The Non - League thread

[Royal Rother]

I'm guessing 4 missed from 6 or 7 - and pretty much the same at the other end as it happens.

[Royalist]

Not able to make the games so is it just young players being inconsistent or something else?

[Royal Rother]

I'm no expert but fwiw I've already expressed my thoughts. I could well be wrong.

[Royalist]

Maybe i am wrong but a change of a coach for what a maximum of 2 training sessions ( if that) a week would only really have limited impact at non league level?

Like i say i don't go to games at the moment but surprised a coach will have that much of an effect.

[Royal Rother]

What else is going to influence how they play?

My son's U15 team has 1 session a week and a new coach has made a massive difference to them.

[AthleticoSpizz]

Darren Caskey newly appointed assistant manager at Gateshead (who now have Oster playing), whilst Nicky Forster is back and scoring with Lingfield...just in case you're interested

[Royalist]

Have to laugh at Chelmsford City putting a notice on their site that a number of players are on the transfer list for 'poor performance'!

What else is going to influence how they play?

My son's U15 team has 1 session a week and a new coach has made a massive difference to them.

But this is 'just' the coach/assistant not a new manager? It seems its mistakes costing windsor. Even the best coach in the world cannot stop individual mistakes?

[Royal Rother]

Listen, you might be right, but I would have thought the training sessions are organised by the coach first and foremost and it is he who is accountable for getting the manager's ideas / philosophy across.

Last year they did exceptionally well to finish 6th with a huge turnover of players (92 in all played for the 1st team including a good few who were clearly not ready / not good enough).

Despite injuries this season has been more settled with no very young players chucked in because there was no-one else available (that type of sink or swim approach was forced upon them last year) but there just seems to be something missing.

Your old hobby horse - I am told that some players are indeed playing Sunday League this year. At least one of those has also got a 5 a side team and is also a cage fighter in his spare time.... If they are all that active, maybe they're just plain knackered!

[Royalist]

Your old hobby horse - I am told that some players are indeed playing Sunday League this year. At least one of those has also got a 5 a side team and is also a cage fighter in his spare time.... If they are all that active, maybe they're just plain knackered!

[Four Of Clubs]

Draw for FA Cup 3rd Qualifying Round scheduled w/e 12th Oct {Southern bit}

12 Brackley Town or Gresley v Boston United
16 Maidstone United v Barton Rovers or Boreham Wood
17 Biggleswade Town v Leatherhead
18 Dover Athletic v AFC Rushden & Diamonds
19 Chipstead v Bishop’s Stortford
20 Horsham v Chatham Town
21 Concord Rangers v Histon
22 Hampton & Richmond Borough v Arlesey Town
23 Needham Market v AFC Sudbury
24 Staines Town v Sittingbourne
25 Lewes v Sutton United
26 St Albans City v Hayes & Yeading United or Tonbridge Angels
27 Hemel Hempstead Town or Witham Town v Dulwich Hamlet
28 AFC Hornchurch v Wealdstone
29 Canvey Island or St Neots Town v FC Clacton or North Greenford United
30 Ebbsfleet United v Eastbourne Borough or Farnborough
31 Bromley v Heybridge Swifts
32 Grays Athletic v Daventry Town
33 Cirencester Town v Weymouth or Bognor Regis Town
34 Weston Super Mare v Brislington
35 Eastleigh v Oxford City
36 Hartley Wintney v Clevedon Town
37 Bristol Manor Farm or Bridgwater Town v Bath City
38 Poole Town v Hungerford Town
39 Didcot Town v Shortwood United
40 Yate Town v Gloucester City or Havant & Waterlooville

[Royalist]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/24363625

Always found betting on NL games a bit iffy. When Windsor were in the Ryman Prem ( or was it southern!?) I'd always do pretty well as you'd know of injuries or luck or loss of form or influx of cash and new players before the bookies. Didn't make millions but did okay out of it!

[Terminal Boardom]

Have to laugh at Chelmsford City putting a notice on their site that a number of players are on the transfer list for 'poor performance'!

What else is going to influence how they play?

My son's U15 team has 1 session a week and a new coach has made a massive difference to them.

But this is 'just' the coach/assistant not a new manager? It seems its mistakes costing windsor. Even the best coach in the world cannot stop individual mistakes?

