The Non - League thread

[Warfield Royal]

Would love an Ascot v Guernsey final...

Mee too

[Four Of Clubs]

Will have a look at what news on odds there are on the NL Forum - there's usually a thread on the Vase.

...and 'Lo!'

Spennymoor 7/4
Guernsey 6
## Whitley Bay 8
Ashington 12
Shildon 14
Dunston U.T.S. 16
Spalding United 25

The rest 33, 40, 50 or 66

... much as I'd writted - all Northerners bar Guernsey.

...## evidently needs updating after Sat. as both these went out!

Will ask my ex-Bookie mate tonight if I see him - he usually isn't more than three feet from the latest issue of the Racing Post. He is a 'hoot' to talk to about Bookmaking/Racing Odds - years of working his pitch trackside, means he can't talk about odds without waving his arms around with all they weird 'Bookie signals'

[Stuka]

So how does it work with Guernsey, do they pay for the teams to come to the island for each fixture? Must cost a bomb for the FA, even with the island's tax haven riches. Are they content just to fork out like this indefinitely? Quite an interesting anomaly in football, and good for the other teams in the League to get a bit of a weekender with their fixture.

[Royal Rother]

So how does it work with Guernsey, do they pay for the teams to come to the island for each fixture?

Yes, flights and accommodation for players and officials all paid for.

[Stuka]

So how does it work with Guernsey, do they pay for the teams to come to the island for each fixture?

Yes, flights and accommodation for players and officials all paid for.

How do they obtain and justify such an enormous budget?

[Royal Rother]

Well they are supported by SportingBet; also they get crowds of 1,000 regularly but (apparently) do not pay the players anything so have a decent surplus from gate receipts.

Last year I believe GFC were only charging £3 entrance fee so if they play 25 games at home that would mean 1,000 x £3 x 25 games = £75,000 pa gate receipts.

Usually a club would take say 24 players and officials so, because they pay to get to mainland and for visitors to come to the island one might assume that, combined, the travel (incl coach to the ground), food and overnight accommodation costs would average out at £250 per person involved in every game Guernsey play...?

So that would be 50 games x £250 x 24 people = £300,000 per season. Add in ground upkeep, power, ref's fees, etc. etc. and it wouldn't be difficult to come up with a total annual cost of £350k, without paying anyone any wages.

Of course my figures are only educated guesswork, (based on a certain amount of knowledge and no little heresay / forum gossip). Worth noting that additional income might be generated by bar sales, programmes, pitch hire etc. etc. so the shortfall might not be as big as I suggest, also there are other club sponsors as well so maybe another £25k to add as sundry income.

It has been reported that SportingBet sponsor GFC to the tune of £750k per season which I am sure is absolute bollox. More likely for 3 seasons.

So, in summary, Gate Income £75k, plus Sundry Income £25k, less Expenses £350k = Shortfall of £250k, presumably funded by SportingBet (neatly fits to my comment above, to give break even!)

The club and its fans have always insisted that the players don't get paid - I'm taking that at face value because there's no real reason for them to lie. The calculations I have made are simple and basic so, as the amount of SportingBet's sponsorship would be easy to identify if one needed to, their accounts either add up (without wages) or they don't...

[Wax Jacket]

not sure clubs would take as many as 24 over would they? people need to get time off work etc so it's probably a bare bones group each time. so that could free up another £50-100k

not carping mind

[Royal Rother]

Well, I thought about that - 16 players, manager, coach, physio, Chairman - plus there must be a hanger-on or 2 in there!

You're probably right, but 24 made my numbers work very neatly!

(Edit: Hmm, for the games on the island they'd have to pay flight and hotel costs for the match officials as well...)

[Stuka]

Royal Rother: Thanks for laying it out, it makes more sense now even with your guesswork. When you put it like that it's a nice little way to encourage football on the island, and good luck to them.

[Alexander Litvinenko]

The Football Association has announced that they are willing to grant Step 5 and 6 Leagues permission to extend their playing season beyond the end of April. Following discussions with the chairman and vice-chairman of the National Leagues Committee, it has been agreed that it will be in order for Leagues to extend the playing season until Saturday 4 May if required.

