The Non - League thread

[Tad Showbiz]

I'm going to take in the FA Vase tie Reading Town v Larkhall. Very likely to be more away supporters than home ones unless a few hundred others are also giving the Hull game a miss!

[Four Of Clubs]

I'm going to take in the FA Vase tie Reading Town v Larkhall. Very likely to be more away supporters than home ones unless a few hundred others are also giving the Hull game a miss!

...their own website states their coach is 'full-ish' - doesn't say how big the coach is though - elsewhere on the news section they describe RTFC thus:

First team manager Wayne Thorne commented: 'We are expecting a hard battle against a technically gifted side but the belief and hunger are back and the players are ready and looking forward to the challenge'.

...looking at their recent form, I'd expect them to be harder to beat on their own patch (a lovely ground by the way up in the hills overlooking Bath - they're in for a shock at Stalag Scours )- rattled in 14 goals in the last four home games but lost their last away match at Corsham who are 2nd bottom - they also lost at Sherborne who are now bottom but that was back in August.

Not sure how many cup competitions they've been in recently but they only played one league game in December - has been very wet around Brizzle and Bath ( ) and they might be a bit 'undercooked' though they have done well in the Vase - bt Slimbridge, who are currently a few places above RTFC in the Hellenic Prem, 4-0 in an earlier round. They then took replays to get past Ilfracombe and Bodmin.

Interestingly enough (or not) the top three Western Premier sides are still in the Vase. The Hellenic have four in the last 32 including OWT from Div One ; the CCL have one ; SSML has two (also includes a STEP06 side) and the Wessex one - there are also a couple more from Sussex & Kent leagues.

Unfortunately RFC are at home when the 5th Round is due too (11th Feb) but I'm hoping a few of the above survive to the Quarter Finals where I might be able to resume interest - be nice for someone to break the northern/eastern monopoly of late in this competition - I think only Chalfont St P and Chertsey have got to the 5th Round or beyond in recent times since the Truro v Totton Final in 06/07.

[Tad Showbiz]

Reading Town out of the FA Vase after an entertaining 3-2 loss to Larkhall Athletic.

Both sides looked fairly well matched though Larkhall had a bit more width with an attacking 442 formation with Town lining up with a 433. The first half was dominated by the windy conditions but Town failing to take advantageof thw wind behind their backs. Larkhall took the lead after about 20 minutes, a cross into an almost empty penalty area the Town keeper flapped (like he did all afternoon) missed and the Larkhall striker bundled the ball over thw line. Town got bak into the game and after a succession of coners between the 35th-40th minutes they equalised with a stunning low strike from the edge of the box into the bottom right corner of the net. Town possibly should have scored a second before h/t but quality wasn't the best around the box.

Town started quickly in the second half and were awarded a penalty when their quick No.9 on the break rounded the keeper but was brought down....just a yellow. The Larkhall keeper saved the penalty and Town were unable to put away the rebound. This seemed to give Larkhall a bit of confidence and they scored two quick goals including an absolute belter from well outside the penalty area.

I thought Town would crumble but they fought back and again went on the attack and after another couple of corners were awarded a second penalty on about 80 mins for a trip after a corner. This time Town scored however after a couple more attacks they ran out of time and steam.

Larkhall look useful, I'm not sure of the standard of the teams left in the Vase but I would be surprised if they made it to the last 8 unless they got a home tie.

Good crowd by Town standards, rough h/c 275 including a coachload from Larkhall plus another 70 odd who had made their own way so good income for Town especially at the bar!!

[Four Of Clubs]

Official Att @ Scours 169

... Elsewhere bad news for Hellenic - only Shortwood progress Old Woodstock lost 0-2 and Binfield succumbed 7-1 @ Tividale

Will post a fuller review later : have to stop giggling about the Bolton score first

[Svlad Cjelli]

But Bracknell put in a stonking perfpormance to beat Fairford 4-1 at Larges Lane - the recovery is on!

