UK Deaf Sport’s Letter – Deaf Champions League (DCL)

To Whom It May Concern

UK Deaf Sport (UKDS) has been working with the English Football Association (The F.A) and England Deaf Football (EDF) in establishing the framework for Deaf football in the UK.

We recognise the efforts of the Deaf Champions League (DCL) committee in setting up the competition and are in agreement with your constitution and rules. Our understanding is that it should mirror the actual Champions League as much as possible but for Deaf football.

On that basis the qualification process to the DCL for teams from the UK needs to be updated to reflect this.

Currently teams from the UK qualify via the British Deaf Cup and the BDF Fustal Cup organised by British Deaf Football (BDF) and this will continue to be the case for DCL 2018 and DCL futsal 2018 for qualifiers from the 2016-17 football season that has just completed.

While this has worked well during the early years of the DCL, according to the DCL constitution it states:

3) Qualification

Club qualification to the DCL is determined by the Deaf rankings of the national country domestic League or Cup. If a country has Cup and League, then the League has priority. The winner of each country’s Deaf Cup or domestic League is given priority to qualify for the DCL.

The number of qualified teams will be determined by Technical rules (Futsal/Football).

All Clubs of each country that enters the DCL must be member of club’s National Deaf Sports Federation, whom is affiliated to European Deaf Sports Organisation.

In DCL Football Rules and Regulations it confirms this:

Article 2.  –  Entries for the Deaf Champions League Competition

  • Number of qualifying Clubs for entry to Deaf Champions League
    2.01 Qualifiers for the DCL comes from the results of the domestic Deaf League or Cup competitions affiliated to their National Deaf Football League (If a country has Cup and League, then the champions from the domestic League has priority to go to DCL). Each Federation are to send to DCL the complete details of any national competition(s) held within their country. i.e. placement, teams, players lists, etc.
    And in DCL Futsal Rules and Regulations the qualification process is explained.

 

As stated in your constitution if a country has League and Cup competitions, then the champions from the domestic League has priority for qualification to the DCL.

  • In this instance the National Deaf Sports Federation is the UKDS (affiliated to the EDSO) who will recognise the England Deaf Football (EDF) from next season 2017/2018 onwards as the main Deaf football organisation for English Deaf football (EDF).
  • This means that the qualification process for teams from the UK will change for DCL 2019 and qualification for English Deaf football teams will be via the England Deaf Football League (EDFL) 2017-18 of which will be organised by England Deaf Football (EDF).

 

If you have any queries please do not hesitate to contact them.

 

Yours sincerely

Christof Niklaus                                                    Ian Reynolds
(UKDS International Football)                         (UKDS Domestic Football)
email: christofukds@gmail.com

 

 

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