The Non - League thread

[paultheroyal]

Yesterday's game was a classic case of why you need to practice penalties. Torquay absolutely blew that. Their penalities were awful against a keeper who was not saving any of them whilst their own keeper looked big, intimidating and kept them out. Pendulum swung and you could see him having one chance to save one which he did.

[fartdad]

Yesterday's game was a classic case of why you need to practice penalties. Torquay absolutely blew that. Their penalities were awful against a keeper who was not saving any of them whilst their own keeper looked big, intimidating and kept them out. Pendulum swung and you could see him having one chance to save one which he did.

The heart break

[Simmops]

Its "only" Sunday league but the London Sunday league scene is big. Really good quality, lots of players non league across the top leagues as high as conference South. The biggest team won their 1st title last week due to a 90 minute header against their closest rivals in the 2nd last game

This is insane. 400 people there too

https://mobile.twitter.com/sedonsfc/sta ... 1272350724

[Royals and Racers]

The National League’s Annual General Meeting has taken place today via conference call.
Southend United and Grimsby Town were welcomed into the 2021/22 season constitution, replacing promoted Sutton United and Hartlepool United to make up a 23-team National League division. The number of clubs relegated in the National League will be reduced to 3 to take the total up to 24 teams from the following season.

There has been no change to the league structure in National League North and South from the 2020/21 constitution. To accommodate an increase to 24 clubs in each division from the 2022/23 campaign, 3 clubs collectively will be relegated from Step 2 to Step 3 and replaced by 8 promoted teams.

National League clubs appointed 3 Directors following a vote taken of prior to the AGM. Richard Simkin of Stockport County and Chesterfield’s Martin Thacker MBE will join the Board for the first time, while Aldershot Town chairman Shahid Azeem regains his position for a third term. The Board wishes to place on record its thanks to departing director Anthony Kleanthous for his dedicated service over many years.

An Ordinary Resolution was voted in favour of by member clubs to introduce a Salary Cap from the 2022/23 season. A working party represented by clubs will consult with the aim of bringing a full proposal to the 2022 EGM for the membership to vote on.

A second Ordinary Resolution was also voted in favour of by member clubs for The National League to form a Standards/Ethics committee as part of the League’s governance structure. The National League will draw up terms of reference for the committee in consultation with all member clubs to be approved at a future general meeting.

The National League has continued to assess the likely impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the 2021/22 season. All clubs have been surveyed for their views on the potential implications which could arise during the course of the next campaign. The AGM attendees were informed the season will not begin without spectators or suitable grant funding. A contingency is also being discussed, should the season not be completed in its entirety. The League will be meeting with clubs to finalise these arrangements.

The League also recognise that there is still disquiet from many clubs in a number of areas and the League are committed to meet with all clubs to address these issues in the very near future.

Jack Pearce

Chairman, The National League

[AthleticoSpizz]

Just read that Roy Merryweather passed away recently. 81
20 years as Wokingham Town manager during their ‘good times’ including Isthmian League Premiership, FA Trophy semi finals and first round proper of the FA Cup.

Used to watch them when Reading away wasn’t doable....lots of local lads that went to and them from Reading FC.

[paultheroyal]

Basingstoke playing Hashtag United on Saturday - over a thousand spectators + are expected.

[paultheroyal]

Found out at the weekend - and never thought of it like this - a number of smaller clubs are being asked to play "bigger clubs" at last minute - a number because of Covid changes. But the reason likes of Basingstoke refuse is because if they play someone like Farnborough, Salisbury etc - it puts their players in the firing line of being poached to those teams with bigger budgets and totally messes them up for the season.

[Sutekh]

Draw for the preliminary round of the FA Cup (this obviously includes the ties of the extra preliminary round):

https://www.thefa.com/-/media/thefacom- ... ashx?la=en

Berkshire sides part is:

1. Broadfields United or Cribbs v Reading City or Hallen
2. Tuffley Rovers or Windsor v Cadbury Heath or Flackwell Heath
3. Chipping Sodbury or Harefield United v Binfield
4. Risborough Rangers or Lydney Town v Ascot United or Holyport
5. Bracknell Town v Calne Town or Bashley
6. Thame United v Thatcham Town
7. Cinderford Town v Easington Sports or Wokingham and Emmbrook

Also Binfield’s first Isthmian League game at step 4 is a visit from Guernsey on 14 August. Their 2nd home game, on 30 August, is a derby clash with Bracknell.

