Fixtures Saturday 28th April
…as we're approaching the end of 11/12 season, thought I’d include plenty of mindless blathering about ups/downs and Play Offs.. (None of it ‘official’ I hasten to add, just in case I’ve written some unsubstantiated drivel – wouldn’t be the first time!)
CONFS
Boreham Wood v Tonbridge Angels
Chelmsford v Woking
Dorchester v Bromley
Eastbourne Borough v Salisbury
Havant and W v Staines Town
Maidenhead Utd v Eastleigh
Sutton Utd v Farnborough
Thurrock v Hampton & Richmond
Truro City v Dartford
Welling v Basingstoke
Weston-S-Mare v Dover
- Up to the Conference National go Woking - with the Play Offs currently looking like 2nd placed Dartford v Sutton, Basingstoke or Chelmsford – and Welling in 3rd hosting the team finishing in 4th place (Sutton or Basingstoke)
- Play Off (2 legs) should be Wednesday 2nd /Friday 6th May – Final at Highest placed club on Sat May 13th.
- At the bottom Thurrock go down to Ryman Premier and then it gets complex. Presumably it ought to be four down since it is usually four up from STEP03. However the Blue Square sites’ round-up suggest it’s a three-way fight to stay up between Maidenhead, H& R and Havant. So that suggests that 4th bottom is a position of safety – meaning Magpies MUST win vs Eastleigh and hope the Hawks don’t beat Staines. Beavers only escape should they win at relegated ‘Furrock’ and Maidenhead lose or draw and Havant lose.
Need to go and find out why its only three down now…….
ISTH1S
Godalming Town v Eastbourne Town
- Promoted: any one of Whitehawk (nr Brighton) , Dulwich H or Bognor. G’s (Godalming) need a point to finish 5th to go to one of those in the Play Offs – or they could be pipped for a Play-off spot by Maidstone Utd who host Bognor tomorrow.
- Whyteleafe probably drop to CCL; Burgess Hill most likely to Sussex League but gradings/FA reprieves etc may be a factor.
- Elsewhere in the Ryman: From the Premier ‘ricay are promoted to CONFS. Play Off places include Hornchurch, Lowestoft, Wealdstone & Bury Town – Lewes and Hendon still with an outside chance.
- Down to STEP04 go Horsham, Tooting & M., Aveley – & possibly Leatherhead – bit tricky here 'cos these are obviously three South and only 1 North – so a bit of juggling between the Ryman One constitutions will be needed close season.
- In One North Leiston could finish top at the first attempt but may get overtaken by Enfield Town.
- Waiting for whoever finishes 2nd in the Play Offs are Needham Market, Grays & Tilbury
- Relegated to the Essex/Eastern Counties/South Mids Leagues are probably Great Wakering and Ware or Ilford.
SOUTHP
AFC Totton v Bedford Town
Bashley v Hemel Hempstead Town
Brackley Town v St. Albans City
Cambridge City v Swindon Supermarine
Chippenham Town v Arlesey Town
Cirencester Town v Banbury United
Frome Town v Stourbridge
Hitchin Town v Oxford City
Leamington v Chesham United
- Brackley Town promoted to CONFS. Play Offs: perm from any 5 in any positions 2nd thru 5th from Oxford City, Chesham, Totton, Cambridge City or Stourbridge– separated by only 3 pts.
- At the bottom Cirencester are down most likely Supermarine next with the worst GD then any two from Arlesey, Banbury, Hemel or Evesham.
SOUTH1C
Ashford Town (Middx) v St. Neots Town
Barton Rovers v Chertsey Town
Beaconsfield SYCOB v Daventry Town
Burnham v AFC Hayes
Chalfont St. Peter v Fleet Town
Leighton Town v Northwood
North Greenford United v Aylesbury
Rugby Town v Marlow
Uxbridge v Bedfont Town
Woodford United v Slough Town
- St Neots promoted. Play Offs : as it stands now - Sluff definitely finish 2nd play @ ‘home’ vs Beaconsfield, Uxbridge or Northwood – Bedworth in 3rd vs 4th placed (Beaconsfield or Uxbridge)
- relegated to STEP05 are Fleet Town (Wessex or CCL?) & Marlow (Hellenic) – Marlow may get off the bottom should they win @ Rugby and Fleet lose at Chalfont. Could be important should there be any end of season reprieves due to events elsewhere and the FA need look at Points Per Game of those in relegation places. Be very surprised if Marlow escaped, as they’ve been bottom more or less all season but have clawed their way back to within 3 points of Fleet with 9 pts from their last 6 games. More of football’s little ironies – the one they lost in the last 6 was a 0-1 8th minute of injury time sickener H v Aylesbury two weeks ago, following three 0-0’s – whereas last week they themselves won in the 97th minute!
