The Non - League thread

[Sutekh]

Vanarama National League play off dates

NATIONAL LEAGUE

Friday 17th July 2020 - 7pm
Boreham Wood v FC Halifax Town

Saturday 18th July 2020 - 3pm
Yeovil Town v Barnet

Saturday 25th July 2020 - 2.30pm
Harrogate Town v Borehamwood or Halifax

Saturday 25th July 2020 - 5pm
Notts County v Yeovil or Barnet

Sunday 2nd August 2020- 3pm (Wembley)
Harrogate or Borehamwood or Halifax v Notts County or Yeovil or Barnet

NORTH

Sunday 19th July 2020 - 3pm
Altrincham v Chester
Brackley Town v Gateshead

Saturday 25th July 2020- 3pm
York City v Altrincham or Chester
Boston United v Brackley or Gateshead

Saturday 1st August 2020 - 3pm (At the home of the highest ranked finalist)
York or Altrincham or Chester v Boston or Brackley or Gateshead

SOUTH

Sunday 19th July 2020 - 3pm
Slough Town v Dartford
Bath City v Dorking Wanderers

Saturday 25th July 2020 - 3pm
Havant & Waterlooville v Slough Town or Dartford
Weymouth v Bath or Dorking Wanderers

Saturday 1st August 2020 - 3pm (At the home of the highest ranked finalist)
Havant & Waterloovile or Slough Town or Dartford v Weymouth or Bath or Dorking Wanderers

Presume BT Sport will show the National League games, hopefully BBC Berks will cover Slough’s game(s) if Reading coverage allows

[AthleticoSpizz]

....it might even coax FoC back (and away from his toe-dipping onto AE )

[Winston Biscuit]

Oswestry Town have folded

[Four Of Clubs]

....it might even coax FoC back (and away from his toe-dipping onto AE )

....just to show I'm paying attention from under my pile of antiseptic Anorak linings

... A bit of local news picked up from dipping into NLM:

Langley FC are leaving their lodgings at Holyport and will groundshare much closer to home at Arbour Pk next season, joining Sluff and Chalvey
-I'd assume the Hellenic One sides will probably alternate Friday night games.

New College Swindon have left the Hellenic West
Diddy Dev has similarly departed from the East - Hagbourne from the NBFL will play at Loop Meadow in their place but stay in the NBaaarks I think ...
.... probably older news but Brackley Town Saints have left the Hellenic Premier - shame, they've been pressing at the upper end of this for a couple of seasons now.

Higher up in the Pyramid Staines Town are said to be in serious trouble relating to use of their ground.
In the Southern League Blackfield & Langley have requested an immediate return to the Wessex League and most of their Management team and a fair part of the squad have moved up the road to AFC Totton.

Will post more as and when I find it ....

[AthleticoSpizz]

Whahey

Welcome back !

[RFCMod]

Interesting down at Sandhurst
The investment group behind Bracknell Town are the new sponsors of Sandhurst Town
The old forgotten waterlogged Bottom Meadow is now ripped apart and a 3G or 4G pitch being lined up
Apparently the Bracknell chairman sees this as a chance to expand his academy set up

[Old Man Andrews]

Interesting down at Sandhurst
The investment group behind Bracknell Town are the new sponsors of Sandhurst Town
The old forgotten waterlogged Bottom Meadow is now ripped apart and a 3G or 4G pitch being lined up
Apparently the Bracknell chairman sees this as a chance to expand his academy set up

There is a good chance they are going to build their new stadium there.

[RFCMod]

Interesting down at Sandhurst
The investment group behind Bracknell Town are the new sponsors of Sandhurst Town
The old forgotten waterlogged Bottom Meadow is now ripped apart and a 3G or 4G pitch being lined up
Apparently the Bracknell chairman sees this as a chance to expand his academy set up

There is a good chance they are going to build their new stadium there.

They touted that at the start of last season but its not going to happen

[Old Man Andrews]

Bracknell Town have signed a South American player who goes by just one name. He's called 'Manuel'. The dream has come true.

[Four Of Clubs]

[mx]

The Football Supporters Association are running a survey on the return of non league. Worth a few clicks

https://thefsa.org.uk/news/what-should- ... look-like/

If things are OK enough for "mass gatherings" of up to, say 500 people, this could help non-league clubs a lot, I think. Maybe naive, but even if it added 100 to our gate, it would be a decent bonus cash wise.

No use further up the pyramid, of course. Chatting to some Dulwich Hamlet fans, they were worried about social distancing etc if they opened their bars and food stands. I'm thinking at Winchester City we would need to double our beer order. I don't see how 300 people at a non-league game drinking around the pitch would be any more dangerous than drinking on a pub garden.

[paultheroyal]

Eastleigh have a new club badge.

[Sutekh]

Borehamwood 2-1 FC Halifax Town. Borehamwood now travel to Harrogate.

Anyone know if BBC Berks are covering the Slough v Dartford game tomorrow, or might it get on BT Sport?

[Simmops]

Borehamwood 2-1 FC Halifax Town. Borehamwood now travel to Harrogate.

Anyone know if BBC Berks are covering the Slough v Dartford game tomorrow, or might it get on BT Sport?

What's the deal with this play off thing? Why are there an odd number of teams in the play offs this year?

[Four Of Clubs]

From the official Vanarama site:

https://www.thenationalleague.org.uk/all-you-need-to-know-ahead-of-the-national-league--62691

[Simmops]

From the official Vanarama site:

https://www.thenationalleague.org.uk/all-you-need-to-know-ahead-of-the-national-league--62691

Thanks but still doesn't have answered why the 6 team play off?

[Four Of Clubs]

.... haven't looked too deeply into it but my guess would be they thought it was only fair to expand the end of season play offs to compensate for the vagaries of PPG ..... hence byes to the highest two, then the next four positions - accounting for the adjustment of Points Per Game - play a mini eliminator to go into the PO KO games.

NOTE Barnet I think finished as low as 11th but on 'unweighted' PPG, as they had 3-4 games in hand, were put up to 6th or 7th hence became eligible for the end of season bunfights.

Some compensation for having a Stadium that's rather swamp like.....

I think at the other end of the tables, there were a couple of appeals lodged against relegation based on points adjustments etc. but both sides, that I'm aware of, withdrew their suits and took demotion. Ebbsfleet were one; I forget the other - was a Northern side.

[Stranded]

Hasn't been 6 teams for a couple of seasons now? Highest 2 sides get a bye and the rest play a "quarter final" first.

Sure last year was definitely 6 teams.

[Simmops]

Hasn't been 6 teams for a couple of seasons now? Highest 2 sides get a bye and the rest play a "quarter final" first.

Sure last year was definitely 6 teams.

Doesn't make sense. Just do too 2 up and next 4 in playoff

[Sutekh]

Barnet are off to Notts County in the other play off semi after winning 2-0 at Yeovil

There have been 6 teams in the NL playoffs for 2/3 years (and I think it’s the same at steps 1-4) it’s just done to widen the end of season interest but with home advantage given to the sides that finish higher. It’s not just some special thing concocted because of the virus.