The Non - League thread

[Tony Le Mesmer]

Are maidenhead going full time?

Not a chance of that. The budget this season was average at best for Step 2. Most of the current squad have full time jobs and they are looking to keep most of the squad together.

Devonshire has agreed a contract extension today.

[double d]

I'm boycotting RFC and getting a maidenhead st

[Top Flight]

I'm boycotting RFC and getting a maidenhead st

Get a Maidenhead and a Reading season ticket Double D. Next season I will have both a Reading and Wealdstone season ticket. With Reading in the Premier league next season I think there'll be loads of games that dont clash what with sky and everything.

[double d]

I'm boycotting RFC and getting a maidenhead st

Get a Maidenhead and a Reading season ticket Double D. Next season I will have both a Reading and Wealdstone season ticket. With Reading in the Premier league next season I think there'll be loads of games that dont clash what with sky and everything.

No point in that TF. Most of the games will clash with reading in the championship, probably all of them bar 3 or 4 and I never get to mid week games ever due to work and family etc. I would rather go to maidenhead as it is super close to me and cheaper I reckon. Do you live in Wealdstone? I used to live in south Kenton and the old Harrow and Wealdstone was the nearest team.

[Royalist]

Are maidenhead going full time?

Not a chance of that. The budget this season was average at best for Step 2. Most of the current squad have full time jobs and they are looking to keep most of the squad together.

Devonshire has agreed a contract extension today.

Will be hard to have a full time job when going to places like Hartlepool on a tuesday night! It's a tricky balance i guess but a number of sides do manage it! No idea how!

[Sutekh]

Out of interest how many sides in Division 5 (Conference National) are full time professional? Is it more than 50%?

How long do they stay professional if they dont get promoted? Are the likes of Wrexham, Macclesfield, Kidderminster still full time - will York stay professional after relegation to the NLN?

[double d]

Out of interest how many sides in Division 5 (Conference National) are full time professional? Is it more than 50%?

How long do they stay professional if they dont get promoted? Are the likes of Wrexham, Macclesfield, Kidderminster still full time - will York stay professional after relegation to the NLN?

Mrs DDs uncle, who is first team coach at Forest Green, says the majority are full time..... just a lot do not pay the massive wages that FGR/Tranmere etc pay... they can pay a couple Grand per week (rarely do thought.... although Ebbsfleet apparently did for Gillingham captain Danny Kedwell!).. I think he said North Ferriby, Guisley, Southport and couple other deffo were not full time, and most others were full time but not exactly much of a difference to be being part time.

[Tony Le Mesmer]

Are maidenhead going full time?

Not a chance of that. The budget this season was average at best for Step 2. Most of the current squad have full time jobs and they are looking to keep most of the squad together.

Devonshire has agreed a contract extension today.

Will be hard to have a full time job when going to places like Hartlepool on a tuesday night! It's a tricky balance i guess but a number of sides do manage it! No idea how!

I don't know either, must be brutal at times. The flip side to that is how on earth clubs can afford to go FT whilst offering worthwhile wages to players to give up their jobs. That's pretty much the main reason Dave Tarpey is still playing for Maidenhead. Give up a secure job for a one year pro contract on the same money whilst supporting a young family? You're out on the scrap heap if you get injured badly.

I see Maidenhead doing well next year. But after that, when the team starts to break up, will be very difficult to compete.

[Top Flight]

I'm boycotting RFC and getting a maidenhead st

Get a Maidenhead and a Reading season ticket Double D. Next season I will have both a Reading and Wealdstone season ticket. With Reading in the Premier league next season I think there'll be loads of games that dont clash what with sky and everything.

No point in that TF. Most of the games will clash with reading in the championship, probably all of them bar 3 or 4 and I never get to mid week games ever due to work and family etc. I would rather go to maidenhead as it is super close to me and cheaper I reckon. Do you live in Wealdstone? I used to live in south Kenton and the old Harrow and Wealdstone was the nearest team.

No I live in Ruislip. Wealdstone play in Ruislip these days. If they were in Wealdstone I wouldn't bother.

[double d]

Not a chance of that. The budget this season was average at best for Step 2. Most of the current squad have full time jobs and they are looking to keep most of the squad together.

Devonshire has agreed a contract extension today.

Will be hard to have a full time job when going to places like Hartlepool on a tuesday night! It's a tricky balance i guess but a number of sides do manage it! No idea how!

I don't know either, must be brutal at times. The flip side to that is how on earth clubs can afford to go FT whilst offering worthwhile wages to players to give up their jobs. That's pretty much the main reason Dave Tarpey is still playing for Maidenhead. Give up a secure job for a one year pro contract on the same money whilst supporting a young family? You're out on the scrap heap if you get injured badly.

I see Maidenhead doing well next year. But after that, when the team starts to break up, will be very difficult to compete.

Average wage in 'normal' job let's say 28k multiplied by 11 first team players and 5 subs.... isn't cheap for a start. Plus then the coaches, other players, other fees etc... i could imagine travel and hotels would Cost a bomb. They surely would not get THAT much from home games (tickets, programme, season tickets, food and drink etc)

[Silver Fox]

Maidenhead will be getting 3000 a week next year won't they?

[genome]

Farnborough (with one Jamie Cureton) won their play off final today

[Linden Jones]

Out of interest how many sides in Division 5 (Conference National) are full time professional? Is it more than 50%?

How long do they stay professional if they dont get promoted? Are the likes of Wrexham, Macclesfield, Kidderminster still full time - will York stay professional after relegation to the NLN?

