The Non - League thread

[Four Of Clubs]

.... and "same as it ever was" (to Quote Mr Byrne )

Their efforts to secure a ground of their own have been met with continued opposition from Wokingham Borough Council.

... I'd hazard a guess that this will put a fairly hefty damper on ANY plans they may have to go ANYWHERE - unless they go 'off-Borough'.

Was lots of mutterings about upgrading an area near the 'goals' centre on Woodlands Ave - which is OK for Woodley but hardly any better for the 'Sumas' than lodging at Larges La.

The way the 'Robins' are going maybe they should be included in the plans for a 'super-club'

... they could certainly do with some salvation from somewhere - apparently last nights 10-0 whelping @ OCN saw them turn up with the bare minimum - 12 players and 1 member of the coaching staff - Adams (their usual keeper) had to play outfield - currently got a broken hand - his 'stand-in' (ex-keeper from their Ryman days Martin Hutt) was their MoM too!

[Barry the bird boggler]

The way the 'Robins' are going maybe they should be included in the plans for a 'super-club'

... they could certainly do with some salvation from somewhere - apparently last nights 10-0 whelping @ OCN saw them turn up with the bare minimum - 12 players and 1 member of the coaching staff - Adams (their usual keeper) had to play outfield - currently got a broken hand - his 'stand-in' (ex-keeper from their Ryman days Martin Hutt) was their MoM too!

Woodley and Wokingham is hardly a "super club", would lead to just one less minor league team clogging around the area. Personally think that Bracknell, Wokingham and Binfield (& perhaps Ascot) should get together and look to get in on a smart new ground somewhere in Bracknell Forest/Wokingham & District boundary corridor.

As for Bracknell Town at the moment, I have never seen a club go backwards so quickly at the step 4/5 level without going out of business. Surely worth going along just for the comedy scorelines if nothing else.

[Terminal Boardom]

The way the 'Robins' are going maybe they should be included in the plans for a 'super-club'

... they could certainly do with some salvation from somewhere - apparently last nights 10-0 whelping @ OCN saw them turn up with the bare minimum - 12 players and 1 member of the coaching staff - Adams (their usual keeper) had to play outfield - currently got a broken hand - his 'stand-in' (ex-keeper from their Ryman days Martin Hutt) was their MoM too!

Woodley and Wokingham is hardly a "super club", would lead to just one less minor league team clogging around the area. Personally think that Bracknell, Wokingham and Binfield (& perhaps Ascot) should get together and look to get in on a smart new ground somewhere in Bracknell Forest/Wokingham & District boundary corridor.

As for Bracknell Town at the moment, I have never seen a club go backwards so quickly at the step 4/5 level without going out of business. Surely worth going along just for the comedy scorelines if nothing else.

Both Binfield and Ascot could easily absorb W&E and Bracknell. Both the former are extremely well run and have tidy grounds with good social facilities plus car parking. Bracknell have a location to die for. Shame that it looks like it is the Club itself that is dying. My only surprise is that Nomads only scored 10.

[Rev Algenon Stickleback H]

Bracknell have a location to die for. Shame that it looks like it is the Club itself that is dying.

Bracknell's location is only great for the sale value of the place. It's so tucked away that I bet most people in the town have no idea where Bracknell's ground is.

Actually I'd bet many in the town aren't even aware the town has a football club.

As for going backwards quickly, this is the 8th year in a row they've been dire, and they weren't great before that.

I remember going to an FA Cup 4th Qualifying round game there v Barnet in 2003, and the programme was still going on about the impending move to Peacock Farm. The football ground had been removed from the plans at least a year before.

I saw them lose 8-0 at Binfield last year, and the Binfield programme was full of talk about Bracknell invading their patch with an impending move to where the driving range is at the Blue Mountain Golf Course. Not a word of it on the Bracknell site then, or now.


As for mergers, other than cash from the sale of Larges Lane, it's hard to see what the club has to offer.

