Local Football, aka the Other Non-Leagues Thread

[Ray de Galles]

Local Football, aka the Other Non-Leagues Thread

This might be interesting, Patrick Marber has written a play based around a non-league club which seems to draw a little on his experiences with Lewes FC (which I was previously unaware of).

[Hamish! Dougal!]

Local Football, aka the Other Non-Leagues Thread

Bona Fide legend of Hull City AFC Ian Ashbee has been named as the new chairman of Hull United today, which might persuade me back to the fold, since the previous incumbent pissed my mate about over a charity 5 a side tournament.

[mirko bolesan]

Local Football, aka the Other Non-Leagues Thread

Hellenic League Premier 2015/2016
Abingdon United, Ardley United, Ascot United, Binfield, Brackley Town Saints, Bracknell Town, Brimscombe & Thrupp, Flackwell Heath, Highmoor Ibis, Highworth Town, Kidlington, Longlevens, Lydney United, Milton United, Oxford City Nomads, Royal Wootton Bassett, Thame United, Thatcham Town, Tuffley United and Wokingham & Emmbrook.

Despite applying for promotion and winning the league, Flackwell turned down the opportunity to play in the Southern League after being placed in the SW rather than Central. Reasons given were that travel expenses would have been too dear for the league.

Flackwell's refusal and re-entry into the Hellenic fold means that Reading Town are relegated. Bit of a basket case club this season with off the field issues. (They're owned by a union yet their players went on strike). This means Highmoor Ibis are Reading's bonafide second club now.

Lots of travelling in the Hellenic with a few new western clubs emerging. Clubs from east Berkshire having to make a trip to Lydney which theaa website suggests a trip over the Severn Bridge to make...

[SouthdownRebel]

Local Football, aka the Other Non-Leagues Thread

For those who like both local football and perusing old league tables, the SCFL website* has rather wonderfully published Excel files containing all Sussex County league tables and result grids since 1920. Lovely stuff.

http://www.scfl.org.uk/pages/viewpag...iew=newspage06

My personal favourite is 1990/1, which went down to a final-day clash between the top two, Peacehaven and Littlehampton Town, the latter having already won the county League Challenge Cup and reached the First Round (Proper) of the FA Cup and the semi-final of the FA Vase. If I recall correctly, their season ended some time in 1992 having played three games a day for the preceeding six months.

Finishing third that season was Langney Sports, who went on to become champions themselves a few seasons later, gained promotion and rebranded themselves as Eastbourne Borough.

* I'm not ready to start calling it the S*uthern C*mbination yet

[Bizarre Löw Triangle]

Local Football, aka the Other Non-Leagues Thread

The Essex Senior League nearly expanded to the maximum 22 clubs for the first time in its history.

While Haringey Borough have successfully escaped, Burnham Ramblers and Redbridge were due to drop down from the Isthmian, while Walthamstow-based Wadham Lodge were jumping up from Step 7.

Although there had been talk of relegating either last-placed Sporting Bengal or groundless Newham (the first such relegation from the league since 2008 when Beaumont Athletic were demoted), expansion was deemed a better alternative.

However, a last minute reprieve for Redbridge means that there will only be 21 clubs in the division next season.

Meanwhile Greenhouse London have changed their name to Greenhouse Sports (the fourth such name change since Mauritius Sports merged with Walthamstow Avenue and Pennant in 2007).

Oh, and Basildon United have a new badge. This is it. Seriously.

[Hamish! Dougal!]

Local Football, aka the Other Non-Leagues Thread

Sadly, the remaining members of the East Riding Amateur League have decided to call it a day, ending 108 years of competition. Saying that, the competition had been gradually whittled down to 5 teams, so it's no surprise, really.

[Ray de Galles]

Local Football, aka the Other Non-Leagues Thread

Walton Casuals have announced they will be ground sharing with Merstham (25 miles away!) while their decrepit Waterside Drive ground is redeveloped/levelled to prepare for the "Walton Sports Hub" which will house them, Walton & Hersham and the local athletics club as well as the town's community sports.

That's all assuming the controversial closure of W&H's Stompond Lane ground goes ahead as well as the housing development there which will, I presume, part-fund the sports hub.

It seems a very radical switch for Casuals to go to Merstham, even temporarily, and I have concerns it could all go very wrong.

.

[Furtho]

Local Football, aka the Other Non-Leagues Thread

A few changes for the new season around Milton Keynes and North Bucks, an area covered by both the southern fringes of the United Counties League and the northernmost reaches of the Spartan South Midlands League.

Newport Pagnell Town remain the top-ranked local team, playing as they do at Step 5 in the UCL Premier Division. The Swans have lost prolific striker Dom Lawless to upwardly mobile AFC Rushden & Diamonds over the summer, which doesn't look like the best piece of news.