Commonly quoted figure is around 18/24 so vast majority. A lot of the southern promoted clubs can stay p/t due to fairly central location. Its remote clubs like Torquay, Gateshead and Barrow who really struggle. Need to be f/t to attract players but can't afford it.

[Four Of Clubs]

Farnborough (with one Jamie Cureton) won their play off final today

... indeed 2-0 v Barton Rovers in front of a healthy crowd (1084) - well over double their league average: goals from Cureton & Coles.

in the other Play Offs (all of which pulled the crowds in on a day when there was very little other regular NL football on offer)

SL1&W Salisbury 0-2 Tiverton - att 2247
SLP Leamington 2-1 Hitchin - att 2102 ' Brakes' levelled with a 90' pen and won it in ET

ILP Bognor Regis Town 2-1 Dulwich Hamlet - att 3119 KO delayed to get everyone in DH brought a fair number.

(Sun) IL1N Maldon & Tiptree 0-1 Thurrock

There were two Cup Finals played this PM:

Southern Combination Cup: Sutton Common Rovers 4-1 Camberley Town

Hellenic Challenge Cup: Bracknell Town 2-0 Highworth Town (@ Abingdon Utd's Northcourt - att 273)

...and not too sure of the 'doings' here but the B&B FA have postponed the Senior Cup Final scheduled for this PM at York Rd between Maidenhead Utd and Hungerford Town- has been put back to 17-18 pre-season.
I suspect this may have been 'agreed' earlier last week to let Hungerford get over their disappointment at not being considered for promotion AND to leave the Magpies free to celebrate theirs.

[glass half full]

Farnborough (with one Jamie Cureton) won their play off final today

... indeed 2-0 v Barton Rovers in front of a healthy crowd (1084) - well over double their league average: goals from Cureton & Coles.

in the other Play Offs (all of which pulled the crowds in on a day when there was very little other regular NL football on offer)

SL1&W Salisbury 0-2 Tiverton - att 2247
SLP Leamington 2-1 Hitchin - att 2102 ' Brakes' levelled with a 90' pen and won it in ET

ILP Bognor Regis Town 2-1 Dulwich Hamlet - att 3119 KO delayed to get everyone in DH brought a fair number.

(Sun) IL1N Maldon & Tiptree 0-1 Thurrock

There were two Cup Finals played this PM:

Southern Combination Cup: Sutton Common Rovers 4-1 Camberley Town

Some pretty healthy attendances there.

Hellenic Challenge Cup: Bracknell Town 2-0 Highworth Town (@ Abingdon Utd's Northcourt - att 273)

...and not too sure of the 'doings' here but the B&B FA have postponed the Senior Cup Final scheduled for this PM at York Rd between Maidenhead Utd and Hungerford Town- has been put back to 17-18 pre-season.
I suspect this may have been 'agreed' earlier last week to let Hungerford get over their disappointment at not being considered for promotion AND to leave the Magpies free to celebrate theirs.

[glass half full]

Sorry, my comment sneaked in at the wrong place.

There were some pretty healthy attendances there. Non-league football would appear to be in a good state generally.

[Tony Le Mesmer]

Maidenhead will be getting 3000 a week next year won't they?

That's a bit like saying Reading should have been getting 40,000 a week after winning the Simod Cup

[The Informant]

I'm boycotting RFC and getting a maidenhead st

I'm with you brother.

Wish I had gone to Margate on Sat.

We left the MadejskI and would have preferred watching Maidenhead again.

[Four Of Clubs]

Maidenhead will be getting 3000 a week next year won't they?

... just by way of comparison - and I appreciate the remark from SF may have been tongue in cheek - ... but out of interest, the other National (STEP01) sides 'locally' had the following highest/average crowds for 16-17 - all have roughly similar-sized FL sides within their possible catchment areas - assuming you don't consider Premier Clubs as a being significant drain on the majority of their particular fanbases.

_____________ HIghest ... Average ...
Aldershot ........... 3977 ..... 2296 - up 40% on last season -may increase too with the PO S-F 1st Leg this Wed (3rd) at the Rec vs Tranmere for which tickets are reportedly going fast.
(Highest -v Braintree last game of regular season )

Boreham Wood 1002 ...... 447 - down 12% in their 2nd season at this level yet finished away from drop-zone this time.
(Highest -v Lincoln City)

Eastleigh ........... 4114 ...... 2246 - up 14% third season at this level
(Highest -v Maidstone – Tue 4th October) - gates thrown open at the Silverlake Stadium on “Free Football Tuesday”

Maidstone Utd 3409 ...... 2406 - up 8% first season back at this level -and they have announced they are going full time next season.
(Highest -v Tranmere last game of season )

Woking ............. 3224 ....... 1330 - down 12% fifth season back at this level after a brief spell at STEP02
(Highest -v Aldershot – NYD fixture)

...as another marker - looking at the other two promoted sides from last season:
- Sutton Utd's average crowds are up by 60% from around 1000 to 1600
- Solihill Moors up 50% from about 700 to just over 1000 - but perhaps they have an even greater close proximity of FL and other traditionally larger NL clubs around them.

[John Smith]

I'm boycotting RFC and getting a maidenhead st

Get a Maidenhead and a Reading season ticket Double D. Next season I will have both a Reading and Wealdstone season ticket. With Reading in the Premier league next season I think there'll be loads of games that dont clash what with sky and everything.

I had a Maidenhead season ticket this year and also made it to 20 Reading games home and away. I've also been to most Maidenhead away games too. It's been an amazing season for me I tell you!