The Non - League thread

[Royal Rother]

A game featuring 2 combined counties league teams was abandoned after 92 mins this week for something similar.

To précis, and this might not be accurate, just based on my recollection of various accounts - Warlingham v Staines Lammas. Scuffle in 1st half, a bloke and girl run onto pitch from stands shouting at the main protagonist that they were going stab him in the car park after the game.

Player gets substituted in 2nd half, calls some hard mates of his who turn up and beat the crap out of the bloke who issued the threats, using various implements including a broomstick. This happens on the pitch.

Players and officials get threatened as well and these are, apparently, some real hard cases so they really don't want to go near and ref calls game off after 92 mins.

Bloke beaten up was not badly hurt apparently.

Only about 50 fans at game, probably, as with most non league games average age about 60 so they didn't feel they fancied storming the pitch and getting involved.

[Royalist]

And no one thought to call the police once stabbing threats were made!?

[Royal Rother]

Apparently not.

[dizzynewheights]

Maidenhead safe after yesterdays victory and this fella retains his 100% record at York Rd

[Four Of Clubs]

Yesterday's round-up from NL:

Sat 20th April

CONFS
Boreham Wood 1-1 Welling
Chelmsford 2-0 Basingstoke
Dover 0-0 Dorchester
Eastleigh 4-1 Tonbridge Angels
Hayes & Yeading 1-1 Eastbourne Borough
Maidenhead Utd 4-2 Bromley
Salisbury 5-1 Havant and W
Staines Town 1-3 Bath City
Sutton Utd 3-1 AFC Hornchurch
Truro City 3-3 Farnborough
Weston-S-Mare 1-0 Billericay
- Been covered already: Magpies survive, Joseph-Dubois scored late on for Brommers to make it a squeaky 3-2 but home side scored 4th soon after to, no doubt, relax the York Rd faithful.
- Welling champs: POs currently Salisbury + any three from Dover, Chelmsford, Eastleigh, W-S-M, or Sutton Utd. Ebbsfleet dropping down from STEP01- not sure who else – as touched on in the bits above earlier, about the regional oddities in the Conference Northern Section – some movements post season may well be sideways?

SOUTHP
Redditch United 0-2 Chesham United
- Leamington Champions: POs between Stourbridge, Chesham, Hemel & Barwell – with Gosport & Arlesey still just in touch; each with two games left
SOUTH1C
Barton Rovers 1-1 Chalfont St. Peter
Beaconsfield SYCOB 4-0 Biggleswade Town
Burnham 3-2 Guildford City
Chertsey Town 1-2 Aylesbury
Daventry Town 2-1 Fleet Town
Godalming Town 1-1 Northwood
North Greenford United 1-3 Slough Town
Royston Town 2-0 Ashford Town (Middx)
Rugby Town 2-1 AFC Hayes
Thatcham Town 5-0 Woodford United
Uxbridge 5-1 Leighton Town
- Burnham need a point at Bigg Town on the last day (next Sat) for top spot – their GD is 11 superior to Rugby, who travel to Chalfont St P. Other PO spots currently held by Godalming, Biggleswade & Beaconsfield with Royston and Sluff in range – all of these have 2 matches left – Slough at Thatcham on Tuesday night; then home to Chertsey – Godalming host Beaconsfield
then visit Woodford.
- At the bottom still pointless Woodford visit the side now immediately above them, Leighton on Tuesday – probably represents their final chance of avoiding the ignominy of ‘zero’ in their points column.
SOUTH1S&W
Hungerford Town 3-2 Taunton Town
Paulton Rovers 0-0 Didcot Town
Poole Town 1-1 Abingdon United
- More clear cut here – Poole are Champions – so good result for Ab Utd yesterday – POs will be Hungerford v Paulton ; Swindon Supermarine v Merthyr if the positions stay as they are – though all of these may yet shift around a bit since SS & Merthyr both have three games left – Supermarine have to play Poole twice this week.
- Diddy just below mid-way host Bps Cleeve next Sat
- Winchester City, who were stepping down to the Wessex anyway - are bottom – Sholing will go down with them also voluntarily – odd since they will possibly finish 6th just outside the Play Offs.

CCLP
Ash United 0-1 Colliers Wood United
Cove 0-2 Wembley
Croydon 1-1 Badshot Lea
Farnham Town 1-0 South Park
Guernsey 5-1 Hanworth Villa
Hartley Wintney 4-2 Bedfont Sports
Horley Town 1-1 Egham Town
Molesey 3-2 Raynes Park Vale
Sandhurst Town 2-1 Epsom & Ewell – another huge win for the Fizzers - winner on 90' – two in a row now – sees them claw level with Dorking but still 4 behind H.Wintney – everyone in the bottom six in danger of the drop yet they are all picking up points of late.
Windsor 4-2 Camberley Town - att 179 - more Monday night action tomorrow at Stag Meadow - Farnham Town, who I watched run Guernsey close a week or so back, are the visitors.

