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    Depends how you define the bottom. There are many lower levels than step 6, but those tend to be overseen by County FAs rather than the national one.

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      The North West Counties lies at steps 5 and 6 of the National League System. Below this are various leagues, that used to be referred to as Step 7 leagues (the FA has/ is in process of changing the terminology to something I can't recall at present), most of which cover the area of a county (e.g. Cheshire League, Manchester League).

      The gap between Step 7 (County Leagues) and Step 6 (North West Counties Division One) is probably the biggest in the entire pyramid, at least in terms of infrastructure. At Step 7 you can get away with a roped off pitch in a park. At Step 6 you need an enclosed ground with floodlights and spectator facilities. The vast majority of clubs at Step 7 would never consider seeking promotion to a higher level, and where they do it is generally a multi year project to make the necessary improvements (at least for those clubs that don't just go and groundshare at a near(ish) ground with the necessary status).

      National League System rules state that vacancies at Step 6 should first be filled by clubs that have applied for promotion from Step 7 (a top 5 finish in the relevant league is also required). Only if there are still vacancies are "new" clubs meant to be considered.

      From reading the statement it appears that the North West Counties were questioning the FA approving the applications of new clubs ahead of clubs that in a normal year would have been considered for vacancies ahead of them - for instance South Liverpool who had applied for promotion, done the necessary groundwork and were top of the West Cheshire League when the season was ended.

      In the case of FCUM there were vacancies that season, so no one was denied a place by their entry - their division had 19 members that season and I think had a theoretical limit of 22. This was also before the FA largely took over promotions and relegations between the different levels, bringing with it a more formalised set of regulations.

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        There will be a significant amount of eyes on the NWC when Bury play their first game and throughout the season. Granted, it probably won’t be on the scale of FCUM but I’d still expect a hell of a lot of interest and coverage whenever Bury play their first game and their first “home” game, so being unwelcoming when they’re about to give your League and it’s members a massive shot in the arm seems a bit of a bizarre stance from the league.

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          The NWC statement argues that if a season is null and void, any new entries the following season should be at Step 7. I think the NWC are pissed off that no promotion is permitted from Step 7 this year but two clubs can be flown in to Step 6 who never had to compete at Step 7. They have a strong point but the reality is that the FA wants these clubs in Step 6 and that's that.
          Last edited by Satchmo Distel; 21-07-2020, 21:11.

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            Indeed.

            When we were in the outer darkness that we saw as the Northern League clubs and fans could not have been more welcoming.

            Apart from those wankers at West.

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              Originally posted by Foot of Astaire's View Post
              Good news. Will that signal the end of what's left of Bury FC?

              Isle of Man too makes 2 great additions to that league.
              The civil war between fans who saw AFC as necessary and those who think the original club will be saved rumbles on, unfortunately. The club isn't dead but nothing has happened to it in the last 12 months.

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                Originally posted by imp View Post

                Great news. Will you be playing at Gigg Lane?
                No, most likely Radcliffe Borough. There's so much red tape tied up in Gigg Lane we might never see a game there again.

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                  That's a shame, but it's great that you'll be playing again next season.

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                    Is the pitch at Gigg Lane still being maintained?

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                      Originally posted by Giggler View Post

                      The civil war between fans who saw AFC as necessary and those who think the original club will be saved rumbles on, unfortunately. The club isn't dead but nothing has happened to it in the last 12 months.
                      I heard talk yesterday that Dale had applied for Bury FC to be admitted to the National League (step 5 or 6) and they were waiting on a decision once the play offs were done and dusted?

                      That can't happen surely? It would certainly go against the 'one point of direction' the EFL/FA were supporting.

                      Football fans can't agree on much, so it's no surprise to see some fall out. Did AFC Wimbledon experience any schism during their inception?

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                        There were half a dozen pricks who decided to start supporting the franchise, yeah. Nothing worth worrying about.

                        Each of these situations is very different from the others, though.

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                          There’s people still supporting the corpse of Bury FC?

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                            Originally posted by TonTon View Post
                            There were half a dozen pricks who decided to start supporting the franchise, yeah. Nothing worth worrying about.

                            Each of these situations is very different from the others, though.
                            I wonder if there's a single human left who drives up from south London to Milton Keynes for home games. Would be an interesting piece to track down the original... not sure how to describe them. Franchise die-hards?

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                              Originally posted by Jumbo McGinnis View Post
                              There’s people still supporting the corpse of Bury FC?
                              A very vocal few on social media, yes.

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                                Is there anything which unites posters here more than MK Dons?

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                                  Originally posted by Foot of Astaire's View Post

                                  I heard talk yesterday that Dale had applied for Bury FC to be admitted to the National League (step 5 or 6) and they were waiting on a decision once the play offs were done and dusted?

                                  That can't happen surely? It would certainly go against the 'one point of direction' the EFL/FA were supporting.

                                  Football fans can't agree on much, so it's no surprise to see some fall out. Did AFC Wimbledon experience any schism during their inception?
                                  That's the rumour, yeah. But that's what we're relying on: hearsay, rumour and conjecture. A few fans are in contact with him and he feeds them lines, but there's nothing official coming through.

                                  The phoenix setup has drawn expertise from all over the fanbase. There's more nous in it than Steve Dale can ever hope to possess. I can't see how Dale, a man who by his own admission knows nothing about football, can start from effectively scratch and submit an application for the shell of a club that just about still exists.

                                  The fallout has depressed me massively. We were all on the same side at Chesterfield in 2011 and when Deano saved the penalty for the point needed at Watford in 1997. Why does it have to come to this now?

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                                    Originally posted by Sporting View Post
                                    Is there anything which unites posters here more than MK Dons?
                                    Taylor's review of Tim Lovejoy's book.

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                                      Originally posted by Sporting View Post
                                      Is there anything which unites posters here more than MK Dons?
                                      Not using the term "Dons" to describe the Franchise?

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                                        I get your point but I have no axe to grind in this.

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                                          Originally posted by imp View Post

                                          Taylor's review of Tim Lovejoy's book.
                                          <like>

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                                            Originally posted by Sporting View Post
                                            I get your point but I have no axe to grind in this.
                                            Well, you should have. And it isn't in any way "neutral" to use that name.

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                                              Giggler any idea when your league might start up, as yet? How is it going with sorting out a team and that?

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                                                I think the governance team or on with sorting trials ready to have a team for when step 10 kicks off, whenever that may be.

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                                                  Originally posted by imp View Post

                                                  I wonder if there's a single human left who drives up from south London to Milton Keynes for home games. Would be an interesting piece to track down the original... not sure how to describe them. Franchise die-hards?
                                                  I remember a few articles not all that long ago that had found a few: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/38252537 The lad interviewed in that piece claims he "knows of around 100 fans who have made the same switch of allegiances as he did". I suppose his age excuses him to some extent, but personally at age 12 I was already reading fanzines, WSC, etc. and was interested in fan culture as much as the sport itself, so I'm not sure I would have made the same choice.

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                                                    A couple of times when I went to see Boro at Selhurst Park with my brother, we bumped into a pair in the pub who he knew from work who were Wimbledon fans. After franchising I asked my brother what had happened to them and he explained that they had switched to Milton Keynes. They were contrary souls, he explained, and a bit weird, a conclusion I had already come to from my two brief meetings with them.

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