Mercury League
 | |
| Countries |
 Mercury |
|---|---|
| Confederation | EMUFA |
| Founded | 2010 |
| First season | 2011 |
| Number of teams | 54 |
| Levels on pyramid | 1-4 |
| Relegation to | MeFA Conference |
| Domestic cup(s) |
Mercury FA Cup MeFA Minor Cup |
| International cup(s) | EMUFA Champions' League |
| Current champions |
Dynamo Deacon (2020) |
| Most championships | Tow Law FC (5) |
| Website | http://mercuryfa.webs.com |
 2020 Mercury League | |
The Mercury League is the highest level football competition system in Mercury, consisting of four divisions. It was the only football league in Mercury between 2010 and 2011, run by the MeFA. The league involved six teams, each scheduled to play 20 games (four times against each team), however, after the third fixture was played, the fixture list was lost, meaning the league had to be cancelled. In 2011, it was announced that the league would be reformed as Mercury's second division, containing six teams playing ten games, with the top two teams being promoted to the Four Nations league.
History
The Mercury League was founded in 2010 with six teams. The season continued for three rounds of fixtures, before the fixture list was lost. The competition was replaced by a knockout cup for the remainder of the season.
In the second season, the clubs competing in the original Mercury League moved into the Four Nations league system, and were replaced by six new teams in the Mercury League. The competition was won by Mercury Armed Forces FC. In 2012, the league format underwent further changes. The teams that had broken off to join the Four Nations rejoined the Mercury League, forming the Premier League, with the remaining teams forming the Second League.
Inclusion of Nova English clubs
In 2013, the Mercury FA announced that the four highest ranked Nova English clubs would gain entry to the Mercury League. The Premier League was expanded to 12 teams, with the top four teams from the 2012 Second League being promoted. The Second League was expanded to 10 teams, with top two Nova English teams, and the top four teams from the 2012 Amateur League being promoted, and the Amateur League was rebraned as the Third League, also expanding to 10 teams.
2017 expansion
The Mercury League expanded once again for the 2017 season, adding in a new fourth division, as well as increasing the number of teams in each division except the Mercury Premier League from 10 to 14 teams.
Financial Fair Play regulations
The financial affairs of clubs within the Mercury League are regulated by law. Clubs must not overspend in the pursuit of success, and must not enter into unsustainable or dangerous levels of debt which might threaten their long-term survival. Club directors are legally considered to be personally accountable for any breaches of these regulations, however the Mercury League imposes its own sanctions on clubs that are found guilty of any financial misconduct.
Penalties
The penalties for entering administration vary from league to league. All instances incur a points deduction, with subsequent breaches resulting in relegation and eventually expulsion from the league. Clubs in divisions below the Premier League are given the option of accepting a survival package from the central Premier League funding pot. Acceptance of the package disqualifies the club from promotion for a minimum of three seasons. This also incurs a points deduction and counts towards a club's count of insolvency events, so may not be used as a means of avoiding the penalty of entering administration. A separate category of penalty exists for "unsafe financial conduct", which covers other situations that don't specifically result in insolvency, but that do create an unnecessary financial risk for the club.
| League | Points deduction | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Administration | Accepting a survival package | Unsafe financial conduct | |
| Premier League | 15 | – | Up to 8 |
| Second League | 10 | 10 | Up to 6 |
| Third League | 10 | 10 | Up to 6 |
| Fourth League | 12 | 12 | Up to 6 |
Results
2018 Teams
Premier League
- Bohemian Rhapsodies
- Breakthru FC (promoted)
- Cook Island
- Dynamo Deacon
- Innuendo FC (promoted)
- May Wanderers
- Mercury City
- Mullen Albion
- Port Barret FC
- St John's FC
- Tow Law FC
- West Grinstead FC
Second League
- AFC Heartpool (relegated)
- A Night at the Football (promoted)
- Break Free Athletic
- Dunleigh Eagles (promoted)
- Flash FC
- Hammond Rangers (promoted via play-offs)
- Kuiper Town FC
- Made in Heaven
- Mercury Armed Forces FC
- Mercury Phoenix
- Nafferton Town
- Ponthorne Town
- Queen Athletic
- Taylor Sporting Club (relegated)
Third League
- A Kind of Magic (relegated via play-offs)
- Arleness FC
- Bisminster Harriers (relegated via play-offs)
- Fenhouse United
- Fulditch United
- Halley Comets
- Hawking Black Holes
- Holham Park FC
- Penbury Electric FC (promoted)
- Olbers' Paradoxes
- One Vision
- Soxceter FC (relegated)
- The Red Specials (relegated)
- Yorkwell Town (promoted)
Fourth League
- Besford Town (relegated)
- Bybridge Town FC
- Clarkson Albion (promoted)
- Cunston Rovers
- Dissingham Town (relegated)
- FC Henscar
- Keyfoss Knights (promoted via play-offs)
- Kincester City
- Longstoke City
- Mercury City Messengers
- Railminster Robins
- Settington Rovers
- Show Must Go On (relegated via play-offs)
- Torburn Miracles (promoted)
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