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Ups and Downs - 2021/22 Edition

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    Ups and Downs - 2021/22 Edition

    Looking at the various English and Scottish tables, only Kelty Hearts have mathematically achieved either promotion or relegation in the top four tiers thus far, though Crewe and Scunthorpe appear to be circling metaphorical plugholes. In non-league, Dover's abject plight has been discussed in the Conference thread, but even in those three divisions, that remains the only decided matter, while Bonnyrigg Rose are Lowland League champions, but await the Highland League winners, and potentially the bottom side in Scottish League Two.

    #2
    TNS are Cymru Premier League champions and Cefn Druids have been relegated from the same division.

    I don't think any other promotions have been settled yet.

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      #3
      With four games left in the Isthmian Premier there's two points separating the bottom five and eight clubs who could theoretically end up in the bottom three.

      Bottom two go down plus the worst of the third bottom sides from the four step three leagues. That will almost certainly be King's Langley or Dorchester in the Southern Premier South.

      Leatherhead have been bottom all season but are one of the division's form clubs, with four wins from their last five. Their four remaining games include two against mid-table sides with nothing to play for, one against playoff chasers Folkestone, and one against Wingate and Finchley who are probably, but not mathematically, safe. You wouldn't bet against them staying up.
      Cray Wanderers sit second bottom and have won once in their last five. Unfortunately they also have the hardest run-in, playing the teams in second, third, and fourth and also a relegation six-pointer against East Thurrock.
      East Thurrock are third bottom and have to play Wingate, Cray and two mid-table sides. They've picked up a couple of wins in their last few games so can be relatively confident of beating the drop.
      Brightlingsea also look in real trouble. They're a point better off than Cray, but in worse form (two points from the last five games) and play the top three plus Haringey, who aren't yet safe
      Merstham have lost their last seven, and picked up only ten points in the second half of the season. Their run in is relatively kind but there are no winnable games when you're in freefall.

      At the other end, Worthing are almost home and dry, with a ten point advantage and four to play. Enfield, Hornchurch and Bishops Stortford will almost certainly make up three of the playoff spots, with Lewes, Cheshunt and Folkestone battling it out for the remaining spot.

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        #4
        The North West Counties finished the league campaign last weekend (playoffs and cup competitions are continuing for the rest of the month). Macclesfield won the Premier Division, whilst Skelmersdale will have a playoff against a side from a Step 4 league. Litherland REMYCA and Runcorn Town are both going down.

        Bury won Division One North, whilst the playoffs see Holker Old Boys play Nelson, and Golcar United take on AFC Blackpool. AFC Darwen, Atherton LR and St Helens have finished in the relegation positions, although some may be reprieved depending on how many teams come up to Step 6.

        West Didsbury & Chorlton won Division South, with FC Isle of Man playing Wythenshawe Amateurs, and New Mills facing Abbey Hey in the playoffs. Alsager Town, Rocester and St Martins finished in the relegation positions, again subject to caveats (although St Martins are almost certainly going down, having amassed 2 points and a -223 goal difference; in the unlikely event of being offered a reprieve they'd also need to arrange a new groundshare, as their current arrangement at Park Hall has ended).

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          #5
          We've covered elsewhere how Bury and West Didsbury & Chorlton have been promoted from the NWCL Division One North and South respectively. Macclesfield finished champions of the Premier Division and I think I remember someone saying that as things stand second placed Skelmersdale will play off against one of the step 4 clubs with the lowest PPG records.

          It's tight at the top of the NPL Premier Division with Buxton leading South Shields by 2 points with 3 games to go. Grantham and Witton are both down while Basford currently occupy the precarious third bottom spot but it's incredibly tight down there.

          It's even closer at the top of the three Division Ones with Workington just behind the ambitious Warrington Rylands in the West Division but with a game in hand. Kendal and Market Drayton meanwhile are fighting it out for the wooden spoon.

          In the East Liversedge lead Marske United on goal difference at the top of the league while the bottom positions all remain up for grabs.

          In the South Ilkeston lead early pace setters Halesowen Town with Chasetown and Stamford also still capable of taking the title. It's been a tough season for East Anglian football meanwhile. Not only are King's Lynn favourites to leave the National League along with Weymouth and Dover, Soham Town Rangers and Wisbech Town currently occupy the bottom two places here with only Histon within their reach

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            #6
            Slight overlap with Zeb there but thankfully not by much!

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              #7
              Banbury United have won the Southern Premier Central, which only has 21 teams so 40 games this season - they are 20 points clear of Coalville Town (who sit third, but have the highest maximum potential points total so are the comparator rather than second-placed Peterborough Sports) with Coalville having 5 left to play.
              Peterborough and Coalville are already assured of play-off places, and Rushall Olympic are very close to joining them... though they are on a dire run recently of six defeats in their last seven. Three more points are needed, gained either by Rushall by bucking recent trends and winning a game or by sixth-placed Alvechurch losing one (Alvechurch losing to finally let Rushall in being more likely scenario, by the sound of things). Alvechurch still have a hope of the last play-off place, but a fairly faint one - AFC Rushden & Diamonds hold a substantial five point lead with both sides having four games left. No-one else has a realistic shot.