[Tad Showbiz]

Binfield were 3-0 down at h/t apparently so the 7-1 scoreline doesn't much of a surprise.

169 at Scours Lane? The counter on the turnstile must have stopped!!

[Four Of Clubs]

Binfield were 3-0 down at h/t apparently so the 7-1 scoreline doesn't much of a surprise.

169 at Scours Lane? The counter on the turnstile must have stopped!!

..... Dunno about the counter maybe a lot of 'freebies'

'Moles' were 3 down inside 15' - elsewhere in the Vase South Park lost big @ Whitley Bay ending CCL interest both SSM sides went out too as did the other two Western clubs


... Surprise of the day In the CCL1 Eversley W 3-2 @ previously unbeaten Guernsey

[Terminal Boardom]

Binfield were 3-0 down at h/t apparently so the 7-1 scoreline doesn't much of a surprise.

169 at Scours Lane? The counter on the turnstile must have stopped!!

..... Dunno about the counter maybe a lot of 'freebies'

'Moles' were 3 down inside 15' - elsewhere in the Vase South Park lost big @ Whitley Bay ending CCL interest both SSM sides went out too as did the other two Western clubs


... Surprise of the day In the CCL1 Eversley W 3-2 @ previously unbeaten Guernsey

And aren't the Guernsey fans going into meltdown.

We escaped The Ranch with a 2-2 draw having been 2 up at half time. The wind resulted in play being compressed at one end throughout the match. We just did not do enough to win the game and Bully pulled off a number of really good saves second half.

[Rev Algenon Stickleback H]

But Bracknell put in a stonking perfpormance to beat Fairford 4-1 at Larges Lane - the recovery is on!

How many actually go down from the Hellenic Prem this year?

Two of last year's bottom 3 are still there, although 4th from bottom Carterton are in the division below. There are also 21 teams this year.

[Four Of Clubs]

But Bracknell put in a stonking perfpormance to beat Fairford 4-1 at Larges Lane - the recovery is on!

How many actually go down from the Hellenic Prem this year?

Two of last year's bottom 3 are still there, although 4th from bottom Carterton are in the division below. There are also 21 teams this year.

...probably covered by me at tedious length a few doz. pages further up the thread - BUT here I go again

- last season's 'relegation' and many before it - were decided by finance (Carterton's reason for self-demotion) , groundshare issues (Old Woodstock didn't have one) and grading for STEP05 (Wootton Bassett were unceremoniously slung out, for not building enough fencing in time and having a seated stand too close to the pitch I think - thus losing their Grading)

Div One E or W clubs finishing in promotion places - which have to be top two or three I think - need STEP05 Grading (can't remember the FA 'letter' designation at the moment D, E, F or G?)

Currently the West looks sewn up by Tytherington - 19 points clear - who have applied for planning permission for but undoubtedly won't get working lights in time for next season - the highest placed eligible club (Winterbourne Utd) currently sit in 5th place 11 points off the top three .... and even then they are currently groundsharing at the Gloucs FA ground in Almondsbury - that's assuming OWT can't wangle another groundshare for themselves.

In Div One East (and the biggest danger to Bracknell's survival hopes) Newbury, look set to take up one of the promotion places.
Highmoor/IBIS - currently in first place - whilst @ Palmer Pk may be allowed up - not sure the old pitch dimension issue has gone away totally - but there have been, as yet wholly unsubstantiated rumblings, they cannot sustain the income to pay rent on the Stadium. They may even be forced back into the Reading Leagues. .
The ONLY other club definitely with required grading and status now (i.e not a 'named' Reserve side - which I'm fairly certain excludes them) for Hellenic Premier is Milton Utd - and they sit way back in 15th out of 16 teams in the division.

