National League 2022-23

 I was following Torquay United at this level and noticed one Dean Moxey was playing for the Gulls. I used to watch him at Exeter when he was one of the best players on the field. He was so good that I was not surprised to see him sought after by teams at a higher level.

He was part of the team that went to Old Trafford in the third round of the F.A.Cup in January 2005 where Exeter won 0-0. He was man of the match when Exeter earned promotion in the Conference play-off final of 2008.

He played for Derby County and was impressive enough that he earned a move to Crystal Palace.

With Crystal Palace he reached the semi-final of the League Cup but was released at the end of the 2013-14 season.

He returned to Exeter in 2017 and in 2020 was in the League Two playoff final at Wembley.

In September 2020 he joined Torquay United.

National League table from Non League Matters

With Torquay dropping off the end of the world I need to pick a new team for the new season. I have read that Southend United owe the taxman a lot of money, they are looking for new owners, and there are plans to build a new stadium so even if the football is dire I will have a lot to keep me interested.

5=Southend United

That concludes the professional leagues.

( There are rumours that there are still three part time teams here but it is still a professional league)

Football League Two 2022-23

 I dipped in and out of Swindon Town during the season without ever really following them although I know that the superstar of the squad was Harry McKirdy with his long flowing locks. The only other note I have is a funny name and who would not question George Cowmeadow about where his name came from. I am not invested so will be changing my pick at this level.

I looked at all the options from top to bottom and was beginning to despair of finding an obvious choice but right at the end of the alphabetically compiled list I found the one.

4=Wrexham

I think coverage will be excellent with self publicists Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney at the helm. I can see them causing the ructions that I know the British football authorities need to shake them out of their cozy "we are in charge, do as you are told" attitude. Many football clubs have suffered at the hands of the football authorities and whilst I understand some of the issues I do agree with Shaun Harvey when he implies that there is a lot of narrow mindedness and short termism in football.

I am seriously looking forward to the Wrexham journey and I hope that it does not end too quickly when the two American stars find out how much hatred they are going to receive from other clubs in the football league. Hopefully the enthusiasm of the football fans will carry them through the tough times.

League Two table from Sports Mole

My pick for next season is newly promoted WREXHAM and they already have some ambitious fixtures organised before the start of next season:

Football League One 2022-23

My pick, Exeter City, had a mixed season typified by the 7-0 win against Cheltenham in the Carabao Cup then at the end of the season a 6-0 defeat away to Ipswich. Looking through the results we were always consistently inconsistent. There can only be one pick at this level and it is Exeter, my home city.

3=Exeter City

League One table from Sports Mole

Exeter have already announced their pre-season fixture list. Every match is away against theoretically weaker opposition.

Football League Championship 2022-23

 I did not really become invested with Bristol City.

When I check back the last match I watched involved Blackpool and a 3-3 draw when Antoine Semenyo scored as did Tommy Conway and Nahki Wells made an impression also. This was in August 2022 when my enthusiasm for the sport of football is at its highest having missed it all summer.

I think it is time for change (another change) at this level. Let me look at my options.

The obvious choice is newly promoted Plymouth Argyle who are just down the road. I could also pick Cardiff City for the night life after the matches but it would involve the Severn Bridge. Hull is where I went to university many years ago so I know the area a little bit. There are Leeds, Leicester and also Southampton as I know them from the Premier League. How about Sheffield Wednesday. I remember drinking at the top of the hill then walking down to Hillsborough. Sunderland is the final option as their fans are so passionate about the club (I know one). I think it has to be Plymouth.

2=Plymouth Argyle (Exeter's deadly rivals but not this season)

Championship table from Sports Mole:

Premier League 2022-23

 I have enjoyed this season for two main reasons.

Arsenal have finally got back to winning ways albeit that the season finished slightly disappointingly with City taking us close to the finish. We have made up for years of poor performances with some magical games and some average games but few major disasters. The only real problem being a 4-1 defeat to Manchester City who are one of the greatest teams ever to have been assembled.

Brentford, my Premier League pick for the season did the double over Manchester City and still ended up in 9th place so explain that one to me if you can. My favourite moments of the season have been watching Brentford "over performing" although having watched them in the Championship I am using the pundits words rather than my own. I knew when they beat Arsenal at the start of the season last year that they are well worth their position in the Premier League. I had doubts about David Raya, the goalkeeper, but he has certainly stepped up this season. It will be sad to see him go. He has been an inspiration to the rest of the team.