              Despite the loss of a team from the league it appears the decision is still two to go down and another potentially. So that is 19th, 20th and 21st places rather than 20th, 21st and 22nd. Nothing is sorted - bottom team Lowestoft Town could yet survive with a late winning run, though this is unlikely (they are 9 points from safety but have five to play when some of the teams they are chasing have only three). 20th placed Biggleswade Town have three more points than Lowestoft and one more fixture left - their six remaining is the most in the Division. They have some genuine hope left.

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                #8
                I don't understand why the North West Counties leagues finished so earlier. As far as I can tell none of the other leagues at step 5 and 6 have finished, yet they were done almost two weeks ago.

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                  #9
                  Bishops Cleeve won the Hellenic League last week (or it may have been the week before) and will be promoted to the Southern League regional divisions - I don't know which one though.

                  EDIT - The Hellenic League finished on 2nd April

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                    #10
                    Originally posted by JM Footzee View Post
                    I don't understand why the North West Counties leagues finished so earlier. As far as I can tell none of the other leagues at step 5 and 6 have finished, yet they were done almost two weeks ago.
                    Because after the last couple of campaigns they really prioritised getting the league season complete, or as much played as quick as possible as insurance against curtailment or interruption. They started at the end of July, played loads of midweek football in the early months and didn't make any attempt to start their cup competitions until after Christmas. They've also been helped by it being a pretty benign winter weatherwise so there haven't been many Saturdays with masses of postponements. The Northern Counties East had a similar approach, they front loaded the programme and were originally slated to finish last Saturday. Their regular season end got pushed forward to this coming Saturday after some wet weeks in February - it's the earliest finish for years, even accounting for a few residual fixtures next week / play offs / finishing the League Cup.

                    In terms of NCEL ups and downs, Grimsby Borough won the Premier a while back. The second promotion place will probably go into an interleague play off against a step 4 club, this will likely be Eccleshill United who need to beat Athersley Recreation on Saturday. Garforth Town or Winterton Rangers are still in contention if they slip up. At the bottom two go down, Staveley MW are 12th but have requested a demotion and Athersley are bottom. Albion Sports or Hemsworth MW will finish second bottom should that become relevant.

                    Hallam won division 1 last week for the automatic promotion place, the play offs will be North Ferriby v Rossington Main and Brigg Town v Harrogate Railway Athletic unless Brigg lose by a 30 (thirty) goal margin this Saturday in which case that tie will be played at Harrogate. The bottom three will be FC Humber United, Clipstone and Teversal, although how many of them go down remains to be seen. Humber might disappear anyway, they groundshare at Selby and don't have a ground for next year which may end their nomadic existence (five years in the league, three names and as many grounds)

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                      #11
                      Chance for the oldest fixture in football to return next season with Sheffield's awful form?

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                        #12
                        Originally posted by Gangster Octopus View Post
                        Chance for the oldest fixture in football to return next season with Sheffield's awful form?
                        Is there? I think I'm right in saying they play each other in pre-season most years but that'll be 2 dates pencilled into my diary if so.

                        Comment


                          #13
                          Originally posted by longeared View Post

                          Because after the last couple of campaigns they really prioritised getting the league season complete, or as much played as quick as possible as insurance against curtailment or interruption. They started at the end of July, played loads of midweek football in the early months and didn't make any attempt to start their cup competitions until after Christmas. They've also been helped by it being a pretty benign winter weatherwise so there haven't been many Saturdays with masses of postponements. The Northern Counties East had a similar approach, they front loaded the programme and were originally slated to finish last Saturday. Their regular season end got pushed forward to this coming Saturday after some wet weeks in February - it's the earliest finish for years, even accounting for a few residual fixtures next week / play offs / finishing the League Cup.
                          Same applies in many of the women's leagues - Bristol Rovers won the South West Women's League Northern division a month ago and completed their fixtures too. We play on artificial turf so fewer postponements but some teams are still ploughing through their remaining fixtures

                          Bristol Rovers Development also won their league - Glos County Division 2 - last week by beating only remaining challengers Dursley Town 4-2. They now move up to Division 1, the league the seniors vacated last season. Pucklechurch have run away with that league this season, winning 14/14 so far.

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                            #14
                            Crewe officially relegated.

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                              #15
                              In Serie C (South) Bari are promoted and Catania have been declared bankrupt which is the end of the club in its current guise.

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                                #16
                                And on an even more obscure note the Vatican League remains too close to call with Santos and Opbg tied at the top with 13 points and Archivio a point behind.

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                                  #17
                                  Catania were only outside the (many) playoff places due to a points deduction for failing to play salaries, but their results will now be expunged.

