The Non - League thread

[Old Man Andrews]

Do we know how the Chairman DID make his money?

Or is what he’s doing all from money made available by other backers?

Or is the club actually self-sufficient?

He is a property developer by trade, big money in that field.

No idea on the other two points. I know it is a debt free club or at least was a year ago.

[Victor Meldrew]

Having backed Macclesfield (in a treble with Man City and Wolves) at 25/1 I have become much more interested in the Conference as well as always having had a passing interest in Poole, Salisbury and Weymouth.
I didn't realise what a fantastic paper the Non-League paper was until starting to read it recently.
To publish on a Sunday with such great depth is amazing.

[AthleticoSpizz]

Yep, read it every Sunday.

Keep your eyes out for ex-pro and past Reading players still plying their trade (some in management) out there (Sonks, Curo etc).

[Hoop Blah]

Do we know how the Chairman DID make his money?

Or is what he’s doing all from money made available by other backers?

Or is the club actually self-sufficient?

He is a property developer by trade, big money in that field.

No idea on the other two points. I know it is a debt free club or at least was a year ago.

Google tells me he's the CEO/Director of his own development business, http://www.thesbgroup.co.uk, but that's a relatively new business and doesn't look like it's anything more than work in progress to me.

Wouldn't have a clue about where or how he's made his money or what the state of the finances are at Bracknell, although I think the idea was that selling off the bit of land at the end of the ground was going to fund the redevelopment and then presumably the pitch would provide the revenue to support the club moving forwards.

[Royal Rother]

None of the companies he is or has been involved with have any kind of history at Companies House that I can see.

[Alan Partridge]

Having backed Macclesfield (in a treble with Man City and Wolves) at 25/1 I have become much more interested in the Conference as well as always having had a passing interest in Poole, Salisbury and Weymouth.
I didn't realise what a fantastic paper the Non-League paper was until starting to read it recently.
To publish on a Sunday with such great depth is amazing.

Because volunteers at each of the home clubs produce the reports for them. they do have to edit it and obviously print itbut in terms of the actual content it's done for them (mostly for free).

[Victor Meldrew]

Thanks for the info AP.
From distant memory (when HNA was fun) IIRC aren't you from down Torquay way?
Sad to see their demise on the pitch and seemingly off it as well-coupled with Plymouth and Exeter doing well times aren't so great are they?

[Alan Partridge]

Thanks for the info AP.
From distant memory (when HNA was fun) IIRC aren't you from down Torquay way?
Sad to see their demise on the pitch and seemingly off it as well-coupled with Plymouth and Exeter doing well times aren't so great are they?

I'm from Didcot actually but Torquay is and was always my first team due to the fact it was the first team I saw play live. Well them and Northampton and clearly for many reasons I picked the wrong one. Now I am involved at Didcot Town FC and go to their games home and away, I produce our reports for the NLP so I know a little how it and they operate.

Club is dying sadly, owned now by a property developer who is trying to get his hands on the freehold of Plainmoor so as he can sell it for housing. He has owned other sporting clubs or stadia before namely Reading speedway and also owned Eastville when Bristol Rovers played there. Him and his company despite promises to many clubs such as those above, MK speedway, Swindon speedway and I think Poole as well that all of those as well as Torquay now would get a brand new shiny stadium.......he's never built one. Ever.

So Torquay are screwed, they have ownership with no interest in the club or football and as such are just being bled to the point where the team is so bad and the model is so unsustainable that ultimately he will get the freehold of the ground, the club will then (like Rovers) be charged a rent so high they can't afford it and will cease to operate there anymore.

[Hoop Blah]

From Football in Bracknell Group: Some of the things I’ve heard that led to decision: Liam Ferdinand to title rivals, Geoff Warner’s coaching and contacts disregarded, continuously over budget, unsuccessful expensive signings, upsetting existing squad, not taking player or club calls...

That makes a lot more sense than just being sacked for the Quarter Final defeat.

Interesting, yet one sided, piece in the Bracknell News.

http://www.bracknellnews.co.uk/sport/bracknelltown/16055344.Bracknell_Town_announce_Carl_Davies_as_new_player_manager_following_Jeff_Lamb_and_Paul_McGrotty_departures/

If they'd won the Merske game then surely they wouldn't have been sacked though, right?

[Four Of Clubs]

NL fixtures this w/e ...................

...............

virtual wipe/white out - only a couple of 3Gs locally NOT declaring postponement, amongst them Bracknell [EDIT declared OFF this AM -
covered with Snow again so they don't want to damage it by attempting removal] & Deportivo Galicia @ Bedfont Sports who both have inspections tomorrow.

Only Dover still on in all three National divisions

ALL Southern League games OFF
ALL Wessex OFF
ALL Western OFF

...remnants of other games possible around Hellenic/S.Mids on the few artificial surfaces - Camberley the last non-3G in the CCL declared off sometime this AM.