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

CCL1
Banstead Athletic 1-1 Eversley & California
CB Hounslow United 1-3 Staines Lammas
Cobham 2-1 Feltham
Epsom Athletic 5-3 Knaphill
Farleigh Rovers 2-1 Frimley Green
Spelthorne Sports 1-1 AFC Croydon Athletic
Warlingham 3-2 Sheerwater
Westfield 1-1 South Kilburn

HELLP
Abingdon Town 1-3 Marlow - Marlow confirmed as champions
Ascot United 1-0 Slimbridge
Cheltenham Saracens 1-1 Newbury
Oxford City Nomads 4-1 Shrivenham
Reading Town 0-2 Flackwell Heath
Wantage Town 4-0 Highmoor Ibis
Wokingham & Emmbrook 4-2 Kidlington
HELL1E
Easington Sports 3-0 Chalfont Wasps
Finchampstead 2-1 Chinnor
Headington Amateurs 0-3 Bracknell Town - Robins still have two games left A v Champs Rayners La on 27th, then Tue week (30th) host current 2nd placed Head Ams.
Henley Town 3-4 Thatcham Town Reserves
Penn & Tylers Green PP AFC Hinksey – away team could not raise an XI; will Not be viewed favourably as a recent match involving them and their own landlords (Headington Amateurs) ended in a serious assault.
Woodley Town 5-1 Didcot Town Reserves

WESS1
Andover New Street 1-1 Cowes Sports
Fleet Spurs 2-3 Ringwood Town
Whitchurch United 4-0 East Cowes Victoria
- Brockenhurst probably champs though Whitchurch Utd just in range – both sides have two matches left and … in a league NOT riddled with ground issues (like most at STEP06) … could both be promoted.
- Wednesday night could be decisive – both clubs at home – if not decided then it makes their meeting in the middle of the new Forest on Saturday a real 'humdinger'!
- Some uncertainty involving clubs merging and in Alton’s case sadly folding if they can’t find a new venue, may further complicate relegation from above – Romsey most likely to drop and one of the next two above them (forgotten which) are uniting with Bashley for 13/14 season – yet presumably staying up at STEP03 in the Southern Prem.


- headed 'upland' for two N.Baaarks games:
- 14:30 KO NBL3 Blewbury 1-6 Radley (nr Abingdon) - swift half in the Red Lion at the break - then a short dash west along the A417 to
- 16:30 KO NBL1 East Hendred 2-1 Kintbury Rangers - nice social club - bar available - enjoyable afternoon all round - welcome three points for the bottom club.-

[soggy biscuit]

A game featuring 2 combined counties league teams was abandoned after 92 mins this week for something similar.

To précis, and this might not be accurate, just based on my recollection of various accounts - Warlingham v Staines Lammas. Scuffle in 1st half, a bloke and girl run onto pitch from stands shouting at the main protagonist that they were going stab him in the car park after the game.

Player gets substituted in 2nd half, calls some hard mates of his who turn up and beat the crap out of the bloke who issued the threats, using various implements including a broomstick. This happens on the pitch.

Players and officials get threatened as well and these are, apparently, some real hard cases so they really don't want to go near and ref calls game off after 92 mins.

Bloke beaten up was not badly hurt apparently.

Only about 50 fans at game, probably, as with most non league games average age about 60 so they didn't feel they fancied storming the pitch and getting involved.

Bloke that was there was talking about it on the radio earlier. Said Kidderminster refused to pay police costs so there were no police there (until it kicked off and they were called) even though Stockport fans kicked off at their last game before this one. He said Stockport are well followed for that level, their away fans often outnumber the home fans and there is a 'hoolie' element there.

When asked why it kicked off so badly yesterday he said something like 'hot day, late kick off so more time to drink, we were getting relegated and don't forget that many football fans are idiots anyway'.

[Royal Rother]

Amen to that!

[Royal Rother]

Guernsey beat Hanworth Villa away 5-1 yesterday, then go and lose 0-2 at home to lowly Chessington & Hook.

Ridiculous number of games in such a short space of time now taking their toll it seems.

[Four Of Clubs]

Quick Update from this PMs game

CCLP Guernsey 0-2 Chess 'n Hook

- strugglers pull off huge upset GFC still 15pts behind leaders Egham but less room for many further wobbles. Games in hand down to 5.
Seems perhaps after yesterdays big (Home) win over 'Villa' - who'd beaten them @ Rectory Meadows earlier this week, they had nothing in the tank for a game they really should have strolled through.

Few key players rested too but no place yet in the squad for MLeT.

Some consolation then that Egham have started dropping the odd point too.

