STEP FIVE PROMOTIONS

Step Five is Level Nine and I thought I would do a post on which teams may be progressing from Step Five to Step Four. If past seasons are anything to go by some teams will refuse promotion while others will be refused promotion due to ground grading or breaking one of the millennia of rules that govern the sport. Last year I heard that the only reason for refusal was the lack of a concrete walkway from the entrance gate to the stand although I cannot recall which team that affected.

So I shall start in alphabetical order by league .....

Combined Counties League:

Hartley Wintney are the current leaders and I have always loved the name partly because I do not like the T in Wintney being surrounded by two Ns. Surely one N is enough. Hartley Witney would be better and probably better than Hartley Wintey but Hartley Wintney it is. Only Camberley Town can prevent them winning the league by producing three straight wins while HW must lose all three.


Eastern Counties League:

Norwich United are the second best team in Norwich and have some way to go before they catch Norwich City who look like they are on their way back down to meet somewhere in the middle. Look in the Isthmian League North next season to follow the progress of this team.


Essex Senior League:

Basildon United are a team I remember from my days growing up in Essex. They were always a team to be feared and it seems that their progress has gone on to the point where they should be seen in the Isthmian League next season. That is provided they are not overtaken by either Bowers & Pitsea (their very near neighbours) or FC Romania.


Hellenic League:

Kidlington finished top of the league but last season it was Flackwell Heath and they seem to be still in the Hellenic League so we will have to wait and see if Kidlington make the step up. It might be that the Hellenic League is a nice and cosy one. Kidlington may not want to enter the big bad big boys world.


Midland League:

No doubts here. Hereford under the new administration are on their way back up to find their own level and will not want another season in the Midland League. It is not fair on the other teams in this league that they had no chance but I do agree that there must be a severe punishment for financial mismanagement and relegation or demotion is sufficiently embarrassing.


North West Counties League:

Runcorn Linnets are leading the league but they are closely followed by Colne who have a game in hand. These are the only two with a chance of promotion in this league and I would expect to see one of them in the Northern Premier League next season.


Northern Counties East League:

Tadcaster Albion and Handsworth Parramore are the two teams in contention here with Tadcaster favourites at the moment. I am not sure how the upper echelons would feel having a team with a name synonymous with a lover (although spelt differently) in their league.


Northern League:

You have to admire the Northern League for their lack of bringing the modern world to their region. Safe at the top of Division One because their is no Premier Division are Shildon. They had no luck in the F.A.Cup and went out of the F.A.Vase to Handsworth Parramore. I do hope they join the Northern Premier League but I understand the huge increase in travelling costs.


Southern Counties East League:

This league was renamed to pull additional teams from London in and Greenwich Borough have won the league. We should be able to watch them in the Isthmian League South next season.


South Midlands League:

The clear winners here are AFC Dunstable although I would love it if (recognise that forlorn phrase of Kevin Keegan's?) Dunstable lose their last two matches and London Colney win all four of their remaining matches by sufficient margins to take the league on goal difference. It will not happen.


Southern Combination:

No more Kent and now no more Sussex. The country did need to rename the leagues to bring a sense of good structure to the country. Horsham are the winners of this league and I expect to see them in the Isthmian South next season.


United Counties League:

Leicester is the place to be this year. Leicester City are top of the Premier League and Leicester Nirvana are top in the United Counties League. For any of you who have been asleep for a season or two this is the old Thurnby Nirvana newly named and newly reborn it seems.


Wessex League:

Salisbury are in a similar category to Hereford in that they are making their way back up to find a natural position in the hierarchy. I picked out Salisbury as the place to be on the basis of the size of the city and the surrounding catchment area with no other football teams but perhaps that is why the team are not at the top of the tree. Not enough local rivalry to spark the embers of fan baiting passion.


Western League:

My personal favourite because I really want a team with a really odd name to progress up through the ranks and get people taking. The odd name is Odd Down who are Bristol based. Imagine the matches between City, Rovers and Odd Down. The Western League is a bit of a poor relation though and they may not be ready or want to get themselves into the Southern League South and West Division.


That gets me thinking. There must be a better and more simple name than South and West. It is like those teams with two towns in their name. Two divisions called "Central" and "South and West" had to be used as the league restructured downwards from its heyday as THE league outside the Football League but surely now we can use EAST and WEST.


I want to go into the Level 10 Leagues but I will make that another post.