The Non - League thread

[Hoop Blah]

I guess it depends on where you draw the line as an independent town and how close a major club is to it. In London there's probably a few boroughs/towns that could be classed as bigger than Basingstoke, population wise, but without it's own team higher than Step 5 or 6.

Probably the same in places like Birmingham, Manchester, and Liverpool.

[Royal Rother]

For what I think is the 7th successive gamein the FA Vase Windsor have been drawn away.

Uckfield or Sutton Common Rovers (or whatever they are calling themselves this season)

...well mostly right - apart from your 5th Round HOME tie last Feb vs Hamble

... does seem like you appear more regularly on the 'right side' of the draw.

Know nothing about AFC Uckfield -mid table in the Southern Combination League (ex-Sussex) - not been - would target that tie -possibly - should they get past SCR , who currently sit 2nd in the Combined Counties Prem.

If not then preference would swing towards the other CCLP side, Abbey Rangers, who visit to Bearsted.

SCR of course play on the 'plastic' @ Sutton Utd's Gander Green Lane - decent stadium - been a couple of times - most recently to watch the 'lodgers'.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
... regretting not making the effort tonight to trundle over to Scours for :

HELLP Reading City 2-3 Binfield

but work was a @&£€ and nearest/dearest and no 2 son were delayed getting home from his Cello lesson in Emmbrook, so by the time we'd eaten I couldn't be @rsed to go out.

Might bobble up to Stag Meadow tomorrow (Tue) for Virginia Water's game with Ascot.

Not a lot on elsewhere, on a remarkably quiet midweek for local NL.

Holmer Gn host Maidenhead in the last B&B 2nd Round tie...... and I think Thame are at home but not much else to draw me off the sofa.

I will be at Stag Meadow tonight also. I will be standing near the clubhouse so if you fancy a chat, tap me on the shoulder. (Not sure what jacket I’ll be wearing but light trousers and brown shoes, probably with a black beanie to keep my bald head warm!)

[KC Royal]

For what I think is the 7th successive gamein the FA Vase Windsor have been drawn away.

Uckfield or Sutton Common Rovers (or whatever they are calling themselves this season).

Had a chat with Windsor’s manager yesterday at the U18s game and he was not very impressed with Erith Town. The normally mild-mannered Mick Woodham said they had a horrible ground, nasty fans, dirty team and not very nice management.

He is happy about the away days in the Vase - suits our style, and it is good to play at grounds and parts of the country you wouldn’t necessarily visit otherwise. (Except when it’s Erith I guess!)

I saw Erith Town knock out my local team in the FA Cup a number of years ago - from 2-0 down I seem to remember - and they didn't bring many fans with them AFAIK, so i'm guessing their crowds aren't big?

[Royal Rother]

Not particularly, but very few are above 100 at this level down South unfortunately.

Saw Ascot beat Virginia Water 3-1 last night. Ascot are a solid outfit but do not look like league winners to me. (I might have said that on here already.)

[Four Of Clubs]

Not particularly, but very few are above 100 at this level down South unfortunately.

...true in the Kent league, as was, only the top 8 or so average above 100 and the peak figures for the clubs that pull in the biggest crowds (Sheppey, Tunbridge & Chatham) only just occasionally touch 300 - which on the whole is about the norm across STEP05 in the South.

...here's tomorrow's NL fixtures:

Saturday 8th December

FA Vase Round 3 – delayed ties
Biggleswade v Tring Athletic
Hullbridge Sports v Newport Pagnell Town no replay
AFC Uckfield Town v Sutton Common Rovers - winners host Windsor
Redbridge v Chertsey Town
Saltash United v Cribbs no replay
Cadbury Heath v AFC St Austell

NAT
Harrogate Town v Aldershot Town
Maidenhead United v Hartlepool United
NATN
Kidderminster Harriers v Brackley Town
NATS
Bath City v Concord Rangers
Dartford v Slough Town
East Thurrock United v Chelmsford City
Eastbourne Borough v Billericay Town
Gloucester City v Hampton & Richmond Borough
Hemel Hempstead Town v Dulwich Hamlet
Hungerford Town v Chippenham Town
Oxford City v Truro City
St Albans City v Wealdstone
Torquay United v Welling United
Weston-super-Mare v Woking