Buckingham Town and Olney Town are still in the UCL Division 1. Olney have made some significant improvements to their attractive East Street ground, while Buckingham continue to be based at Bletchley, with no apparent prospect of return to their home town. There have been rumours that at some point the Robins will simply change their name, thereby abandoning the possibility of ever going back.

Over in the SSML, there are three local sides at Step 6 in Division 1. Buckingham Athletic and Winslow United are joined by my club New Bradwell St Peter, promoted back after two seasons in Division 2. Based since the 40s on a municipal facility in the MK estate of Bradville - as the former chairman once told me, "It really was all fields round here when I was a lad" - the Peters seem reinvigorated with a new committee and plans to reintroduce a reserve team.

The exciting environs of the SSML Division 2 is however where a lot of local action to be found. Big news here is that after many years of being threatened with enforced relegation, Stony Stratford Town have finally been demoted from Division 1 for failing to meet the required ground grading. It's reportedly to do with the distance between the pitch and the changing rooms at Ostlers Lane.

Remaining in Division 2 are village teams Grendon Rangers and Mursley United plus the Milton Keynes pair of Old Bradwell United and Wolverton Town - OBU have particular cause for optimism after a fine season last year. A newer MK estate club, Willen, drop down to the North Bucks League after two grindingly unsuccessful seasons at the higher level, but heading in the opposite direction are yet another MK team, Loughton Manor.

[Furtho]

Local Football, aka the Other Non-Leagues Thread

Just noting that most of our local clubs are having their very first preseason training sessions tonight. It was 32 degrees as I was driving home a short while ago. This may not end well.

[Third rate Leszno]

Local Football, aka the Other Non-Leagues Thread

Up in North West Counties world, there's not much change to report. Other than a couple of name changes, Whitchurch Alport have been admitted to Division 1 on appeal, and Stockport Town (kind of a replacement for the recently deceased Stockport Sports, in that they play at the same ground) have also joined.

Meanwhile, an interesting article from nwcfl.com yesterday, which might help boost Div.1 up from 18 to 22 teams from 2016/17.

At the Leagues Conference which was held at St Georges Park in 2014 the Step 7 leagues present discussed the possibility of imposing a one-year moratorium to enable clubs with the correct facilities to be promoted from Step 7.

The Leagues Committee has now considered this matter on a couple of occasions and have agreed to recommend that with effect the end of season 2015/2016, a club that complies with the appropriate grading criteria can be promoted to Step 6 regardless of their finishing position. Obviously from those that apply and comply, priority will be given to a club’s finishing position.

This change, which is for one year only, will hopefully generate one club from each of the current Step 7 competitions. This will hopefully bring Step 6 competitions up to the required numbers and enable full promotion and relegation to be implemented from the conclusion of the following season.

This would not apply to those leagues currently at Step 5/6 that have a Step 7 division attached to it as they will continue to apply their current arrangements. Obviously further information will be sent to all leagues in due course.

[Kevin S]

Local Football, aka the Other Non-Leagues Thread

That's a national initiative, yes? Would be good news for the ECL if it goes ahead (and enough teams are interested) as the league is short on numbers, even with reserve teams included.

[Furtho]

Local Football, aka the Other Non-Leagues Thread

I dunno, I know that leagues are under pressure to increase, or at least sustain, numbers of clubs at Steps 5 and 6, but the idea of promoting a Step 7 club on the basis of their facilities and regardless of where they finish in the division to me seems unwise.

One club in Step 7 that I'm aware of have good facilities, on account of a groundshare, and certainly are ambitious to play at a higher level (their website refers to being a "semi-pro club"...). It's just the trifling detail of their hopelessness on the pitch that's the problem, as in 2014/15 they finished second bottom in Step 7. What would be the point of them going up to a higher division?

[Big Boobs and FIRE!]

Local Football, aka the Other Non-Leagues Thread

mirko bolesan wrote:
This means Highmoor Ibis are Reading's bonafide second club now..

No, it just makes them the second highest placed.

[longeared]

Local Football, aka the Other Non-Leagues Thread

Early days I know, but astonishingly Parkgate are top of the NCEL. This I find very pleasing. Superb win at Tadcaster - Tadcaster! - tonight, coming from 3-1 down to win 4-3 in the last minute.

Won't last of course, my first reaction was "good, that's another three points towards staying up"

[Kevin S]

Local Football, aka the Other Non-Leagues Thread

Kevchenko wrote:




The Eastern Counties League didn't promote anyone this year, with double (ECL Premier Division and Challenge Cup) winners Norwich United opting to stay in the league. The manager accepts that some of the players may leave and join a Ryman League team as a result but feels the club itself is not yet ready.