Other factors :
a) ... the Hellenic Champs/Runners Up have to have applied for promotion and have necessary STEP04 grading [THIS season's applicants are: Shortwood, Flackwell & Binfield]
b) ... that anyone is actually relegated from the STEP above, within the 'Hellenic Footprint' - which is pretty badly smudged at the edges.
- only likely to be Southern League sides: thus currently one or more from Marlow , Abingdon U or Didcot could drop - if there's a suitably graded replacement from the STEP05 feeder leagues i.e not just the Hellenic but Wessex, SSM & CCL might be considered for this?
c) Demotions and Dissolutions further up the Pyramid tend to royally feck up everyone's plans (not intentionally having a pop at the Stag Meadow chaps there by the way )
d) The FA themselves are seeking to ditch two of the 14 STEP05 leagues altogether in a revamp to be ready for 13/14 season I think?

The 21 team Hellenic Premier division is due to Bicester Town not taking up their Premier place. This also effectively helped to demote OWT by removing their chance of a 'new' groundshare. Bicester Town were evicted by the company that owns their Oxford Rd ground on the eve of the 11/12 season.
Wantage were denied promotion to STEP04 by the Countryside Commision's refusal to allow them permission to build fencing in an 'Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty'.
- Commissioners all must have glasses that filter out Diddy Power Station looming over every horizon up there then? The fence was necessary for STEP04 grading.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
...and just to make this post even more unpalatable in one sitting (well there's nowt on Tele) ... here's this w/e results!

Saturday 21st Jan
FA Vase 4th Round Proper

1 Whitley Bay 5-0 South Park
2 Tunbridge Wells 0-1 St Ives Town
3 Willand Rovers 1-3 Staveley MW
4 Shortwood United 1-0 Enfield 1893
5 Newcastle Benfield 1-2 Herne Bay
6 Bournemouth 2-1 Royston Town
7 Old Woodstock Town 0-2 Bethnal Green United
8 Newport Pagnell Town 2-3 Ashington
9 Norton United 1-2 Peterborough Northern Star
10 Wisbech Town 2-2 Dunston UTS
11 Bitton 1-3 West Auckland Town
12 Tividale 7-1 Binfield
13 Gresley 1-1 Three Bridges
14 Billingham Synthonia 0-0 Runcorn Town
15 Reading Town 2-3 Larkhall Athletic
16 Oadby Town 2-1 Ampthill Town

CONFS
Basingstoke 1-0 Eastleigh
Boreham Wood 3-0 Weston-S-Mare
Bromley 1-1 Truro City
Chelmsford 0-1 Staines Town
Dorchester 1-1 Dover
Hampton & Richmond 1-3 Dartford
Maidenhead Utd 1-1 Sutton Utd
Salisbury 2-0 Woking
Thurrock 0-0 Havant and W
Tonbridge Angels 5-1 Eastbourne Borough
Welling 1-0 Farnborough

ISTH1S
Godalming Town 0-2 Walton Casuals

SOUTHP
Chesham United 4-2 Stourbridge
SOUTH1C
Aylesbury 2-0 Slough Town
Beaconsfield SYCOB 0-2 St. Neots Town
Bedfont Town 0-1 Barton Rovers
Bedworth United 0-2 Chalfont St. Peter
Biggleswade Town 0-0 Fleet Town
Burnham 3-0 Daventry Town
Chertsey Town 0-1 Rugby Town
SOUTH1S&W
Bridgwater Town 0-1 Hungerford Town
Didcot Town 0-0 Cinderford Town
Mangotsfield United 2-3 North Leigh
Taunton Town 1-1 Abingdon United

CCLP
Banstead Athletic 0-2 Guildford City
Colliers Wood United 2-0 Chessington & Hook United
Croydon 2-2 Epsom & Ewell
Dorking 2-3 Ash United
Farnham Town 1-1 Wembley
Hanworth Villa 2-2 Windsor
Horley Town 1-0 Camberley Town
Mole Valley SCR 0-4 Egham Town
Molesey 0-3 Badshot Lea
Raynes Park Vale 3-1 Sandhurst Town
CCL1
Bedfont Sports 3-0 Knaphill
Farleigh Rovers 3-1 Bookham
Frimley Green 2-2 Cobham
Guernsey 2-3 Eversley att 1310
South Kilburn 0-3 Hartley Wintney
Staines Lammas 2-1 CB Hounslow United
Westfield 2-3 Spelthorne Sports
Worcester Park 2-2 Feltham