ILP
Bognor Regis Town v Dorking Wanderers
IL1-SC
Bracknell Town v Marlow
Chalfont St Peter v Ware
Cheshunt v Bedfont Sports
Egham Town v Northwood
Hanwell Town v Westfield
Hayes & Yeading United v FC Romania
South Park v Ashford Town (Middx)

SLP-C
Needham Market v Banbury Utd
SLP-S
Basingstoke Town v Hendon
Beaconsfield Town v Poole Town
Chesham United v Swindon Supermarine
Farnborough v Walton Casuals
SL1-C
Barton Rovers v Aylesbury
Cambridge City v Aylesbury United
Coleshill Town v Didcot Town
Dunstable Town v Thame United
Kidlington v AFC Dunstable
North Leigh v Bedford Town
SL1-S
Bideford v Thatcham Town
Fleet Town v Evesham United
Highworth Town v Moneyfields
Street v Winchester City

CCLP
AFC Hayes v Hanworth Villa
Badshot Lea v Spelthorne Sports @ Camberley Town
CB Hounslow United v Guildford City
Cobham v Colliers Wood United
Raynes Park Vale v Horley Town
Redhill v Camberley Town
Southall v Knaphill @ Ashford Town
Walton & Hersham v Banstead Athletic
CCL1
British Airways v Kensington Borough @ Bedfont & Feltham
Dorking Wanderers Res v Tooting Bec
Epsom & Ewell v Bedfont & Feltham
Eversley & California v Ash United
FC Deportivo Galicia v Chessington & Hook United @ Bedfont Sports
Frimley Green v Fleet Spurs
Godalming Town v Sandhurst Town
Sheerwater v Bagshot @ Woking FC

HELLP
Fri 7th Royal Wootton Bassett Town 1-1 Brimscombe & Thrupp
Ardley United v Abingdon United
Ascot United v Fairford Town
Brackley Town Saints v Bishops Cleeve
Holmer Green v Flackwell Heath
Longlevens v Windsor
Shrivenham v Wantage Town
Tuffley Rovers v Binfield
Virginia Water v Reading City @ Windsor FC
HELL1E
AFC Aldermaston v Wokingham & Emmbrook
Holyport v Didcot Town Development
Milton United v Chinnor
Penn & Tylers Green v Chalvey Sports @ Amersham FC
Thame Rangers v Burnham
Woodley United v Abingdon Town @ Scours Lane

WESSP
AFC Portchester v Tadley Calleva
Alresford Town v Shaftesbury
Bournemouth v Andover New Street
WESS1
Amesbury Town v Petersfield Town
Romsey Town v Andover Town
Verwood Town v Alton
Whitchurch United v AFC Stoneham

[Four Of Clubs]

Plenty of wet stuff about Windsor and Binfield's treks west are both OFF in the Hellenic

... Close to home Aldermaston is postponed in Div One East.

[mx]

Winchester, although not a town, has a population of around 130,000 and is playing a division lower, but agree it's an absolute omni-shamblesof a club at the moment.

I find it disappointing that Winchester City aren't better supported and higher up the league than we are, but that population figure is misleading.

Winchester itself has nothing like 130,000 people. That's the population of the area covered by the Winchester City local authority which covers 255 square miles, and includes places like Botley, and Wickham which are closer to Southampton than Winchester. People from places like Bishops Waltham and Alresford are never going to support Winchester City. Denmead is closer to Portsmouth than Winchester ffs. It is a very big, largely rural area.

I can't find population figures for Winchester itself, but it's a lot, lot smaller than Basingstoke.

Anyway, we won again today. That's 4 wins on the trot

[Four Of Clubs]

I can't find population figures for Winchester itself, but it's a lot, lot smaller than Basingstoke.
:

Wiki reckons the population of the City was around 45k at the last formal count c 2015.