Only a couple of the 3G options still undeclared across the Isthmian Leagues Cray, Whyteleafe [OFF] , Grays Ath (Aveley)

Expect the full blank to be drawn mid am will try and confirm.

[Hoop Blah]

What's the feeling at Windsor around the switch to the Hellenic RR?

A good thing? Or a pain in the backside?

Not too fussed myself but I seem to be the only one who's not actually pleased.

A number of the CCL away grounds are pretty desperate but for me, just how picturesque the away ground is of little importance, I just go to watch a game - so having a number of away days that are 70+ miles away is a bit of a pain. Most games in the CCL could be reached even on a weekday night, but possibly not now.

Most of the fans I know are very happy, but living off J5 of the M4 the likes of the Bedfonts, Spelthorne, CB Hounslow and Chertsey are probably closer than the local derbies others are salivating over at Ascot, Burnham, Bracknell and Binfield.

What's the thinking about the Hellenic now RR?

It's been a decent season for Windsor really hasn't it? Hellenic seen as a better or worse league to play in?

[Royal Rother]

Hmmm, difficult but I’d say I prefer it in the Hellenic marginally. There are no real dumps to visit on away days whereas the CCL had a few and although I’m not too bothered by all that it feels very slightly “nicer” in the Hellenic if that makes sense.

But having a few 90+ mile journeys it does mean the away days are slightly more difficult to commit to.

I’ll ask the Q of others and report back.....

[Royal Rother]

Responses include standard of football is better (I don’t agree with that), less depressing away trips, better Welcome generally on our travels.... general agreement that Hellenic is better.

[Hoop Blah]

Responses include standard of football is better (I don’t agree with that), less depressing away trips, better Welcome generally on our travels.... general agreement that Hellenic is better.

Interesting, cheers.

The only CCL I've watched over the last few seasons was down at Hartley Wintney and they were obviously a very good side at that time (and still are!) so I wasn't really sure how the standard or style really compared between the two leagues. CCL seemed a bit more attritional to me, with a few more sides trying to play on the deck in the Hellenic, but that might've been a result of only really watching teams come to HW and try to contain them.

[Warfield ED Stand]

NL fixtures this w/e ...................

...............

virtual wipe/white out - only a couple of 3Gs locally NOT declaring postponement, amongst them Bracknell [EDIT declared OFF this AM -
covered with Snow again so they don't want to damage it by attempting removal] & Deportivo Galicia @ Bedfont Sports who both have inspections tomorrow.

Only Dover still on in all three National divisions

ALL Southern League games OFF
ALL Wessex OFF
ALL Western OFF

...remnants of other games possible around Hellenic/S.Mids on the few artificial surfaces - Camberley the last non-3G in the CCL declared off sometime this AM.

Only a couple of the 3G options still undeclared across the Isthmian Leagues Cray, Whyteleafe [OFF] , Grays Ath (Aveley)

Expect the full blank to be drawn mid am will try and confirm.

BT called the game off early Sat morning. By 1.30pm I had a text from my boy BT U12 manager saying the pitch was open to all junior members for a kick about. All the snow had gone!!

[Old Man Andrews]

Bracknell away to Woodley tonight (weather dependent).

I think Woodley could get a real hiding.

[Royal Rother]

Windsor put 5 past them at their place last week so one would expect Bracknell to at least match that.

[Old Man Andrews]

Windsor put 5 past them at their place last week so one would expect Bracknell to at least match that.

Ref called it off for a small puddle on the pitch according to one of the players.

[Royal Rother]

Scours Lane is one big puddle from my experience.

[Para Handy]

Maidenhead next year for me.

After watching Reading for 48 years I've actually had enough.

Saw my first game in 1970 against Rochdale. Les Chappell scored a penalty which went in off the post. Been going pretty much ever since. Season ticket holder at the Madesjki since it opened in 1998.

However, I've been to five Maidenhead games this year and it's been a welcome change.

Pros for Maidenhead:

It's actually easier for me to get to Maidenhead, living in central Reading, than it is to get to Madejski. 15 minutes on the train. No arsing about leaving the pub and finding that they still can't load the buses in any semblance of order that allows you less than a 20 minute wait.

The Bell. What's not to like about a pub 5 minutes from the ground. Also means we can leave when we like if the game is shit and either a) go back to the pub or b) get a train home.

The burgers are better.

Cons for Maidenhead:

No real afiliation for them but enjoy what they're trying to do. Admire the fact that they're semi pro. Sure, some of the football may be shit but it's infintely preferable to what I've watched at Reading this last couple of seasons.

It's kind of odd not having any connection to the club you're watching but tbh I feel that way about Reading these days. Last few years have completely disenchanted me. Thought long and hard about renewing when they sacked Brian the first time. In retrospect, that's when it all when downhill for me. Might have been the right decision but I think that's when I realised that, yeah, I'm not enjoying this at all anymore.