Ups and Downs: 2023-24 Edition

[Discordant Resonance]

Following Woking's defeat of Barnet, and Bromley's scoreless draw, Chesterfield only require one more point to mathematically guarantee their return to the Football League. Meanwhile, Edinburgh City's relegation to Scottish League Two has been confirmed.

[George C.]

Bishop's Stortford almost relegated from Conference North...

[Discordant Resonance]

In fact, they have been, as they can now only accumulate 44 points.

[Duncan Gardner]

Irish League split looms- can Coleraine hang on to 6th?

[Botswana Meat Commission]

Dover Athletic likely to be confirmed over the next week or so. It’s been quite a spell for them, hasn’t it?

[Janik]

I didn't have a good few days on this front from a personal sporting perspective.

On Monday, my Squash team (Melbourn 2nds) lost an effective promotion decider against Cambridge 3rds. Narrowly. They won three of the strings, and we won two. With two of the individual contests finishing as 3-2 wins for Cambridge. But we lost. We almost certainly won't (probably can't) overturn their increased advantage in the final round of games this week.
And on Saturday my Hockey team lost a game we somewhat suspect we would lose (it was against a side going for promotion). That meant we are relegated after our rivals near the foot of the table got a somewhat unexpected simultaneous win. Again, one match to play (which is against the bottom team, so very winnable) but we are now too far behind to catch up.

The Squash team were really not expecting to push for promotion - we were in upper mid-table in our Division last season. So it was easier to be philosophical about missing out on a promotion that probably wasn't in our medium term interests anyway. Cambs Division 2 would have been very challenging if we were ever missing any of our strongest team. However, the Hockey team were definitely not expecting to be in a relegation battle, as again, upper mid-table last season. That one hurt, particularly as we had finally twigged how to play to our potential over the last month or so (waay too late).

The feeling of promotion and relegation is different from a player perspective to a fan one. Its more about the level of challenge you get, and the sort of sport you want to play. The team continues, still with the same bunch of people and still feels moreorless unchanged. Its the opponents that change (or not) is all.

[Patrick Thistle]

In the Welsh second tier, Chirk have been relegated from the Cymru North and Abergavenny have been relegated from the Cymru South.

[Jobi1]

Chesterfield's promotion back to the League officially confirmed – fair play, unlucky not to make it last season and dominated from the start this time round.

Meanwhile, at the other end, Oxford City's relegation confirmed. Similarly, it's appeared an inevitable outcome all season.

[cantagalo]

Lincoln United's home defeat to Melton Town means that Sherwood Colliery are UCL Premier North champions and will be promoted to the Northern Premier League East.

[Discordant Resonance]

Hamilton's draw against Queen of the South means Falkirk are promoted as Scottish League One champions.

[Artificial Hipster]

FC St Helens and Brocton have taken the automatic promotion slots in the NWCL Division One North and South respectively. Whereas the former will join the NWCL Premier Brocton are likely to be promoted to the Midland League Premier Division where they'll be joined by 1874 Northwich whose relegation from NPL West was also confirmed at the weekend. Fans of all the South Manchester clubs in the NWCL Premier will be hoping second bottom Hednesford go down with them and that Sandbach United prevail in the NWCL Division One South play offs as another 24 team top division seems unlikely and the threat of lateral transfers looms heavy.

[Gangster Octopus]

Don't anyone say a thing.

[Discordant Resonance]

[Toby Gymshorts]

To absolutely no-one who has seen them this season's surprise, Carlisle are back down to League 2 after a completely spineless display against Northampton.

[Sean of the Shed]

Tamworth have got the point they need to win the National League North and will be playing in the National League next season.

[Toby Gymshorts]

Nice one, Sean of the Shed.

[Gangster Octopus]

Arbroath are down. It's not my season.

Actually, if Inverness lose their last few and Arbroath win their last few, with a thirty plus turnover of goals, then they'll be in the playoffs...

[Discordant Resonance]

Stenhousemuir have clinched Scottish League Two, and East Kilbride have clinched their place in the Highland/Lowland play-off, despite requiring one point for their title, as Hearts B are ineligible for promotion.

[Simon G]

Tamworth have got the point they need to win the National League North and will be playing in the National League next season.

At the opposite end of the table, Gloucester City have been relegated. A disastrous season after making the playoffs last year.

[Discordant Resonance]

Yeovil now only require one point to return to the National League Premier.

[tee rex]

At the opposite end of the table, Gloucester City have been relegated. A disastrous season after making the playoffs last year.

So they've got rid of Gloucester and Bishop's Stortford? Sounds like a Northern fix, like the reverse of the old re-election system getting rid of journeys to Workington and Barrow.

[Simon G]

I'd agree apart from the fact that Gloucester really have been the masters of their own downfall.

I've never known a club so adept at punching themselves in the face.

[Sean of the Shed]

Just to add to the "Northern fix" conspiracy, Banbury United are as good as relegated as well.

[Jobi1]

The fix may be fixed by the number of decidedly non-northern teams potentially coming down from the tier above though. Should any of the far North East teams remain in NL North (they could all still potentially exit in one direction or another), they'll still have some right auld schleps next season.

[Southport Zeb]

I'm projecting the National League North to include Oxford City and Needham Market next season, so it's still going to have some fairly southern teams.