SOUTH1S&W
Bridgwater Town v Didcot Town
Clevedon Town v Cinderford Town
Gosport Borough v Bishops Cleeve
Halesowen Town v Taunton Town
Hungerford Town v North Leigh
Poole Town v Bideford
Thatcham Town v Wimborne Town
Tiverton Town v Abingdon United
Yate Town v Sholing
- promoted Bideford at the first attempt : PlayOffs: Poole and/or Gosport vs Sholing and/or Hungerford – 2nd & 3rd and 4th & 5th can swap after tomorrow’s results.
- Relegated Stoorport Swifts - only one relegation place due to Andover folding at the start of the season.
CCLP
Camberley Town v Windsor
Chessington & Hook United v Hanworth Villa
Dorking v Badshot Lea
Egham Town v Farnham Town
Guildford City v Molesey
Horley Town v Sandhurst Town
Wembley v Raynes Park Vale
CCL1
Cobham v South Kilburn
Guernsey v Spelthorne Sports
Hartley Wintney v Farleigh Rovers
- Promoted from Premier : Guildford City to Isthmian One South
- Relegated not sure how many – could be three: Banstead, Mole Valley and one of Chessington, Dorking or Colliers Wood. Replaced from One by Guernsey, Bedfont Sports and Hartley Wintney
- New in to Div One – only rumours but Epsom Athletic applied (groundshare at Chessington & Hook) – and there may be one or two others from the Surrey County leagues. Dorking Wanderers were also said to be trying to switch from the Sussex as were Rayners Lane currently in the Hellenic East.
HELLP
HELL1E
HELL1W
… all leagues completed
Cup games tomorrow :
Challenge Cup Semi-Final: Binfield v Headington Amateurs – Final at Newbury’s Faraday Rd on B/H Monday 7th May – Highworth await the winners.
Supplementary Cup FINAL @ Didcot Town’s Loop Meadow Stadium: Reading Town v Highmoor/IBIS
Reading Senior Cup Semi-Final: Flackwell Heath XI v Wokingham & Emmbrook - other semi date/venue tba is Highmoor/IBIS v Woodley Town - Final sometime in May at MadStad - I think.
- Champions Nomads are ineligible (probably on constitutional grounds in that they are the junior/feeder/’reserve’ club of Oxford City) ?)
- Shortwood who finished 2nd in the Premier may go up to the Southern league – depends on the FA’s actions elsewhere and how they compare to other 2nd placed clubs applying for promotion where the STEP05 champions may have been ineligible or not ready.
This was posted on the official Hellenic site;
'The Wood' can only be considered for promotion if there are less than 12 Champion
Clubs from the 14 Step 5 Leagues. At this time six of the Champions are known and all
have the required grading, Guildford City, Wroxham, Witham Town, Herne Bay, Royston
Town, Winchester City.
- Relegated Bracknell
and Fairford – Demoted Henley Town – one of the first two may get reprieved but not really sure how – the general view is that Fairford’s luck has run out when it comes to avoiding relegation.- Promoted from One East - Highmoor and Newbury: West – Winterbourne Utd. Trowbridge Town are returning to the Wiltshire leagues – Milton Utd despite some rumours are adamant they are NOT dropping to North Berks.
WESSP
Alton Town v Romsey Town
WESS1
Fleet Spurs v Team Solent
Stockbridge v Tadley Calleva
- Winchester City promoted to Southern League; down go Laverstock (nr Salisbury) and maybe one other - currently the next 6 sides are separated by 3 points. Possibly dependent on Fleet dropping down from Southern League or not?
- Promoted from One are Verwood Town and AFC Portchester.
- No news on any possible new clubs in from Dorset/Hants etc – history suggests you have to be in a fairly desperate state to leave the Wessex – though Warminster are rumoured to be transferring to the Western League – they were a bit out on a limb once Shaftesbury left last year.
... as ever no real idea where to go tomorrow - rain dodging most likely - may have one or two offspring in tow - so food, journey length and comfort might be a premium - likely candidates:
South Mids Prem: London Tigers v Aylesbury Utd - being played at Haringey FC - Coles Pk nr White Hart Lane (Spuds are at home on Sunday)
Western Prem: Hallen v Wells
- still a bit more hope for Magpies then - if York Rd dries out. 
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