Stags in Merit League

By Dave Picken - May 5 2005
Stags in Merit League
Greg Edwards
The Stags have now been formally accepted into the Tees Valley Merit League next season with West Amateurs opting to leave the formal league system and play in the Tees Valley Social League.

It means the Ams will be able to keep their own identity but players do not have to be registered to play in the Social league which means the Ams regulars can be bolstered by players registered to West or, indeed, to other clubs.

Ams players will also be able to register as West players so that they can be eligible to play for the Stags in the Merit League.

It all promises regular rugby for all of the lads who want to play out of Brinkburn.

Greg Edwards' lads will be in a league of 12 playing home and away against the likes of title holders Stockton II's and Rovers Heughers as well as second strings from Horden, Redcar, Acklam and Middlesbrough.

The way the league is stuctured is somehwat different:

Three points for a win

Two points for a draw

One point for a defeat

One point for a a team who loans a player or players to the opposing team [if they have been unable to field a full team]

One point for any team for any team whose opposition cries off in the week preceding the fixture

Minus one point for any team crying off a fixture two or less days before a fixture

Abandoned games one point if not played at a later date

Two points for any team whose opposition cries off on the day of the fixture.

It's all designed to ensure that as few fixtures as possible are called off and that's something which will delight the Stags. Six replacements are also allowed and uncontested scrums will be allowed for Social League games but NOT for Merit league games.