I see no reason to change my selections for next season :  0=Favourite team, 1=Premier League Pick.

0=Arsenal (always will be)

1=Brentford (inspirational) Thank You Thomas Frank.

Premier League table from Sports Mole.

Level 10 Wessex League & Western League

 The final two leagues from level 10 are published here:

That concludes the Level 10 leagues with all the playoff results. I have brought the data together in this blog for those who just want to look and see what has been going on.

Level 10 Spartan South Midlands League & United Counties League

 Two of the leagues that are stuck in the middle so can take teams from all around when the F.A. decides to shovel them out of other leagues. I understand the F.A. but I disagree with impositions.

Nearly there now with all the level 10 leagues. One more post to go. The F.A. in a statement I read recently absolve themselves from any interest in the transfers from Level 10 to Level 11 and vice versa. This is in spite of the fact that I read the pyramid officially ends at Level 11 (County Leagues).

Level 10 Southern Combination & Southern Counties East League

 The South East corner of the country is covered here:

The top two from each of these divisions will be promoted which is how it should be and would be if it were not for the money that playoff matches attract at the end of the season.

Level 10 South West Peninsula League

 The South West Peninsula League is the last remaining league with the top division at Level 10. The F.A. ordered discussions to take place so that the Western League would absorb these divisions but I heard that talks broke down. There will come a time when the F.A. impose a decision from the top but it would be better if agreement could be reached.

Living in the area this was always my favourite league as it bridged the gap between professional level 10 and amateur level 11. I remember watching a team and paying £3 entry one season then when they were relegated the entry was free. I felt this was a way for clubs to learn about the professional levels without having to commit to losing money.

The top team from the east and the top team from the west are the only two teams to be promoted up to the Western League.

Brixham & St Blazey should both feature in the Western League Premier Division next season.

Level 10 Northern Counties East League & Northern League

 From the top end of the country:

Campion & Rossington Main going up in the Northern Counties East League, and in the Northern League we have Boro Rangers & Birtley Town being promoted.

Level 10 North West Counties League Divisions One North & One South

 This was one of the recent expansions at this level.

The top two from the North division and the lowest playoff qualifier from the South division.

Level 10 Hellenic League & Midland League

 I linked these two leagues at level 9 so I will do so again at level 10:

I look forward to seeing where the bottom three teams from each league end up.

Level 10 Eastern Counties League Divisions One North and One South

 There are two level 10 divisions in this league, one is subsidiary to the Essex Senior League. I approve because there was always the anomaly of Essex clubs having to jump from level 11 to level 9 in the past.

You can work out the promoted teams for yourselves in this league.

Level 10 Combined Counties League Division One

The first of the level 10 leagues to be published here is the Combined Counties League.

 

Sandhurst Town & Rayners Lane are the two promoted teams. I do not yet know how that works with two teams coming down from the Premier Division North and another two coming down from the Premier Division South. I am sure the Football Association have some nefarious plan to move some teams to other leagues. We shall see.

Non League Matters

 I wish to extend my heartfelt thanks to the website "Non League Matters" that I use on a regular basis and although there were bits missing when I started using it I think it is now more accurate than ever. It has certainly helped me to identify level 11 and level 12 leagues which used to be a nightmare. It all depended on how deep the league above ran but there have been moves over the past few seasons to clarify the divide between level 10 and level 11.

I am sad to have lost two of my favourite leagues, the East Midlands Counties League and the West Midlands (Regional) League. I am intrigued that there still exists the Central Midlands League North and Central Midlands League South at Level 11 because Level 11 is supposed to be the County Leagues. Maybe the teams in those two leagues could be merged into nearby leagues to create the extra level 10 leagues needed to take the number to 32. Time will tell.

I urge anyone who uses the website as often as me to contribute a few pennies or pounds to keep this valuable resource going. It is not as expensive as running a football club but it still costs and we should keep it going for the next generation of passionate football fans as they grow up and realise that there is much football beyond the top 5 levels of the pyramid. The semi-professional game extends for another 5 levels where players can receive from £25 to £200 per match and sometimes more.

Thank you NON LEAGUE MATTERS.

Level 11 = The BASE of the recognised pyramid (County Leagues)

 I am about half way through updating the County Leagues.

