The Non - League thread

[floyd__streete]

Some good points above. Ive been into the Non League scene for 5 or 6 years now and my opionion is that the hole pyriamid needs to be ripped up and start again from scratch.

By my reckoning, Oxford City will be playing in the Conference North if Maidenhead are not handed a Reprieve.

I think the move to Conference North and South was one of the worst decisions ever made in english non-league football. We had three perfectly serviceable feeder leagues to the Conference, 3 up 3 down and.....what's that, we can manufacture a play-off situation to make more a bit more cash? Yeah, that's well worth tearing up the infrastructure, even if it does throw up the kind of ludicrous situation TLM refers to above

[Rev Algenon Stickleback H]

Some good points above. Ive been into the Non League scene for 5 or 6 years now and my opionion is that the hole pyriamid needs to be ripped up and start again from scratch.

By my reckoning, Oxford City will be playing in the Conference North if Maidenhead are not handed a Reprieve.

I think the move to Conference North and South was one of the worst decisions ever made in english non-league football. We had three perfectly serviceable feeder leagues to the Conference, 3 up 3 down and.....what's that, we can manufacture a play-off situation to make more a bit more cash? Yeah, that's well worth tearing up the infrastructure, even if it does throw up the kind of ludicrous situation TLM refers to above

Are the crowds for the sides in the N/S better than they were when those clubs were in three divisions? I'd guess they are, and if so, part of that must be because of the play-offs. A division where at least a third of the teams have a shout at promotion for most of the season is going to be more inspiring than one where only one team goes up.

I do think it should be 4 divisions below the BSN/BSS though, to create a better geographic spread. North/Midlands/SE/SW perhaps?

The southern bias would have been there in the past too, it's just that people noticed it less when all were fed into one division.

[AthleticoSpizz]

Enjoyed the Edward Cambridge Cup Final at Scours this morning

Purley Jubilee losing 4-2 to Barton Rovers

Decent (ish) game

Crowd (probably) three or four times what Reading Town get

£1.50 for a tea tho' Noooooo

[Compo's Hat]

Kettering Town will play in the Southern League - not BSB North - after entering CVA.

Maidenhead get out of jail card?

[Terminal Boardom]

Kettering Town will play in the Southern League - not BSB North - after entering CVA.

Maidenhead get out of jail card?

Quite possibly - which will be good news for them.

[paultheroyal]

Kettering Town will play in the Southern League - not BSB North - after entering CVA.

Maidenhead get out of jail card?

Quite possibly - which will be good news for them.

Oh god, that will mean more of him on BBC BERKS...

[Four Of Clubs]

Kettering Town will play in the Southern League - not BSB North - after entering CVA.

Maidenhead get out of jail card?

...quite probably and it goes on - Bedfont Town have announced resignation from the Southern League (no ground to play on - odd cos I thought they owned about five of them around West Lahnden yet still had to groundshare for the lights )

This looks as if it reprieves Fleet Town - who may have been Wessex bound?.

Thin end of large wedge methinks.......

.... as an example and I can't really get my head round it fully but so far looks as if it could even be NONE going down from Hellenic Premier -

Kidlington - reprieved by Bicester resigning at the start of last season.
Witney - reprieved by Henley Town's demotion - further rumours they may even be leaving Hellenic altogether along with Finchampstead and returning to the Reading league?
Fairford - reprieved by only three clubs being eligible to Step up from Div One - Newbury, Highmoor/IBIS & Winterbourne ##

.. and not beyond the realms of fantasy ...

## Bracknell Town - reprieved if Winterbourne's application to join the Western league is successful.

...watch this space!

[Rev Algenon Stickleback H]

Witney - reprieved by Henley Town's demotion - further rumours they may even be leaving Hellenic altogether along with Finchampstead and returning to the Reading league?

It doesn't seem that long ago they were curling two very late 25 yarders into the top corner beyond Shaka Hislop for a very unlikely looking 2-2 draw. I've no dea what league they were in then, but dropping to the Reading League seems a very low level.

[Wax Jacket]

reached as high as the Southern Premier in the 80s (modern-day Conf South level)

[Four Of Clubs]

Witney - reprieved by Henley Town's demotion - further rumours they may even be leaving Hellenic altogether along with Finchampstead and returning to the Reading league?

It doesn't seem that long ago they were curling two very late 25 yarders into the top corner beyond Shaka Hislop for a very unlikely looking 2-2 draw. I've no dea what league they were in then, but dropping to the Reading League seems a very low level.

..sorry I meant Henley Town might be dropping to the Reading Leagues - why on earth would the 'Blanket Boys' want to come that far south east?

Witney Town were in the Southern Premier for a few years in the early-mid 80s before folding altogether in 2001.
Reformed as 'United' a couple of years later and had a name change back to 'Town' last season.