Listening to BBC Essex as I do most mornings on my way to work, there is a sorry tale here. Dean, or is it David Holdsworth was appointed manager in the summer and given a reasonable budget. They have had a poor start to the season (3rd bottom in the Conf South). They are also suffering from falling attendances and reduced corporate income streams. They had an emergency board meeting last night and the budget has been cut. There is a further meeting tonight so it will be interesting to hear about the developments. Ironically, it was Holdsworth who brought in practically a new squad who threw his toys out of the pram after Saturday's performance which resulted with a large number of the squad being made available for transfer or loan.


As for Windsor, I would put it down to a lack of concentration and discipline. Players are making individual errors of judgement which are costing us dear.

[Deadlock]

Guernsey 2-3 Dover Athletic

Well, I thought Dover would be too strong for the Green Lions. The match was played at the headquarters of Sussex FA at Lancing in front of a crowd of 324. If it had been played at Footes Lane it would have likely attracted 2-3,000. Sadly, the perils of sharing a ground with a rugby club made this impossible. GRC were playing at home on Saturday, and couldn't move their match as their opponents were not staying overnight in the island. Dover could not be convinced to play on Saturday evening after a bunch of cloggers had torn the pitch up, refused to play on the Friday evening as their players had to work, and declined to play on the Sunday because they didn't want to.

[Four Of Clubs]

This w/e's NL matches:

Fri 4th October
FA Trophy Preliminary
46 19:30 Horsham v Chipstead
WESSP
Winchester City v Sholing

Sat 5th Oct
FA Trophy Prelim
20 Evesham United v Market Drayton Town
21 Daventry Town v Sutton Coldfield Town
24 Rainworth MW v St Ives Town
25 VCD Athletic v Aylesbury
26 Redbridge v Chatham Town
27 Ware v Witham Town
28 Sittingbourne v Whitstable Town
29 Leighton Town v North Greenford United
30 Redhill v Burnham Ramblers
31 Royston Town v Three Bridges
33 Dunstable Town v Erith & Belvedere
34 Tooting & Mitcham United v Eastbourne Town
35 Barton Rovers v Peacehaven & Telscombe
36 Herne Bay v Merstham
37 Thurrock v Corinthian Casuals
38 Waltham Abbey v Walton & Hersham
39 Uxbridge v Heybridge Swifts
40 Potters Bar Town v Romford
41 Burgess Hill Town v Wroxham
42 Tilbury v Needham Market
43 AFC Sudbury v Worthing
44 Folkestone Invicta v Waltham Forest
45 Walton Casuals v Crawley Down Gatwick
47 Hythe Town v Aveley
49 Hastings United v Brentwood Town
50 Northwood v AFC Hayes
51 Leatherhead v Harlow Town
52 Mangotsfield United v Thatcham Town
53 Chalfont St Peter v Bridgwater Town
54 Fleet Town v Clevedon Town
55 Didcot Town v Cirencester Town
56 Merthyr Town v Yate Town
57 Swindon Supermarine v Taunton Town
58 Guildford City v Chertsey Town

... as Christof has pointed out below - somehow I've missed off the last 6 ties .. must be a quirk of copy/pasting out of PDF file?

- not sure why I didn't notice the wrong number of ties in this round - but would not have expected them to be 64 if its a Preliminary Round - presumably the number of byes fit very neatly into later 'draws'

Doesn't help that, for me, this particular competition rarely captures the NL imagination; in that its invariably a couple of big hitters from the CONF National/Premier in the Final. Plus for example the list above naturally has a prevalence of ties involving clubs in the same division/league - and that's the way it always seems to be, until the geographical 'seedings' are reduced later on - by which time its usually only STEP01 & 02 sides left in anyway!

..these are the missing half doz.