B'stoke is close to 114k

[Four Of Clubs]

....and here's the round-up of yesterdays' NL games

Saturday 8th December

FA Vase Round 3 – delayed ties
Biggleswade 0-0 Tring Athletic aet – 5-3 pens
Hullbridge Sports 0-2 Newport Pagnell Town
AFC Uckfield Town 5-2 Sutton Common Rovers - Windsor’s next opponents – currently sit lower-mid in the Southern Combination Premier (f.k.a.Sussex league)
Redbridge 0-5 Chertsey Town
Saltash United 2-4 Cribbs
Cadbury Heath 4-8 {EIGHT} AFC St Austell HT 0-3 then 0-4, 1-4, 2-4, 2-5, 2-6, 3-6, 3-7 on 90’ then 4-7, 4-8 – could be a good bet to mark St Austell down as dark horses to go further; one of three surviving STEP06 clubs in the 4th Round. They come to Chertsey currently top of CCLP, in the next round scheduled for Jan 5th

NAT
Harrogate Town 4-1 Aldershot Town
Maidenhead United 0-1 Hartlepool United – Dover’s win over Fylde sinks Magpies into bottom three.
NATN
Kidderminster Harriers 2-0 Brackley Town – another defeat drops Saints down to 11th
NATS
Bath City 1-1 Concord Rangers
Dartford 1-1 Slough Town
East Thurrock United 2-0 Chelmsford City
Eastbourne Borough 0-2 Billericay Town
Gloucester City 0-0 Hampton & Richmond Borough
Hemel Hempstead Town 1-0 Dulwich Hamlet
Hungerford Town 2-1 Chippenham Town – Crusaders came from a goal down to pinch a vital win on 90’ – to stay in 20th above E.Thurrock who also won.
Oxford City 4-0 Truro City
St Albans City 0-0 Wealdstone
Torquay United 3-1 Welling United – Gulls stay top, 2 points above Woking who have two games in hand
– ‘ricay are 3rd just above Welling and Concord
Weston-super-Mare 2-4 Woking

ILP
Bognor Regis Town 0-1 Dorking Wanderers – att 398 - first ever meeting between the sides – Wanderers remain top after the win.
- On the stroke of HT ‘Rocks’ keeper & Ex-Royals lad Dan Lincoln sent off for carrying the ball outside of his area having misjudged the bounce. The visitors scored from the resultant free-kick.
- highest attendances in this division were at Tonbridge and Margate - who both topped 400. In the division below the crowd at the N.Kent derby (Whitstable v Herne Bay) also got into the mid 300s. Worthing, Lewes and Guernsey seem to better that on a regular basis.

IL1-SC
Bracknell Town 3-3 Marlow – successive 3-3 draws for Robins against their close rivals – ‘Blues’ stay top – hosts keep 2nd spot but HandY now 1 point behind with three games in hand
- Goals from Grant Cornell and Ferdinand on 80’, to complete the scoring – Marlow led twice
- Attendance an impressive 290

Chalfont St Peter 0-1 Ware
Cheshunt 2-2 Bedfont Sports
Egham Town 1-3 Northwood
Hanwell Town 1-4 Westfield
Hayes & Yeading United 5-1 FC Romania
South Park 2-5 Ashford Town (Middx)

SLP-C
Needham Market 3-3 Banbury Utd
SLP-S
Basingstoke Town 2-1 Hendon att 283
Beaconsfield Town 1-1 Poole Town att 93
Chesham United 3-1 Swindon Supermarine att 228
Farnborough 1-0 Walton Casuals att 288
- - thought I'd include some crowd figures following the discussion about local support for NL. The biggest turnouts in this division were at the top two: Taunton (561) Weymuff (588)
SL1-C
Barton Rovers 1-1 Aylesbury
Cambridge City 3-4 Aylesbury United
Coleshill Town 2-1 Didcot Town
Dunstable Town 2-1 Thame United – poor result for Utd at one of the struggling clubs.
Kidlington 0-0 AFC Dunstable – Kiddy’s point sees them clamber off the bottom and over Nor Lye
North Leigh 2-3 Bedford Town
SL1-S
Bideford 0-1 Thatcham Town – Cooper-Clark winner in the first half
Fleet Town 1-4 Evesham United
Highworth Town 1-1 Moneyfields
Street 0-2 Winchester City – mid-table is fairly tight but this latest win puts City within touching distance of the PO spots – they move up to 9th, level with Highworth & 2pts behind 5th placed Melksham.

