Calls for tweaks keep on falling on deaf ears

The national fi rst division, now known as the GladAfrica Championship, kicked off yesterday with issues that have been thorny at this level for a long time now still not addressed.

So, I guess we will hear the same complaints at the end of the season again, with some club officials dissatisfied with the continuation of the three-team promotion system, which favours the team from the top flight.

It is a system that so many have complained about but remains unresolved.

I think there are many like me who want a simple relegation/promotion system where two teams from the top-flight drop down, and two from the first division go up – simple enough right?

Okay, let me admit that I haven’t really wanted to know the reasons behind the play-offs anyway because I have never been a fan of the system.

It is a similar case with the abolishment of the four-team pre-season Charity Cup,

All I know is that deep down, I and thousands more, if not millions, still hunger for that one-day tournament which got us psyched up for the new season as it gave teams a chance to unveil thier new players and gave us an indication of what to expect.

I may be sad we lost it perhaps because I never had a chance to see it live yet.

I had only witnessed it on TV and yet it got us extremely excited.

Okay, maybe I digressed there for a little bit, but I just wanted to make you see my point as to why I don’t bother with the reasons behind some decisions, because in my eyes they are wrong and no one can convince me otherwise.

It’s the same thing with the GladAfrika promotion system.

I have never understood it and don’t even want to try.

There is also the issue of teams having to play three Under-23 players in the team for each game.

On the outside this is really good and points in the right direction in terms of developing more young players and giving them game time at a competitive level.

But on closer inspection, it’s a serious void and I have written about this here before, asking why those players are then not considered for the national Under-23 side.

But another point to that is that it doesn’t help development of quality players one bit.

Let me explain. A team is required to register five Under-23 players for the season. Of those five, three must be in the starting line-up for every game.

Now for the riddle – if one of the three who have, let’s say for argument’s sake, fought hard for their entitled places and gets injured, and another is suspended, what happens?

The team is left with one who has earned his place, and a second who gets to play because they are entitled to by the law.

So, technically the team goes to a game carrying two passengers. Every season we will have cases of teams not adhering to this rule.

But the club’s themselves don’t seem to raise the issues, or maybe it falls on deaf ears and they couldn’t be bothered.