I bought "The Non-League Paper" today and was delighted to see the provisional tables for next season and there was one surprise for me that if you have read my blog over the last few weeks I am so disappointed about. I think that the league in question have refused to accept the club with the ridiculous name so they prefer the second placed team.
Odd Down are not listed in the Southern League Division One South & West but Barnstaple Town are named as coming up from the Western League. I think I may have to focus on this particular league next season as it contains many teams that I have had an interest in. Barnstaple have come up, Bideford have come down, Hereford and Salisbury have come up, Slimbridge have a bird sanctuary (what has that got to do with anything?), Swindon have the ridiculous addendum "supermarine" and Tiverton are just down the road from me. If my first experience is a good one I may become a regular at this level.
I was not going to mention another team I have been watching as my comments are obviously what jinxed Braintree Town in their attempt to go up and now they have lost their successful management team to Lincoln. I am delighted that North Ferriby United gained promotion to the National League (no need to mention that it is the premier division any more) as it goes Premier, Championship, League One, League Two, National League. The top five leagues are a single column atop the pyramid and I want to see all divisions reduced to 20 teams so these can become the "Top 100".
I want to strengthen the pyramid and I am sure we have seen in recent seasons that this is best done by getting better supported teams competing at a lower level. Already we have half the National League with Football League experience and this can only benefit the pyramid as a whole.
The National League North will benefit from the arrival of Darlington 1883, the reformed Darlington club that went bankrupt, and Salford City owned by the Manchester United players who decided to buy their own football club. Imagine if they trained with the players. I hope there is a follow up of the documentary that we saw last season.
I see that the National League South took two teams from the Isthmian League and two teams from the Southern League and I may have to take a look at Truro City this season as they were in the playoffs this season so must have what it takes to make a good go of it next season.
I cannot see anything in the Northern Premier League that interests me but that is not part of MY pyramid so that is no surprise. The Southern League now has Basingstoke Town as a team relegated from the National League South and I may well watch them as one of my favourite christmasses was being snowed in there in 1963. We had to dig a snow tunnel to get out of the back door. The Isthmian Premier now holds Worthing, a team that I did get to watch this season. Watch out for Ben Pope if he has maintained the quality that I saw in that one live match.
Kidlington from the Hellenic League are listed in the Southern League Central but so were Flackwell Heath last season and by the end of the summer they were back in the Hellenic. We shall see whether Kidlington go the same way. This league also contains teams from the South Midlands League, United Counties League and the Combined Counties League. How is that possible? I will work it out and if I remember I will let you know.
Bowers & Pitsea from the Essex Senior League and Norwich United from the Eastern Counties League are both listed in the Isthmian League Division One North. This is not part of my pyramid either but I may have to watch Great Wakering Rovers as they played on the pitch next to ours when I was a young up and coming hopeful shortly before I was a down and out loser and decided to focus on other things.
Greenwich Borough from the Southern Counties East League and Horsham from the Southern Combination League are now in the Isthmian League Division One South. I kept half an eye on this league while Worthing were there but I may now have to switch that half an eye on to Guernsey with the F.A. special rules requiring them to play home matches away or pay the travelling costs of visiting teams. I must check out what is happening in practice.
Right, I now have to switch my attention to the Arsenal match on Arsenal Player (unless I can find an illegal feed) and the National League play-off final between Forest Green Rovers and Grimsby. Thank you to my reader for your attention. I have noticed.
Odd Down are not listed in the Southern League Division One South & West but Barnstaple Town are named as coming up from the Western League. I think I may have to focus on this particular league next season as it contains many teams that I have had an interest in. Barnstaple have come up, Bideford have come down, Hereford and Salisbury have come up, Slimbridge have a bird sanctuary (what has that got to do with anything?), Swindon have the ridiculous addendum "supermarine" and Tiverton are just down the road from me. If my first experience is a good one I may become a regular at this level.
I was not going to mention another team I have been watching as my comments are obviously what jinxed Braintree Town in their attempt to go up and now they have lost their successful management team to Lincoln. I am delighted that North Ferriby United gained promotion to the National League (no need to mention that it is the premier division any more) as it goes Premier, Championship, League One, League Two, National League. The top five leagues are a single column atop the pyramid and I want to see all divisions reduced to 20 teams so these can become the "Top 100".
I want to strengthen the pyramid and I am sure we have seen in recent seasons that this is best done by getting better supported teams competing at a lower level. Already we have half the National League with Football League experience and this can only benefit the pyramid as a whole.
The National League North will benefit from the arrival of Darlington 1883, the reformed Darlington club that went bankrupt, and Salford City owned by the Manchester United players who decided to buy their own football club. Imagine if they trained with the players. I hope there is a follow up of the documentary that we saw last season.
I see that the National League South took two teams from the Isthmian League and two teams from the Southern League and I may have to take a look at Truro City this season as they were in the playoffs this season so must have what it takes to make a good go of it next season.
I cannot see anything in the Northern Premier League that interests me but that is not part of MY pyramid so that is no surprise. The Southern League now has Basingstoke Town as a team relegated from the National League South and I may well watch them as one of my favourite christmasses was being snowed in there in 1963. We had to dig a snow tunnel to get out of the back door. The Isthmian Premier now holds Worthing, a team that I did get to watch this season. Watch out for Ben Pope if he has maintained the quality that I saw in that one live match.
Kidlington from the Hellenic League are listed in the Southern League Central but so were Flackwell Heath last season and by the end of the summer they were back in the Hellenic. We shall see whether Kidlington go the same way. This league also contains teams from the South Midlands League, United Counties League and the Combined Counties League. How is that possible? I will work it out and if I remember I will let you know.
Bowers & Pitsea from the Essex Senior League and Norwich United from the Eastern Counties League are both listed in the Isthmian League Division One North. This is not part of my pyramid either but I may have to watch Great Wakering Rovers as they played on the pitch next to ours when I was a young up and coming hopeful shortly before I was a down and out loser and decided to focus on other things.
Greenwich Borough from the Southern Counties East League and Horsham from the Southern Combination League are now in the Isthmian League Division One South. I kept half an eye on this league while Worthing were there but I may now have to switch that half an eye on to Guernsey with the F.A. special rules requiring them to play home matches away or pay the travelling costs of visiting teams. I must check out what is happening in practice.
Right, I now have to switch my attention to the Arsenal match on Arsenal Player (unless I can find an illegal feed) and the National League play-off final between Forest Green Rovers and Grimsby. Thank you to my reader for your attention. I have noticed.
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