This meant that three went down to Division 1 (my locals Ely City, plus Diss Town and Wivenhoe Town) and three came up (Long Melford, Swaffham Town and Saffron Walden Town). Saffron Walden secured promotion over direct rivals Great Yarmouth Town with a 1-1 draw in front of the Bloods' biggest ever league attendance - 762. (That's in the [strike]ninth[/strike] tenth level of football...)

Downham Town's ground has been approved after some improvements and there are 20 teams in the Premier and, unfortunately, only 19 in Division 1 - six of which are the reserves of teams higher up the pyramid.

Norwich United lead the ECL Premier by a massive 13 points from Felixtowe & Walton United (though F&W have two games in hand) as they look to win the title for the second season running. Indeed, they could make it a double double, as they are in the QFs of the ECL Cup as well.

The three sides relegated from the Premier to Div.1 are doing well, with Wivenhoe top, Ely second and Diss in seventh.

[Kevin S]

Local Football, aka the Other Non-Leagues Thread

FA Vase third round, to be played 12 December:

Marske United v Team Northumbria
Sunderland RCA v Tadcaster / Worksop (playing tonight)
Newton Aycliffe v Atherton Collieries
South Shields v Morpeth Town
North Shields v Runcorn Town
Dunston UTS v Seaham Red Star
Alsager Town v AFC Wulfrunians
St Andrews v Leicester Nirvana
Handsworth Parramore v Cleethorpes Town
Pinxton v Nuneaton Griff
Walsall Wood v Alvechurch
Uttoxeter Town v Coleshill Town
Hereford v Brocton
Saffron Walden Town v Berkhamsted
FC Broxbourne Borough v Bowers & Pitsea
Hullbridge Sports v Stanway Rovers
AFC Dunstable v Basildon United
Edgware Town v Ipswich Wanderers
Yaxley v Sleaford Town
Hertford Town v FC Romania
Colliers Wood United v Hartley Wintney
Thame United v Kidlington
Ascot United v Camberley Town
Lordswood v Ashford United
Eastbourne Town v Sutton Common Rovers
Tadley Calleva v Newport (IW)
Canterbury City v Knaphill
Moneyfields v Brimscombe & Thrupp
Buckland Athletic v Bradford Town
Highworth Town v Salisbury
Welton Rovers v Bodmin Town
Bristol Manor Farm v Hengrove Athletic

[Kevin S]

Local Football, aka the Other Non-Leagues Thread

I can only see three Eastern Counties teams left in it. There are 14 leagues* at Step 5 so on average each league should be getting four or five teams this far.

* here:[spoiler]Combined Counties League 
Eastern Counties League 
Essex Senior League
Hellenic League 
Midland League 
North West Counties League 
Northern Counties East League 
Northern Counties League 
Southern Counties East League
Spartan South Midlands League 
Southern Combination League
United Counties League 
Wessex League 
Western League[/spoiler]

[longeared]

Local Football, aka the Other Non-Leagues Thread

NCEL latest:

The single promotion place is a three way fight between Tadcaster Albion, Worksop Town and Handsworth Parramore. Worksop keep dropping points to the big names in the division, Tadcaster are likely to have a fixture pile up in the new year, it's not clear if Handsworth's squad will be strong enough to last the pace. I assume all three have applied for promotion.

There is also an ongoing farce of the Vase tie between Tadcaster and Worksop. The game has been postponed five times already as the pitch flooded, the FA have rescheduled for tonight, then tomorrow if (when) that is postponed. It's starting to get a bit nasty, Taddy claiming there are no other venues available, and that they won't play at Worksop for "safety reasons" - there was some right mither there after they met in the league a few weeks back. The FA have come in for considerable criticism from both clubs for their inflexible approach to scheduling.

Brigg Town (subject of a recent BB&F report) are bottom of the table after being relegated from the Northern Premier League Division One South last year. Parkgate's early form has collapsed and they are in the relegation places after 5 points from the last 16 games.

In division 1, Hemsworth MW's all out attack policy has led to several big wins and topping the league, a couple of games have seen them be 7 or 8 up at half time before slackening off. Hull United are in 2nd. They've had a tricky time of things, a couple of floodlight failures and then falling out with their landlord led to them moving into Hull KR's ground for the rest of the season. They get huge attendances for home games (I think they give free tickets to schoolkids) and take practically no fans away.

Ashley Flynn of AFC Emley has scored 49 goals already, he has a chance to reach the half century tonight.

The league record win went at the weekend, Selby Town beat Lincoln Moorlands Railway 14-0. Lincoln are a club who are really struggling, they could only field eight players and have four points from 25 games. They're starting to reach a stage where they reflect badly on the league as a whole, with any luck some new teams will come up to replace them.

