...here's the first Preview of a 'bumper' NL weekend:
Good Friday 14th AprilNAT
Tranmere Rovers v Aldershot Town
- live on BT Sport Woking v Macclesfield Town
NATS
Bishops Stortford v Gosport Borough
Hungerford Town v Dartford
Maidenhead United v Concord Rangers
– Magpies could potentially open an 8 point gap over 2nd placed Ebbsfleet, who play on Saturday. Both clubs are away on Easter Monday – MUFC have to trek down to Truro for their 'Holiday derby' 
’, whilst their rivals for top spot travel a slightly shorter distance along the N.Kent coast to ‘Margit. ’‘Fleet come to York Rd on Sat 22ndPoole Town v Hemel Hempstead Town
Welling United v Truro City
Weston-Super-Mare v Margate
SLP
13:00 Slough Town v Cirencester Town
Weymouth v
Chesham UtdCCLP
13:00 Epsom & Ewell v Colliers Wood United
SLOUGH Town Cup Final Langley v Thame Rangers @ The Gore Burnham FC [10:30 KO]
... will probably pop along to this one - I've been to a couple of these Finals recently - usually won by Thame Rgrs - if nothing else to escape the inevitable manic/panicked domestic strife/tidying duties chez FoCcers (see 'Easter eviction policy' below ) 
Could then do Sluff @ 13:00 and potentially dash back to get in after the start of Maidenhead v Concord game. Wider options available if I scratch the middle of the treble, leaving Arbour Park for another day. I could then trundle back home instead and head back out to York Rd: M'ways permitting (and they are often f£*&ed on Good Fri 
) I could even pick another 'local' PM KO in the National leagues.
- if I'm feeling particularly ambitious, I might consider a tilt at Boreham Wood vs Daggers - it is a fairly close one that I'm yet to visit - will need to check on ticket options/parking etc for that one.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Easter Saturday 15th AprilNATS
East Thurrock United v Bath City
Ebbsfleet United v Eastbourne Borough
Hampton & Richmond Borough v Wealdstone
Oxford City v Chelmsford City
Whitehawk v St Albans City
ILP
Lowestoft Town v
Staines Town IL1S
Greenwich Borough v
Godalming Town SLP
Banbury United v Hitchin Town
Basingstoke Town v Cinderford Town
Dunstable Town v
Hayes & Yeading United SL1C
Aylesbury v Ashford Town (Mx)
Bedford Town v
Beaconsfield SYCOB Chalfont St Peter v Arlesey Town
- Chalfont beaten 0-3 by Kempston last TueEgham Town v Hanwell Town
Farnborough v Histon
Kempston Rovers v
Fleet Town –
Fleet progressed to the Aldersh!t Cup Final beating surprise semi-finalists the British Army, 3-0 at Calthorp Pk on Tue. They will now play the winners of Hartley Wintney or ‘A.N.Other’ in the Final @ the Rec : Wed 10th May – Camberley Town having been expelled somewhat belatedly from the competition, for fielding an ineligible player in an earlier round. I suspect losing Q-Finalists Farnham Town may be re-instated – will update when confirmed - not sure if Cambo have bothered to appeal and Farnham may not want to contest the S-F allowing HW a bye.Kidlington v AFC Dunstable
Northwood v
Marlow Royston Town v Aylesbury United
Uxbridge v Barton Rovers
SL1S&W
Bideford v Evesham United
- Looks like it could be our match of choice for Sat – I get ‘evicted’ very early every Easter Sat, as the missus floods the house with hand-bellringers for the whole day. With such an ‘enforced’ early start it means my mate and I can try and tick an ambitious ‘longer-range’ tick. My daughter is also escaping to her boyfriends but both my sons have been drawn to the 'dark-side' so are inveigled into the Ringing event, rather than coming to football with their dear Ol' Dad. 
- Available options were here or the remotest parts of East Anglia (Needham/Dereham/Lowestoft/Norwich Utd) . Since we’ve been marking off quite a few Essex/Suffolk clubs over the last couple of months we thought we ‘Go West’ – for change – hoping the M4/M5 etc behaves – not a lot of ‘new’ alternatives en route should we get snarled up. Traditionally the Western Leagues don’t play on an Easter Sat.Larkhall Athletic v
Didcot Town -
'Diddy' lost their ‘behind closed doors rematch' with Hereford 1-2 at the Loop on Tue –Railywaymen actually led from 2’ but Mills got the Bulls winner from the spot early 2nd half.North Leigh v Paulton Rovers -
Nor Lye bt Yate 2-1 midweek Tiverton Town v
Winchester City Wantage Town v Slimbridge
CCLP
AFC Hayes v
Knaphill Bedfont Sports v Abbey Rangers
CB Hounslow United v Walton & Hersham
Chertsey Town v
Camberley Town Hanworth Villa v Horley Town
Hartley Wintney v Sutton Common Rovers
Raynes Park Vale v Bedfont & Feltham
Spelthorne Sports v
Farnham Town
Westfield v
Badshot Lea Windsor v North Greenford United
- With all promotion/relegation probably done/dusted, there were two ‘end-of-term-feel’ 3-3 draws in the Premier this midweek – bottom club B&F holding 2nd placed Westfield and Knaphill sharing 6 goals with CWU. CCL1
Ash United v Balham
Bagshot v South Park Reserves Epsom Athletic v Worcester Park
Eversley & California v Dorking
Redhill v
Cove - Saw 2nd bottom Cove lose 1-2 on Wed evening at home to Ash – good quality contest between two struggling sides with little to play for. Cove dominated early proceedings but were pegged back firmly 2nd half by Ash. This fixture @ Redhill could be somewhat daunting for them
– the 2nd placed ‘Lobsters’ won (TWELVE) 12-0 the same evening at bottom club Epsom Athletic. They could catch leaders Banstead but would still need to make up a 16 GD and hope the leaders fail to register a point in their remaining three fixtures – very unlikely.
