retired_yogagirl

I guess, firstly, is the Dutch First Div considered LLM?

Secondly, if it does.... I'm trying out Telstar... I know nothing about them, nothing about Dutch Lower League football, but the name is catchy, so that will do.

Anyhow... I don't understand this league ! The first division seems to be split into periods. Which I believe are 8 games long each. The team that won the first period has a "PL" next to it even though it is now down to 4th. Does this mean that they have qualified for some end of league Playoff?

But the most bizarre thing is, after my last match, it said I was 5th. But looking at the league table, and I'm 4th. Really weird. Because I haven't a clue how this league is working, I'll assume it's my lack of knowledge in the process rather than a bug. But can someone please fill me in?

Fly

I'm a belgian, but I'm pretty sure the same system is used in the Dutch 1st division as in Belgian lower league football.

The season is divided into 4 periods of 8 games each. New standings are made for every period together with overall standings. ONce you end up 1st in one of those periods, you're 'period champion' and you qualify for the play-offs. At the end of the season, the champion is promoted and the period winners play playoffs.
However, it's very likely that the overall champion won one or even more of those periods and you've only got 3 period champions left to play the playoffs. The last team(s) that then qualify for the play-offs is the team that finished the highest on the standings without winning a period.

I hope this all made some sense, and as Dutchmen aren't too scarce on these fora, some of them will correct me if I'm wrong.
GL and KUTGW!!
Fisher

retired_princess160

Spot on, FisherMan.

There are a total of 6 'period champions' and/or high finishers.

Three of them are drawn in one group, three in another group. To each group are added one of the two teams from the Eredivisie who finish second last and third last. Each of the group winners is promoted to the Eredivisie.

The Dutch Eerste Divisie (or Totodivisie in modern, commercial terms) is, IMHO, indeed LLM, because there are no lower leagues that are connected to the Eerste- and Eredivisie. Of course, it is not a very big challenge, as the Eerste Divisie teams can not be relegated and have a relatively high reputation (for LL teams, that is )

Cracks are beginning to show in the Dutch league system, however. Omniworld have forced their participation in the Eerste Divisie by going to court, succesfully saying that keeping teams that qualify for professional football (stadium safety, full-pro footballers and that sort of thing) out of professional football is in fact a form of illegal kartel-forming.

Omniworld will be added to the Eerste Divisie next season, IIRC. Another team, IJsselmeervogels, are thinking about going by the same route. I think that in due time, the Dutch league structure will have to open up, connecting the amateur leagues to the professional leagues. I certainly do hope that will happen

retired_yogagirl

thanks gents.... i'll give it a go for a couple of seasons... winning doesn't seem too difficult, i'm in 4th place already, have pretty much found a team line-up that works... and find that my assistant manager is good enough to pick a team for me that does pretty well (he knows the players better than me !!!).

And since my Dutch ain't too good, I'm sure he's a better converser. Although... when I look at my info under Quick Search, it says I speak Dutch !!! Cool !!!

Danke schoen

retired_princess160

Oops, one can see I haven't been home for a while

But my assessment of the Dutch Eerste Divisie stands. No patch on the likes of Turkey or Croatia. Trust me, been there.

retired_peter02

[QUOTE]
Secondly, if it does.... I'm trying out Telstar... I know nothing about them, nothing about Dutch Lower League football, but the name is catchy, so that will do.
[QUOTE]

Telstar is a club from Velsen, a small village close to IJmuiden harbour and Hoogovens steel Mills on the dutch coast, about 15 km west of Amsterdam.

Telstar is and was a relative (financialy) poor club. After a good season most players left for a more lucrative contract elsewhere. The aggresive scouting and influence of nearby Ajax Amsterdam skimmed off any new talented youth-players.

Despite having to deal with this problems, Telstar had managed to survive as a prof. Football club with the playing style reflecting the problems the club has to work under: Working, working and working.

A Telstar fan.
(yes, the do exist)

Lanus

retired_mdibrell

Let me get this straight?

So the overall champion goes up, the team that ends up top of the league, right?

Then the 4 teams that were highest, apart from the overall league winner, in the "mini-leagues" go into a play-off and some go up. How many? Two?

retired_princess160

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by alkinear:
Let me get this straight?

So the overall champion goes up, the team that ends up top of the league, right?

Then the 4 teams that were highest, apart from the overall league winner, in the "mini-leagues" go into a play-off and some go up. How many? Two?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

There are two play off 'pools'. The winner of each one goes up (or stays up, as the case may be).

retired_mdibrell

Ah ffs DJ now I'm more confused.

So the winner goes up from the 1st division and the loser goes down from the top division.

Also, the 4 teams which won the 1/4 leagues go into 2, 3 team leagues with the 2nd and 3rd worst team from the top division? They then play two games each to see who goes up, or stays up, right.

So in theory we could have just the top 1st division team promoted and the bottom premiership team relegated? Or we could have three up and three down?

BTW I started a save with Heracles because I always thought I looked good in lionskins!

This team is named after the Greek god right?

Can someone tell me the history of this club please? Are they recently relegated? Cos' they have a few very good players and I would be very surprised if I don't win promotion this season.

retired_princess160

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR> So in theory we could have just the top 1st division team promoted and the bottom premiership team relegated? Or we could have three up and three down?
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Correct. In fact, the Eredivisie teams usually survive.