59 Tiverton Town v Cinderford Town
60 Godalming Town v Slough Town
61 Bishop’s Cleeve v Paulton Rovers
62 Egham Town v Ashford Town (Middx)
63 Wimborne Town v Marlow
64 Shortwood United v Beaconsfield SYCOB



CONF
Aldershot Town v Grimsby
Salisbury City v Wrexham
Southport v Woking
Welling v Barnet

CONFS
Basingstoke Town v Hayes & Yeading Utd
Bishops Stortford v Gosport Borough
Boreham Wood v Bromley
Chelmsford City v Bath City
Dover Athletic v Dorchester Town
Eastleigh v Concord Rangers
Farnborough v Whitehawk
Maidenhead United v Havant & Waterlooville
Sutton United v Eastbourne Borough
Tonbridge Angels v Staines Town
Weston-Super-Mare v Ebbsfleet United

SOUTHP
Burnham v Chippenham Town
Chesham United v Hinckley United
Hungerford Town v St Neots Town

CCLP
Alton Town v Croydon
Ash United v Molesey
Colliers Wood United v Cove
Epsom & Ewell v Badshot Lea
Frimley Green v Raynes Park Vale
Hanworth Villa v Chessington & Hook United
Hartley Wintney v Horley Town
Mole Valley SCR v Farnham Town
South Park v Bedfont Sports
Wembley v Windsor
Westfield v Camberley Town
RPM Records Division One Challenge Cup – 1st Round
AFC Croydon Athletic v Knaphill
CCL1
Bedfont & Feltham v Sandhurst Town
Dorking v Farleigh Rovers POSTPONED
(Fixture may be reversed and played at Farleigh Rovers FC – to be confirmed)
Epsom Athletic v Banstead Athletic
Sheerwater v CB Hounslow United
South Kilburn v Eversley & California
Spelthorne Sports v Cobham
Staines Lammas v Worcester Park

HELLENIC Challenge Cup R1
Woodley Town v Tytherington Rocks

HELLP
Abingdon Town v Bracknell Town
Cheltenham Saracens v Binfield
Highmoor Ibis v Wantage Town
Holyport v Highworth Town
Newbury v Flackwell Heath - I was at Faraday Rd on Tue night to watch a fairly listless Newbury lose to Holmer Gn in the County Trophy tie.
Reading Town v Kidlington - RTFC edged past Bracknell @ Larges La in the B&B on Tue
Shrivenham v Ascot United
Thame United v Abingdon United - Utd W4-0 vs neighbours and fellow strugglers Town midweek but was a B&B Trophy game - still sit bottom - 0 points
Wootton Bassett Town v Oxford City Nomads
HELL1W
Letcombe v Purton
HELL1E
Chinnor v Headington Amateurs
Finchampstead v Burnham Res
Henley Town v Maidenhead United Res
Rayners Lane v Didcot Town Res
Wokingham & Emmbrook v AFC Hinksey - tough one for Sumas vs high scoring divisional leaders

WESSP
Alresford Town v AFC Portchester
Whitchurch United v Brockenhurst
WESS1
Andover New Street v Petersfield Town
Pewsey Vale v Ringwood Town
Stockbridge v Hayling United
Team Solent v Tadley Calleva
United Services Portsmouth v Fleet Spurs


Sun 6th October
FA Trophy Prelim
32 Aylesbury United v Faversham Town
48 13:00 Barkingside v Guernsey

...for the first time in yonks I will NOT be going to football this w/e - unless I can stir myself for one of the Sunday Trophy ties. Foolishly agreed to accompany other half to some friend of hers' husbands' 80th B'day do (boat trip nr Henley meal etc)

[Christof]

Godalming Town v Slough Town (i.e. Godalming 2013 v most of Godalming 2012) on Sat as well...

Jumping ahead a week, Maidenhead Utd v Slough Town in the Berks & Bucks on Sat 12th Oct for the LOLs, as Slough's original opponents (Neil Shipperley's North Greenford Utd) are still in FA Cup contention...

[Four Of Clubs]

..this PM's scores...

