Third Section
| BANDS | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | Total | Position |
| Daventry | 9 | 1 | 1 | 11 | 1 |
| Long Eaton Silver | 5 | 8 | 2 | 15 | 2 |
| Ibstock Brick Brass | 8.5av | 7ar | 3 | 18.5 | 3 |
| Arrow Valley | 8.5ar | 6 | 6 | 20.5 | 4 |
| Rushden Town | 8.5av | 7ap | 9 | 24.5 | 5 |
| Rushden Windmill | 4 | 5 | 16 | 25 | 6= |
| City of Birmingham | 7 | 14* | 4 | 25 | 6= |
| WEM Jubilee | 8.5av | 7ar | 11 | 26.5 | 8= |
| Shipston Town | 8.5ap | 10 | 8 | 26.5 | 8= |
| Stamford | 8 | 7 | 12 | 27 | 10 |
| Hucknall & Linby | 6 | 9 | 13 | 28 | 11 |
| West Mercia Constabulary | 10 | 14 (Dis) | 5 | 29 | 12 |
| Stourport | 8.5ar | 14* | 7 | 29.5 | 13 |
| Fairfield Buxton | 8.5av | 7ap | 15 | 30.5 | 14 |
| Rolls Royce Derby | 13 | 11 | 10 | 34 | 15 |
| Cubbington Silver | 12 | 12 | 14 | 38 | 16 |
| Croft Silver | 8.5ap | 13 | 17 | 38.5 | 17 |
| No.of Bands (Playing) | 16 | 13 | 17 | ||
| Average Position | 8.5 | 7 | 9 | ||
| No.of Bands (Prog) | 16 | 15 | 17 |
(Dis = Disqualified)
(* = Band did not compete in this contest)
Daventry and Long Eaton Solver will be promoted to the Second Section from 1st January 2013
Cubbington Silver and Croft Silver will be relegated to the Fourth Section from 1st January 2013
Looking at these results the grading system becomes a nonsense. To my mind the reason for a grading system is that bands compete against bands of a similar standard, therefore to demote a band that has finished 4th in the third section down to play against bands in the fourth section is ridulous. They have proved, this year, that they are of a superior standard on the day to 11 third section bands. How can it be justified that they should be relegated. The old, and much fairer, system of relegating the last two bands and promoting the top two bands each year should be re-instated. Dai Francis South Wales Wales
Thanks for the feedback Dai,
The grading system is not controlled by the Area Committee, but nationally, so the Area Committee have no control over this method of promotion and demotion.
I believe that in a survey undertaken by the British Federation a few years ago, bands were asked about this. The overwhelming majority voted to retain the 3 year average method currently in use