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Re: Nationals and Qaulifiers....



On 22 Oct 97 at 12:49, Tim Morgan wrote:

> In message <344D54BA.F9562B0@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Peter Younghusband
> <monkey@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> writes >I've just heard something about the
> top 4 bands at London qualifying for next >years Finals PROVIDING
> they go to the Areas...........? > >Without further info this seems
> extremely bizarre, can somebody enlighten me >please?? > >Monkey
> 
> This is the relevant article from this month's BBW:
> 
>	 'A decision of the National Contesting Council to invite the
>	 top
> four bands at the National championships final at the Royal Albert
> Hall on October 18 to compete in the final next year, without having
> to qualify by gaining a top two placing in their regional contest,
> has met a mixed response from top bands.
>	 'Philip Morris, contest administrator said the objective was
>	 to
> increase bands from 18 to 20 and ensure that more top bands will
> appear in the final.
>	 'Invitations will be conditional on the four bands competing
>	 in
> their regional competitions where placings will be used for grading
> purposes and where the appearances will ensure a series of
> attractive events for audiences.
>	 'One top band administrator said the condition that the four
> bands must appear in the regional contest was "ridiculous" and his
> band would consider sending a quartet to compete.
>	 'He was assuming, of course, that his band would finish in
>	 this
> year's top four.  Whether his was merely a hasty, extreme and
> unrepresentative view will emerge in the course of time!'
> 
> Taking the North West area for example, does this mean that if the
> result is
> 
> 1 - Faireys
> 2 - Fodens
> 3 - Wingates
> 4 - JJB
> 
> All four bands will qualify?  Likewise if it is
> 
> 1 - JJB
> 2 - Wingates
> 3 - Fodens
> 4 - Faireys
> 
> All four bands will STILL qualify??  Where's the tension in
> that!?!?!
> 
Tim,
	Unfortunately you are correct, the tension will have gone out of the 
NW area for us and Faireys.  However I'm sure both bands will want to 
win if for nothing more than BBW ranking points, which are probably 
more important to most bands (including your own I hate to say - ask 
Andy or Steve which is the first page they turn to when they read my 
copy) than area ranking points. What this move does do is ensure a 
good contest at the Albert Hall.  I deleted your e-mail about the BBW 
ranking tables as I subscribe, but I think that if you look, apart 
from CWS, most of the top 10 are NW or Yorkshire bands.  In fact out 
of the top 12 bands in the current BBW rankings 5 are from the 
Northwest area and 6 from Yorkshire.  You have to go down to 
number 16 before you get another English area band.  This tends to 
suggest that limiting the number of bands to two from each of these 
areas is a little unfair, both on the bands that don't qualify and 
the audience at the Finals. How would your band feel if Desford and 
Rigid became the elite bands that they were once again and qualified 
at the area every year.  Probably no matter how well you played you 
wouldn't stand a chance of qualifying (This is a hypothetical 
situation remember :-} ).  If the chance of an extra place at the 
Midland area became available there would still be a fight between 
Sovereign, Ransomes, Rhodian..et al to get that place, so there will 
still be tension !
 I am not saying that there will automatically be extra Yorks or NW 
bands at the Nationals, other bands (like Kirchy) will do well, and 
I'm not saying that the tension at certain areas will be as great as 
it used to be, but  I think that the move will still produce good 
area contests and even better Finals.


Tararabit,

Phil Green.
Solo EEb Bass
Fodens (Courtois) Band.


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