{"id":356409,"date":"2011-04-01T08:34:05","date_gmt":"2011-04-01T08:34:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ghanamma.net\/2011\/04\/01\/system-suits-oconnor\/"},"modified":"2011-04-01T08:34:05","modified_gmt":"2011-04-01T08:34:05","slug":"system-suits-oconnor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/04\/01\/system-suits-oconnor\/","title":{"rendered":"System suits O’Connor"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

\t <\/p>\n

\n
\n

20110401<\/p>\n

\t<\/p>\n

\n

Widnes chairman thinks Super League licences help sport grow<\/h3>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t Last updated: 1st April 2011\u00a0\u00a0 \"Subscribe<\/a> <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n

\t\t\t\"System<\/p>\n

Widnes: Missed out three years ago<\/p>\n

\t\t \t<\/p>\n

Also see<\/h4>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

Widnes chairman Steve O’Connor has voiced his support for the Super League licensing system after his club regained their place in the top flight.\n<\/p>\n

On Thursday, the Vikings were named as the first side to secure a three-year licence for the 2012-14 seasons, seeing off competition from fellow Championship outfits Barrow and Halifax.<\/p>\n

Licensing was introduced in 2009 to replace automatic promotion and relegation, with Widnes’ bid being unsuccessful in the first round of applications.<\/p>\n

Instead Salford and Celtic Crusaders were chosen to join an expanded 14-team league, with Widnes forced to spend another three years in the Championship.<\/p>\n

Widnes have now secured a place in the Super League despite without playing in a Championship Grand Final, but O’Connor thinks the licensing system is good for the development of the game.<\/p>\n

“I was always a fan of the licensing system,” said O’Connor, who saved Widnes when they went into administration in 2007.<\/p>\n

Right way<\/h4>\n

“I think it’s the right way to go. There are elements that other sports can learn from.<\/p>\n

“I think the club going up and taking all the players from the club coming down was destined to fail and promoting a team in October doesn’t give them time to recruit.<\/p>\n

“I know that the decisions taken here the last time Widnes were in Super League were ‘anything to stay up’ and you can’t nurture talent in that sort of environment.<\/p>\n

“The licensing system allows us to experiment a little bit more. If we were in a simple promotion and relegation (system) it would be very difficult to blood some of those youngsters.<\/p>\n

“We think we have some very exciting talent here and it will be great to allow them to play on the top stage.”<\/p>\n

O’Connor says that Widnes intends to spend up to the \u00a31.65million salary cap in order to ensure that the Vikings can compete in the top flight.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\t\t\tClick Here for Your Free Bet<\/a>\t<\/p><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\t\t <\/p>\n

\t<\/span><\/div>\n

‘ );
\n\t\t\t\t\t}
\n\t\t\t\t});<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t$.ajax(
\n\t\t\t\t\turl: “\/yourview\/comments_json\/0,26302,6845396_”+selectedPageNumber+”_20,00.txt”,
\n\t \t\t\t\tcache: true,
\n\t\t\t\t\tdataType: “json”,
\n\t \t\t\t\tsuccess: function(json)
\n\t\t\t\t\t\tloadingFinished = true;\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t$(‘#load-comments’).html(”);
\n\t\t\t\t\t\tprocessJSONComments(json, selectedPageNumber);<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\tif (typeof _hbPageView != “undefined”)
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tmyPN = hbx.pn + ” – ” + selectedPageNumber;
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tmyMLC = hbx.mlc + “\/” + selectedPageNumber;
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t_hbPageView(myPN, myMLC);<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\tif (typeof SKY_TRACKING != “undefined”)
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ section will remain as it is on the page
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ contentType will be “article comments” or “match comments”
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSKY_TRACKING.contentType = “article comments”;
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSKY_TRACKING.pagination = “page ” + selectedPageNumber;
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tsky.tracking.launch ( SKY_TRACKING );<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t$(‘#load-comments’).css(‘min-height’, ” );
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t$(‘#load-comments’).css(‘display’, ” );<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t$(‘#load-comments’).children(‘.ss-opinion-comment-box-comment’).show();
\n\t\t\t\t\t},
\n\t\t\t\t\terror: function (XMLHttpRequest, textStatus, errorThrown)
\n\t\t\t\t\t\tloadingFinished = true;
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t$(‘#load-comments #loading’).remove();
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t$(‘#load-comments’).children(‘.ss-opinion-comment-box-comment’).show();<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t});<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\twindow.location.hash=’yourviewcomments’;\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\treturn false;
\n\t\t\t});
\n\t\t}<\/p>\n

