The Non - League thread

[Royalist]

I just find it insane that anyone, other than slough fans, could put a football ground ahead of a school. I don't agree with faith schools of any faith but with a growing population Slough needs more schools. It doesn't need a football team in that way.

Wage mentioned because the money Slough has spent since being homeless on players could of paid a large chunk off on a site already.

I DO wish Slough the best of luck in finding a suitable ground within the town however.

[Four Of Clubs]

... here's this w/e preview ...

Fixtures w/e 13th April
UPDATE - seems its a bit soggier than I thought - some postponements filtering through already this AM see 'PP'

{Result}
Fri 12th
Guernsey 4-1 Horley Town – after a blip last w/e Guernsey are still somehow reeling in the sides above them – now up to third - 17 points behind leaders Egham but with seven games in hand. Play today AND tomorrow – supposedly Matt le Frog is available for the latter – could be a massive crowd for that.

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

SOUTHP
Chesham United v Hitchin Town
SOUTH1C
AFC Hayes v North Greenford United
Ashford Town (Middx) v Barton Rovers
Aylesbury v Daventry Town
Biggleswade Town v Thatcham Town
Chalfont St. Peter v Uxbridge
Fleet Town v Rugby Town
Guildford City v Royston Town
Leighton Town v Beaconsfield SYCOB
Northwood v Chertsey Town
Slough Town v Godalming Town
Woodford United v Burnham - could be carnage at this one – Burnham top, visit ‘pointless’ Woodford. Huge game for Burnham on Tue night too, at the Gore when 2nd placed Rugby are the visitors.
SOUTH1S&W
Abingdon United v Paulton Rovers
Didcot Town v Mangotsfield United
North Leigh v Clevedon Town
Tiverton Town v Hungerford Town
Winchester City v Bridgwater Town
- Perennial issues of geography and ‘three into two won’t go’, surround promotion to the STEP02 Conference regional leagues. As it stands @ STEP03 Leamington top the Southern League and Whitehawk (from Brighton) are leaders in the Ryman - so they can be ruled out for the CONFN. Other obvious candidates, with Leamington, to be ‘placed’ in the North could be Barwell or Stourbridge should either of them come though the play offs. In the Ryman Lowestoft might also be considered. There’s also the chance that transfers back South may be offered to those clubs currently ‘out of area’ ie Oxford City, Histon, Brackley, Glawster. The one thing that is clear; is it isn’t clear what the FA/Conference will do!

CCLP
Ash United v Bedfont Sports
Camberley Town v Egham Town
Chessington & Hook United v Badshot Lea
Guernsey v Farnham Town
Dorking v Sandhurst Town
Hanworth Villa PP Hartley Wintney
South Park PP Molesey
Wembley v Epsom & Ewell
CCL1
CB Hounslow United v Eversley & California
Cobham v AFC Croydon
Feltham v Warlingham
Frimley Green v Westfield
Knaphill v Farleigh Rovers
Sheerwater v Staines Lammas
South Kilburn v Mole Valley SCR
Spelthorne Sports v Banstead Athletic
Worcester Park v Epsom Athletic

Sun 14 Apr 13
CCLP
Guernsey v Raynes Park Vale (1.30 p.m.)

HELLP
Abingdon Town PP Thame United
Ardley United v Binfield
Highmoor Ibis v Oxford City Nomads
Kidlington v Cheltenham Saracens
Shrivenham v Newbury
Slimbridge v Holyport
Wantage Town v Marlow – 2nd v 1st – Marlow have a big lead – win this and they’d probably only need a point from their last three games to take the title. Their GD is superior by nearly 40. Have to play Wantage again last game of the season at Oak Tree Rd on Tue April 30th – could be a bumper crowd to see them off?
Only lost 1 league game and that was in August – their other 'defeat' at Witney was scratched.
Wantage have 5 other fixtures all winnable but a lot to do in three weeks.
Wokingham & Emmbrook v Flackwell Heath
- No game for RTFC today – have only three games left and are adrift in the bottom three with Shrivenham and Ab Town.
- Unlikely to be any relegation anyway this season - unless by choice/circumstance ie no-one coming down from above; Wokingham & Emmbrook voluntarily dropping down and possibly even out of the Hellenic – perhaps moving back to Lowther Rd.
- Other rumoured moves: Highmoor/IBIS to CCL; South Kilburn may be returning from the opposite direction – would make their matches with AFC Hinksey ‘interesting’ next season – if this is anything to go by.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-ox ... e-22106685

