I think not:-Ian Thompson wrote: ↑Wed Feb 24, 2021 9:56 amHave the ECF membership rules changed? What you say would not have been the case in the past. Previously, memberships could be purchased from July onwards for the following year, so a non-member (re)joining in July would get membership for 14 months.Neil Graham wrote: ↑Wed Feb 24, 2021 7:11 amOne of the considerations if there is 4NCL otb chess played over the summer is ECF membership.
If 4NCL restarts in the summer prospective team players will not want to cough up an extra £39.00 for two or three games at gold membership levels. I recall that in 4NCL On-Line Season 2 anyone who played in the first match (August 25th) had to pay for the privilege for ECF membership for one week if they were a non-member and then pay again for Round Two which was at the start of September as the ECF Membership year ends at 31st August.
The ECF membership year is fixed, and runs from the 1st September to the 31st of the following August. Memberships currently purchased are valid until August 2021. In any membership year, the earlier you join the more benefit you get from your membership!
AFAIK non-members had to be at least a supporter to play in Round One and that lasted to August 31st 2020.