End of June, Beginning of July

 Provisional Selections in the middle of summer:

MEN

0) Arsenal

1) Brentford

2) Southampton

3) Exeter City

4) Wrexham

5) Southend United

6) Worthing

7) Tiverton

8) Exmouth Town

9) Buckland Athletic

10) Bovey Tracey

11) Elmore

12) Buckfastleigh Rangers

13) Buckfastleigh Rangers II

14) Bovey Tracey II

15) Liverton United

16) Liverton United II

WOMEN

0) Arsenal

1) Bristol City

2) Southampton

3) Plymouth Argyle

4) Exeter City

5) Sherborne

6) Juventus Devon

7) Shaldon Villa

 It remains to be seen whether all teams start in the divisions that they have been allocated to.

Level 9 Provisional Selections

 Combined Counties Premier League North: One name pops out.

9CPN=Wembley

I guess they do not play at Wembley stadium.

Combined Counties Premier League South: Another name pops out.

9CPS=Jersey Bulls

If I can get out to watch a home game I will do.

Eastern Counties League Premier Division: Not an obvious choice but I once drove past the city wanting to visit the cathedral but I was late for an appointment so I never did. If I ever go back I can watch the team and maybe visit the cathedral.

9ECP=Ely City

Essex Senior League: Still the sore thumb in the F.A.'s plan to get all county leagues at level 11. My birth county holds lots of memories and there are some lovely villages. Are there any that I would like to go back to?

9ESL=Saffron Walden Town

On the basis that this is a very picturesque village.

The Hellenic League has always been a mystery particularly the four divisions two which do not seem to promote clubs. I think I shall just have to pick a team on the basis that I like the name.

9HLP=Slimbridge

I want to go there and see how slim the bridge actually is.

The Midland League always held a fascination for me as teams headed in and out from all around but I have settled on a team that changed divisions a lot when I first started my blog.

9MLP=Tividale

I looked at the list of names in the North West Counties League and my focus hit Bury AFC but I have read that they recently merged with Bury FC and are headed back to Gigg Lane so they are favourites.

I then saw another name that, based on previous selections, I really ought to add to my list. FC Isle of Man are a team from "not the mainland" and the appeal of watching a match over there is strong. Then there is Kendal Town and a trip to the Lake District. Finally Ramsbottom United which is where I have some relatives so that clinches it.

9NWP=Ramsbottom United

The Northern Counties East League contains a few names that mean nothing but I know a place in that region that I have visited several times and which also contains Mother Shipton's Cave.

9NEP=Knaresborough Town

The Northern League is another headache for the F.A. that seems to be gradually working itself out. There are no obvious choices here so I got to the end of the akphabetical list without a selection, consequently I have chosen.

9NL1=Whitley Bay

The Southern Combination League has some familiar names in it but probably just because I have driven through at some point in time. I do like the sea, though, so I am going for:

9SCP=Shoreham

The Southern Counties East League which was converted from the Kent League during the time of my blogging has a few names that are possible selections: Fisher, Glebe, Kennington, Lordswood, Snodland Town, I once had a mate that lived in Faversham so:

9SEP=Faversham Town

The Spartan South Midlands League caused me a few problems early on until I understood the merger.

I think I will go for the advertisement here. The answer is "Drink it warm mate" so what is the question? What is the best way to Cockfosters?

9SMP=Cockfosters

We venture further away from me for the United Counties Premier League North. Having been through the list I ended up at the end but then I remembered a long lost friend who was brought up there.

9UPN=Wisbech Town

Once again I checked the list of names and ended up with the last one.

9UPS=Yaxley

The Wessex League presented few obvious choices but I once spent a nice weekend in

9WXP=Sherborne Town

The Western League has been part of my pyramid since the project started and I know the ground well. I hope to visit there early in the season for an F.A.Cup match. I usually do.

9WLP=Buckland Athletic

That concludes the sixteen picks at level nine.

My provisional selections

 My selections usually do change somewhere along the line during the summer.

I had a workman decorating my house last week and he has persuaded me to follow Southampton next season. So Plymouth, and I was not really happy supporting Plymouth, are out and Southampton are in.

The list (provisional) is now as follows:

0=Arsenal

1=Brentford

2=Southampton

3=Exeter City

4=Wrexham

5=Southend United

6N=Tamworth

6S=Worthing

7IL=Hashtag United

7NP=Macclesfield

7SC=Bromsgrove Sporting

7SS=Tiverton Town

There is still plenty of time to change the level 7 picks but I think 1 through 6 are pretty firmed up.

There is a prior post for all my level 8 picks and I will just run through the allocations to see if I want to make any changes at this early stage.

8I1N=Brentwood Town

8ISC=Guernsey

8ISE=Lancing

8NPE=North Ferriby

8NPW=Vauxhall Motors

8NPM=Quorn

8S1C=Hadley

8S1S=Exmouth Town

So NO changes yet.

I have a lot more teams to follow next season and we have not even started on levels 9 and 10.

Level 8 Step 4

 At level 8 we have a 3 and a 3 and a 2. The F.A. insists on running eight divisions at this level because it works in their limited imaginations and in spite of the shape of the country and the number of teams in each area. In a perfect world this would work perfectly but guess what? The world is not perfect and the country is shaped like a triangle.

