Let battle to avoid the drop commence!
Newly-promoted Rothwell Temperance and Woodfalls will be immune from relegation this year but both bands will be keen to emulate last year's 'newcomers' - Flowers and Hammonds Saltaire - and achieve a result that would virtually guarantee their British Open place beyond next year. Flowers and Hammonds both placed in the top-6 last year and, barring an incredible result this year, will be safe from relegation for at least one more year.
It's a different story for those bands that found least favour with the adjudicators last year, including Co-operative Funeralcare, this year making a 25th consecutive appearance (with five top-4 placings in this spell to boot). Past form is largely irrelevant though and Co-op will need to put in a very good performance if they are to avoid a debut trip to Blackpool for the Grand Shield next year (having previously qualified in the Free Trade Hall, Manchester in 1988, and then as special invitees as National Champions in 1991).
This year's and last year's placings will be added together and the two bands with the highest aggregates are likely to receive an invitation to next year's Grand Shield! Here is the bottom end of the table, showing placings from last year, to which this year's placing will be added.
11 Leyland
12 Milnrow
15 Co-operative Funeralcare
16 Carlton Main Frickley Colliery
17 Kirkintilloch
It is most probable that the two bands relegated will be from the five shown above but 'great escapes' have happened before (see below). Based on their respective current brassstats.com rankings, the bands in pole position for relegation this year are Kirkintilloch and, by the narrowest of margins from the other three, Leyland.
Recent history suggests that a combined placings tally of less than 30 will be needed to survive - perhaps no more than about 27 or 28 - but it's not an exact science as demonstrated below (relegated bands each year shown in red). Bands indicated '*' are those that were in 'pole position' for relegation prior to the contest.
Some examples of noteable (miraculous?) 'escapes' in recent years are Carlton Main (15th in 2009, then 8th in 2010), Co-operative Funeralcare (14th in 2011, then 7th in 2012) and, pride of place, Tredegar (15th in 2012, then 1st in 2013)
24 Carlton Main Frickley Colliery
24 Kirkintilloch
25 Milnrow
26 Leyland *
26 Hepworth
27 Virtuosi GUS *
20 Carlton Main Frickley Colliery
20 Desford Colliery
21 Leyland
22 Virtuosi GUS
23 Hepworth
30 Beaumaris
32 Reg Vardy *
26 Hepworth
29 Reg Vardy
29 Rothwell Temperance
30 Kirkintilloch *
21 Virtuosi (GUS)
22 Leyland
25 Co-operative Funeralcare
30 Hepworth (Cookson Homes) *
31 Tongwynlais Temperance *
23 Carlton Main Frickley Colliery
25 Hepworth (Cookson Homes)
26 Virtuosi (GUS)
26 Kirkintilloch
32 Whitburn *
26 Fairey *
26 Whitburn
28 Hammonds Saltaire *
30 BTM
22 Fairey
23 Kirkintilloch *
25 Scottish Co-op
26 YBS
26 Rothwell Temperance
29 Flowers *
plus Sellers International (defunct)
23 Brighouse & Rastrick
23 Rothwell Temperance
25 Kirkintilloch
30 Reg Vardy *
31 Aveley & Newham *
26 Reg Vardy
29 Sellers International *
35 Ashton-under-Lyne *
36 Yorkshire Imperial Urquhart Travel
21 Grimethorpe Colliery (UK Coal)
22 Desford Colliery
23 Whitburn
35 Tredegar *
26 Yorkshire Imperial Urquhart Travel
27 Grimethorpe Colliery (UK Coal)
27 Tredegar
31 Cwmaman Institute *
34 Carlton Main Frickley Colliery *
21 Cwmaman Institute
23 Kirkintilloch
23 Ever Ready *
25 Besses o' th' Barn
25 Leyland
32 Travelsphere Holidays *
27 Travelsphere Holidays
27 Ever Ready
28 Kirkintilloch *
31 CWS (Glasgow)
36 Carlton Main Frickley Colliery *
38 Glossop Old *
plus Todmorden Old (defunct)