The Non - League thread

[Dirk Gently]

Not local, but a team I'm a co-owner of, so I have an interest in them - Scarborough Athletic (the "phoenix club" formed by fans in 2007 after Scarborough FC was wound up) won the NPL play-off final last week to win promotion to the National League North.

Also now back in Scarborough, in their own ground after an initial 10-year exile playing in Bridlington.

The future looks bright for them after starting up in Northern Counties East League Division One 15 years ago.

[Four Of Clubs]

Results from this PM

NATN
Brackley 0-1 York - 'Saints' fell behind just before half-time and had a pen saved v.early 2nd half

NATS
Dorking W 3-0 Oxford City

CCL-1 Cup S-F @ Sandhurst
Berks County 2-2 British Airways - 5-3 pens County now play the Final at CCL-1 champions London Lions - date tba

[Sutekh]

Not local, but a team I'm a co-owner of, so I have an interest in them - Scarborough Athletic (the "phoenix club" formed by fans in 2007 after Scarborough FC was wound up) won the NPL play-off final last week to win promotion to the National League North.

Also now back in Scarborough, in their own ground after an initial 10-year exile playing in Bridlington.

The future looks bright for them after starting up in Northern Counties East League Division One 15 years ago.

Also absolute credit in in giving themselves a proper name rather than AFC Scarborough when they set up.

[AthleticoSpizz]

Brackley doing their perennial end of season choke

[Four Of Clubs]

Sunday 15th May
National League results:

Aldershot Town 1-3 Wealdstone
Chesterfield 0-0 Woking
Dagenham & Redbridge 3-0 Wrexham – not enough to propel Daggers to POs as Chesterfield got the point they needed
Eastleigh 4-4 Grimsby Town
Maidenhead United 0-1 Notts County -att 2,074 - 'County' play Grimsby at Meadow Lane on 23/05 in the eliminator phase - with a chance to visit divisional Runners-up, Wrexham, in the PO S-F
Stockport County 2-0 FC Halifax Town – att over 10k for Champions - Halifax host Chesterfield in the other 'elimination tie' - the winners of that will travel to 3rd placed Solihull for the S-F

This PM's STEP02 S-F POs

Vanarama National League North Play-off
AFC Fylde 0-2 Boston United att 2,050 - progress to Final v York City at York's LNER Stadium next Saturday

Vanarama National League South Play-off
Ebbsfleet United 1-0 Chippenham Town - confirmed 'Fleet' will go to Dorking Wanderers' Meadowbank Stadium next Sat for the Final.

[bcubed]

Brackley doing their perennial end of season choke

Losing to a team that had 21 points less than them in the regular season

Play offs eh?

Not good for teams I follow...

[Stranded]

Brackley doing their perennial end of season choke

Losing to a team that had 21 points less than them in the regular season

Play offs eh?

Not good for teams I follow...

This is the "unfairness" of the play-offs. I would always be in favour of there being some sort of cut off with regards to the points behind a team must be involved - say 12 points maximum - like the Serie B system. Y

Seems particularly crazy, especially a one-off game format that a side can be as strong as Brackley clearly were this year and miss out on promotion due to one bad game. ou could add a caveat that regardless there must be a final but you can scrap the early rounds.

In the NLN for example, if there was a 12 point cut off - you'd just go straight to a Brackley V Fylde final - whilst in the NLS, you would have had 4 teams in the play-offs instead of 6.

[bcubed]

Brackley doing their perennial end of season choke

Losing to a team that had 21 points less than them in the regular season

Play offs eh?

Not good for teams I follow...

This is the "unfairness" of the play-offs. I would always be in favour of there being some sort of cut off with regards to the points behind a team must be involved - say 12 points maximum - like the Serie B system. Y

Seems particularly crazy, especially a one-off game format that a side can be as strong as Brackley clearly were this year and miss out on promotion due to one bad game. ou could add a caveat that regardless there must be a final but you can scrap the early rounds.

In the NLN for example, if there was a 12 point cut off - you'd just go straight to a Brackley V Fylde final - whilst in the NLS, you would have had 4 teams in the play-offs instead of 6.

Totally agree

It's supposed to be the teams that are best over the course of the season that progress. In this case that was clearly Gateshead and Brackley.

Didn't know about Serie B. Will check it out.

[Stranded]

Losing to a team that had 21 points less than them in the regular season

Play offs eh?

Not good for teams I follow...

This is the "unfairness" of the play-offs. I would always be in favour of there being some sort of cut off with regards to the points behind a team must be involved - say 12 points maximum - like the Serie B system. Y

Seems particularly crazy, especially a one-off game format that a side can be as strong as Brackley clearly were this year and miss out on promotion due to one bad game. ou could add a caveat that regardless there must be a final but you can scrap the early rounds.

In the NLN for example, if there was a 12 point cut off - you'd just go straight to a Brackley V Fylde final - whilst in the NLS, you would have had 4 teams in the play-offs instead of 6.

Totally agree

It's supposed to be the teams that are best over the course of the season that progress. In this case that was clearly Gateshead and Brackley.

