FIRSTLY thanks to all teams who have entered for the 2013/14 season and we hope everyone enjoys the varied competitions and wish them good luck in their matches over the campaign.
While these are challenging times with numbers entering the clubs dwindling, meaning we are down to seven teams this season, we are very pleased to welcome back founder members Matlock Conservative Club for the first time in a number of years, whose personnel will consist mainly of last season's team from Matlock Golf Club.
We are also sorry to say goodbye (hopefully temporarily) to the Jaxx Q Club, Marehay Miners Welfare and Gladiators Social Club teams though we may retain some of these as occasional competition venues.
The good news is that we now have a league sponsor for the first time for many years, in the shape of Highfields Farm Butchers and Game Dealers, of Bolehill, who we welcome on board for the coming season with the snooker section now going under the banner of the Highfields Farm Butchers Premier Division.
This complements the ongoing recent billiards league sponsorship from Elliott Carpets of Matlock which began last season.
Professional player Nigel Bond has also agreed to become Patron of the League following in the footsteps of his late father Graham who held the post in recent seasons.
The registration meeting was held at Belper Strutt Club recently and the secretary ran through the proposed formats and costings which in some cases were dictated by the number of teams available.
It was decided teams in the League would play each other three times, meaning that last seasons total of 18 games would remain the same, but it would not be possible to run a "B" Division this time around.
The Jaeger Trophy Champion of Champions Play off will now be between the top four end of season teams, home advantage to the highest placed as before and a neutral-venue final.
However, with administration costs having been reduced we can now offer the registration fees for a flat £21 with immediate effect with no extra increases should any further players need to registered.
Match fees will remain as per previous seasons at £1 per frame played (50p each pairs).
With only three teams exiting at the first knockout stage of the Captains Cup, the Jimmy Harper Plate unfortunately won't be contested this season while the Hartshorne Cup will switch from being the 2-man team competition to the League Championship Trophy with the old fashioned Shields which were cumbersome and beginning to look dated not being used.
We will continue to run the remaining competitions hopefully, with the "B" Individual Handicap (dependent on numbers) being run as a complimentary event for those rated -10 or below who also enter the regular handicap event (this is to avoid there being two competitions with very few entries in each which would make neither of them viable).
Entry for the regular Open Individual Handicap and the Pairs Handicap £2.50 per player with the OMYA Cup Individual Scratch event also a complimentary competition as before.
The Bob McCartin Six Reds Cup has had to revert to a knockout basis purely because there are not enough dates free for a group stage with 18 league games having to spread over 21 rounds with three byes due to an odd number of teams for the first time in a while.
As it was such an enjoyable occasion for most last year, we will plan to run the Christmas Shootout Night as a semi-open event not governed by the regular competition admission rules, in that it would be open to all past and present Darley Dale & District League players with no restrictions in the festive spirit, entry again £5 for all three competitions inclusive.
We will also provisionally pencil in an end of season clash with the Buxton / Hope Valley Leagues team which will hopefully be on home territory after the match at Eyam last season.
The handicap list was also reviewed and updated, most players will have remained on the same mark as last year, with the odd one or two either going up or down according to their overall win percentages off the last rating they played off either during the whole campaign or in the second half of last season, or if they did exceptionally well in some of the cup competitions off a lesser rating.
To increase competitiveness, the bottom end handicap of the League has been increased to 15, but as some of the top end players aren't taking part this season, the overall span of the handicap will remain pretty similar to previously.
Also I have noticed the proposed prize money list sent out to captains was the incomplete version as the changes didnt seem to get saved before it went out so the finished article can be seen under downloads, see top right of page (though it is approximate anyway at this stage).
That's about it, so it just remains to say thank you again for your support it is very much appreciated and have a cracking season in what looks like being a very open year!!
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