Wonder how far we’ll get through this season before the idiots lock every one down again.

[Simmops]

Elliot Nevitt,who scored the winner in the QFs , SF and 3 in the final vs Binfield, aswell as the winner in the fa Sunday cup the week after ,has signed for tranmere

[AthleticoSpizz]

19 yo Reading GK James Holden signs for Maidenhead on-loan for all of next season, following a short successful spell there at the end of the last one.

[Four Of Clubs]

19 yo Reading GK James Holden signs for Maidenhead on-loan for all of next season, following a short successful spell there at the end of the last one.

...might go and watch him in action then later this week, as the Magpies take on the Swans (Staines) at Wheatsheaf La in a PSF this Thu evening. 19:30 KO

Wangled the whole week off to do more or less what I wish. Some members of the Famille FoCcer will be drifting westwards along the K&A (strictly a Bellringing affair & my dearest's navigational shortcomings ought not to be tested on a narrowboat, as you can hardly turn round/lose direction or go down the wrong canal - can you?)


.... Fully dependent upon how adhesive I find the sofa .....

Mon planning on Highworth v Brimscomb

Tue is the middle one's Bday so I've promise we'll join them (she's a 'non-ringer' like her Dad) en route somewhere for an evening meal - probably Kintbury but we haven't heard back from the Dundas Arms yet - which I'm assuming is the better option in the vicinity?

Wed is a 'Brucie Bonus' drinkinininge (non NL) night probably watching Celoltic's efforts to stay in the Champs League - in the interest of self-preservation will have to concentrate and not giggle if they struggle.
- my mate follows Celtic - did it quite avidly in his younger days mixing with some of the hardcore - so we may end up in his beloved Gateway.....

....NL gets into swing this w/e and on into the following midweek, at STEP05 & 06 in readiness for the opening FA Cup round on the 7th Aug - so should find time to put an opening Preview together.

Step04 and above get going on the w/e of the 14th - with the National STEP01 first set of fixtures set for the 21st.

[Four Of Clubs]

...right-ho folks - here's a gentle easing into the the new NL season - just a few league games down at STEP05 around here tomorrow
- the (Extra) Preliminary Round of the FA Cup gets into full swing next weekend with a few clubs using this midweek to 'warm-up' for it by arranging some opening league fixtures.


The CCL now has 2 Premier Sections (N&S) and only one STEP06 division.

Saturday 31st July

CCL-Premier North
Reading City v Southall - could be quite an opener this and I believe they are expecting a sizeable crowd at Stalag Scours. (so three figures then )
- Southall, who still lodge at Ashford Town (Middx), were one of the stronger sides in the much foreshortened 20-21 CCL-P season and would certainly have been in the mix for honours with Ascot, SCR and Hanworth.

CCL-Premier South
13:00 Beckenham Town v Jersey Bulls - don't think the health restrictions are as strict for Jersey as they appear to be for Guernsey - so hopefully the 'Bulls' season will not suffer unduly with delayed fixtures. They only played 4 league games last term but their remarkable (19/20 season) 100% competitive record, was considered enough to secure a promotion to the expanded Premier sections.
Beckenham have been shunted across from the the Southern Counties East, where they were similarly one of the front runners during both of the much reduced campaigns. Could be a stern opening test for Jersey at Step05.

AFC Croydon Athletic v Cobham
Badshot Lea v Horley Town
Colliers Wood United v Knaphill
Raynes Park Vale v Guildford City
Walton & Hersham v Balham
CCL-Division 1
Kensington & Ealing Borough v Chalvey Sports @ Hanwell - fairly certain Sports have shifted their 'lodgings' a short way west and moved in with Burnham at The Gore. I'd expect Arbour Park might have been getting a bit crowded what with Slough AND Langley using it?