CCLP
AFC Hayes 2-1 Hanworth Villa
Badshot Lea 1-1 Spelthorne Sports
CB Hounslow United 2-1 Guildford City
Cobham 3-1 Colliers Wood United
Raynes Park Vale P-P Horley Town
Redhill 2-2 Camberley Town
Southall 6-0 Knaphill
Walton & Hersham 1-1 Banstead Athletic
CCL1
British Airways 3-1 Kensington Borough
Dorking Wanderers Res 0-5 Tooting Bec
Epsom & Ewell 4-4 Bedfont & Feltham
Eversley & California 1-2 Ash United
FC Deportivo Galicia 3-1 Chessington & Hook United
Frimley Green 2-1 Fleet Spurs - FG stay top
Godalming Town 2-1 Sandhurst Town
Sheerwater 4-2 Bagshot

HELLP
Ardley United P-P Abingdon United - passed inspection AM but called off nr KO – presumably by the match ref?
Ascot United 3-0 Fairford Town
Brackley Town Saints 0-2 Bishops Cleeve - rare defeat for Saints they stay top but Ascot cut the gap to two points and Bps Cleeve move up to 5th
Holmer Green 0-2 Flackwell Heath
Longlevens P-P Windsor
Shrivenham 2-1 Wantage Town - ‘Freds’ upset by lowly Shrivvy – they (Wantage) come to Stubbs La on Monday night – weather permitting
Tuffley Rovers P-P Binfield
Virginia Water 3-0 Reading City - City sink to 15th which, theoretically is only one above the relegation zone – allowing for grading criteria from the leading clubs in the divisions below.
- It is fairly rare that all four clubs are relegated due to the welter of circumstances at season’s end. Often clubs think better of it, come August time and elect to stay down.
- Plus I’d completely overlooked the fact that the Premier is running one short, due to the pre-season demise of Oxford City Nomads, so it’s almost certainly only three down at most.
- Ab Utd, Tuffley and Longlevens are currently those under threat.

HELL1E
Holyport 0-1 Didcot Town Development
Milton United 3-0 Chinnor
Penn & Tylers Green 2-3 Chalvey Sports
Thame Rangers 1-4 Burnham – 'Blues' stretch lead to 8 points
Woodley United 4-3 Abingdon Town

WESSP
AFC Portchester P-P Tadley Calleva
Alresford Town 2-0 Shaftesbury
Bournemouth 1-0 Andover New Street
- Leaders Sholing bt Fareham 5-0 and stay top with 100% league record 15 from 15. They are still in the Vase too – travel to Brizzle-based Cribbs in the next round.
WESS1
Amesbury Town 5-2 Petersfield Town
Romsey Town {SEVEN} 7-0 Andover Town
Verwood Town 1-7 {SEVEN} Alton
Whitchurch United 2-4 AFC Stoneham

[KC Royal]

....and here's the round-up of yesterdays' NL games

Saturday 8th December

- In the division below the crowd at the N.Kent derby (Whitstable v Herne Bay) also got into the mid 300s. [/i]

If HB were actually worth going to see this season I might have been tempted to go to this, but would have struggled to have got back in time for the Reading game. I'm surprised it was played yesterday though, normally these derbies are played on Boxing Day, Easter or a bank holiday. Don't know whether it's a sign of the times or people being put off by the weather, but I remember a Boxing Day game (2006 IIRC) between the sides in the division below, the old Kent league, getting a crowd of 500. HB for years have averaged around 200 at home (even before they got promoted to Step 4 in 2012) so would have expected at least 400 yesterday really.