[Svlad Cjelli]

Bracknell have a location to die for. Shame that it looks like it is the Club itself that is dying.

Bracknell's location is only great for the sale value of the place. It's so tucked away that I bet most people in the town have no idea where Bracknell's ground is.

Actually I'd bet many in the town aren't even aware the town has a football club.

As for going backwards quickly, this is the 8th year in a row they've been dire, and they weren't great before that.

I remember going to an FA Cup 4th Qualifying round game there v Barnet in 2003, and the programme was still going on about the impending move to Peacock Farm. The football ground had been removed from the plans at least a year before.

I saw them lose 8-0 at Binfield last year, and the Binfield programme was full of talk about Bracknell invading their patch with an impending move to where the driving range is at the Blue Mountain Golf Course. Not a word of it on the Bracknell site then, or now.


As for mergers, other than cash from the sale of Larges Lane, it's hard to see what the club has to offer.

They're happy with where they are - they've moved from being a "professoinal" (in that they pay their players) and now have players play for nothing - so any good ones move on quickly - but they're also concentrating on youth development.

[Rev Algenon Stickleback H]

They're happy with where they are - they've moved from being a "professoinal" (in that they pay their players) and now have players play for nothing - so any good ones move on quickly - but they're also concentrating on youth development.

That may be so, but shouldn't a club in a town of 60,000 aspire to be rather more than a slightly glorified Sunday League side?

If they go down this season, they'll be competing against the reserve sides of much smaller towns.

[Warfield Royal]

Talking of Wokingham & Emmbrook.

http://www.readingchronicle.co.uk/sport ... ough-club/

I think this has happened before. Will the new club be called Wokingham & Emmbrook & Woodley?

Both Binfield and Ascot could easily absorb W&E and Bracknell. Both the former are extremely well run...

Why thank you sir.

Actually it's Ascot United so as not to be confused with football clubs with a similar name.

[Svlad Cjelli]

They're happy with where they are - they've moved from being a "professional" (in that they pay their players) and now have players play for nothing - so any good ones move on quickly - but they're also concentrating on youth development.

That may be so, but shouldn't a club in a town of 60,000 aspire to be rather more than a slightly glorified Sunday League side?

If they go down this season, they'll be competing against the reserve sides of much smaller towns.

Their aspirations can only be met if they get the support of the people in their town - and there is no inherent "civic pride" in Bracknell.

[Terminal Boardom]

I think you will find that the majority of clubs at Step 5 don't pay their players. There are only a few that do. What I don't understand is the reluctance of Bracknell Town to seek to get new people on board to tryt and take the club forward. I am sure I have mentioned this before but those on the committee need to take a good hard look at themselves. A year or so ago, they advertised in the local press for people to help out at the club and ground. I contacted them, went to see them, had a good discussion and that was it. I offered my services in whatever capacity that was required and nothing. Just what do they do to try and raise the profile in the area?

Ascot Utd and Binfield have thriving youth sections and are an integral part of the community. Bracknell need to reflect on this and try and understand how to move forward. Larges Lane is capable of hosting Step 4 and possibly higher and the ground is far more developed than either Ascot Utd or Binfield.

For me, I would love to see Bracknell higher up the pyramid. Can't see it in my lifetime.

[Barry the bird boggler]

Ascot Utd and Binfield have thriving youth sections and are an integral part of the community. Bracknell need to reflect on this and try and understand how to move forward. Larges Lane is capable of hosting Step 4 and possibly higher and the ground is far more developed than either Ascot Utd or Binfield.

You imply Bracknell don't have a thriving youth section but teams from 6/7 yrs up with the Bracknell Town name compete in the various local leagues (East Berks etc.) so surely there should be some talent coming through, I'd certainly expect to see more in the 1st team than they have currently given the rapid fall in standard though.

[Rev Algenon Stickleback H]

They're happy with where they are - they've moved from being a "professional" (in that they pay their players) and now have players play for nothing - so any good ones move on quickly - but they're also concentrating on youth development.