[Royalist]

Is it time for my near annual, although not always on here, call for non league to become a summer sport!? Far more enjoyable! Only at the very lowest levels will there be an issue with cricket grounds but its clear that non league and winter is not getting along!

Speaking of not getting along Slough Observer are hardly backing Slough's position with regards to the new ground and being slightly more balanced than i'd expect but making a story out of online comments by random people is odd!

[Rev Algenon Stickleback H]

if non-league moved to the summer, and ended in October/November, how would promotion/relegation work between it and the divisions above?

[Four Of Clubs]

if non-league moved to the summer, and ended in October/November, how would promotion/relegation work between it and the divisions above?

.... and very unlikely to be workable below STEP05 , where virtually every other club DOES share 'footprint' with local Cricket.

Certainly could look @ a mid-season break or maybe earlier/later starts in July/May to exploit lighter evenings.
An awful lot of these clubs have lengthy pre-seasons already anyway - though of course you'd still have the issue of clashing with Cricket.h

[Royalist]

I'd make the conference part of the football league with no relegation unless a side asks for it or comes bottom x amount of years with a invite based on fan base/league positions for other clubs. Pipe dreams i know and too many issues to make work!

Certainly a late July league start is more realistic. The current model is just as flawed you only have to look at clubs playing Saturday Tuesday Thursday Saturday to see that.

[Royal Rother]

Scheduling more midweek games early in the season would help.

Then giving grants / funding for pitch care would also help.

How would such grants be funded? Easy really. If Wayne Rooney alone paid a compulsory levy of just 0.01% of his salary to help fund non league football that would divert £2000 per week to places where it's needed.

That alone would be sufficient to ensure better surfaces at the entire Combined Counties League and which would inevitably result in less postponements due to waterlogging.

If all professional footballers made that compulsory payment the amount generated would be sufficient to transform not just pitches but the entirety of grass roots football.

It's obscene that it doesn't happen now.

[Royalist]

Non league should manage itself and not have to be a charity imo. Yes it would be nice but non league's worst enemy is itself.

[Four Of Clubs]

.... this season's farce aka the Berks/Bucks Trophy has taken yet another bizarre plot twist...

... having been 'awarded' the pot uncontested due to Windsor & Flackwell's indiscretions in player registrations - seems Aylesbury United have been found guilty of a similar misdemeanour and been hoofed out too.
They have returned the Trophy - presumably to be awarded to Ascot the fourth of the Semi-finalists?


..... or if they have any 'common' - withold the bloody thing altogether rather than run the risk of discovering the Yellamen may have a similar unregistered skeleton in their locker-room?

[Royalist]

Now that IS funny!!!



Just kill the thing off!

[Tony Le Mesmer]

Scheduling more midweek games early in the season would help.

Then giving grants / funding for pitch care would also help.

How would such grants be funded? Easy really. If Wayne Rooney alone paid a compulsory levy of just 0.01% of his salary to help fund non league football that would divert £2000 per week to places where it's needed.

That alone would be sufficient to ensure better surfaces at the entire Combined Counties League and which would inevitably result in less postponements due to waterlogging.

If all professional footballers made that compulsory payment the amount generated would be sufficient to transform not just pitches but the entirety of grass roots football.

It's obscene that it doesn't happen now.

Nice sentiments there, but I doubt Wayne Rooney is on £20 million a week!

[Terminal Boardom]

Scheduling more midweek games early in the season would help.

Then giving grants / funding for pitch care would also help.

How would such grants be funded? Easy really. If Wayne Rooney alone paid a compulsory levy of just 0.01% of his salary to help fund non league football that would divert £2000 per week to places where it's needed.

That alone would be sufficient to ensure better surfaces at the entire Combined Counties League and which would inevitably result in less postponements due to waterlogging.

If all professional footballers made that compulsory payment the amount generated would be sufficient to transform not just pitches but the entirety of grass roots football.

It's obscene that it doesn't happen now.

Alternatively, do away with the meaningless cup competitions. Stick the the League, the Vase and FA Cup. It is not as if every club in Step 5 and below partake in the B&BST.

[Royal Rother]

Scheduling more midweek games early in the season would help.

Then giving grants / funding for pitch care would also help.

How would such grants be funded? Easy really. If Wayne Rooney alone paid a compulsory levy of just 0.01% of his salary to help fund non league football that would divert £2000 per week to places where it's needed.

That alone would be sufficient to ensure better surfaces at the entire Combined Counties League and which would inevitably result in less postponements due to waterlogging.

If all professional footballers made that compulsory payment the amount generated would be sufficient to transform not just pitches but the entirety of grass roots football.

It's obscene that it doesn't happen now.

Nice sentiments there, but I doubt Wayne Rooney is on £20 million a week!

Oops!