Boost the higher levels by making the system a 1-3-9-27 league system which is ready made for some swerves east, west, north and south. Sorry, I know that is too complicated for the tiny minds at the F.A.

So we start with the Isthmian League North where I have many childhood memories. Basildon United, Bowers & Pitsea, Grays Athletic and even Enfield. Malden & Tiptree was the area for a childhood coach trip every year. I have decided on the easy access from the M25

8IN=Brentwood Town

The Isthmian League South Central division shouted out a couple of choices. Since I have run this blog I have always loved the name Badshot Lea. One day I hope to watch them when they have a player called Leigh or Lee in the team and when he hits a skyer out of the ground I can shout "Bad Shot Leigh". The team I have gone for, though, as I would like a trip out there to watch them is Guernsey.

8ISC=Guernsey

The Isthmian League South East immediately threw up a team that I have driven through countless times when visiting my mother in Worthing. The only choice is Lancing.

8ISE=Lancing

The Northern Premier League is a long way from home here but I have watched a few You Tube videos over the years and have picked a few favourites. The Northern Premier League West was probably the hardest one to pick from and I chose Vauxhall Motors as I have driven a Vauxhall for many years now.

8NPW=Vauxhall Motors

The Northern Premier League East was tricky until I spotted an old favourite thar made a meteoric rise up the leagues and then disappeared. They are back again and moving on up again so my choice is North Ferriby.

8NPE=North Ferriby

My Northern Premier League Midlands pick is completely arbitrary as I am told it is good for me. I have chosen Quorn.

8NPM=Quorn

Six down and two to go. The Southern League only has two divisions at this level and you have to ask how that works when the Southern League has two divisions at level 7. The Southern League Central division One caused me problems but I found a team called Hadley and I remember my cricket team playing their cricket team many years ago when we enjoyed an overly good evening after the match before driving home.

8S1C=Hadley

My local division at this level is the Southern League Division One South and I have a favourite team in the local area that I will not change. They are on the up and that team is Exmouth Town.

8S1S=Exmouth Town

Eight teams to follow at level 8 but with the focus on Exmouth Town.

Level 7 Step 3

 The last few posts have shown the final 2022-23 tables with a brief explanation of my choices for the 2023-24 season. From hereon in (apart from the WOMEN which have not been covered yet) I shall concentrate on the coming season.

My Level 7, Step 3 pick for 2023-24 will come from the Southern League Premier South Division but as my original idea was to pick a team from every league in the country let me nominate a team from each of the Level Seven leagues.

In the Northern Premier League Premier Division it was between two clubs that have received a lot of publicity and it is publicity that I need to follow them online.

FC United of Manchester have been progressing since they were formed as a reaction against the ownership of Manchester United. They came clos but I am going with newly promoted Macclesfield as Robbie Savage will make sure I hear all about them.

7NP=Macclesfield

In the Isthmian League Premier Division I know so many teams from my youth. Canvey and Concord came into the reckoning and Billericay received my support when I suggested a firm that employed me sponsor them. I settled, though, on Hashtag United as they had a great online presence when I looked them up originally.

7IP=Hashtag United

The Southern League has two divisions at this level which is part of the F.A. attempt to squeeze a triangular peg into a square hole of their own design. For the Premier Central I looked at Coalville Town and Nuneaton Borough  that are both close to my National League North pick of Tamworth. In the end I have gone for club nearest to me which is just off the M5.

7SC=Bromsgrove Sporting

I have been following the Southern League Premier South for a few seasons now and although I have considered many other clubs I keep coming back to Tiverton Town who have improved their online presence. I will stick with them for another season.

7SS=Tiverton Town

I can monitor the results of all these teams but reports may be restricted due to me stretching myself thin.

National League South 2022-23

 I have so many choices at this level. I was following Worthing during the past season.

Worthing are in the playoff places and I see no reason to change for the coming season.

I think a key player here is Harrison Male, the goalkeeper. He trained as a junior at Leeds United and has played for the England C team. I am sure he is a key player in the results Worthing have achieved.

6S=Worthing

National League South from Non League Matters

This coming season I will follow a team from the National North and one from the National South.

The top five levels of the PYRAMID and National League North 2022-23

 It would be so much easier if I restricted myself to following just the top five levels of football and my decisions for next season are now unlikely to change:

0=Arsenal

1=Brentford

2=Plymouth Argyle

3=Exeter City

4=Wrexham

5=Southend United

BUT that is not why I started this blog as I wanted to learn about the rest of the football pyramid but when I started I found that there is so much more than I could include but I have to stop somewhere. Since I started this blog the Women's Pyramid has firmed up and I now watch various women's teams as well. I have excluded Wales and Scotland although I may have to follow Wrexham women through the Welcome to Wrexham shows.

I once considered following a team from every single league in the country but that would be far too many and would take up way too much time. I do have a valid reason for adding another team to my list for the coming season. Tamworth came back to the National League North and I have a cousin who lives in the town. I did once promise to accompany her husband to the football sometime and this seems like a good season so I should get to know about the lambs.

6N=Tamworth

National League North from Non League Matters

Tamworth join this league as a newly promoted club.