Talk:2016–17 Northern Premier League

Football: English non-league / Season Low‑importance

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16-17 teams

It cannot be known for sure which teams will be in which divisions for the 16-17 season until the league has revealed its constitution (normally around June time). This is different for the Premier League, Football League and National League as they are national divisions and so it is known 100% which teams will be in which division.

In regional football (Steps 2-6), it is impossible to say which teams will be in which division, and so they should be removed until the constitution is announced. Put simply, you cannot state for example that Scarborough Athletic will be in Division One North as there is no source to back it up. They could be in the South division, or the divisions could even be renamed East and West.

The page should not have been created until it is known for certain which teams will be taking part.Kivo (talk) 11:17, 10 April 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Surely the Football League clubs also get confirmed into the league at the end of season meetings too and so are also not 100%. For example, you have placed Crew Alex in to 2016–17 Football League Two, but for all we know they could fold or fail to pass some financial/ground regulations and so not be allowed to play in that league next season. We take as fact that all teams will pass all the league rules and regs and be accepted at the league meeting? Del_♉sion23 (talk) 11:29, 10 April 2016 (UTC)[reply]

The point isn't about whether clubs could fold etc... but whether they will be placed in the league indicated. If Crewe Alexandra play next season it will 100% be in League 2. The same can't be said for any club below the National League - until the constitutions of those divisions have been confirmed by the leagues, we don't know which league clubs will be in.

For example you put Scarborough Athletic in the North Division - how do you know they'll be in that Division? Kivo (talk) 13:14, 10 April 2016 (UTC)[reply]

I get your points, would it be fine to instead move the information in its current state to the draft namespace to allow users to work on it there (e.g. Draft:2016–17 Northern Premier League) or possibly this talk page? Del_♉sion23 (talk) 16:27, 10 April 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Absolutely, nothing wrong with a bit of prep work! Kivo (talk) 18:27, 10 April 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Done at Draft:2016–17 Northern Premier League Del_♉sion23 (talk) 21:36, 12 April 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Hi Kivo. I hope it's ok to join in this conversation, which I have been reading with interest. You are quite correct in that we cannot be sure which teams are in which division until the constitutions are announced by the leagues - usually at their AGMs. I've been looking at the creation of the 2015–16 season pages for the 22 English Leagues which cover Steps 2 to 6, and have found the dates of 16 of these 22 leagues' AGMs. It's interesting to note that the 2015–16 season pages for all but one of these leagues were created BEFORE the date of the AGM - some of them by you. I can see nothing wrong with continuing this practice, so long as it is made quite clear in each article (as was done in many of the 2015–16 versions) that the list of teams is provisional, and is subject to change. Drawoh46 (talk) 15:17, 13 April 2016 (UTC)[reply]