However, in a communication sent to Step 5/6 League secretaries, FA Leagues and Clubs Manager Mike Appleby said: "It is vital that promotions to Step 4 are finalised by this date (4 May) as the club allocation meetings take place shortly afterwards. Therefore, we ask for your co-operation in ensuring that clubs seeking promotion to Step 4 do complete their Leagues fixtures by Saturday 4 May. It may be the case that non-promotion related games may be able to take place after this date but we will monitor the situation going forward."

[Christof]

The Football Association has announced that they are willing to grant Step 5 and 6 Leagues permission to extend their playing season beyond the end of April. Following discussions with the chairman and vice-chairman of the National Leagues Committee, it has been agreed that it will be in order for Leagues to extend the playing season until Saturday 4 May if required.

However, in a communication sent to Step 5/6 League secretaries, FA Leagues and Clubs Manager Mike Appleby said: "It is vital that promotions to Step 4 are finalised by this date (4 May) as the club allocation meetings take place shortly afterwards. Therefore, we ask for your co-operation in ensuring that clubs seeking promotion to Step 4 do complete their Leagues fixtures by Saturday 4 May. It may be the case that non-promotion related games may be able to take place after this date but we will monitor the situation going forward."

Brilliant - thanks to their stunning cup success Slough had 17 games to play in Dec and Jan, and played 8 of them. So, between August and January they managed 18 league games. Now, they have 24 left to play in 3 months. Games are booked every Sat/Tues until 27th April, and they are still in the League Cup. One more postponement (or win against Northwood in the Cup) and we'll be looking at 3 games/week.

Surely they don't need 3 months to sort club allocations, whether at Slough's level (4) or below? An extra month of fixures wouldn't kill them would it?

[Barry the bird boggler]

The Football Association has announced that they are willing to grant Step 5 and 6 Leagues permission to extend their playing season beyond the end of April. Following discussions with the chairman and vice-chairman of the National Leagues Committee, it has been agreed that it will be in order for Leagues to extend the playing season until Saturday 4 May if required.

However, in a communication sent to Step 5/6 League secretaries, FA Leagues and Clubs Manager Mike Appleby said: "It is vital that promotions to Step 4 are finalised by this date (4 May) as the club allocation meetings take place shortly afterwards. Therefore, we ask for your co-operation in ensuring that clubs seeking promotion to Step 4 do complete their Leagues fixtures by Saturday 4 May. It may be the case that non-promotion related games may be able to take place after this date but we will monitor the situation going forward."

Brilliant - thanks to their stunning cup success Slough had 17 games to play in Dec and Jan, and played 8 of them. So, between August and January they managed 18 league games. Now, they have 24 left to play in 3 months. Games are booked every Sat/Tues until 27th April, and they are still in the League Cup. One more postponement (or win against Northwood in the Cup) and we'll be looking at 3 games/week.

Surely they don't need 3 months to sort club allocations, whether at Slough's level (4) or below? An extra month of fixures wouldn't kill them would it?

Bracknell have still only played 11 league games I believe due to berkshire and bucks cup progress, weather and crap fixture organisation in the hellenic

[Barry the bird boggler]

Well, I thought about that - 16 players, manager, coach, physio, Chairman - plus there must be a hanger-on or 2 in there!

You're probably right, but 24 made my numbers work very neatly!

(Edit: Hmm, for the games on the island they'd have to pay flight and hotel costs for the match officials as well...)

And what about the costs for Guernsey to travel to away games was that lumped in with the general 300k

[Royal Rother]

Yep, that's why I used 50 games in the calculation and said, slightly ambiguously...

Usually a club would take say 24 players and officials so, because they pay to get to mainland and for visitors to come to the island one might assume that, combined, the travel (incl coach to the ground), food and overnight accommodation costs would average out at £250 per person involved in every game Guernsey play...?

[Four Of Clubs]

Tomorrow's NL schedule - still subject to weather - two gone already locally: Woodley Town and Maidenhead Ressies- thought the forecast was for a bit of a deluge again.