That may be so, but shouldn't a club in a town of 60,000 aspire to be rather more than a slightly glorified Sunday League side?

If they go down this season, they'll be competing against the reserve sides of much smaller towns.

Their aspirations can only be met if they get the support of the people in their town - and there is no inherent "civic pride" in Bracknell.

Give the Bracknell exceptionalism bit a rest for 10 minutes. It's not as if fans in nearby "proper" towns of similar size have ever turned out in numbers when their clubs were in similar positions.

Why would anyone in their right might pay to watch a club that doesn't even bother trying to compete any more?

It took the club until the 80s to even get out of combined counties level. There was a brief flirtation with the upper reaches of the Rymans 1st division, but then it was mainly a plunge back to the Rymans 3rd division, doing just enough to avoid dropping out.

There's nothing enticing about watching crap football at an ugly venue without an ounce of charm, where the only atmosphere is one of total resignation to defeat. It's like watching a modern day Barnstoneworth United, although at least everyone has shorts.


The club's future hinges on getting that new stadium. A decent one could see people popping along to games in reasonable numbers, provided the club isn't playing in the East Berks League by then. Progress on that front is at best glacial though, and if it doesn't happen the club might as well sell up and play on the local parks.

[Terminal Boardom]

What doesn't help Bracknell's predicament is that it is a London overspill. The majority of people there are second, third and fourth generation supporters of other clubs. Basingstoke suffers a similarly. What sort of crowds do Bas get at The Camrose? Staines as well. It is not unique to Bracknell. Windsor's problem is there are not enough chimneys in the town. Too upper class and twee. Compare the above with Slough who, if they climbed the pyramid and had their own ground, would be getting really good attendances.

[Rev Algenon Stickleback H]

What doesn't help Bracknell's predicament is that it is a London overspill. The majority of people there are second, third and fourth generation supporters of other clubs.

Not really. Growing up in the town you had a few who maybe supported West Ham because their family did, but nearly all just chose a club off the telly. Reading FC wasn't even on the radar, and Bracknell Town certainly weren't. People had a vague awareness that there was this club somewhere in the town, but that's about it.


It is all a bit chicken & egg, but a non-league club needs a degree of success for people to take it seriously. It's why you can get 12000 watching London Irish and 120 watching Reading RFC. The rugby fans had no interest in watching amateur rugby round a roped off field, despite the vast "civic pride" people in Reading have.

It's the same in Bracknell (and many other towns of similar size) with a football club that's never had a sniff of success. People who have grown up watching professional football have no interest in games featuring Bracknell against equal footballing non-entities, and will go about their lives oblivious to the club's fortunes.

[Compo's Hat]

What doesn't help Bracknell's predicament is that it is a London overspill. The majority of people there are second, third and fourth generation supporters of other clubs. Basingstoke suffers a similarly. What sort of crowds do Bas get at The Camrose? Staines as well. It is not unique to Bracknell. Windsor's problem is there are not enough chimneys in the town. Too upper class and twee. Compare the above with Slough who, if they climbed the pyramid and had their own ground, would be getting really good attendances.

Maidenhead only get around 300. Was doing some tweet updates the other week at the cup game at Farnborough and a regular who couldn't make it that night tweeted my username for anyone who wanted to know how they were getting on. The three followers i gained that night all kept aneye on the magpies but their first teams were all Premier League clubs based in London.

