These competitions are currently run as 2 events, the Champions League and the CERS Cup. To enter the CL you have to be the National Champion team or runner-up. To enter the CERS Cup you have to be Nat Cup winner or 3rd/4th in either Nat Championship or Nat Cup Competition. The fees are either £350 or £280 (approx) depending on which one and entry is optional.
The huge differences between the professional and amateur clubs have prompted calls for changes to the format to be made. This has proved very difficult to resolve but all the proposals have been investigated and after many meetings there is now an agreed final draft. This will be voted on at an Extraordinary CERH Congress on Easter Sunday in Montreux.
The main change which will affect English Clubs is that it is proposed that entry is COMPULSORY and failure to do so will result in a financial penalty of 5000 euros (approx£3382) to that club. There are other changes to the schedule and ranking etc proposed also.
The English Champion team will under the new proposals only have entry to the CERS Cup 2007/8 because no UK club is currently ranked in the top 12 of Europe. The CERS Cup will conclude with a Final Four weekend as the CL does at present. Should the UK entry reach the Final Four of the CERS Cup in 2008 then it will be automatically entered into the Champions League in 2009. The Federations of Spain, Portugal and Italy can enter up to 3 club teams in the competition and all others may enter a maximum of 4.
In the first year of the new format the matches, ‘home’ and ‘away’ will begin in Oct 07 and end with the Final Four in April 08. In the 08/09 season the competition will begin in Sept/Oct and conclude with the Final Four in Dec 08. The Final Four weekend should be organized by a country other than Spain, Portugal or Italy. If there are no applications only then it will be offered to these nations to host.
The NRHA will be attending the Congress and have a vote. We will be putting an amendment forward to remove the ‘compulsory rule for all countries where Roller Hockey is non – professional’.
Teams who have entered the European Cups in the recent years – Herne Bay United, Bury, Letchworth, and Grimsby know what is involved and appreciate the competition and opportunity it brings. HBU have been entering these competitions since 1991 and have played against FCBarcelona 3 times, Novara twice, FC Porto plus others from Portugal, France and Switzerland. In 1999 when HBU reached the Final Eight of the Champions League (the only amateur club among the 7 pros) they gained enormously from the regular and high level of competition and we had a chance to see the top European Clubs in the UK. The cost though was in excess of £10,000.
When this season’s National Champions are declared along with the Nat Cup Winners it will no longer be that Club/s decision whether to play in the European Cup.
It will be their responsibility to do so.