BUT

I am going to stop now to watch the coronation procession.

Level 10 continues

 The level 10 league playoffs are still ongoing for some of the leagues and I do not intend to publish this lot twice. What I will say is that the F.A. still have a way to go with this level of football. 

I have found 17 leagues at this level and the F.A. clearly want 32 leagues to fit their pattern of a doubling at every level. They may have to settle for a one to one match at the moment. The only exception is the South West Peninsula League which has two equal leagues feeding into the Western League. It will do for now but the intention has to be to grow the professional ranks with teams coming in. New teams start up every year and few teams go out of business. We shall see over time what happens here.

So far no problems discovered but I am only part way through my playoff analysis and it should be a simple task to promote 2 teams up to their parent division. What could go wrong?

Level 9 Wessex League & Western League

 Bemerton Heath Harlequins were one of the three teams selected for automatic promotion:

Bristol Manor Farm retain their place in the Southern League Division One South.

Level 9 Spartan South Midlands League & United Counties League

Stuck in the middle with three leagues:

 

So it looks like Stotfold and Rugby Town will join the Northern Premier League Midland Division and Quorn will join the Isthmian League North Division. Let me check my map ...

That makes no sense at all so I suggest that the teams will all be mixed up which makes me wonder how the Inter League fixtures were arranged in the first place.

Level 9 Southern Combination League & Southern Counties East League

 The counties of Sussex and Kent feature in the next two leagues:

Phoenix Sports are promoted to the Isthmian League South East Division.

Level 9 North West Counties League, Northern Counties East League & Northern League

 I have grouped the North West, North East and North into this single post:

So Winterton Rangers move into the Isthmian League North, Avro move into the Northern Premier League East Division and Ashington move into the Northern Premier League West Division.

Level 9 Hellenic League & Midland League

The Hellenic League & The Midland League are two separate leagues but alphabetically they follow each other so I have grouped them in this post:

   

So Malvern Town move into the Southern League Division One Central and Lye Town move into the Northern Premier League Midlands Division.

Level 9 Eastern Counties League & Essex Senior League

 I have combined these two leagues because of what the F.A. have done at level 10. The Eastern Counties League South Division is now the feeder league for the Essex Senior League.

Redbridge move up to the Isthmian League South East Division.

Level 9 Combined Counties League

 There are two divisions at level 9 for this league:

I shall be watching to see where Badshot Lea end up. One of my favourite team names.

Level 9 Complications

I started checking the Level 9 leagues and realised that the F.A. has achieved their aim of having 16 leagues at this level. They do not, however, match up with the leagues at level 8 so I was interested to see the match-ups for the playoff games. The one that hit my attention was Great Wakering Rovers (Essex) versus Quorn (Midlands) which seemed to be the playoff for the Isthmian League North Division. Are they really going to extend the Isthmian League into the Midlands?

With Skelmersdale United being ejected from the Northern Premier League Division One West and North Shields being ejected from the Northern Premier League Division One East (I thought it was hard enough to get Northern League teams to join the system without throwing them out once they DO join), I can only find one team joining each league from Level 9 so I am going to be watching with interest to see how they manage this situation. We now need two new teams for each of these leagues (or reprieves for relegated sides).

I have assumed where two of the automatically promoted teams fit. I have put Rugby Town into the Northern Premier League Midlands Division and I have put Bemerton Heath Harlequins into the Southern League One South Division. This leaves Badshot Lea from the Combined Counties League Premier South Division with nowhere to go. There has to be some fiddling ... There always is!

Armed with this information I publish the Level 9 tables with playoff results. League by League. 

Level 8 Isthmian League

 I am glad I started with this league as it was all so straightforward. The playoffs worked as expected and the Inter League Playoffs also went as expected although I have no idea how Great Wakering ended up playing Quorn. I must do some more research and if I find out I will let you know.

Here are the tables and playoff matches:

And that concludes the level 8 tables.

Level 8 Northern Premier League

 I worked on this before I worked on the Southern League and I had presumed that the teams finishing fourth from bottom had been reprieved as a result of other teams higher up the leagues dropping out but it seems that it was all down to PPG. Get some mathematical boffins on the case. Was it?

I collected the statement from North Shields FC:

North Shields Football Club regret to inform supporters that after failing to have stipulated ground improvements in place that the FA have relegated us from Step 4.