FA Trophy Premilnary

Fri 4th October
46 Horsham 4-1 Chipstead
WESSP
Winchester City 0-3 Sholing


Saturday 5th October
FA Trophy Premilnary
20 Evesham United 3-1 Market Drayton Town
21 Daventry Town 1-0 Sutton Coldfield Town
24 Rainworth MW 0-1 St Ives Town
25 VCD Athletic 2-2 Aylesbury
26 Redbridge 2-3 Chatham Town
27 Ware 1-1 Witham Town
28 Sittingbourne 1-5 Whitstable Town
29 Leighton Town 0-3 North Greenford United
30 Redhill 1-3 Burnham Ramblers
31 Royston Town 1-3 Three Bridges
33 Dunstable Town 4-1 Erith & Belvedere
34 Tooting & Mitcham United 1-2 Eastbourne Town
35 Barton Rovers 0-3 Peacehaven & Telscombe
36 Herne Bay 0-0 Merstham
37 Thurrock 2-0 Corinthian Casuals
38 Waltham Abbey 2-1 Walton & Hersham
39 Uxbridge 1-2 Heybridge Swifts
40 Potters Bar Town 2-0 Romford
41 Burgess Hill Town 1-1 Wroxham
42 Tilbury 3-0 Needham Market
43 AFC Sudbury 2-0 Worthing
44 Folkestone Invicta 6-0 Waltham Forest
45 Walton Casuals 1-1 Crawley Down Gatwick
47 Hythe Town 2-1 Aveley
49 Hastings United 3-2 Brentwood Town
50 Northwood 2-3 AFC Hayes
51 Leatherhead 4-0 Harlow Town
52 Mangotsfield United 3-1 Thatcham Town
53 Chalfont St Peter 1-1 Bridgwater Town
54 Fleet Town 0-3 Clevedon Town
55 Didcot Town 1-1 Cirencester Town
56 Merthyr Town 0-0 Yate Town
57 Swindon Supermarine 3-0 Taunton Town
58 Guildford City 3-4 Chertsey Town
59 Tiverton Town 1-0 Cinderford Town
60 Godalming Town 1-2 Slough Town
61 Bishop’s Cleeve 1-4 Paulton Rovers
62 Egham Town 3-2 Ashford Town (Middx)
63 Wimborne Town 3-5 Marlow
64 Shortwood United 3-1 Beaconsfield SYCOB

CONF
Aldershot Town 0-3 Grimsby
Salisbury City 2-1 Wrexham
Southport 1-1 Woking
Welling 1-1- Barnet

CONFS
Basingstoke Town 0-1 Hayes & Yeading Utd
Bishops Stortford 4-0 Gosport Borough
Boreham Wood 1-1 Bromley
Chelmsford City 1-0 Bath City
Dover Athletic 1-0 Dorchester Town
Eastleigh 1-1 Concord Rangers
Farnborough 2-0 Whitehawk
Maidenhead United 1-3 Havant & Waterlooville
Sutton United 4-0 Eastbourne Borough
Tonbridge Angels 1-1 Staines Town
Weston-Super-Mare 0-6 Ebbsfleet United

SOUTHP
Burnham 4-1 Chippenham Town
Chesham United 3-0 Hinckley United
Hungerford Town 1-0 St Neots Town
Truro City 3-7 {SEVEN} St Albans

CCLP
Alton Town 2-3 Croydon
Ash United 2-0 Molesey
Colliers Wood United 1-3 Cove
Epsom & Ewell 3-4 Badshot Lea
Frimley Green 0-1 Raynes Park Vale
Hanworth Villa 2-1 Chessington & Hook United
Hartley Wintney 2-1 Horley Town
Mole Valley SCR 2-1 Farnham Town
South Park 5-3 Bedfont Sports
Wembley 1-2 Windsor
Westfield 1-1 Camberley Town
RPM Records Division One Challenge Cup – 1st Round
AFC Croydon Athletic 4-3 Knaphill
CCL1
Bedfont & Feltham 4-4 Sandhurst Town
Epsom Athletic 4-3 Banstead Athletic
Sheerwater 2-2 CB Hounslow United
South Kilburn 2-5 Eversley & California
Spelthorne Sports {EIGHT} 8-0 Cobham
Staines Lammas 4-0 Worcester Park

HELLENIC Challenge Cup R1
Woodley Town 1-3 Tytherington Rocks

HELLP
Abingdon Town 1-1 Bracknell Town
Cheltenham Saracens 2-1 Binfield
Highmoor Ibis 1-2 Wantage Town att 68
Holyport 1-2 Highworth Town
Newbury 1-7 Flackwell Heath
Reading Town 0-1 Kidlington
Shrivenham 1-4 Ascot United
Thame United 4-2 Abingdon United att115 Utd now 0 from 13 games
Wootton Bassett Town 0-1 Oxford City Nomads
HELL1W
Letcombe 0-7 {SEVEN} Purton
HELL1E
Chinnor 1-4 Headington Amateurs
Finchampstead 2-3 Burnham Res
Henley Town 1-3 Maidenhead United Res
Rayners Lane 6-4 Didcot Town Res
Wokingham & Emmbrook 2-2 AFC Hinksey att 78

WESSP
Alresford Town 2-2 AFC Portchester
Whitchurch United 1-1 Brockenhurst
WESS1
Andover New Street 2-6 Petersfield Town
Pewsey Vale 6-2 Ringwood Town
Stockbridge 3-1 Hayling United
Team Solent 5-1 Tadley Calleva
United Services Portsmouth 4-4 Fleet Spurs

[Terminal Boardom]

Couldn't be arsed to go to Wembley yesterday. Stupid hours at work coupled with no trains stopping locally meant a quiet day at home doing sensible stuff.