I've been meaning to ask, what Kent grounds have you been to? I remember you posting about going to Faversham Town several years ago after looking through the thread archive (well I think it was this one anyway). Since your visit the trees alongside the A2 were destroyed in the windy weather we had a few years ago and last time I went past i'm not sure they've all been replaced, still a bit open. In the immediate aftermath it was weird seeing it completely open. Thought about going many times over the years but not yet been. The club have talked about upgrading the ground as the long-term aim is to get to National League South but that's probably some way off - not read anything about it for a while. Though that might be because they struggled last season!

[Royal Rother]

Tues night Windsor 4-0 Royal Wootton Bassett Town

Possibly Windsor’s best performance of the season. Nice football, solid at the back, could have scored a couple more.

That said I really can’t get my head around some decisions made by the Linos. We didn’t get any dodgy goals but there were 2 or 3 occasions when a break was on and a Windsor player was a yard or 2 offside, just standing / running ahead of the last defender waiting for a pass which finally came when still clearly offside and the flag stayed down. The Lino wasn’t even behind the play. It really is not that difficult. And they get paid....

[John Smith]

.

As a non-league enthusiast, I thought I'd pick your brain on one fixture that has really caught my eye this forthcoming weekend:

Whitehawk v Burgess Hill Town

Any thoughts on the outcome? Cheers

[Royal Rother]

None at all.

[John Smith]

Go back to your rocking chair and listen to your Tool b-sides then

[Zammo]

Tool b-sides

[SmellyAli]

A good midweek result for Tadley with a 1-1 draw against Scholing, becoming the first team to take points from Scholing and preventing them from making it 16 wins from 16. Tadley were unlucky not to come away with a win after dominating most of the match.

[Four Of Clubs]

A good midweek result for Tadley with a 1-1 draw against Scholing, becoming the first team to take points from Scholing and preventing them from making it 16 wins from 16. Tadley were unlucky not to come away with a win after dominating most of the match.

I woz there too - not sure they were unlucky as such, as Sholing lost one of their key men to a head injury inside the first minute.
They pressed hard 2nd half and you could see why they've gone on such a long run of wins - they looked like a side used to winning. Tadley did look threatening on the break but defeat would have been harsh on both sides.

Indeed other than in the FA Cup I think Tadley are the only side to have beaten them this season so far ( a 1-0 win in the League Cup back in late August.)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
... here's tomorrow's fixtures:


FA Trophy R1
14 Wingate & Finchley (7ISTP) v Dulwich Hamlet (6NS)
15 Biggleswade Town (7SLPC) v Wealdstone (6NS)
16 Maidenhead United (5) v Oxford City (6NS)
17 Hereford (6NN) v Billericay Town (6NS)
18 Aldershot Town (5) v Bedford Town (8SL1E)
19 Carshalton Athletic (7ISTP) v Dorking Wanderers (7ISTP)
20 Hemel Hempstead Town (6NS) v Eastleigh (5)
21 Dover Athletic (5) v Havant & Waterlooville (5)
22 Woking (6NS) v Maidstone United (5)
23 Ebbsfleet United (5) v Dagenham & Redbridge (5)
24 Barnet (5) v Bath City (6NS)
25 Bromley (5) v Sutton United (5)
26 Truro City (6NS) v Weston super Mare (6NS)
27 Salisbury (7SLPS) v Braintree Town (5)
28 Boreham Wood (5) v Torquay United (6NS)
29 Leyton Orient (5) v Beaconsfield Town (7SLPS)
30 Brackley Town (6NN) v Hayes & Yeading United (8IS1SC)
31 Weymouth (7SLPS) v Needham Market (7SLPC)
32 Eastbourne Borough (6NS) v Dorchester Town (7SLPS)

IL1-SC
Ashford Town (Middx) v Chalfont St Peter
Bedfont Sports v Egham Town
Marlow v Waltham Abbey
Northwood v Hanwell Town
Uxbridge v Cheshunt
Ware v Bracknell Town
Westfield v South Park