Sandhurst Town reportedly have been approached by the Hellenic offering them a place at STEP05 too.
- Slimbridge have applied to join Western; promoted club Brimscomb from Div One West were considering this – though the management team at the latter have been interviewed this week, saying they are preparing for life in the HELLENIC Premier – so maybe they consider the Western League to involve too much travelling?.
- Wootton Bassett Town up behind them have arranged a ground share at Cirencester Town whilst they wait for their new facility to be completed.
- From the East: Rayners Lane and Chinnor are most likely to come up – Robins (Bracknell Town) sadly too far back in 5th and on a dreadful run of form. Every season Rayners Lane are said to be considering moving to CCL or SSM.
- No teams are said have applied to come up into the Hellenic Division Ones from the local County Level leagues – though there may be a queue of more Reserve sides available to ‘make up the numbers’.
HELL1E
AFC Hinksey v Finchampstead
Maidenhead United Res PP Chalfont Wasps
Milton United v Bracknell Town
Thatcham Town Res v Penn & Tylers Green
Woodley Town v Henley Town

WESSP
Alton Town v Christchurch
WESS1
Andover New Street v Brockenhurst
Pewsey Vale v East Cowes Victoria
Tadley Calleva v Hythe & Dibden
United Services Portsmouth PP Fleet Spurs

[Rev Algenon Stickleback H]

Wage mentioned because the money Slough has spent since being homeless on players could of paid a large chunk off on a site already.
.

How much do you think Slough have paid in wages over the last 10 years?

If they'd not paid wages, and dropped down to Hellenic League level (or lower) as a result, how do you think their income would have held up?

[Royalist]

They had times when they wasn't paying out alot as players even threatened to strike as they were not getting what they were promised and that whole era but on the whole they've been mostly in the Prem divisions or chasing promotion to them. I don't see the point. Slough could easily hold their own in the league they are in now without much of a budget. Seems a folly to me. Just need to look at the likes of AFC Hayes always in the same league as you without paying out wages from what i recall!

Maybe it's just the Kevin Stott in me!

[Christof]

I just find it insane that anyone, other than slough fans, could put a football ground ahead of a school. I don't agree with faith schools of any faith but with a growing population Slough needs more schools. It doesn't need a football team in that way.

Well, the council must be insane then, as they want to put the facility (not just the ground, remember) ahead of a school.

Wage mentioned because the money Slough has spent since being homeless on players could of paid a large chunk off on a site already.

Seriously? Neither of us know the budget, but I do know that with the largest average attendances in the division we can afford more than most clubs, and the feeling is that we would hold our own in the division above hence the push.

I DO wish Slough the best of luck in finding a suitable ground within the town however.

Good, thanks! Feel free to sign the petition!

[Royalist]

Christof yes Slough crowds are good but with no bar/tea bar money and money going out in rent i'd reckon it would be a average income. SYCOB are certainly doing well considering few people watch them!

You only have to look at the players at the club to know it is a decent wage bill. Just like Windsor and Eton and the first year of Windsor FC but if you want to pretend it isn't happening go for it!

As for local councils...don't get me started.

Like i said best of luck.

[Four Of Clubs]

Results Sat 13th April

CONFS
AFC Hornchurch 1-2 Truro City
Basingstoke 2-3 Boreham Wood
Bath City 1-1 Eastleigh
Billericay 1-2 Salisbury
Bromley 0-4 Hayes & Yeading
Dorchester PP Maidenhead Utd
Eastbourne Borough 1-2 Chelmsford
Farnborough 1-3 Sutton Utd
Havant and W AA Dover- Abandoned on 62’ Hawks leading 1-0
Tonbridge Angels 1-0 Staines Town
Welling 4-1 Weston-S-Mare
- 'Magpies' with games in hand and the best GD of those in the relegation mix, are only 1 point off of the bottom three - Truro have already 'gone'. Hornchurch are immediately below Maidenhead and Billericay a further 4 points below that. Basingstoke up in 13th are probably safe now. Maidenhead's last four games are A v Dorchester tba - H v Bromley next Sat; A v Chelmsford then @ Billericay on the final day (Sat 27th )
Welling need a point for the title - Play Offs currently would involve: Salisbury, Dover, W-S-M and Chelmsford - with Boreham Wd, Eastleigh and Sutton still in reach.