I popped over to Highworth earlier in the week - for an entertaining PSF - 4 goals shared with the lower-ranked Hellenic Premier Club Brimscomb & Thrupp, who gave their hosts quite a run around - especially late on.
They might do well in the much re-vamped Hellenic Premier. There is nowhere near as much 'local' interest in that League now as most of our 'featured' sides have been shifted across into the much expanded Combined Counties league - and a couple 'bounced' still further up into the S.Mids.
Didn't enjoy the diversion on my return journey - led around the murkier parts of Sw!nedon afterwards - as M4 jn 15 was closed - as was 12 then 11-10/6-5 - fortunately I was bound for 11 - would hate to think how long it might have taken anyone going to London?
Didn't bother with Staines v Maidenhead last night (Thu) - ended 0-6 to the Magpies!
Bit concerned about destination for tomorrow now - what with the M4 being 'dug up' either side of 'ding and the M25/M40/M5 etc likely to be rough with holiday traffic - may chase a 'new tick' heading SE cross-country into W. Sussex.

More gen about the re-structures to follow.
Bracknell Town have announced they have played their 'final friendly' at Larges Lane - presumably all is ready for their 21-22 campaign to start down at the much upgraded Bottom Meadow, Sandhurst - this with a view to evetually move back to the Lane when the expanded complex over the road, is ready in a couple of years?
Not sure if Sandhurst Town will be continuing at the Lane in the short/medium term as listed - will have to have a dig about - I'm sure it's more than adequate for them.
However former fellow lodgers, Berks County, have now stepped up from the TVL to CCL-1 but will be 'sharing' over at Binfield.

[AthleticoSpizz]

Thank you...and welcome back anorak

Great stuff!

[Royal Rother]

Windsor beat Binfield 3-0 in a PSF a week or 2 back.

[Sutekh]

The CCL now has 2 Premier Sections (N&S) and only one STEP06 division.

Sheer comedy! So step 6 of the CCL presumably has clubs from that catchment area’s north and south sections yet it’s the step above that has been “regionalised”.

[Four Of Clubs]

The CCL now has 2 Premier Sections (N&S) and only one STEP06 division.

Sheer comedy! So step 6 of the CCL presumably has clubs from that catchment area’s north and south sections yet it’s the step above that has been “regionalised”.

Like I said I'll go over the immediate effects of the 21/22 restructure in due course .... there's a lot of movement in the Central/Mids area up at STEP04 with an entirely new division being shoe-horned in BUT ...

...CCL1 actually doesn't look that much more arduous in terms of it's 'footprint' than the previous season - though it has been extended further west and slightly further NE.
- longest trip is probably Aldermaston (Thatcham) to Enfield Borough (Wingate & Finchley) :close to an hour and a half and round the Orbital but that's not much further than what could have been, travelling anti-clock round to say, Dorking (Reserves) - had they not been shunted over to the Southern Combination.
I think most of the Div 1 Surrey/London orbital-based sides, have been re-allocated to the leagues covering Sussex and Kent - some of these moves happened last term in preparation for this increase in CCL scope. There's a few oddities in the Premier - although creating the CCLP Southern Section prevents Kent/Sussex being overloaded - so Beckenham, Croydon. Horley & Redhill for example, have been shifted 'west'.
The furthest trip in CCL-PS is probably Fleet Town to Beckenham.
I'd wager any of the more easterly CCL-PS sides facing relegation at the end of the season, (hopefully we'll get that far) may well be considered for transfer back into the SCE (Kent) or SCL (Sussex)

Here's yesterday's results:

Saturday 31st July

CCL-Premier North
Reading City 3-1 Southall - a returning Mitch Parker supposedly star of the show - scored two (in 2 minutes) - haven't found the attendance figure yet
CCL-Premier South
Beckenham Town 1-0 Jersey Bulls - att 325 - fairly certain this is 'Bulls' first competitive defeat since joining the Pyramid in 2019 - definitely the first league contest they haven't won to date- record was : P31 W31. Town reduced to 10 men around the half hour mark too - reportedly home keeper was on top form.

