The Non - League thread

[Sutekh]

Step 2 play off finals to be played on Saturday. Home advantage to teams that finished highest in the league:

Ebbsfleet United v Chelmsford City

Halifax v Chorley

Didn't Halifax who used to be in L2 go bust and this is the new one that started? That was only a few years ago I'm sure, they must have been placed in a high league when they re formed then. Unless it's the same Halifax and I'm confusing them for somebody else.

F.C. Halifax Town were put into the Northern Premier League Division One North in 2008-09. Had 2 promotions to get to the National League North, which were back to back. Jamie Vardy was top scorer for them when they won the NPL title.

So the current Halifax is presumably a totally new entity to Halifax Town? But I expect in reality they'll trade on the history of Halifax Town and play at the Shay as well.

Have to say the names for new entity clubs really are the most boring and uninspired imaginable - nearly all seem to just stick FC or AFC in front of the old name

[Stranded]

Didn't Halifax who used to be in L2 go bust and this is the new one that started? That was only a few years ago I'm sure, they must have been placed in a high league when they re formed then. Unless it's the same Halifax and I'm confusing them for somebody else.

F.C. Halifax Town were put into the Northern Premier League Division One North in 2008-09. Had 2 promotions to get to the National League North, which were back to back. Jamie Vardy was top scorer for them when they won the NPL title.

So the current Halifax is presumably a totally new entity to Halifax Town? But I expect in reality they'll trade on the history of Halifax Town and play at the Shay as well.

Have to say the names for new entity clubs really are the most boring and uninspired imaginable - nearly all seem to just stick FC or AFC in front of the old name

I guess that's the point though isn't it? Generally the new club is set up by fans who want to see their club survive in some form or other. As a result, you'd want the name to be as close as they can legally get it.

If Reading went bust, most likely to get an AFC Reading set up rather that Reading Phoenix as you don't tend to say the AFC in the team name, so would essentially still be Reading

[John Smith]

If Reading went bust, most likely to get an AFC Reading set up rather that Reading Phoenix as you don't tend to say the AFC in the team name, so would essentially still be Reading

Would be quite exciting in a way. Could start all over again in a lower Southern League playing games at Palmer Park

[double d]

If a team went busy how can they start again straight away at probably the same ground with the same players? Is it just essentially making sure they are not carrying the debt from the old club?

I can name quite a few teams from recent times and they seem to all be doing really well. Afc Wimbledon, Hereford, Halifax, FC united are a few. They always seem to do really well as trams.

[Royalist]

Yep Windsor and Eton went bust owing the taxman and then reformed not long after with the And Eton taken off and the same manager and players in the same ground and same team colours. As a ex Windsor supporter ( don't go any more) i can tell you as far as fans are concerned its the same club

I think it depends on gaps in the league as to where 'bigger' sides are placed. I don't think there is a hard and fast 'it has to be this level' rule

[tmesis]

If Reading went bust, most likely to get an AFC Reading set up rather that Reading Phoenix as you don't tend to say the AFC in the team name, so would essentially still be Reading

I would personally club to death the imagination-starved simpleton who decided that as were are a reformed club, we must copy all the others who stuck AFC in front of the old club name.

[Top Flight]

Full name: Atletico Clube of Reading Berkshire

Short name: Reading

[double d]

Why the need to put Berkshire in? It won't be reading pensylvania will it!?

Also why the Spanish Ness?

I like reading royals fc

[KC Royal]

Surprising about Dover. They almost always have been near the play offs for the last few years.

I imagine Dover's attendances aren't high enough to warrant going full-time. This season they were 1295, for some reason people don't go out to watch them. I remember when they won promotion a few years ago after just scrambling into the playoffs fans still didn't turn out in particularly big numbers.
Maidstone on the other hand had an average of 2386, which surprisingly put them in 5th place overall. They've always been for me the Kent non-league club with the most potential. This season it seems for a lot of it they were focused on the pitch/ground improvements, given what happened at the end of the season it shows what they can do with more focus on the playing side. No reason why they can't one day get into the FL (and BBC Radio Kent from what I heard the other day seemed to be expecting that in the next couple of years).

Are Maidstone the same or a completely different club to the Maidstone United that did make the FL briefly before collapsing due to ground problems with Maidstone council and having no money?

I believe it's a different club.