SOUTHP
Chesham United 1-1 Hitchin Town
SOUTH1C
AFC Hayes PP North Greenford United
Ashford Town (Middx) 2-2 Barton Rovers
Aylesbury 0-2 Daventry Town
Biggleswade Town 2-1 Thatcham Town
Chalfont St. Peter 3-0 Uxbridge
Fleet Town 2-1 Rugby Town
Guildford City 2-2 Royston Town
Leighton Town 2-4 Beaconsfield SYCOB
Northwood 2-3 Chertsey Town
Slough Town 2-3 Godalming Town
Woodford United 0-7 Burnham
- a win on Tuesday for Burnham v Rugby following the latters' surprise defeat at Fleet, would probably leave only Godalming still with an outside chance of pipping them to 1st spot. 'Sluff' well off the pace now - 9 points adrift of the Play-Offs
SOUTH1S&W
Abingdon United 0-0 Paulton Rovers
Didcot Town 2-3 Mangotsfield United – Mangoes winner on 93‘
North Leigh 1-3 Clevedon Town
Tiverton Town 1-3 Hungerford Town
Winchester City 1-3 Bridgwater Town
- Poole Town virtually assured of top spot now - only a remarkable sequence of results would see Sw!ndon Supermarine overhaul them. I'm assuming they've done enough to their ground at Tatnam to progress to STEP03 - was little more than a roped off pitch in a park when I visited a few years back. Hungerford in the Play-Offs again - most likely up against Supermarine, Merthyr and Paulton - with a certain Mr Meaker's Yate Town having an outside chance of joining in.

CCLP
Ash United PP Bedfont Sports
Camberley Town 2-3 Egham Town
Chessington & Hook United PP Badshot Lea
Dorking AA Sandhurst Town Abandoned on 73’ Fizzers were leading 2-1
Guernsey PP Farnham Town - doesn't help the fixture pile-up?
Wembley 1-4 Epsom & Ewell
CCL1
CB Hounslow United 0-4 Eversley & California
Cobham PP AFC Croydon
Feltham 2-2 Warlingham
Frimley Green 2-1 Westfield
Knaphill 3-0 Farleigh Rovers
Sheerwater 1-3 Staines Lammas
South Kilburn PP Mole Valley SCR
Spelthorne Sports 4-3 Banstead Athletic
Worcester Park 0-1 Epsom Athletic
- big result here yesterday means Frimley Gn have a 9 point lead over Westfield with E&C a point further back. I'd imagine all three might be eligible to step up - Eversely have had planning permission granted for lights and are starting construction phases - including planting lots of foliage to protect their neighbours.
Similar number juggling going on here as in the Hellenic @ STEP06. S.Kilburn as stated previously, may be switching back to Hellenic One East; CB Hounslow may be dropping back to the Middx County - they have had an appalling season: 1 win 29 defeats. Feltham are merging with someone & re-branding themselves as yet another version of Bedfont I think? There has been some chatter about a couple of teams possibly stepping up out of the Surrey Elite league - BUT the amnesty on no lights at this level is due to run out - leaving four (if I've counted right) 'unlit' clubs currently in this division, seeking groundshares or facing demotion - more to follow no doubt.....

Sun 14 Apr 13
CCLP
Guernsey v Raynes Park Vale (1.30 p.m.)

HELLP
Ardley United 0-4 Binfield
Highmoor Ibis 1-3 Oxford City Nomads
Kidlington 5-1 Cheltenham Saracens
Shrivenham 1-4 Newbury
Slimbridge 3-3 Holyport
Wantage Town 0-3 Marlow
Wokingham & Emmbrook PP Flackwell Heath
HELL1E
AFC Hinksey 0-4 Finchampstead
Milton United 1-4 Bracknell Town
Thatcham Town Res 2-5 Penn & Tylers Green
Woodley Town 3-2 Henley Town

WESSP
Alton Town PP Christchurch
WESS1
Andover New Street 0-2 Brockenhurst
Pewsey Vale PP East Cowes Victoria
Tadley Calleva 5-0 Hythe & Dibden

[Deadlock]

Results Sat 13th April
Guernsey PP Farnham Town - doesn't help the fixture pile-up?