HELLP
Abingdon Town 5-0 Cheltenham Saracens
Bracknell Town 4-1 Fairford Town
Henley Town 0-0 Wokingham & Emmbrook
Oxford City Nomads 5-0 Holyport
Shrivenham 2-0 Kidlington
Slimbridge 0-0 Ascot United
Thame United 1-1 Wantage Town Park
Witney Town 1-3 Ardley United
HELL1E
Chalfont Wasps 2-0 Finchampstead
Highmoor Ibis 0-1 Thatcham Town Res
Lambourn Sports 3-2 Milton United
Letcombe 1-3 Newbury
Rayners Lane 3-1 Penn & Tylers Green
Woodley Town 2-0 Didcot Town Res

WESS1
Fleet Spurs 0-0 East Cowes Victoria
Pewsey Vale 0-3 Whitchurch United
Tadley Calleva 0-5 Team Solent

Sunday 22nd January
FA Sunday Cup Fourth Round

FC Tripimeni 4-3 Dee Road Rangers aet 3-3 @ FT ’Home’ side won in the 120’ with soft pen.
@ Broxbourne Borough FC nr Cheshunt
- Was at this: Ray Spence scored twice; big bad Marcus Richardson was brought on for most of the 2nd half and ET but though he held up play and bustled around to good effect, couldn’t fashion an opening against v stubborn and well-drilled opponents. DRR undone by shoddy defending - felt sorry for DRR keeper (O’Neill?) who didn’t deserve to be on the losing side.
- Plenty of familiar faces in the Dee Road squad from CCL/Hellenic circles.
- No ‘programme’ though: Cypriot side seemingly couldn’t be bothered to produce one – nor have they throughout this competition apparently – which is a mandatory FA requirement. Still spose they were concentrating more on hauling themselves the 20 odd miles up out of N19 to get here, rather than producing a bit of paper for a few doz. Saddos – like me.
- More ‘locals’ in the Broxbourne FC bar watching the Spuds ultimately suffer at the Blue Mancs than in the ground watching what was quite an entertaining and quite a good standard match...

... not a great w/e for our local sides in Cup competitions then - here's to Windsor getting it right 2nd attempt vs Newport Pagnell tomorrow night in the B&B Trophy - doubt if I can get out myself - anyone know if its free entry again or do you have to eat three sponsored Pies before TB lets you through the turnstile?

[Rev Algenon Stickleback H]

But Bracknell put in a stonking perfpormance to beat Fairford 4-1 at Larges Lane - the recovery is on!

How many actually go down from the Hellenic Prem this year?

Two of last year's bottom 3 are still there, although 4th from bottom Carterton are in the division below. There are also 21 teams this year.

...probably covered by me at tedious length a few doz. pages further up the thread - BUT here I go again

still not sure how many are meant to go down, but it sounds like Bracknell will survive if they avoid finishing bottom.

That would mean finishing above Fairford or Witney, who are both 4 points ahead. That looks rather more likely than overtaking Kidlington who are 14 points ahead.

[Christof]

SOUTH1C
Aylesbury 2-0 Slough Town

Went to this yesterday (used to watch a lot of Slough Town when I was (much) younger), to soak up that Step 4 'pudding pitch' atmos. Friendly place (at least until after the game), with probably two-thirds of the fans supporting the Rebels. Cheap beer, £7 to get in, and an incident-packed match (great goal for Aylesbury when they had the wind behind them; their defender getting sent off rightly for last-man foul; both teams missing open goals; Slough peppering the goal second half, hitting crossbar, then hitting crossbar and post; Aylesbury scoring their second at the end of injury time and celebrating like they had won the cup).

All in all there is a lot to be said for non-league football where I saw more passion on (and off) the pitch than a lot of league games.