[Four Of Clubs]

... today's 'local' NL games - including both Trophy & Vase ties :


FA Trophy 1st Qualifying
21 Leighton Town v Banbury United
35 Potters Bar Town v AFC Hayes
41 St Albans City v Ashford Town (Middx)
46 Uxbridge v Sittingbourne
49 Hemel Hempstead Town v Croydon Athletic
51 Wealdstone v Tooting & Mitcham United
52 Bedfont Town v Hastings United
58 Marlow v Didcot Town
60 Cirencester Town v Leatherhead
61 Chertsey Town v Chalfont St Peter
64 Carshalton Athletic v Bideford
65 Chesham United v Horsham
66 Oxford City v Mangotsfield United
67 Fleet Town v Yate Town
71 Aylesbury v Tiverton Town
72 Frome Town v Thatcham Town

FA Vase 1st Proper
61 Old Woodstock Town v Abingdon Town @ N.Leigh FC
62 Henley Town v Newport Pagnell Town
63 Flackwell Heath v Clanfield 85
64 Binfield v Hillingdon Borough
66 Ardley United v Reading Town
67 Hanworth Villa v Bedfont Sports
68 Winslow United v Buckingham Town
69 Hanwell Town v Wantage Town
70 Camberley Town v Littlehampton Town
76 Erith Town v Farnham Town
78 Egham Town v Greenwich Borough
81 Molesey v Chichester City
83 Bournemouth v Hartley Wintney
88 Brading Town (IoW) v Alton Town
89 Alresford Town v Winchester City
93 Highworth Town v Devizes Town
94 Fairford Town v Winterbourne United

CONFS
Dartford v Truro City
Dorchester Town v Boreham Wood
Dover Athletic v Thurrock
Eastleigh v Welling United
Farnborough v Sutton United
Hampton & Richmond Borough v Havant & Waterlooville
Maidenhead United v Bromley
Salisbury City v Chelmsford City
Staines Town v Woking
Tonbridge Angels v Basingstoke Town
Weston-super-Mare v Eastbourne Borough


SOUTH1C
Slough Town v Rugby Town
SOUTH1S&W
Stourport Swifts v Hungerford Town

CCLP
Badshot Lea v Dorking
Banstead Athletic v Ash United
Croydon v Cove
Wembley v Epsom & Ewell
Windsor v Mole Valley SCR
Division One
CCL1
Bookham v Feltham
Frimley Green v Spelthorne Sports
Guernsey v Farleigh Rovers
Knaphill v Warlingham
Sheerwater v CB Hounslow United
Staines Lammas v South Kilburn
Westfield v Cobham
Worcester Park v Eversley

HELLP
Cheltenham Saracens v Holyport
Kidlington v Ascot United
Shrivenham v Bracknell Town
Thame United v Oxford City Nomads
HELL1E
Finchampstead v Rayners Lane
Highmoor Ibis v Woodley Town
Penn & Tylers Green v Chalfont Wasps

WESS1
Fleet Spurs v Stockbridge
Pewsey Vale v Tadley Calleva
Ringwood Town v Whitchurch United

[Four Of Clubs]

Quick NL Round up - (me Tea's ready! )

FA Trophy 1st Qualifying
21 Leighton Town 0-1 Banbury United
35 Potters Bar T 1-0 AFC Hayes
41 St Albans City 1-3 Ashford Town (Middx)
46 Uxbridge 3-1 Sittingbourne
49 Hemel Hempstead T 1-1 Croydon Athletic
51 Wealdstone 3-0 Tooting & Mitcham United
52 Bedfont Town 1-1 Hastings United
58 Marlow 1-1 Didcot Town
60 Cirencester T 3-1 Leatherhead
61 Chertsey Town 2-0 Chalfont St Peter
64 Carshalton Ath 3-1 Bideford
65 Chesham Utd 5-0 Horsham
66 Oxford City 0-3 Mangotsfield United
67 Fleet Town 0-5 Yate Town
71 Aylesbury 0-0 Tiverton Town
72 Frome Town 0-1 Thatcham Town

Gosport Boro 1-0 Sholing – scorer – Steve Claridge = yes HIM!