Rearranged for Monday May 6. Which means May now reads:-

03 Fri 19:45    League    Home    Dorking          
04 Sat 15:00    League    Home    Hartley Wintney          
05 Sun 13:30    League    Home    Epsom & Ewell          
06 Mon 13:30    League    Home    Farnham Town (KO TBC)

Guernsey beat Raynes Park Vale 4-3 yesterday, leaving them three points behind second placed Epsom & Ewell, with a mere 8 games in hand.

[floyd__streete]

Attended my first ever game at Oxford City FC last night, the original senior club in Oxford. Court Place Farm is a charmless, soulless out of town ground.....so I was right at home there, then.

Opposition were FC Halifax Town in the Conference North (the constitution of the regional arms of the Conference is crackers, totally discredits the nonsense of inserting this extra tier of senior non league football). The visitors are play-off bound and their coach Lee Nogan reacted furiously to going a goal down early on. They recovered second half to lead 2-1 in front of 40/50 of their own supporters who'd made the long trip down south but conceded a 90th minute goal from a set-piece. Attendance: 282.

[paultheroyal]

Posted this in anything else but also most definitely belongs here.

Just love this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAhEFuq62-I&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Can't believe I didn't see this until now, absolutely hilarious!
DO YOU WANT SOME!?

Its a clip you can just play again and again and again!!

[paultheroyal]

Results Sat 13th April
Guernsey PP Farnham Town - doesn't help the fixture pile-up?

Rearranged for Monday May 6. Which means May now reads:-

03 Fri 19:45    League    Home    Dorking          
04 Sat 15:00    League    Home    Hartley Wintney          
05 Sun 13:30    League    Home    Epsom & Ewell          
06 Mon 13:30    League    Home    Farnham Town (KO TBC)

Guernsey beat Raynes Park Vale 4-3 yesterday, leaving them three points behind second placed Epsom & Ewell, with a mere 8 games in hand.

1300 attendance for that game - Le Tissier did not make the squad.

I understand they played away last night and lost...not sure if Le Tissier played.

[Stranded]

Attended my first ever game at Oxford City FC last night, the original senior club in Oxford. Court Place Farm is a charmless, soulless out of town ground.....so I was right at home there, then.

Opposition were FC Halifax Town in the Conference North (the constitution of the regional arms of the Conference is crackers, totally discredits the nonsense of inserting this extra tier of senior non league football). The visitors are play-off bound and their coach Lee Nogan reacted furiously to going a goal down early on. They recovered second half to lead 2-1 in front of 40/50 of their own supporters who'd made the long trip down south but conceded a 90th minute goal from a set-piece. Attendance: 282.

Oxford City taken over today http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/22182720

[Eaststandman]

Re: the "Do you want some" clip, I worked as a PC in Brighton some years ago and Whitehawk was on my patch, so to speak. I can confirm in my limited experience of the Whitehawk population that 100% of the ones I dealt with were of a similar nature to the "Top Boy" Many however weren't quite so funny, but they were extremely violent and aggressive, a place to avoid for certain.

[paultheroyal]

You got no fans, you got no ground.

[Four Of Clubs]

... a few big scores around NL locally this week

Southern One Central leaders Burnham, lost their potential title settler H v Rugby 2-3 but Sluff doubly helped them out by walloping Rugby 4-0 away 2 days later - having already won 2-1 at 3rd place Godalming - Rebels making a late stab to gatecrash the play-offs after all? Still 4 points to make up on their landlords (Beaconsfield) in the last PO spot. Sluff now go to strugglers NGU.
In the S&W section Diddy lost 1-0 at Mangoes on Monday evening - Ab Utd and Hungerford drew blanks in their game later in the week.

At the top of the CCL Egham and Guernsey both dropped points with midweek draws.
Lower down Farnham bt H.Wintney 4-1 and Windor W 1-0 at bottom club Sandhurst. 'Fizzers then managed to pick up a vital three points at Dorking in their next fixture.

The Aldersh!t Senior Cup Final will be contested probably on some midweek evening in May @ the Rec. by Cove and Fleet Spurs who won through their Semi-Finals on Thursday.
The Wycombe equivalent is also played midweek (Tue 21/5) but of course usually at Adams Pk - so nicer surroundings : and will be between Chinnor and either Chesham Reserves or Great Missenden - who play their O/S semi final at the end of this month. Always quite a pleasant occasion - providing the Handy Cross Roundabout isn't totally f£(ked like it was last year.