\t\tfunction processJSONComments(json,page)
\n\t\t\tvar perPage = 20;
\n\t\t\tvar beginIndex = (page-1) * perPage;
\n\t\t\tvar createdComments = 0;
\n\t\t\tvar comment;<\/p>\n

\t\t\t$(‘.ss-opinion-comment-box ul.pagination li’).removeClass(‘on’);
\n\t\t\t$(‘.ss-opinion-comment-box ul.pagination’).find(‘li:eq(‘+page+’)’).addClass(‘on’);
\n\t\t\t$(‘.pag-key span’).html(page);<\/p>\n

\t\t\tfor(var i in json)
\n\t\t\t\tcomment = jsoni;
\n\t\t\t\tcreateComment(i, comment);
\n\t\t\t\tcreatedComments++;<\/p>\n

\t\t\tupdatePagination(page);
\n\t\t}<\/p>\n

\t\tfunction processXMLComments(xml,page)
\n\t\t\tvar perPage = 20;
\n\t\t\tvar beginIndex = (page-1) * perPage;
\n\t\t\tvar createdComments = 0;<\/p>\n

\t\t\t$(‘.ss-opinion-comment-box ul.pagination li’).removeClass(‘on’);
\n\t\t\t$(‘.ss-opinion-comment-box ul.pagination’).find(‘li:eq(‘+page+’)’).addClass(‘on’);
\n\t\t\t$(‘.pag-key span’).html(page);<\/p>\n

\t\t\t$(“comment”,xml).each(
\n\t\t\t\tfunction(index,node)
\n\t\t\t\t\tcreateComment(index, node);
\n\t\t\t\t\tcreatedComments++;<\/p>\n

\t\t\t);<\/p>\n

\t\t\tupdatePagination(page);
\n\t\t}<\/p>\n

\t\tfunction updatePagination(page)
\n\t\t\tvar paginationItems = $(“ul.pagination”);
\n\t\t\tvar totalPages = 0;
\n\t\t\tvar startPage = 1;<\/p>\n

\t\t\tif( totalPages ‘ +
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tstartPage + ”;<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\tif( startPage == page )
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t$(node).addClass(‘on’);
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t else
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t$(node).removeAttr(‘class’);<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t$(node).html(pageHtml);<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\tstartPage++;
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t}
\n\t\t\t\t\t);
\n\t\t\t\t}
\n\t\t\t);<\/p>\n

\t\t\tsetupCommentPageClickHandlers();<\/p>\n

\t\t}<\/p>\n

\t\tfunction createComment(index, commentNode )
\n\t\t\tif(commentNode.ownerDocument)
\n\t\t\t\tvar user = $(“user”,commentNode).text();
\n\t\t\t\tvar favTeam = $(“favTeam”,commentNode).text();
\n\t\t\t\tvar comment = $(“body”,commentNode).text();
\n\t\t\t\tvar dateCreated = $(“dateCreated”,commentNode).text();
\n\t\t\t\tvar editorComments = $(“editorComments”,commentNode).text();
\n\t\t\t else
\n\t\t\t\tvar user = commentNode.user;
\n\t\t\t\tvar favTeam = commentNode.favTeam;
\n\t\t\t\tvar comment = commentNode.body;
\n\t\t\t\tvar dateCreated = commentNode.dateCreated;
\n\t\t\t\tvar editorComments = commentNode.editorComments;
\n\t\t\t\tvar nomination = commentNode.ysTitle;<\/p>\n

\t\t\tvar commentHTML = ”;<\/p>\n

\t\t\t$(‘#load-comments’).append(commentHTML);
\n\t\t}<\/p>\n

\nSend us your views<\/legend>\n

\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t

\t\t <\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t

\t\t