[Sutekh]

Full name: Atletico Clube of Reading Berkshire

Short name: Reading

Real Reading

[Four Of Clubs]

Are Maidstone the same or a completely different club to the Maidstone United that did make the FL briefly before collapsing due to ground problems with Maidstone council and having no money?

I believe it's a different club.

...short-ish answer - extracted from the Football Club History Database (fchd.info)

MAIDSTONE UNITED

1988-89 Conference Champions
Promoted to Football League Division Four
1989-90 Not promoted after play-offs (SF Cambridge United 1 Maidstone
United 1, Maidstone United 0 Cambridge United 2 - Agg 1-3)
1992 Folded
------
2001 ? Maidstone Invicta changed name
2001-02 Joined Kent League
Kent League Champions (on goal difference)

...and so on ... this is much the same from their own site - with a bit more about where they climbed from in the early 90's:

http://www.maidstoneunited.co.uk/club-history/

Maidstone United FC was founded in 1897 then reformed in 1992 following the demise of the Football League side. The Stones started life again as Maidstone Invicta under the leadership of then Chairman Paul Bowden-Brown.

Maidstone United joined the Kent County League Division Four for the 1993/94 season and won the title at the first attempt. They also picked up the West Kent Challenge Shield and the Tunbridge Wells Charity Cup. They were promoted to Division Two following a restructuring of the league and won the title again as well as lifting the Kent Junior Cup.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
...very little local NL going on - the MadStad Final dates have yet to appear - with RFC known to be in the PO spots for some time, I expect they held off until they knew availability.
-There are usually three Finals held there of a midweek after the end of the season. I have heard it was mooted by the TVL and the R&DSFL that the Finals could all be played over a weekend - some on the same day if not all? The Binfield - Woodcote Stoke Row S-F abandonment threw another large utensil in the works too of course.
. Will keep browsing for that .....

I've been hoovering up some dregs from deep within the folds of the anorak, by trying to get to some games in the Oxfordshire Senior Leagues and the South Mids Div Two.
- the latter is a bit of an anomaly; it is a STEP07 league with 18 clubs - though it does have automatic feed into it's own STEP06 league of course, so is in a' special position' pyramid-wise.
As a result they don't have so many 'grading felafals' to juggle with having done a lot of them in initial entry at the lower level - AND it's a set geographic footprint, so no excessive travelling for clubs at that level. That factor does tend to hold clubs back around our own local 'County' level leagues, as the players don't relish additional travelling that the wider-spread Combined Counties, Wessex or Hellenic would entail.

I did get to THREE Cup Finals over the last w/e
Wiltshire League Cup Final: Shrewton 1-3 Wroughton @ Corsham nr Chipp'num

Middx County League Premier(Alec Smith) Cup Final: Deportivo Galicia London 0-3 FC Assyria @ Honeycorft Uxbridge FC

-2nd one was a great contest of surprisingly good quality for this level. The 'Spanish' side who were MCFL-P champions, should be a good addition to CCL1 next season. They have some very talented individuals but were undone by a really hardworking midfield and a staggeringly prolific forward- line from their opponents. FCA scored over 50 goals more than the Champions in the regualr season.
FC Assyria are drawn mostly from a disenfranchised (if that's quite the right word) ethnic community that arrived from the middle-east a few decades back and concentrated around Greenford, Hanwell & Ealing etc from whence they set up a sporting association. They have somewhat crucially incorporated a few 'anglos' into their playing squad and though it may sound cliched and generalistic these lads were the bedrock of a solid display on Sat evening and were one of the main differences between the two sides - both sides possessed ample flair and individuality going forward - but it was the 'mucky bits' in midfield that DGL couldn't match.

...then at the other extreme ... on Sunday AM - tootled over to Rivermoor for one of the Reading & District Sunday 'affairs'

J.Lusted Cup Final: (for Sunday League Div 4 clubs) Englefield 0-0 AFC Pangbourne Reserves - 1-1 aet - AFC won 4-3 on pens

- here the crucial factor was who could shake off thier hangovers the quicker - no evidence of much football on show until deep into extra-time when the sides woke up sufficiently to swap goals within a brief spell before the shoot-out. I think Pangbourne Reserves held the edge by dint of the fact they had the more lurid colours - which probably caused their opponents to steer clear of any close contact - I don't recall many headers within the first hour either! Still- it got me out of the house.

I might pop down to the (w)Rec tonight (Wed 10th) for the Aldersh!t Senior Final between two sides that might be meeting in the League next term - if the FA don't pull a few tricks out of their allocation hat.