Today though, a different story. We popped over to Barkingside v Guernsey to see what the fuss was about. Talk about differing styles. Guernsey were way too good for their hosts whose only tactic was an aimless hoof up front to a lump of a centre forward. Guernsey meanwhile insisted on keeping the ball down and play with width. Lots of width. I haven't seen full backs play so far forward in the time I have been watching NL football. The wingers also stayed quite wide which pulled Barkinside's awful defence all over the place. That the final score was 6-0 siad more about the state of the pitch than anything else.

One comment behind me from a local was that Ryman 1 South was at least 2 steps better than 1 North. Also got to meet the guy who runs the excellent http://hoppysnaps.blogspot.co.uk/ website. His collection of photos of non league grounds is impressive and well worth the look if you like that sort of thing.

[Four Of Clubs]

Today though, a different story. We popped over to Barkingside v Guernsey to see what the fuss was about. Talk about differing styles. Guernsey were way too good for their hosts whose only tactic was an aimless hoof up front to a lump of a centre forward. Guernsey meanwhile insisted on keeping the ball down and play with width. Lots of width. I haven't seen full backs play so far forward in the time I have been watching NL football. The wingers also stayed quite wide which pulled Barkinside's awful defence all over the place.

...nice one TB

Just to round off things FA Trophy; in the other tie this PM at Leighton FC -- Aylesbury Utd 4-2 Faversham.

Few games locally this MW:-

Tuesday 8th Oct
B&B Trophy Windsor v Wantage - could be tough one if the 'Freds send their full strength XI - though they have had availability and injury problems particularly in defence. Evidently were resilient enough to see off Highmoor/IBIS on Sat. Watch out for Hellenic Monster Jimmy Deabill up front. The two support forwards are pretty nippy though and play well off of him.
..last season this Trophy was made nonsensical by the use of unregistered players - clearly several clubs hadn't checked - the Trophy itself was withheld for 12-13 - with at least three out of the four semi-finalists transgressing and I believe there were even doubts cast about the fourth. Seems the malaise is ongoing this term; with Aylesbury FC already turfed out of the B&B Cup and Marlow have been re-instated.

CONF Prem: Aldershot v Luton, Woking v Barnet
CONF S: Eastbourne Boro v Farnboro

SOUTH Prem: Burnham v Redditch, Hungerford v Banbury, Chesham v Cam City - in S1S&W section Thatcham host leaders Nor Lye

FA Trophy replays for Diddy and Chalfont St P - both away @ Cirencester & Bridgwater

Hartley Wintney welcome Havant & W from CONF South for a Hants Cup Tie 19:30 KO
..in the CCL Prem: Cove host Molesey , South Park go top if they can bt Chessington & Hook, Farnham travel to Horley
.. in the Hellenic Prem - RTFC face a tough match up at Ardley one place and three points behind them, with games in hand but 'Town' could themselves go top with a win; Highmoor/IBIS travel to Highworth; Holyport and Newbury battle for vital points at the wrong end of the table whilst Ab. Utd host much improved Shrivenham as they seek their first league points.

On Wed night Binfield face a tricky obstacle up at Court Place FM vs current 2nd placed Oxford City Nomads - Nomads on their day can be a level above anyone in this league but presumably aren't sure who is available from one match to the next.

[Wax Jacket]

Also got to meet the guy who runs the excellent http://hoppysnaps.blogspot.co.uk/ website. His collection of photos of non league grounds is impressive and well worth the look if you like that sort of thing.

well there goes any chance of me doing any work today

[Four Of Clubs]

RE Tonights Trophy game at Stag Meadow

...just noticed on the Wantage website they have several players back from injury but sadly NOT Big Jimmy D.

Might well pop along now anyway as its one of my closest options - providing everyone's paperwork is in good order!