland or go on a tour. We have been lucky this year to host an American touring team and had the opportunity to spent a good few days under the guidance of Coach Kenney so we have improved dramatically in my eyes so travelling the 5 hours in a coach to play some one different to see the improvement is no bother to us/Glasgow/St Andrews or Edinburgh . Rant over.

p.s I could see on the other hand why someone wouldnt travel 6 and a half hours to go to Aberdeen, bleakest place I have ever been.

[wildcat]

I think I missed the statement somewhere, so if someone could (re)enlighten me that would be great.

Why is the tournament being played alongside the league?

Regional leagues were a method of seeding for the tournament. I'm not aware of anyone publicising themselves as, for example, "South prem champions" or do they?

Given that university personnel change on a yearly basis, surely the crown should be a fairly fought out affair. I don't understand (or care about) BUCS points, but arent they awarded by the stage you get to in a competition? That means with a seeding based on a previous year that this year's best team could play the 3rd best team in the first round - Third best team knocked out, instead of being potential semifinalists.

[LPierce]

We once again have the exact same away fixtures is what I'm saying. Why not make it so a team actually travels here? Yeah it's great getting to play English teams provided a)they aren't exactly the same as before and b) you aren't away twice on the trot again. Even if we played Northumbria or somebody and mixed it up a bit, but no. I am not saying I would rather be playing other Scottish teams but I am saying that having the same teams in the same locations is.

Yeah Dazzler you may not mind going down to Birmingham but correct me if I'm wrong didn't you start with two home draws before having that away match? Aberdeen may have a bye but once again, assuming we win, at least two away games before the possibility of one in Aberdeen.

[chippie]

and one day everything will be perfect for everyone....

BUCS mens lax is still new....give it a few years....

raj...i think one of the reasons for changing the structure of the cups was to get rid of the problems which occurs when teams dont get all games played before the end of the league before seeds are drawn etc

im guessing next year it will go on this years seedings, its just that they had to use last years as they had nothing else to base it on....
what would you have suggested?

[wildcat]

I wasnt aware that games were not getting played.
There are two brief hiatuses - january, and march, in which time remaining games can get played in time for a knockout competition if not - perhaps delay knockouts by a week or two?
When people leave and start university yearly, it seems wrong to base thing on the previous years performance.

In addition, at Brum the woman have the pleasure of playing in a competitive league. Why did the Women's midlands 'prem' league get disbanded? Bring it back!

[chippie]

from experiences last year we couldnt arrange a fixture, due to weather and had to accept the previous score as a result.....also lboro women actually won the league but were 2nd in the league when seedings were taken....either way its one of the problems that affected BUCS so im sure the decision was based on University sport as a whole not just lacrosse....

In addition, at Brum the woman have the pleasure of playing in a competitive league. Why did the Women's midlands 'prem' league get disbanded? Bring it back!

as you say people come and go each year so teams can be different....both leagues are pretty much the same top 3 are usually competitive with each other and the bottom 3 with each other....there was talk of splitting the leagues to make a prem with those 6 teams....whats the bets on ox finishing 3rd in their league??

[wildcat]

I'll give you 10:1
Last time it happened was an oopsi a couple of years ago because of team illness and not being able to make a trip
Prior to that, not more recently than 10 years.

[Chowder]

Last year in the Northern Prem, Nottingham's final match, away against St. Andrews, never got played, as after taking an 8 hour bus up to Dundee for the weekend to play the rescheduled match, we were informed on the way to the venue by text that St. Andrews weren't going to fulfil the fixture as the pitch was apparently not allowed to be used, owing to the weather. That game was 3 days before the first round of the Championship, and so there was no way of another reschedule to get it played. As I recall the snow and general weather around Christmas last year caused a fair few problems, at least for us, and it can influence things like rankings and games getting played, although to be fair I would think that something such as putting the championships back would be more appropriate. Having them during the season makes little sense, making the entire thing shorter, and, as teams obviously improve and gel throughout the season, the results may well not be properly representative of the team's eventual potential.

[wildcat]

So.....

half time conclusions:
1. Scottish fixtures more likely to be cancelled?!
2. Push the championships later.

And after a little more looking around I have found further reasons to question this decision.

Weather is a problem. The days for the championship games are already set, and the weather can still muck all that up by, for example stopping a couple of quarter finals games from being played. So games could still be decided on the toss of a coin with a prolonged period of bad weather
At the end of last season, you say that seedings, for example, were based on 9 instead of 10 games, with the previous meeting fixture being taken as the result the second time round.
But the way it has been made this year makes the even bigger assumptions that a team would have the same win/loss as the previous year.

[chippie]

as teams obviously improve and gel throughout the season, the results may well not be properly representative of the team's eventual potential.

i wonder how many football managers will be using that as a reason for an early exit in the FA cup...

2. Push the championships later.

And after a little more looking around I have found further reasons to question this decision.

Weather is a problem. The days for the championship games are already set, and the weather can still muck all that up by, for example stopping a couple of quarter finals games from being played. So games could still be decided on the toss of a coin with a prolonged period of bad weather
At the end of last season, you say that seedings, for example, were based on 9 instead of 10 games, with the previous meeting fixture being taken as the result the second time round.
But the way it has been made this year makes the even bigger assumptions that a team would have the same win/loss as the previous year.

it would be great if we could just say push the championship back, im sure all the institutions and other sports would agree
plus the championships finals are part of a larger event....so i guess it works to those dates....you could also argue why the finals for the last couple of years have being on a thurs not a wed!!

quote me correctly next time... i didnt say seedings were based on 9 out of 10 games....i said lboro had not played all their games before the their seeding was taken and were 2nd at the time it was taken (most other teams had completed 10 games)...and that bham had to accept a result from a previous game (newcastle) due to it being unplayed...this was before round 9!!

you could always email BUCS competition manager to ask for the full in depth reasons...i will gladly give you his email

and i will put £10 on oxford to finish 3rd!!

[wildcat]

it would be great if we could just say push the championship back, im sure all the institutions and other sports would agree
plus the championships finals are part of a larger event....so i guess it works to those dates....you could also argue why the finals for the last couple of years have being on a thurs not a wed!!

I could argue that (why is it btw?) but I had forgotten about the 'championships'. The year I played teams arrived and left separate to other events/teams, so it was just a lacrosse match in isolation. Have things changed?

Oh and bet most certainly accepted.
**handshake**

[chippie]

my bad...forgot its being a while (in fact prob never) since ox were in the finals....

the 'champs' semi's are a lax event now so both mens and womens at one venue...this year warwick
and the finals are part of the BUCS championship week were most sports are played in Sheffield....its meant to be like a big sports event in one city, works well for some sports that run over a couple of days such as bball where the last 16 or 8 to the final is played over that week in Sheffield...the lax works well as a tournament with the 4 finals and each year the crowds get bigger, however its not near any of the other events....its at a school a fair drive out of Sheffield!

[jebedee]

There are talks to hold the lacrosse finals on the Goodwin 3G pitches that are actually next to the uni, which would be good for getting a crowd down.