The Non - League thread

[AthleticoSpizz]

Less than 19k at Wembley to watch FGR join the ranks of the football league (3-1). It's been a while coming.

[double d]

Dashed from Gatwick to Wembley for this one, got free box tickets from Mrs DD uncle. Was a gr8 game and very deserved. They will be a Fleetwood/afc Wimbledon club in a couple years in league 1 pushing for championship.

[John Smith]

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.

Unbelievable. Do you have any idea if MUSA will offer a coach service to all away games next season? Otherwise getting to places like that will be very hard/expensive.

[Tony Le Mesmer]

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.

Unbelievable. Do you have any idea if MUSA will offer a coach service to all away games next season? Otherwise getting to places like that will be very hard/expensive.

Think it will be based on demand like much of this season. If its first game of the season there will be one. Tuesday night in February, no.

[paultheroyal]

Apologies if mentioned - but Basingstoke are now staying at the Camrose...for the time being.

[Tony Le Mesmer]

Changes to the play off system at steps 1&2 set for approval in June.

2nd-7th qualify for the play offs.

2 legged ties scrapped, home advantage to team that finishes highest.

4th v 7th
5th v 6th

Winners away to 2nd 3rd in a semi final.

Winners play in the final at venue of highest team at step 2, step 1 final still at Wembley.

Good move for me. Offers a clear advantage to teams finishing higher in the league. More teams that finish 2nd or 3rd will be promoted under this format. Slight chance a team that's barely better than mid table could go up, but they'd have to win 3 away games on the spin in the play offs to achieve that. That won't happen very often.

[Sutekh]

Changes to the play off system at steps 1&2 set for approval in June.

2nd-7th qualify for the play offs.

2 legged ties scrapped, home advantage to team that finishes highest.

4th v 7th
5th v 6th

Winners away to 2nd 3rd in a semi final.

Winners play in the final at venue of highest team at step 2, step 1 final still at Wembley.

Good move for me. Offers a clear advantage to teams finishing higher in the league. More teams that finish 2nd or 3rd will be promoted under this format. Slight chance a team that's barely better than mid table could go up, but they'd have to win 3 away games on the spin in the play offs to achieve that. That won't happen very often.

Like the sound of it but it could be seen as starting to get just a bit silly. What's the point in a league season if at the end of it all those teams who just miss out on play offs get to play additional play offs to see who gets into the play offs. Gets even more farcical after all the ground grading issues this season.

What's next, go down the utterly ridiculous route of rugby where you include the division winners in the play offs for the title or promotion.

[Tony Le Mesmer]

Changes to the play off system at steps 1&2 set for approval in June.

2nd-7th qualify for the play offs.

2 legged ties scrapped, home advantage to team that finishes highest.

4th v 7th
5th v 6th

Winners away to 2nd 3rd in a semi final.

Winners play in the final at venue of highest team at step 2, step 1 final still at Wembley.

Good move for me. Offers a clear advantage to teams finishing higher in the league. More teams that finish 2nd or 3rd will be promoted under this format. Slight chance a team that's barely better than mid table could go up, but they'd have to win 3 away games on the spin in the play offs to achieve that. That won't happen very often.

Like the sound of it but it could be seen as starting to get just a bit silly. What's the point in a league season if at the end of it all those teams who just miss out on play offs get to play additional play offs to see who gets into the play offs. Gets even more farcical after all the ground grading issues this season.

What's next, go down the utterly ridiculous route of rugby where you include the division winners in the play offs for the title or promotion.

I agree to a certain extent. The only fair system all round is to not have the play-offs at all, which would suit me. But if you are going to have them, you might as well do it properly. Ive always thought the 4 team format we've had for so long is just a bit shit. I could come up with a dozen better formats.

No doubt some fans will moan about it, but 7th place has qualified for the L2 play offs for nearly 30 years now.

[Top Flight]

Wealdstone fans seem to be fairly happy with this announcement.

I like the idea. It will make the season more exciting.

[Stranded]

Anything that offers more reward for finishing higher has to be worthwhile. At the moment, a team can finish comfortably 3rd, lose the away leg heavily and be out before they get home advantage.

That can still happen under this format but at least they get use of the home advantage. If this is a success, wouldn't surprise me if the FL bring in something similar.

Don't think having the top 8/9 have a change of promotion is a bad thing, would keep the league interesting for virtually all clubs to the close of the season.

[Hoop Blah]

I wouldn't want more teams to have a chance of promotion to be honest, it lessens the whole idea of a long league season in my opinion.