[paultheroyal]

Witney - reprieved by Henley Town's demotion - further rumours they may even be leaving Hellenic altogether along with Finchampstead and returning to the Reading league?

It doesn't seem that long ago they were curling two very late 25 yarders into the top corner beyond Shaka Hislop for a very unlikely looking 2-2 draw. I've no dea what league they were in then, but dropping to the Reading League seems a very low level.

I love Witney's ground, old and new and had many good performances there although I hated their chairman. Crazy how they have fallen as a club.

[Compo's Hat]

http://www.thefa.com/Leagues/NationalLe ... -2013.ashx

[paultheroyal]

http://www.thefa.com/Leagues/NationalLeagueSystem/NewsAndFeatures/2012/~/media/Files/PDF/Leagues/NLS/steps-1-4-season-2012-2013.ashx

Good post.

Oxford City in Conference North. Bet they are well chuffed with that!

[FinchOwl]

further rumours they may even be leaving Hellenic altogether along with Finchampstead and returning to the Reading league?

Havnt heard anything about this, although I am not directly involved with the Saturday club, and I would imagine it unlikely as they just had their best league finish in years. I will do some investigating though

[blindedbythelights]

FAO Royal Rother and his Slough Town but we can't get in w@nkstain m8s. LOL @ us O RLY

Please form an orderly queue to suck my motherfucking dick

[floyd__streete]

Oh god, that will mean more of him on BBC BERKS...

What is your problem with Drax

Absolute legend, watching/listening to his antics on the touchline is entertainment in itself

[Four Of Clubs]

further rumours they may even be leaving Hellenic altogether along with Finchampstead and returning to the Reading league?

Havnt heard anything about this, although I am not directly involved with the Saturday club, and I would imagine it unlikely as they just had their best league finish in years. I will do some investigating though

... there was strong rumour not sure of its origin, about TWO un-named clubs 'returning' to the Reading Leagues - which rules out most current Div One East clubs except Henley & Finch - unless Woodley Town have had enough - which I doubt. Any of the other half doz. sides who run 1sts in that division would drop down to the N.Berks or Aylesbury or Wycombe & District Leagues.

The Woodley 'merger' with Wok & Emm is still floating about somewhere but that'll need extensive permission & support and NO NIMBY presence, for a new floodlit ground somewhere in the WBC area -

..... about as likely as Emile Heskey winning the Golden Boot or Suarez being asked to present next years' MOBO awards!

[blindedbythelights]

FAO Royal Rother and his Slough Town but we can't get in w@nkstain m8s. LOL @ us O RLY

Please form an orderly queue to suck my motherfucking dick

3 pints and an entire bottle of morgans spiced post ^^^^





point still stands though

[Four Of Clubs]

... another rumble has started up that Mark Bartley and his 'team' have left RTFC - tendered resignation on Sat AM.

Expect 'Goal Post' to pick up on this later in the week?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

..also further news about 12/13 Hellenic Constitution - which isn't good for 'Robins' fans hoping for a miraculous reprieve for Bracknell.

Winterbourne HAVE had their application to transfer over to the WESTERN league accepted - not sure which STEP that means - they finished third in Div One West behind two clubs without correct grading - the Hellenic site has stated it will be entered at Premier level so the same as if they had been promoted.

However - it would appear that the Hellenic League Committee are considering reducing the number of clubs in the Premier to 20 to try and keep the two Div One constitutions with enough clubs to be viable - there have been a few departures with two reserve sides returning to the North Berks and Trowbridge dropping down to the Wilts County level.

... may even be that Fairford's relegation will finally take place after a surprising number of consecutive reprieves.

There will have to be some juggling as it is - even with Fairford the Div One West League has only 16 and the East would drop to 14. A merger here is untenable as the travelling costs would be prohibitive for all but those in the central areas. Even amongst these 30 Div One clubs there would still be 12 without lights and 4 reserve sides.

Some possiblity of Hinksey joining from the Oxford League but they would be groundsharing at Headington (who may get lights with a rebuild in the planning stages) - a couple of other 'Reserve' sides are in the mix too (Gloucester Dev & I can't remember the other one!)

In The CCL (Proposed) three clubs up to Prem. from Div One as expected - Guernsey, Bedfont Sports and Hartley Wintney - Chess. & Hook stay up as no-one relegated into CCLP from STEP04 - Whyteleafe must've got a repreive from manouverings higher up. Guildford City promoted.
Banstead and Mole Valley relegated to CCL1 - 'new' in: AFC Croydon Athletic; Epsom Athletic

Departing voluntarily for the Surrey (Elite) leagues : Bookham.

.... will keep summer posting on any other NL 'rumours' - and there will likely be a few 'surprises' following the forthcoming League AGMs.

..... and of course the Pre-Season Friendlies start up again in only 5 weeks!

[paultheroyal]

Good work FOC - excellent read.