Hi all,
Welcome to the 2020/21 season of the WLVL and thank you for your various communications over the past few weeks. The fixtures are now online.
Hello to Hampton second team who are entering the league to give players more opportunities after our lack of competition over the summer.
Divisions Two and Three will start on Saturday September 26th and Division One will start on Saturday October 3rd.
Please check your matches and alert me to any problems at this stage.
I am conscious that three clubs will have to find eight players on the same day but there is no getting round this whatever staggered start I choose. Hampton were made aware of this before entering a new team and Priory will always have this issue with three teams in the league. Sutton therefore have drawn a bit of a short straw this year - again please let me know if any fixtures may need moving at this stage.
In Division Three we have 11 teams so each team will therefore have one ‘rest’ day. Once the season starts, please do not rearrange dates of matches unless the weather is bad on the day of the match or unless Covid-19 puts a team out of action (more of that below).
Please note that matches at Knowle and Dorridge and Warwick Tennis Club (both Div 1) and Stratford (Div 2) will start in the morning. This was allowed for in my original email a few weeks ago. The Division 3 matches at Hampton on Feb 6th both start at noon because both their teams are at home on that day.
All other matches start at 1pm but, only with the prior consent of both teams, times can be moved slightly if needed eg by half an hour or so.
Have a look at the rules and be aware of the rule for playing up and down - this should be used with consideration so that teams in lower divisions are not suddenly faced with the equivalent of Serena Williams.
If there is a crisis and you are only able to field one pair, please let your opponents know in advance. This rarely, happens, fortunately, but walkovers can skew the division. Once again, I have stopped short of penalising teams for this and consultations have not resulted in a call for such a measure.
New captains - you will need to ensure you have ticked the GDPR box on MyDivision so that your phone numbers can be displayed.
Covid 19:
Your club committees should be familiar with the ever-changing government and LTA guidance on Covid-19 issues. Most importantly, players displaying symptoms or who have been in contact with anyone who has tested positive should not play in a match. If entire teams are affected or local lockdowns occur, I will of course be flexible when it comes to rearrangements. There is a reasonable gap over Christmas and, if necessary, matches can be rearranged up to March 31st - in the evenings as well as at weekends.
I hope all clubhouses will be open for use of the loo!
It is probably best for teams to consult with opponents about refreshments - whether to carry on as normal, eat outside, take your own or forgo them altogether. Players can use common sense when car-sharing. It all needs to be done with distancing and consideration for other club members in mind.
Bob Harris, the men’s league organiser, and I have discussed what we should do if the season is curtailed again. Bob has come up with a sensible solution for the men depending on what point they are at. However, as the ladies operate over a longer timeframe, I think I will take soundings from you all if and when we run into this problem again. It will be a choice of whether to abandon the season with no promotion and relegation or to go with the positions as they stand (which is what we did with Div 1 this year with only six fixtures remaining).
We have 31 teams and I hope you all have some enjoyable tennis. Once again, I welcome your ideas for any changes next season; it is your league.
Best wishes to you all for the season ahead, keep well and please call me on 07968 236885 if you have any queries.
Thanks all,
Mel Jennings
WLVL organiser
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