The club has provided extensive evidence to the Football Association with the plans in place and proof of funds as well as a very strong appeal put in place has been rejected by the FA.

We are disappointed to say that club will now be relegated from Step 4 after a highly successful season and will be competing in Step 5.

We will make a further statement regarding next season once we hear steps from The FA.

The club would like to thank our supporters & sponsors for their understanding and patience throughout this lengthy process.

The club will not be making any further comments at this time.

I also copied an image from the Skelmersdale Twitter feed: 

So two clubs have been ousted due to ground grading issues and the reprieves were not because of this but they were down to PPG (Points Per Game).

Here are the final tables and playoff matches:

There WAS method in the madness. The Midlands division is as per plan but the other two divisions have already lost a side so (down to PPG) the sides fourth from bottom are reprieved.

Level 8 Southern League

 Let me start with the Southern League Division One Central. Harlow Town resigned from the league during the season leaving only 19 teams to play out the full fixture list. Where there is a league that is short of teams it has been common practice to reprieve the team in the last relegation place but not this time. Highworth Town and Barton Rovers were both required to play Inter-League Playoff matches and the lower of the two teams, Barton Rovers, survived the playoff while Highworth Town lost. No doubt there is a rule somewhere and the F.A. love rules that do not make any sense.

Now for the Southern League Division One South. All 20 teams completed the season so that should have meant that Bristol Manor Farm and Bideford would be involved in the Inter-League Playoffs. I could not understand why Bideford had not been given a fixture and it took me all the way to Twitter before I could find a reason for the decision. Here it is straight from the Bideford Twitter feed:

We’re delighted to announce that we will remain in the Southern League next season as we are one of three teams with the highest PPG across Step 4. Therefore we will not face a relegation playoff game.

So with those two contrasting situations I can now publish the Southern League Level 8 Divisions:

So there you have it. Two playoff games in a league with 19 teams and one playoff game in a league with 20 teams. How I love the thinking of the Football Association.

Complications created by the Football Association

 The top four divisions of the Football Pyramid are easy to understand as they are explained by television on a regular basis and even level 5, the National League, is just and extension of the first four levels to all intents and purposes which is why the Football League have suggested incorporating it into their setup to the exclusion of all other clubs.

Levels 6 and 7 are not single league levels so complications can arrive if, say, four southern teams or four northern teams are relegated from the National League. Three from one half or the country and one from the other means that one side has to transfer to even things up but that can be simple compared to what goes on further down the leagues and levels.

I encountered a number of issues at Level 8, varying in nature from league to league but I think I have worked them out now so I can continue with my league listings then maybe take a break before the much more complex levels 9 and 10. It should all be so simple but to be fair to the Football Association they are trying to work things out now using a 1-2-4-8 league format from level 5 to level 8.

Let's stop there before I get on my high horse about lower levels but you may be interested in the issues I found with level 8. As a result of these I shall post about each league separately and try to make things as plain as a dundee cake. I do love this time of year and that is before all the reprieves and transfers and voluntary relegations. Summer is great fun.

Level 7 Final tables

 The final tables for the level 7 leagues together with the playoff matches are as follows:

I have not really followed Tiverton Town as closely as I wanted to as my pick for this level. What else have I picked up? Tamworth are back in the National League as are Weston-super-Mare, both teams that I have followed in the past. Warrington Town have made it following their F.A.Cup exploits at Level 8 and Aveley are the surprise package. Next season could be interesting.

National League North & South Final tables

 Level 6 is the National League North and the National League South. Here are the final tables:

I have not had the time I used to make in previous seasons to follow this level and I have been unwell as well as looking after my granddaughter so I have not visited my mother much (she lives in Worthing) which has disappointed me. I am pleased, though, that Worthing have a chance of going up as they were cruelly denied deserved promotions during the Covid years.

National League Final Table

 The Premier League and EFL (English Football League) are still going but the National League has completed so I can now start to look at the playoffs for promotion:

I have been caught up in some of the You Tube entries about Wrexham so although this is already at Level 5 (not level 11 which the pyramid extends to) it will be fascinating to follow the journey that our two celebrities go on.

Torquay and Yeovil are both on my local news so sad to see them relegated but I may be able to get in a little cheaper next season. Scunthorpe from the north and Maidstone from the South are the other two relegated teams.