A number of teams from Level 9 Step 5 have been moved up to Level 8 Step 4 and as a result now qualify for the F.A.Trophy but I cannot always see the logic for those promotions. The Football Association, as we know, is a law unto itself and it will do whatever the hell it wants no matter how many teams come to harm.
Hashtag United who finished top of the Essex Senior League will be competing in the Isthmian League North when the new season starts and they are certainly worth their place. What is not quite so clear is that Stowmarket Town from the Eastern Counties League will be part of the same division although they only finished eleventh. I have just checked back and they finished top of the Eastern Counties League in 2019-20 so that is an explanation but maybe their promotion is a year too late particularly if the players have changed.
In the Isthmian League South Central the two new teams are Binfield from the Hellenic League who were also runners-up in the F.A.Vase competition this season, and Sutton Common Rovers from the Combined Counties League. This season Sutton Common Rovers finished top of the Combined Counties League while Binfied ended the season in second place in the Hellenic League.
The Isthmian League South East has one team from the Southern Counties East League and one from the Southern Combination. Corinthian finished second in the Southern Counties East League while Lancing finished eighth in the Southern Combination. Checking the 2019-20 tables Corinthian have finished second for two seasons running now but Lancing won the Southern Combination last season.
The Northern Premier League has undergone reconstruction with the addition of another division at step 4 level 8. Six new teams come into the Northern Premier League East with three from the Northern League and three from the Northern Counties East League. Good luck to Hebburn Town, Shildon and Stockton Town from the Northern League and best wishes to Bridlington Town, Liversedge and Yorkshire Amateur from the Northern Counties East League.
The Northern Premier League Midlands is a new division and two teams have been sucked up from the lower level. Sporting Khalsa are in from the Midlands League and Shepshed Dynamo have been promoted from the United Counties League.
Three teams from the North West Counties league are joining the Northern Premier League West so it is best wishes to 1874 Northwich, Bootle and Warrington Rylands who won the F.A.Vase this season.
The Southern League Division One Central benefits from the addition of Colney Heath who step up from the Spartan South Midlands League. I got slightly confused for a minute but it is other Colney, London Colney who finished rock bottom of the league.
The Southern League Division One South is being reduced to 19 teams because of other movements but the new teams are Lymington Town from the Wessex League and Plymouth Parkway from the Western League. Both these teams finished in the top two places.
There are massive changes at Step 5 Level 9 so that can be a complete other post. I am sure the F.A. will have upset many teams with this restructure but it may be for the best if travelling costs are actually reduced in total. I will search for the team most likely to suffer from the changes.
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