AFC Croydon Athletic 1-1 Cobham
Badshot Lea 6-1 Horley Town
Colliers Wood United 3-1 Knaphill
Raynes Park Vale P-P Guildford City - ongoing issues with the pitch @ Grand Drive.
Walton & Hersham 3-1 Balham
CCL-Division 1
Kensington & Ealing Borough 2-1 Chalvey Sports

- we just about got to :
SCL-1 (STEP06) Storrington 0-3 Shoreham - in spite of various road closures/diversions/roadworks and infuriatingly slow-f%££ers on the 'A roads' south of Godalming.
Ground set inside a fairly new looking sports complex in the town, just south east of Pulborough and ten miles inland from Worthing.
Weather was one extreme to the other - I believe a couple of fixtures further east were postponed / abandoned due to the downpours.

...will try and put a midweek preview together later on, as there are several local sides in action again.

[NathStPaul]

Excited to see how Binfield get on this season. Expect to see them struggle at first but they have more than enough to hold their own.

Bracknell Town on the other hand are going to go all out for promotion and anything less than that will be a failure. It is sh*t or bust time.

[Royal Rother]

Not that it means much at all but if Windsor can give Binfield a stuffing in a PSF then it might not be plain sailing.

Windsor have just signed Charlie Losasso.

I imagine he is still good enough to kick the ball in the direction he wants it to go so that’ll be a step up on the last 2 seasons.

Actually there’s another 3 or 4 decent players returning to Windsor after a year or 2 (or 7 in one case) away so I’m almost looking forward to the FA Cup game on Sunday.

1st time for 10 years I’ve not been to any of the PSFs. The virtual absence of football at Stag Meadow over the last 18 months has broken the spell for me and, despite having a free season ticket, I was in 2 minds as to whether to go.

[Four Of Clubs]

...sorry the dementia-ridden old iPad has finally taken against HNA and refuses to load the site now - thereby much reducing my scope for updates/score checks etc
- I have to haul myself off the sofa and access the equally cranky old Desktop in the Study - since I'm wfh all day in there for the 'day job' anyway, I tend not to go back in, if I can help it.

So no 'preview' MW I'm afraid - actually there weren't that many local sides in action - of those that were:

(Tue)
In CCL-P North Southall recovered from their w/e mauling at Scours to win 2-0 away at Spelthorne - still no full crowd figures emerged from Sat yet - I'd expect the League Bulletin will be issued before long with all the crowds detailed.

Flackwell Heath lost their inaugural fixture in the SSML 0-1 @ Magpie La (Wilkes Pk) to their erstwhile Hellenic rivals Ardley Utd
Holmer Gn shared 6 goals with Aylesbury Vale in the same division; whilst Penn & T were beaten at home by another Hellenic transferee Long Crendon 2-4 in Division One.

In the Wessex Premier Alton also D3-3 at home, to last season's surprise packet in the Vase - U.S. Portmouth.

Tonight (Wed) in the Wessex One:
Whitchurch overcame near neighbours Andover New Street 2-1 in front of a crowd close to 200 at Longmeadow - I was there and the 'Jam Boys' were nearly over-run in the first half an hour but regrouped to grab all three points.
From my vantage point at the back of the stand, I think VAR might possibly have had something to say about the late winning goal.
- the young (lady) assistant ref had kept up with play but might have missed a forward straying marginally just off side, as the ball was played in first time from the far touchline. Plenty of restrained grumbles from the sizeable away following in the stand, just behind her.
It was a very quick cross-field move, on the break so definitely rather difficult to call definitively from pitch-level.