Fleet Town v Hartley Wintney KO 19:45 @ EBB Stadium Aldershot FC Adults £6 Concession £2 U10's free - entrance only via 'side' gate off of Ordnance Rd?

Finally there is some other Hellenic News 'brewing' that I've seen via the Sumas twitter site - a projected line-up for 17-18 Hellenic One East with some surprising additions - (these are early projections only and NOT confirmed - a consultation draft if you may)

Four new sides :
- Chalvey Sports WMC - promoted from Div Two subject to finding a groundshare arrangement - they do not have lights
- Wallingford Town - returning after nearly 10 years absence from STEP06 - transferring in from the N.Berks League
- Virginia Water from the SEIL - assuming they stay at Windsor for another year and do not want to opt for CCL1 - which itself has three new clubs: DGL from the Middlesex County League (see above) Fleet Spurs from Wessex One and Kensington Borough from the SSM - who were sharing at Amersham.
- Uxbridge Reserves
- Henley Town AND BURNHAM - both relegated from the Premier - the latter a bit of a turn-up as I'm sure I'd heard they were initially safe from relegation - not that they could have done that much to hang on to their place in the top division.

...transferring out:
Rayners Lane to SSM1 and Bicester to Hellenic One West - which also gains a re-born Carterton and Kidlington Reserves - bringing both Div Ones theoretically up to 16 clubs.

[RG30]

2017/18 ADMISSION AND SEASON TICKET PRICES
Maidenhead United are delighted to announce details of season ticket and general admission prices for next season, our first in the National League.

Season Tickets (general ground entry for 23 home league matches)
Adults £150
Concessions £110
Teenager/Under 20 £80

Reserved Seating passes can be purchased for £125. This can only be purchased in conjunction with a season ticket or Junior Magpie membership. Your own seat is reserved for each home match along with a complimentary matchday programme. There is limited availability for this offer. Season ticket holder and Junior Magpies will be guaranteed priority booking for all-ticket matches such as cup matches. Full details will be published on the club website tomorrow with online purchase available later this week and in person on Saturday.

Matchday admission will be as follows:

Adults £15
Concessions £10 (students/ over 65/ unwaged)
Under 16 £5
Junior Magpies: free entry to all home league matches

[double d]

2017/18 ADMISSION AND SEASON TICKET PRICES
Maidenhead United are delighted to announce details of season ticket and general admission prices for next season, our first in the National League.

Season Tickets (general ground entry for 23 home league matches)
Adults £150
Concessions £110
Teenager/Under 20 £80

Reserved Seating passes can be purchased for £125. This can only be purchased in conjunction with a season ticket or Junior Magpie membership. Your own seat is reserved for each home match along with a complimentary matchday programme. There is limited availability for this offer. Season ticket holder and Junior Magpies will be guaranteed priority booking for all-ticket matches such as cup matches. Full details will be published on the club website tomorrow with online purchase available later this week and in person on Saturday.

Matchday admission will be as follows:

Adults £15
Concessions £10 (students/ over 65/ unwaged)
Under 16 £5
Junior Magpies: free entry to all home league matches

IN!!!!!!!!!!

[Top Flight]

You have some great games to look forward to next year. The pick perhaps being

Maidenhead v Leyton Orient

What a turnaround in fortunes!

The Wealdstone season ticket price is £75 for next season. I snapped one up.

[Hoop Blah]

£15 to watch that level still seems a lot to me, although I'm sure it's the going rate.

In other news, Basingstoke have announced that they're going to play at the Camrose next season instead of having to groundshare at Farnborough.

[Tony Le Mesmer]

You have some great games to look forward to next year. The pick perhaps being

Maidenhead v Leyton Orient

What a turnaround in fortunes!

The Wealdstone season ticket price is £75 for next season. I snapped one up.

Maidenhead have been the cheapest in the NLS for a few years at £10 & made a bold move offering Adult ST's at just £100. Attendances have risen every year since, so looks like other clubs are starting to take note.

Personally, im looking forward to Guiseley away.

[Four Of Clubs]

£15 to watch that level still seems a lot to me, although I'm sure it's the going rate.

In other news, Basingstoke have announced that they're going to play at the Camrose next season instead of having to groundshare at Farnborough.

...forgot to mention another rather sad 'rumble' commencing on twitter -quite close to home in the Hellenic East - seems Finchampstead could be giving up their battle with grading issues at their Memorial Ground.