                                  Palermo are currently second and guaranteed of a playoff place.
                                  Last edited by ursus arctos; 09-04-2022, 16:31.

                                  Comment


                                    #18
                                    irony towers' very own Walton & Hersham seal promotion from the Combined Counties Premier South, their second consecutive elevation. Now back in the eighth tier but I'm not sure if that will be as part of the Isthmian or Southern Leagues.

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                                      #19
                                      Originally posted by Ray de Galles View Post
                                      irony towers' very own Walton & Hersham seal promotion from the Combined Counties Premier South, their second consecutive elevation. Now back in the eighth tier but I'm not sure if that will be as part of the Isthmian or Southern Leagues.
                                      Jimmy Pursey will be pleased!

                                      Comment


                                        #20
                                        Originally posted by Bizarre Löw Triangle View Post
                                        With four games left in the Isthmian Premier there's two points separating the bottom five and eight clubs who could theoretically end up in the bottom three.

                                        Bottom two go down plus the worst of the third bottom sides from the four step three leagues. That will almost certainly be King's Langley or Dorchester in the Southern Premier South.

                                        Leatherhead have been bottom all season but are one of the division's form clubs, with four wins from their last five. Their four remaining games include two against mid-table sides with nothing to play for, one against playoff chasers Folkestone, and one against Wingate and Finchley who are probably, but not mathematically, safe. You wouldn't bet against them staying up.
                                        Cray Wanderers sit second bottom and have won once in their last five. Unfortunately they also have the hardest run-in, playing the teams in second, third, and fourth and also a relegation six-pointer against East Thurrock.
                                        East Thurrock are third bottom and have to play Wingate, Cray and two mid-table sides. They've picked up a couple of wins in their last few games so can be relatively confident of beating the drop.
                                        Brightlingsea also look in real trouble. They're a point better off than Cray, but in worse form (two points from the last five games) and play the top three plus Haringey, who aren't yet safe
                                        Merstham have lost their last seven, and picked up only ten points in the second half of the season. Their run in is relatively kind but there are no winnable games when you're in freefall.

                                        At the other end, Worthing are almost home and dry, with a ten point advantage and four to play. Enfield, Hornchurch and Bishops Stortford will almost certainly make up three of the playoff spots, with Lewes, Cheshunt and Folkestone battling it out for the remaining spot.
                                        Worthing confirmed their promotion today.

                                        Comment


                                          #21
                                          Originally posted by Ray de Galles View Post
                                          irony towers' very own Walton & Hersham seal promotion from the Combined Counties Premier South, their second consecutive elevation. Now back in the eighth tier but I'm not sure if that will be as part of the Isthmian or Southern Leagues.
                                          Thanks for the mention, Ray. Although W&H are the first in the division to confirm promotion, we're probably second favourites to go up as champions. To be sure of their promotion Beckenham Town need two more points, or a draw in their match against third-placed Raynes Park Vale, and they have two games in hand over W&H. (That's assuming there's no comeback on Beckenham's initial refusal to fulfil their fixture in Jersey, claiming that the Covid protocols for travelling were an unfair imposition.)
                                          Last edited by irony towers; 10-04-2022, 20:38.

                                          Comment


                                            #22
                                            Very happy for Worthing, especially George Dowell, the (I think possibly now former) chairman, who played a handful of games for the first team when he was about 17 before being paralysed from the chest down after a car crash. He put a large amount of his compensation money for the accident on that club, but most of it went on upgrading the facilities rather than just throwing money at the team, and with crowds rising to well over 1,000, the town has responded. It's quite a gift to have given the town.

                                            Comment


                                              #23
                                              Originally posted by irony towers View Post

                                              Thanks for the mention, Ray. Although W&H are the first in the division to confirm promotion, we're probably second favourites to go up as champions. To be sure of their promotion Beckenham Town need two more points, or a draw in their next match against third-placed Raynes Park Vale, and they have two games in hand over W&H. (That's assuming there's no comeback on Beckenham's initial refusal to fulfil their fixture in Jersey, claiming that the Covid protocols for travelling were an unfair imposition.)
                                              Yes, I thought they probably wouldn't be champions looking at the table.

                                              Any indication where they'll be placed next season yet? One would assume in the Southern along with Casuals and Met Police but the Isthmian would be far preferable, I imagine.

                                              I'm planning to see Merthyr at Beaconsfield next Saturday and it seems very likely to be relegated that afternoon. I wonder if the idea of switching to the Welsh leagues will gain more traction once it happens.

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                                                #24
                                                A couple of the directors' tweets refer to going into the Isthmian League, but I don't know whether that's based on anything official.

                                                Yesterday's attendance at the Xcel Hub was 604, another ground record for W&H (I wasn't among them).

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                                                  #25
                                                  Yeni Malatyaspor officially relegated from the Turkish Süper Lig.

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