Around the Hellenic - 'Yellamen' bt RTFC 2-0; Wok & Emm W 3-0 @ Shrivenham - local papers reporting the Council may back their efforts to upgrade Cantley (where has that been heard before! )
In Div One 'Robins' still flapping alarmingly badly - this time 1-1 at Larges Lane vs bottom club Henley - Chat room suggesting management there may be on very thin ice. Woodley lost 1-2 vs Penn & Tylers on Thursday eve at Charvil.

Up in the Conference still no real joy for Magpies - thumped 4-0 at Dorchester - although at least Billericay and Tonbridge lost too - so not much has changed and they are still just outside the relegation spots.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Fixtures w/e 20th April

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

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

CCLP
Ash United v Colliers Wood United
Cove v Wembley
Croydon v Badshot Lea
Farnham Town v South Park
Guernsey v Hanworth Villa (7.45 p.m.)
Hartley Wintney v Bedfont Sports
Horley Town v Egham Town
Molesey v Raynes Park Vale
Sandhurst Town v Epsom & Ewell
Windsor v Camberley Town

Sun 21 Apr 13
Guernsey v Chessington & Hook United (1.30 p.m.)

CCL1
Banstead Athletic v Eversley & California
- further to my bit about E&C in last weeks preview - though lights have been given the OK - it seems they haven't got enough done yet elsewhere around the ground to progress at the end of this season - shame - they are a progresssive little club and the young Chairman there is a nice lad. Could also be a potential new rival growing right on their doorstep too - with other news in the local press that the Yateley Clubs are to merge and move in together with a view to stepping up into the CCL before long.
CB Hounslow United v Staines Lammas
Cobham v Feltham
Epsom Athletic v Knaphill
Farleigh Rovers v Frimley Green
Spelthorne Sports v AFC Croydon Athletic
Warlingham v Sheerwater
Westfield v South Kilburn

HELLP
Abingdon Town v Marlow
Ascot United v Slimbridge
Cheltenham Saracens v Newbury
Oxford City Nomads v Shrivenham
Reading Town v Flackwell Heath
Wantage Town v Highmoor Ibis
Wokingham & Emmbrook v Kidlington
HELL1E
Easington Sports v Chalfont Wasps
Finchampstead v Chinnor
Headington Amateurs v Bracknell Town
Henley Town v Thatcham Town Reserves
Penn & Tylers Green v AFC Hinksey
Woodley Town v Didcot Town Reserves

WESS1
Andover New Street v Cowes Sports
Fleet Spurs v Ringwood Town
Whitchurch United v East Cowes Victoria

- no choices made yet for me - been 'crook' all week so will see how I feel on Sat lunchtime - most likely a short trip into Surrey Elite/County or N.Baaarks leagues.

[dizzynewheights]

York Rd tomorrow for the only relegation battle that matters this season

[Christof]

Southern One Central leaders Burnham, lost their potential title settler H v Rugby 2-3 but Sluff doubly helped them out by walloping Rugby 4-0 away 2 days later

Great performance, best of season

Rebels making a late stab to gatecrash the play-offs after all? Still 4 points to make up on their landlords (Beaconsfield) in the last PO spot.

Very unlikely, as relying on others

Sluff now go to strugglers NGU.

NGU are form team, so will be tough, but will be there with the boy tomorrow

[Four Of Clubs]

Sluff now go to strugglers NGU.
....
NGU are form team, so will be tough, but will be there with the boy tomorrow

... indeed just had another glance : NGU have managed 3 wins and 4 draws just this month and have pulled well clear of the bottom now even got above Leighton who may have been concerned were it not for poor pointless Woodford.

[Royal Rother]

Windsor 4-2 Camberley. Good game in the sunshine, hat trick for George Gould.

Great set of results for Maidenhead today incl their 4-1 win against fellow strugglers Bromley.

And Slough keep their slimish hopes of a play off place alive with a win against North Greenford.

Burnham win to virtually seal the title.

[Alexander Litvinenko]

Kidderminster v Stockport - referee takes players off after mass-punchup, including Stockport fans attacking Kidderminster players!