Saturday 2nd Feb 2013

FA Carlsberg Vase – 4th Round
1 Gornal Athletic v Wisbech Town
3 AFC Emley v Hadleigh United
11 Ampthill Town v Enfield 1893
13 Spennymoor Town v Lordswood
14 Rocester v Runcorn Town
15 Borrowash Victoria v Ascot United
16 Walsall Wood v Hanworth Villa

CONFS
Bath City v Staines Town
Billericay v Boreham Wood
Chelmsford v Hayes & Yeading
Dover v Truro City
Eastbourne Borough v AFC Hornchurch
Havant and W v Basingstoke
Salisbury v Bromley
Sutton Utd v Eastleigh
Tonbridge Angels v Farnborough
Welling v Dorchester
Weston-S-Mare v Maidenhead Utd
CONFN
Oxford City v Hinckley Utd

SOUTHP
Hemel Hempstead Town v Chesham United
SOUTH1C
AFC Hayes v Aylesbury
Barton Rovers v Slough Town
Beaconsfield SYCOB v Fleet Town
Biggleswade Town v Ashford Town (Middx)
Chalfont St. Peter v Daventry Town
Chertsey Town v Uxbridge
Guildford City v Rugby Town
North Greenford United v Godalming Town
Royston Town v Burnham
Thatcham Town v Leighton Town
Woodford United v Northwood
SOUTH1S&W
Bridgwater Town v Abingdon United
Didcot Town v Tiverton Town
Hungerford Town v Cirencester Town
North Leigh v Taunton Town
Yate Town v Winchester City

CCLP
Ash United v South Park
Badshot Lea v Windsor
Cove v Hanworth Villa (only if FA Vase match is postponed)
Croydon v Camberley Town
Egham Town v Molesey
Epsom & Ewell v Dorking
Guernsey v Chessington & Hook United
Hartley Wintney v Colliers Wood United
Raynes Park Vale v Bedfont Sports
Sandhurst Town v Horley Town
Wembley v Farnham Town
CCL1
CB Hounslow United v Frimley Green
Cobham v South Kilburn
Feltham v Mole Valley SCR
Knaphill v Sheerwater
Staines Lammas v Eversley & California
Warlingham v Westfield
Worcester Park v Spelthorne Sports

HELLP
Ardley United v Witney Town
Cheltenham Saracens v Binfield
Flackwell Heath v Shrivenham
Holyport v Oxford City Nomads
Kidlington v Newbury
Marlow v Reading Town
Slimbridge v Highworth Town
Thame United v Highmoor Ibis
Wantage Town v Wokingham & Emmbrook
HELL1E
AFC Hinksey v Milton United
Chinnor v Bracknell Town
Easington Sports v Thatcham Town Reserves
Finchampstead v Headington Amateurs
HELL1W
Lambourn Sports v New College Swindon

WESSP
Alton Town v Lymington Town
WESS1
Andover New Street v Stockbridge
Fleet Spurs v Hythe & Dibden
Laverstock & Ford v Tadley Calleva
Pewsey Vale v Petersfield Town

[Warfield Royal]

Saturday 2nd Feb 2013
FA Carlsberg Vase – 4th Round
15 Borrowash Victoria v Ascot United

Match is ON at 3rd time of trying.

[Warfield Royal]

Borrowash Victoria 0 - 3 Ascot United, FA Vase 4th Round

Borrowash Victoria were the most professional and welcoming club I have ever been to. They even gave MOM to our striker and the prize was a bottle of scotch.

Next round is Saturday at Newport IOW.

[Royalist]

Borrowash Victoria were the most professional and welcoming club I have ever been to. They even gave MOM to our striker and the prize was a bottle of scotch.

[Tony Le Mesmer]

Steps 3 and 4 to have 24 team leagues next season. You really couldn't make it up, talk about a backward step. They should be looking to reduce the number of teams at the level not increase it, 22 teams is already too many. They play far too many games for semi-pro players and are struggling to fit in the fixtures as it is. How the hell would they complete a 46 game season with the weather as it is this year?

Apparently its due to the number of leagues at Step 5 and not enough promotion places to Step 4. Well, the very simple answer to that is to make some Step 5 leagues Step 6. Not ruining the core leagues of the pyriamid to make a few promotion places available at county level. I cant see the new format lasting more than a couple of years, it will just drive players out of semi pro football and crush the development of young players. Not to mention the invetable decline in attendances as more meaningless fixtures are created.

[Barry the bird boggler]

Never been very much intelligence in non league football organisation, so it's hardly a surprise.

Too much input and empire building by local leagues and FAs and not enough control enforced by THE FA