Tradition - or lack of progress?

There are certain quotes you read over the years that stick in your mind, and one of my favourites came from Woody Allen, which goes as follows: “Tradition is the illusion of permanence”.

We are all guilty of falling into the “tradition trap” at one time or another. We keep on doing things the way we’ve always done them, without really knowing why, without stopping to think whether or not it’s the best way to get the job done. We just do it because it’s tradition.

Woody Allen’s quote came to mind over the past few weeks, while I was reading the views of former Conference chief executive John Moules in the “Non League Today” paper. He suggested that the Blue Square Leagues should look at revamping the points system, with extra points being awarded for goals scored, and teams involved in goalless draws would receive no points.

Moules was quoted as saying: “In football as well as life, you cannot afford to stand still…the game needs to move forward – it is all about someone being brave enough to give it a go”. Moules is clearly a man who doesn’t hold any respect for tradition – but unfortunately it’s not down to him alone to implement change.

On the same weekend that I read about John Moules’ suggestions, I was at Squires Gate for the game against Abbey Hey, and one of the points that came up for discussion during the afternoon was a decision made by the League Management Committee in relation to the result of the game I attended between Atherton LR and Squires Gate on Saturday 22nd December.

As I mentioned in my Editorial article, with about ten minutes to go at Crilly Park, mist descended, and the referee was forced to abandon the game with the score at 3-3. It had been a terrific game, and Gate had come back from 3-1 down to draw level. But that was only part of the story.

In the 63rd minute LR were reduced to ten men when defender Ashley Elliott was red carded for deliberate hand ball on the goal line, and the successfully converted penalty that followed from Squires Gate’s Matty Muscroft was the equalising goal. From that point on, Gate piled on the pressure and were virtually camped in the LR half of the field until the mist rolled in.

The League Management Committee was left to make the decision as to what the outcome of the game should be. On page 24 of the League handbook the rules state: “All matches shall be of ninety minutes duration. Any match not complying may be ordered to stand as a completed match or replayed for the full period of ninety minutes, or that match awarded to the Club not at fault, as the Board may decide, on such terms as the Board shall decide”.

So the choice was – let the result stand or replay the game. No other options available. Those are the rules as laid down in the handbook, and on this occasion, the League Management Committee decided the result should stand.

I’m not about to start querying the decision taken, but as I was at the game in question, it was a decision that gave me cause for thought. LR were down to ten men from the 63rd minute, on the back foot, and as a neutral watching the game, I personally felt that Squires Gate’s incessant pressure would eventually bring about another goal.

When the referee ended the game prematurely I seem to remember that the general feeling among the home support was that a draw was a decent outcome for them at that point in time. The view from the Squires Gate contingent was rather different, and they felt the game was theirs for the taking in the final ten minutes.

I don’t know how long the “result stands or replay” rule has existed in the League rules, but I’d hazard a guess it’s been there some time. So, in the light of the game at Crilly Park, is this a rule that needs looking at? What about giving the League Management Committee more options for a decision? What about an option to order a replay with the game starting as it finished when it was abandoned, with the same score and same number of players?

It often takes an incident like this to make you realise that the rules need changing. We had one instance only last season, when Richard Marsh of Eccleshall and Alan Smith from Padiham proposed that games in the Division Two Trophy should be decided on the day and not by a replay. The move was agreed by the clubs and came into play this season.

The idea for a change came about when Eccleshall were drawn at home to Padiham in last season’s competition. While at the game a discussion between Richard and Alan revealed that both shared the view that a replay wasn’t a particularly attractive prospect at that point in time. So they decided to propose a change and it was voted in by the clubs. Job done.

So, going back to the Woody Allen quote again, how many other traditions are we all following in the Vodkat League? Are all the rules perfect? Are we all agreed that nothing needs changing? Are we prepared just to accept the existing rules even if we don’t agree with them? Is everyone of a mind to say “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”?

The member clubs in the Vodkat League have it in their power to propose and make change. In this, the 25th year of the League’s existence, what would be better than to commemorate the anniversary by introducing some changes to our competitions that will make people sit up and take notice?

Whether it’s taking up John Moules’ idea about more points for goals or anything else that anyone cares to suggest, now would be a great time for clubs collectively to take a bit of responsibility for improving our competitions - by getting rid of the idea that the power of “tradition” should be stronger that that of the need to promote change.

So how about it lads – are you up for it? Or are you going to do as Woody Allen suggests – and let tradition give the illusion of permanence?

The Vodkat League on-line magazine