With their location being primarily geared to Cricket, they have zero prospects of putting in hardstanding - seating or lights. The FA are said to be enforcing stricter grading at the lower levels (this has been coming for some time) so their 17 year membership of the Hellenic League - all that time spent in Div 1 East - will come to an end.

...a curios coda on their site suggests their Reserves , due to be promoted to Div One of the Thames Valley League, will 'tranform' into the First Team for next season.

The Hellenic league are desperate to keep Finch but the club state that ever increasing uncertainty regarding their status and position at STEP06, has led them to take this decision to opt for 'demotion'.
As soon as a Thames Valley League club or one from elsewhere within the feeder leagues (EBerks/Aylesbury/Wycombe/Surrey leagues) invests sufficiently in facilities to become eligible e.g. meet 'G' Grading - they would have been candidates to replace Finchampstead.

Chalfont Wasps are in a very similar position, though at least their Crossleys pitch is not directly impacted by the Cricket.

Wokingham & Emmbrook are similarly 'at risk' for each season without lights at Lowther Rd.

Not sure where that leaves Penn & Tylers - hugely successful ON the pitch these last couple of seasons and have greatly uplifted their facilities - but have little or no prospects of ever getting lights where they are currently based.

Finally - in the same boat - Headington Amateurs - though their main site up at Barton village nr the A40 on the Oxford Ring Rd, is being worked upon. The Council are allegedly 'dragging' their feet over certain promises and provisions made. As a result Head Ams will have to remain in exile down at Horspath nr Cowley for another season - which is little more than a glorified public Recreation facility - think Palmer Park without the trees. They do not even play inside the Athletics Stadium (don't think it has a pitch within the running track) but upon one of many outside pitches with no 'football furniture' to speak of.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
...as planned got to the Aldersh0t Senior Final last night (Wed)- saw an entertaining tussle:

Fleet Town 4-2 Hartley Wintney
- HW actually had a lot of the play but were three down before H/T thanks to some good predatory work by Carr the Fleet striker.
Hartley mis-fired a bit in front of goal and although they grabbed one back just before the break and drew closer with another beyond the hour mark it appeared as if Fleet were ever faster and fitter as the game went on. Restored the 2 goal lead immediately after Hartley's 2nd with a fine long range drive just inside the far post - that Paul Strudley couldn't get to.
In truth he kept the score down with a few trademark tip-overs and blocks, as more and more gaps appeared in front of him.

Estimated a decent crowd too somewhere between 250 & 300.

[John Smith]

You have some great games to look forward to next year. The pick perhaps being

Maidenhead v Leyton Orient

What a turnaround in fortunes!

The Wealdstone season ticket price is £75 for next season. I snapped one up.

Maidenhead have been the cheapest in the NLS for a few years at £10 & made a bold move offering Adult ST's at just £100. Attendances have risen every year since, so looks like other clubs are starting to take note.

Personally, im looking forward to Guiseley away.

I'm going to happily pay £150 for another season ticket at York Road. Some decent teams at that level - imagine if Tranmere don't go up for example.

Tony - I'm thinking of Barrow away, hopefully on a Tuesday night in December

[Tony Le Mesmer]

You have some great games to look forward to next year. The pick perhaps being

Maidenhead v Leyton Orient

What a turnaround in fortunes!

The Wealdstone season ticket price is £75 for next season. I snapped one up.

Maidenhead have been the cheapest in the NLS for a few years at £10 & made a bold move offering Adult ST's at just £100. Attendances have risen every year since, so looks like other clubs are starting to take note.

Personally, im looking forward to Guiseley away.

I'm going to happily pay £150 for another season ticket at York Road. Some decent teams at that level - imagine if Tranmere don't go up for example.

Tony - I'm thinking of Barrow away, hopefully on a Tuesday night in December

I did Barrow a few years ago in the FA Trophy. We took 15. It was Bottom in the NLN v 2nd bottom in the NLS. How times change quickly! Sideways rain & the only person on the open terrace behind the goal. it was a long day, but a memorable one. Trips to these kind of places are so much better without segregation as well, which you wont get most of the time in the NL sadly.

[tmesis]

Halifax win promotion from the Conference North in front 7920 at The Shay. I know they are an ex-League club, but that would have been a brilliant crowd in their league days.

3134 (current capacity?) at Ebbsfleet see the home team come from behind to join Maidenhead in national division.