SLP-C
Banbury United v Kettering Town
SLP-S
Frome Town v Staines Town
Hartley Wintney v Taunton Town
Kings Langley v Farnborough
Poole Town v Chesham United
Swindon Supermarine v Basingstoke Town
SL1-C
Aylesbury United v Berkhamsted
Barton Rovers v Kidlington
Didcot Town v Corby Town
Thame United v Welwyn Garden City
Yaxley v North Leigh
SL1-S
Larkhall Athletic v Fleet Town
Paulton Rovers v Highworth Town
13:00 Thatcham Town v Melksham Town - reportedly ALL TICKET (according to both clubs' Twitter)
Winchester City v Bideford

CCLP
Abbey Rangers v Southall
Banstead Athletic v Balham
Camberley Town v Guildford City
Chertsey Town v Walton & Hersham
Cobham v CB Hounslow United
Colliers Wood United v Badshot Lea
Horley Town v Sutton Common Rovers
Knaphill v Hanworth Villa
Redhill v AFC Hayes
Spelthorne Sports v Raynes Park Vale
CCL1
Ash United v Godalming Town
Bagshot v Fleet Spurs
Bedfont & Feltham v Eversley & California
Chessington & Hook United v Dorking Wanderers Res
Farnham Town v Cove
Kensington Borough v Sheerwater
Sandhurst Town v British Airways
Tooting Bec v FC Deportivo Galicia

HELLP
Abingdon United v Holmer Green
Ascot United v Bishops Cleeve
Lydney Town v Brackley Town Saints
Reading City v Shrivenham
Tuffley Rovers v Royal Wootton Bassett Town
Wantage Town v Fairford Town
Windsor v Brimscombe & Thrupp
HELL1E
AFC Aldermaston v Abingdon Town
Chinnor v Penn & Tylers Green
Holyport v Woodley United
Thame Rangers v Chalvey Sports

Reading Senior
Wallingford Town v Virginia Water

WESSP
Alresford Town v Portland United
Andover New Street v Bashley
Fareham Town v Tadley Calleva
WESS1
Downton v Andover Town
East Cowes Victoria v Alton
Petersfield Town v Hythe & Dibden
Whitchurch United v New Milton Town

[The Cube]

13:00 Thatcham Town v Melksham Town - reportedly ALL TICKET (according to both clubs' Twitter) :?

Officially on safety grounds, but presumably a reaction to the Vase quarter-final last year, which had some trouble that Thames Valley Police later blamed on "Reading FC fans". Melksham allocated 60 tickets. Don't think there was anything equivalent at the Trophy game earlier this season though, so seems a bit odd.

Also note that there is now a pitch inspection at 9.30am.

[Four Of Clubs]

13:00 Thatcham Town v Melksham Town - reportedly ALL TICKET (according to both clubs' Twitter)

Officially on safety grounds, but presumably a reaction to the Vase quarter-final last year, which had some trouble that Thames Valley Police later blamed on "Reading FC fans". Melksham allocated 60 tickets. Don't think there was anything equivalent at the Trophy game earlier this season though, so seems a bit odd.

Also note that there is now a pitch inspection at 9.30am.

OFF .... pitch not thawed.

[Tony Le Mesmer]

13:00 Thatcham Town v Melksham Town - reportedly ALL TICKET (according to both clubs' Twitter)

Officially on safety grounds, but presumably a reaction to the Vase quarter-final last year, which had some trouble that Thames Valley Police later blamed on "Reading FC fans". Melksham allocated 60 tickets. Don't think there was anything equivalent at the Trophy game earlier this season though, so seems a bit odd.

Also note that there is now a pitch inspection at 9.30am.

I was at the said FA Vase game last March.

Bit of a disturbance after the game due to a last minute winner, but a rather subdued game apart from that. Just a few youths being a bit gobby. I doubt any of them were old enough to have earned any medals. Police descended on the ground like it was a major terrorist incident.