Post by Jon on Dec 9, 2009 23:47:03 GMT
Dec 9, 2009 12:02:07 GMT Dave said:
Jon I have been thinking about this again and have worked out where your problem is. You see what you are missing is the fact we are talking about two different events. One is when the SDL took over running the local football league and the other is when the SDL was first founded.I can understand what your argument is Dave, but it is a ridiculously weak one.
You don't KNOW that anything was formalised in 1902, you have no EVIDENCE to that effect, you are merely surmising that it might be possible that something happened in 1902. It possibly did but it very probably didn't. If you had anything whatsoever to suggest any activity in 1902, then we could debate whether it would be appropriate to call that the foundation date. You haven't, have you?
Can I prove absolutely 100% that your dreamed up scenario is wrong? No. Can you prove it is right? No.
Every league gives its foundation date as the year fixtures commenced. I don't know if that is just a widespread convention or because no league has ever taken more than nine months to sort itself out.
If you had proof of a committe meeting in 1902, you could flout convention and say you had evidence of activity in 1902.
All you have is a wild guess at what might possibly have happened. That is not enough to convince a historian.
The shame is that the SDL should be extremely proud that it has been in operation, barring the war years, since 1903.
A badge saying SDL founded 1903 would be something to boast about. Have you really been going since 1903? Oh yes. We kicked off at the start of the 1903/04 season.
A badge saying SDL founded 1902 is nothing to be proud of. Have you really been going since 1902? Well probably not, but maybe. We didn't play any games until September 1903 and we have absolutely no proof of anything prior to that, but we have randomly decided to claim that we were founded in 1902. Nobody can prove that we are wrong.
It's like cheating in an exam or winning a match with a deliberate handball. Why do it? Why not be proud of what you have genuinely achieved rather than cheat yourself by claiming something which is almost certainly untrue or at very best is utterly unproven?