I'm not sure how I feel about it just helping to shuffle those clubs with the better facilities back up the leagues by opening up the chance of promotion without being as successful on the pitch.

[glass half full]

A big "Thank you" once again to FoC for the many informative contributions this season. They always make for a good read.

[tmesis]

More promotion and less relegation in steps 3-5 next season for the re-shuffling of clubs in 2018/19 to have four step 3 divisions (http://www.evostikleaguesouthern.co.uk/ ... sion-36644) ...but can anyone understand the logic of having the extra step 3 division being run by the Southern League, and the extra step 4 division being run by the isthmian league?

That implies that either both new divisions will be run by two different leagues, despite one promoting to the other, or the isthmian league will have three divisions below its premier and the southern league will have a SW and a Central Prem to go with its two lower divisions.

Both seem a slight bizarre way of doing things.

[Sutekh]

More promotion and less relegation in steps 3-5 next season for the re-shuffling of clubs in 2018/19 to have four step 3 divisions (http://www.evostikleaguesouthern.co.uk/ ... sion-36644) ...but can anyone understand the logic of having the extra step 3 division being run by the Southern League, and the extra step 4 division being run by the isthmian league?

That implies that either both new divisions will be run by two different leagues, despite one promoting to the other, or the isthmian league will have three divisions below its premier and the southern league will have a SW and a Central Prem to go with its two lower divisions.

Both seem a slight bizarre way of doing things.

It's non league though, league structures are meant to be bizarre so they can reorganise them every 5-10 years

[Royalist]

Hearing Windsor are getting moved to the Hellenic league. Few local derbies in that league. Mostly clubs Windsor and Eton used to play in pre season games though so no 'rivalry' factor

[Royal Rother]

Hooray, no more Saturday M25 (although it was actually very well behaved last season).

More on the doorstep games in the Hellenic but a few that are too far to justify unless we are challenging for the title.

Anyway, not confirmed yet - the structure is provisional at this stage.

[Top Flight]

Unsurprisingly Wealdstone FC right at the top end of the table when it comes to matchday atmosphere. It's quite a hostile place to play football. As much for the Stones as it is for the away side. The support are highly critical. Motivational booing of the home side in the form of verbal abuse towards any player that doesn't pull his weight is rife. Proper old school football club and supporters. They make a heck of a racket though throughout the game.

[John Smith]

Unsurprisingly Wealdstone FC right at the top end of the table when it comes to matchday atmosphere. It's quite a hostile place to play football. As much for the Stones as it is for the away side. The support are highly critical. Motivational booing of the home side in the form of verbal abuse towards any player that doesn't pull his weight is rife. Proper old school football club and supporters. They make a heck of a racket though throughout the game.

Mate, all you ever do is come on this forum bleating about Wealdstone and how good it is. No one cares, no one is going to read your posts and be inspired to go and watch Wealdstone. They've had their moment in the spotlight with the Raider, they are a joke. Give it a rest pal.

[Royal Rother]

What a fcuking dimlow.

It's a non league football thread - without comments about teams like Winchester, Maidenhead, Wealdstone and Windsor (of which there are plenty) it would be FOC posting up the games each week and little else.

Fool.

[Top Flight]

Unsurprisingly Wealdstone FC right at the top end of the table when it comes to matchday atmosphere. It's quite a hostile place to play football. As much for the Stones as it is for the away side. The support are highly critical. Motivational booing of the home side in the form of verbal abuse towards any player that doesn't pull his weight is rife. Proper old school football club and supporters. They make a heck of a racket though throughout the game.

Mate, all you ever do is come on this forum bleating about Wealdstone and how good it is. No one cares, no one is going to read your posts and be inspired to go and watch Wealdstone. They've had their moment in the spotlight with the Raider, they are a joke. Give it a rest pal.

Actually if you read my comments, I have encouraged people to go and watch their local non league side which could be Maidenhead or Hungerford. I was bigging up non league football in general.

And regarding atmospheres, I was just making the comment that the atmosphere at Wealdstone, whilst it is noisy is actually quite hostile. At Reading, when the crowd get going it is generally very positive with the fans getting behind the team. At Wealdstone it is quite negative. The fans can be quite abusive towards the players. It is a bygone era in a way.

And talking about expectations. Wealdstone is a club with no money at all. Yet the fans seem to expect a lot from the club. They want the manager sacked and are so critical of the way the team plays football. I thought Reading fans were harsh on Hob Nob. But Stones fans are ridiculously harsh and unfairly so in my opinion.