[Four Of Clubs]

NL Programme for tomorrow (and tonight)

w/e Saturday 7th August

FA Cup Extra Preliminary
Dunstable Town SSM-P v North Greenford United CCL-PN
FRI New Salamis SSM-P v Kensington & Ealing Boro CCL-1
Easington Sports UCL-PS v Wokingham & Emmbrook CCL-PN
Shrivenham HELL-P v Burnham CCL-PN
Chipping Sodbury Town HELL-P v Harefield United SSM-P
Risborough Rangers SSM-P v Lydney Town HELL-P
Aylesbury Vale Dynamos SSM-P v Longlevens HELL-P
Thornbury Town HELL-P v Royal Wootton Bassett T HELL-P
FRI Ascot United CCL-PN v Holyport CCL-PN
Aylesbury United SOUTH-1C v Fairford Town HELL-P
SUN Tuffley Rovers HELL-P v Windsor CCL-PN @ Windsor
Broadfields United SSM-P v Cribbs HELL-P
Ardley United SSM-P v Ashton & Backwell United WEST-P
Cadbury Heath WEST-P v Flackwell Heath SSM-P
Tring Athletic SSM-P v Keynsham Town WEST-P
Reading City CCL-PN v Hallen HELL-P
Roman Glass St.George HELL-P v Holmer Green SSM-P
Walton & Hersham CCL-PS v Tunbridge Wells SCEL-P
A.F.C. Varndeanians SCL-P v Farnham Town CCL-PS
Badshot Lea CCL-PS v East Preston SCL-P
Jersey Bulls CCL-PS v Horsham Y.M.C.A.SCL-P
Staines Town IL-1SC v Little Common SCL-P
Cobham CCL-PS v Sevenoaks Town IL-1SE
C.B. Hounslow United CCL-PN v Redhill CCL-PS
Kennington SCEL-P v Horley Town CCL-PS
Glebe SCEL-P v Abbey Rangers CCL-PN
Deal Town SCEL-P v Southall CCL-PN
Eastbourne Town SCL-P v Guildford City CCL-PS
Newhaven SCL-P v Camberley Town CCL-PS
Lingfield SCL-P v Egham Town CCL-PN
Hassocks SCL-P v Spelthorne Sports CCL-PN
Ashford Town (Middlesex) IL-1SC v A.F.C. Uckfield Town SCL-P
Hanworth Villa CCL-PN v Loxwood SCL-P
Virginia Water CCL-PN v Athletic Newham ESS
Lordswood SCEL-P v Knaphill CCL-PS
East Grinstead Town IL-1SE v Alfold SCL-P
Sheerwater CCL-PS v Erith Town SCEL-P
Fisher SCEL-P v Raynes Park Vale CCL-PS
Molesey CCL-PS v Phoenix Sports IL-1SE
Saltdean United SCL-P v Frimley Green CCL-PS
Balham CCL-PS v Canterbury City SCEL-P
Banstead Athletic CCL-PS v Bearsted SCEL-P
United Services Portsmouth WESS-P v Alton WESS-P
Bridport WEST-P v Fleet Town CCL-PS
Alresford Town WESS-P v Odd Down WEST-1
Tadley Calleva CCL-PN v Baffins Milton Rovers WESS-P
Shepton Mallet WEST-P v Andover New Street WESS-1

CCL-1
Bagshot v AFC Hayes @ Camberley FC
Bedfont & Feltham v Woodley United
Chalvey Sports v Hilltop
Cove v Berks County
Eversley & California v London Samurai Rovers
Hillingdon Borough v Langley
London Lions v FC Deportivo Galicia
Sandhurst Town v Enfield Borough
Wallingford Town v Rayners Lane

From NLM - AFC Aldermaston v British Airways in the Combined Counties is OFF because of covid.
...in the home squad according to twitter

HELL-1
Abingdon United v Pershore Town
Milton United v Littleton

SSM-1
Long Crendon v Raunds Town @ Oxford City
Penn & Tylers Green v Langford

WESS-1
Andover Town v Fawley AFC
Bemerton Heath Harlequins v Ash United
Totton & Eling v Petersfield Town
Verwood Town v Fleet Spurs

...unsure of destination tomorow as mate has 'damaged ' himself at work and has a clinical appt mid-AM - may not want to/be able to travel - if so I'll pick a revisit somewhere nearby. Slightly tempted by Sheerwater's new ground.
EDIT - discovered my delightful 'first-born' had decided to 'borrow' the car this AM to head off somewhere for a walk - missus also needs her wheels, so I'm probably stuck with the pleasure of 'Stalag Scours' this PM.