[Ray de Galles]

Local Football, aka the Other Non-Leagues Thread

I had hoped to bring news of Molesey steaming through the Isthmian Premier and sitting second in their first season at that level in a decade after promotion.

Unfortunately that was a couple of weeks ago and, on checkimg, their streak of 13 wins in 14 games has unravelled and they've lost the last 3 league games.

Winter could prove difficult for a club of their meagre resources.

[Antepli Ejderha]

Local Football, aka the Other Non-Leagues Thread

Nice to see Hereford in there.

[longeared]

Local Football, aka the Other Non-Leagues Thread

Main story of the week in the NCEL has been the growing farce that is Hull United. They are an ambitious club, they've talked of going through the divisions and joined the NCEL from local football last summer. They've got Ian Ashbee and the odious Curtis Woodhouse directly involved, they gave away a car at their opening game this season and give free tickets away locally.

As you might also expect, they are monied, and paid players to come down from higher levels to play for them.

They started the season playing at Hall Road Rangers old ground, kicking Hall Road out in the process. This lasted until October when they had floodlight problems, fell out with the landlords and got locked out. Then they moved to Craven Park, the home of rugby league's Hull Kingston Rovers. This lasted all of six games, and ended when the costs were too much for them. Given that they were getting use of the stadium rent free it begs the question what on earth was costing them money. Perhaps the floodlights are really powerful.

Anyway, an attempt to groundshare with North Ferriby swiftly came to nowt, then they tried to go to Brigg Town. The NCEL refused this on the grounds of the amount of football that would need to be played on the pitch and ordered Hull United to play all their games away until such time that they can source a suitable ground. Apparently they have now sourced a suitable site without floodlights. Well that's alright then.

It's pretty clear that the league is getting fed up with the club, their charge sheet now stands at having three games postponed because of no ground available and two games abandoned for floodlight failure. Plus they've now had three points deducted for fielding an ineligible player.

They aren't going to be in the NCEL for long, either they will be kicked out and go back to local football or will get their shit together and start troubling the NPL instead.

[Kevin S]

Local Football, aka the Other Non-Leagues Thread

Eastern Counties League 2015-16

Premier Division champions: Norwich United


Cup winners: Mildenhall Town


Division One winners: Wivenhoe Town


Norwich United were denied a second sucessive ECL double after Mildenhall won the Cup final, but win the Premier Division for the second season running.

Other news is that Wroxham, who were due to be relegated back to the ECL from the Isthmian Div.1N, were reprieved.

Norwich United are now going to take that step up and join them. Best of luck to them; the ECL sides have been doing well in the Ryman as a rule*, with Wroxham the only real strugglers from recent seasons.

Another of those recent ECL champions, Dereham Town (2012-13), are still in Ryman Div.1N and won the Norfolk Senior Cup, beating Norwich United in the final. They will get a preseason friendly against a Norwich City XI.

One of the ECL secretaries was on the radio yesterday lunchtime and mentioned some new teams who are joining Division One for next season. I remember that one of them was Holland (Essex, not Netherlands) but have forgotten the others. He did say that Ely City (my local), who were 2nd in Division One, will be promoted along with Wivenhoe Town to the Premier Division. I forget some of the other machinations, but it will be good to get some new teams in because the second tier was just filling up with the Isthmian-level teams' reserves.

* ECL champions moving to the Ryman:

2008-09 Lowestoft
Made it up to National North, relegated back to Ryman Premier

2009-10 Needham Market
Just avoided relegation from Ryman Premier

2010-11 Leiston
Ryman Premier: 8th

2011-12 Wroxham
Ryman Div.1N, reprieved from relegation

2012-13 Dereham Town
Ryman Div.1N: 9th

[Kevin S]

Local Football, aka the Other Non-Leagues Thread

Coggeshall Town appear to be one of them. They have won the Essex & Suffolk Border League, which is one of the ECL's feeders. Holland FC came third but must have made a successful application.

It appears that Coggeshall Town has a celebrity fan. (Warning if scrolling, there is a picture you may find unsavoury.)

Oh yeah, before anyone asks the obvious question about Holland FC, I checked, and yes, they do.

[Ray de Galles]

Local Football, aka the Other Non-Leagues Thread

I've got grids of all the league/club allocations for steps 1-6 as pdf attachments to a mail but have no clue as to how to get them linked to from here, any ideas?

[Kevin S]

Local Football, aka the Other Non-Leagues Thread

Aha! Sorry, don't have the answer, but this list of clubs who applied to move from step 7 to step 6 has the third club I was looking for. It's Wisbech St Mary. Edit - oh, and Framlingham as well!

Meanwhile, this is the list of steps 1-4 (National Premier to the second levels of the Istmian/NPL/Southern).