- rumbles that Athletic, the Chalky Lane ‘lodgers’, may drop out for next term as they are having difficulty raising an XI each week and certainly have not been anywhere near competitive again this season: only gained a total of 6 points (from 2 wins :1 home 1 away on the opening day – the home win vs Cove back in early October) They have conceded over 150 goals in their 31 games – 96 away from home in 16; double-figures on three occasions and 72 in the last 10. Staines Lammas v Cobham
CCL1 Cup Q-F
AC London v Frimley Green HELLP
Brackley Town Saints v
Thatcham Town Highmoor-Ibis v Brimscombe & Thrupp -
H/I got a creditable 4-2 win over Highworth at Scours on Wed night- ensuring they finish outside the bottom four places occupied by Ascot, OC Nomads, Burnham and relegated Henley. Lydney Town v
Ascot United Tuffley Rovers v
Burnham - Some consolation for runners-up Bracknell as they lifted the B&B Trophy on Tuesday at Stag Meadow with a 2-0 win over Binfield. HELL1E
Finchampstead v Wantage Town Res Headington Amateurs v Wokingham & Emmbrook
Rayners Lane v Chinnor
- watched Woodley’s win over 9 man Chinnor at Rivermoor/Scours on Monday evening. It sees them assured of 2nd spot and promotion. Does actually appear as if the landlords (H/I) are doing a bit of groundwork around the place - some gravel in-fill out in the Car Park - and clearance/landscaping of sorts on the approch to the seated stand. Clubhouse is still on the 'spartan' side - Bar seriously lacking stock - though mercifully the draught Carlsberg is still OFF! 
– Penn & Tylers edged past Chalfont Wasps 2-1 the following night, to almost certainly be crowned as divisional winners and in consecutive seasons. Got a bit ‘edgy’ as Wasps, who have an exhausting end of term schedule, they play again tonight (Thu) at home to Holyport, trailled 2-0 at HT but reduced the deficit and then had a late penalty saved. Attendance was an eye-watering 167 - approx. 100 above P&T's average.
- Penn now sit three points clear of Woodley with a 29 goal advantage – both sides have one league game remaining.
- Sadly Penn & T cannot be promoted currently, as they have no lights.
- I s’pose that is good news for Burnham although the Premier Divison is a running couple of teams ‘light’ for this season, so there was probably only ever likely to be one team relegated for the 2017/18 season
- I think the FA would like all STEP05 leagues to be 20 teams minimum – for 16-17 the Hellenic only had 18 (Carterton folded a few games in and Sarries – sensibly - declined promotion) – promoting any graded clubs from Div One would only dilute their numbers below a sustainable STEP06 level as they currently have 14 & 16.
- There some ‘green shoots’ though as the Hellenic Division TWO leagues (also East/West), in the past predominantly for Reserve/Dev sides, have had a significant upturn in the number of County level senior sides joining and applying to join. (Lynchpin, Chalvey WM, Moreton, Bourton, Faringdon, Stokenchurch etc) . They still bring the perennial grading issues though, as some of these rural and suburban clubs have few facilities to rise above STEP06HELL1W
Abingdon United v North Leigh Milton United v Fairford Town
Shrivenham v
Letcombe Bluefin Sport Hellenic Supplementary Q-F Bicester Town v Penn & Tylers Green
Chalfont Wasps v Ardley UnitedB&B Intermediate Final Marlow United v Woodley United @ Larges La Bracknell FCWESSP
Alresford Town v Cowes Sports
- Town likely to finish in a very respectable 5th and may have put their recent grading issues with the Council behind them Andover Town v Moneyfields
Whitchurch United v Fawley
- potential relegation settler between 3rd & 2nd bottom – Verwood already downWESS1
Alton v Totton & Eling
Andover New Street v East Cowes Victoria –
New Street could climb above Vics with a win and Hythe & D are within reach too, to give them a glimpse of finishing outside the bottom four for only the 2nd time in 11 years since joining the Wessex!!
Baffins Milton Rovers v Hamble Club
2nd vs 1st - think I’ve read both clubs promoted for next season - which is some achievement for two newly promoted sides but perhaps shows up an inherent weakness at STEP06 in the Wessex. Six of the bottom five, have conceded over 100 goals. Last season’s bottom three are likely to be the same clubs.Fleet Spurs v Ringwood Town
New Milton Town v Pewsey Vale
Weymouth Res v Tadley Calleva 