FA Vase 1st Proper
61 Old Woodstock 4-3 Abingdon Town
62 Henley Town 0-1 Newport Pagnell Town
63 Flackwell Heath 2-0 Clanfield '85
64 Binfield 3-2 Hillingdon Borough aet
66 Ardley United 1-3 Reading Town 2 more goals for Spence
67 Hanworth Villa 3-1 Bedfont Sports
68 Winslow United 2-5 Buckingham Town
69 Hanwell Town 0-1 Wantage Town
70 Camberley T 1-2 Littlehampton Town
76 Erith Town 6-1 Farnham Town
78 Egham Town 3-0 Greenwich Borough
81 Molesey 3-4 Chichester City
83 Bournemouth 2-0 Hartley Wintney
88 Brading (IoW) 4-5 Alton Town aet
89 Alresford Town 1-6 Winchester City
93 Highworth Town 2-1 Devizes Town
94 Fairford Town 0-1 Winterbourne United

CONFS
Dartford 1-2 Truro City
Dorchester Town 0-1 Boreham Wood
Dover Athletic 3-1 Thurrock
Eastleigh 3-0 Welling United
Farnborough 0-3 Sutton United
Hampton & Richmond Borough 3-3 Havant & Waterlooville
Maidenhead United 3-3 Bromley
Salisbury City 0-1 Chelmsford City
Staines Town 0-1 Woking
Tonbridge Angels 2-3 Basingstoke Town
Weston-super-Mare 3-3 Eastbourne Borough


SOUTH1C
Slough Town 4-0 Rugby Town
SOUTH1S&W
Stourport Swifts 3-4 Hungerford Town

CCLP
Badshot Lea 4-3 Dorking
Banstead Athletic 3-2 Ash United
Croydon 1-1 Cove
Wembley 4-1 Epsom & Ewell
Windsor 0-1 Mole Valley SCR
Division One
CCL1
Bookham 2-1 Feltham
Frimley Green 0-5 Spelthorne Sports
Guernsey 4-0 Farleigh Rovers
Knaphill 2-2 Warlingham
Sheerwater 1-2 CB Hounslow United
Staines Lammas 2-1 South Kilburn
Westfield 1-2 Cobham
Worcester Park 2-3 Eversley

HELLP
Cheltenham Saracens 0-3 Holyport
Kidlington 2-2 Ascot United
Shrivenham 3-0 Bracknell Town
Thame United 3-4 Oxford City Nomads att 142

On Fri night I went to the Vase tie:
Witney 2-1 Carterton – crowd 196

HELL1E
Finchampstead 5-2 Rayners Lane bit of a shock vs league leaders
Highmoor Ibis 2-1 Woodley Town – Palmer Pk based club up to 3rd
Penn & Tylers Green 3-1 Chalfont Wasps
- Newbury bt Maidenhead Ressies 3-2 today still have a 100% record, are tucked nicely in 4th - 4 points behind with SIX games in hand.

WESS1
Fleet Spurs 2-0 Stockbridge
Pewsey Vale 0-2 Tadley Calleva
Ringwood Town 3-0 Whitchurch United

[Terminal Boardom]

Poor performance by Windsor. Mole Valley bellied their bottom of the league position. No complaints with the final score. Hopefully there will be the mother of backlashes against Camberley on Monday night.

One interesting point yesterday was that the floodlights were on for the whole game. No failures or problems observed with wither the electrics or generator which should give everyone confidence that Monday will be played to the end. I bloody well hope so or I will be extremely pissed off!

[Tony Le Mesmer]

There was a game last week that finished Runcorn 8 Stone 5. 3 hatricks, including 2 'pure' hat-tricks, 1 inside 4 mins, the other inside 6 mins. it also featured an outfield player in goal as well as Stone pulling it back from 6-1 to 6-5 at one stage!! not a bad game!

[Wax Jacket]

there is no inherent "civic pride" in Bracknell.

could've fooled me, the quarterly "Bracknell is shit" threads on AE see 100s queueing up to defend the place

[Royal Rother]

Windsor beat Camberley 2-0 last night and move up to 2nd.

Away to top team and last season's Champions Guildford next up. Crunch.