HKHAMS 16-17 Circular No. 3 - League Structure of Men's League 2016-2017
Attachment: 2016-17 Men's League Structure
Dear Convenors,
Thanks for your interests to participate at the 2016-17 Men's Winter League. The MS Committee is pleased to announce the league structure of the 2016/17 Season and the tentative dates for the debut of the League season. The match fixture would be promulgated once it is ready.
After receiving the applications from your clubs over the past few weeks, MS Committee noted that a total of 7 teams had decided to withdraw from the Men's League in the 2016-17 season. The withdrawals have considerable impact to the balance of the league structure with some division left with 10 teams or less vs our optimal league structure of 12 teams per division. To achieve a more balanced league structure such that similar number of matches will be played across the divisions, the Committee decided to implement a few exceptional changes in team relegations and merge the Division into Division 5 as follows:
Premier Division
Ten teams will participate in the 2016/17 season. The participation at the Premier Division is by invitation from the HKHA only. HKU A will be relegated to Division 1. We have invited HKFC B to stay at the Premier Division as both the Champion and the First-runner up of Division One informed HKHA that their teams are not competent in the Premier Division for the coming season.
Division 1
After the following changes: HKU A to be relegated from the Premier Division and renamed as Rhino A; Shaheen B and RHOBA A relegated to Division 2, and SSSC C and Dragons A promoted from Division 2, there would be 13 teams in Division 1 for the coming season.
Division 2
There would be 12 teams participating in the coming season, following the relegation of two teams from Division 1 and the promotion of 2 other teams from Division 3.
Division 3
There were 2 team-withdrawals affecting the Division structure, i.e. IAM A and KNS C (which would have been promoted to Division 3). In order to ensure a more balanced structure at the division, the MS decided that HKFC G and Skyers A would not be relegated to Division 4. The two teams would remain in the Division 3 for the coming season. This would bring 12 teams participating in the Division for the coming season.
Division 4
After the promotion of Scorpion A to Division 3 and the decision not to relegate the two teams from Division 3, the number of teams to participate the coming season would have been dropped to ten. The MS therefore also decided that Recreio C and Skyers B would remain at the Division 4 for the coming season. As such, 12 teams would participate in the Division for the coming season.
Division 5
The Division was affected by 4 team-withdrawals. Moreover, as no team would be relegated from Division 4, the MS decided that Divisions 5 and 6 should be merged in 2016/17 Season. Taking into account that HKU B (played in Division 6 in 2015/16 season) would also withdraw from the league, the total number of teams in Division 5 for the coming season would therefore be 13.
To re-balance the league structure of Division 1 back to 12 teams, the committee decided that the bottom 3 teams in 2016/2017 Season will be relegated to Division 2 and the top 2 teams of Division 2 will be promoted to Division 1. The same arrangement will be applied to Division 2, 3 and 4.
Please also be informed that the MS has decided that the first league games for Divisions 1 and below would be played on the 4th September and the season for the Premier League will commence on the 11th September.
Regards,
Tony NG
Hon Secretary
The HKHAMS