Didn't know about Serie B. Will check it out.

Play-offs will always be a risk for the better sides in them but when a side is so much better than their nearest rivals then there needs to be a better reward. I get play-offs are partly there for the financial basis but the system really needs to make it very hard for a weaker side to get promoted, if they are so much weaker.

If there are only a few points between the sides then fine, get them all in and fight it out - but York got 66 points over the season and could now be in the National League next year when they were 14 points behind 3rd and 21 off 2nd. They just shouldn't be in a position to do so IMHO.

[Royals and Racers]

Dave Tarpey has left Bracknell- might mean 3/4 G pitch is installed before next season at Sandhurst.

[Dirk Gently]

This is the "unfairness" of the play-offs. I would always be in favour of there being some sort of cut off with regards to the points behind a team must be involved - say 12 points maximum - like the Serie B system. Y

Seems particularly crazy, especially a one-off game format that a side can be as strong as Brackley clearly were this year and miss out on promotion due to one bad game. ou could add a caveat that regardless there must be a final but you can scrap the early rounds.

In the NLN for example, if there was a 12 point cut off - you'd just go straight to a Brackley V Fylde final - whilst in the NLS, you would have had 4 teams in the play-offs instead of 6.

Totally agree

It's supposed to be the teams that are best over the course of the season that progress. In this case that was clearly Gateshead and Brackley.

Didn't know about Serie B. Will check it out.

Play-offs will always be a risk for the better sides in them but when a side is so much better than their nearest rivals then there needs to be a better reward. I get play-offs are partly there for the financial basis but the system really needs to make it very hard for a weaker side to get promoted, if they are so much weaker.

If there are only a few points between the sides then fine, get them all in and fight it out - but York got 66 points over the season and could now be in the National League next year when they were 14 points behind 3rd and 21 off 2nd. They just shouldn't be in a position to do so IMHO.

Although it seems long and drawn out, perhaps teh Scottish play-off system is better, where the lower down teams have to play more games to qualify for the final. The other side of the coin is that a gap between games may be a disadvantage for the team who is automatically in the fanal.

[Royals and Racers]

Situation is not looking good at Walton Casuals going forward- board have outlined the situation in a letter.

[BraisingsteakRoyal]

A few minor surprises in Eastleigh's released list - including stalwarts Andrew Boyce, Alex Winter and Tyrone Barnett:

https://www.eastleighfc.com/news-2021-2 ... ined-list/

A few injury prone, older players in there, but surprised to see Sam Smart and Cav Miley on their way out - the former having done well in the last few weeks.

One that Reading should have a look at is full-back Brennan Camp - who is a free agent after leaving Bournemouth this summer. He looked a class above the National League - is only 21 - can play on the left or right and wouldnt be a bad back up option. I expect he'll want first team football though.

[paultheroyal]

A few minor surprises in Eastleigh's released list - including stalwarts Andrew Boyce, Alex Winter and Tyrone Barnett:

https://www.eastleighfc.com/news-2021-2 ... ined-list/

A few injury prone, older players in there, but surprised to see Sam Smart and Cav Miley on their way out - the former having done well in the last few weeks.

One that Reading should have a look at is full-back Brennan Camp - who is a free agent after leaving Bournemouth this summer. He looked a class above the National League - is only 21 - can play on the left or right and wouldnt be a bad back up option. I expect he'll want first team football though.

Not entirely sure if Eastleigh are cutting back or going for the big re fresh and spend some serious cash? Is the ex-Sunderland chairman back?

[paultheroyal]

Hanwell Town beat Chertsey in play off final

Hanwell Town manager leaves Hanwell and is immediately appointed manager of Chertsey.

[NathStPaul]

Hanwell Town beat Chertsey in play off final

Hanwell Town manager leaves Hanwell and is immediately appointed manager of Chertsey.

He must know something about Hanwell's budget next season perhaps. It would be no fun in a higher league if you're hamstrung by lack of quality players.

[Royals and Racers]

Bracknell sign ex Reading player Ramarni Medford-Smith

[NathStPaul]

Bracknell sign ex Reading player Ramarni Medford-Smith

Bracknell getting a lot of good business done early, seemingly going all out to be in the mix for promotion next season.

[Stranded]

Hanwell Town beat Chertsey in play off final

Hanwell Town manager leaves Hanwell and is immediately appointed manager of Chertsey.

He must know something about Hanwell's budget next season perhaps. It would be no fun in a higher league if you're hamstrung by lack of quality players.

Not quite the full story there. One of Hanwell's joint managers has left to go it alone at Chetsey, the other remains as Hanwell manager.

[tmesis]

Bracknell sign ex Reading player Ramarni Medford-Smith

Bracknell getting a lot of good business done early, seemingly going all out to be in the mix for promotion next season.

Unless the owner has very deep pockets, having a big budget and no ground of their own is not a good combination. You'd think it must be three years minimum before they can return home, and in the mean time they'll have to spend money making improvements that will be beyond Sandhurst when Bracknell leave.