Final point: Craig Faulconbridge (new Aylesbury no.10, ex-Wycombe et al) is f*cking useless

[Four Of Clubs]

still not sure how many are meant to go down, but it sounds like Bracknell will survive if they avoid finishing bottom.

That would mean finishing above Fairford or Witney, who are both 4 points ahead. That looks rather more likely than overtaking Kidlington who are 14 points ahead.

...sorry - in a 'normal' season - which we haven't had in living memory - its four up (two from each Div One) and four down. I'd agree if 'The Robins' can manage to flutter past Fairford and/or the BlanketBoys - they've a better than evens chance of surviving the drop.

.. trouble is they've played three games more than Fairford, two more than Witney and have only got 12 games left themselves - 7 away: and of these 7, I can't honestly see them getting anything at all until perhaps they go to Ascot on Easter Monday - scheduled to be last game of the season. It could be their next two games (4/2 A v RTFC and 7/2 A v Henley) could set the tone for their run-in. If they CAN scratch 2 (or four) points from these then they would seem to have a fighting chance.

[Elmer Park]

Berks and Bucks semi final draws for Senior Cup and Trophy

Senior Cup

Wycombe W v Hungerford T or Burnham
Chesham U or Slough T v Maidenhead U

Senior Trophy

Abingdon T v Windsor or Newport Pagnell T
Wantage T or Holyport v Binfield

[Four Of Clubs]

... draw made for the 5th Round of the FA vase:

Tividale v Peterborough Northern Star
Shortwood United v Ashington
Staveley MW v Oadby Town
Billingham Synthonia or Runcorn Town v Bournemouth
Wisbech Town or Dunston UTS v Bethnal Green United
Whitley Bay v West Auckland Town
St Ives Town v Gresley or Three Bridges
Herne Bay v Larkhall Athletic

... ties due on Feb 11th (H v Cov) so I'm hoping some of the more southerly one's above make it through to the last 8 - though I've been to Bournemouth, Larkhall and Shortwood.

[Elmer Park]

Berks and Bucks Senior Trophy result Windsor FC 2 Newport Pagnell 1 AET

Revised semi final draw

Abingdon T v Windsor FC
Wantage T or Holyport v Binfield

[Four Of Clubs]

Berks and Bucks Senior Trophy result Windsor FC 2 Newport Pagnell 1 AET

Revised semi final draw

Abingdon T v Windsor FC
Wantage T or Holyport v Binfield

... and put out the holders - well done!

Grim couple of days for NPT - dumped out of the Vase at the w/e and then almost immediately lose the Trophy they'd held for two seaons.

For those who've not been to Culham Rd, its a bit like a slightly tidier version than Larges Lane with a lot more cover and a very good food bar (recommend the chips) - a proper 'old-style' non-league 'stadium'; fully enclosed big clubhouse and lots of 'bits' to it.

Grumpy old gateman, whose actually Ok if you engage him in conversation. Ab T. are average to middling form-wise, have a very hot & cold forward line and a good keeper (usually) so get past them and, other than Binfield should they find something like their normal form again, I'd wager the Trophy might be coming Windsor's way - not bad in their 'first' season at this level?

... tempted to have a dash up to Wantage v Holyport tonight now - should it survive the wet stuff - would think it might have a better chance of doing so than Egham or Tadley my other 'closest' options.

[Royal Rother]

Bit of a test of endurance last night!

Very competitive game that could have gone either way - referee was pretty lenient but I'd rather that than a game not allowed to flow due to nitpicking and yellows and reds galore.

Windsor went one up after 3 minutes from a cracking strike by Robert Lazarczuk and we played reasonably well in the 1st half. 2nd half was probably the worst I've seen from us all season which was disappointing considering it wasn't far off a 1st team, but we were not helped when Jake Parsons didn't come out after half time having been injured on 45. Newport Pagnell dominated possession but we were pretty solid in defence although they thoroughly deserved the equaliser.

Picked up again in ET when we took the lead again from a decent O'Toole strike (another one from him hit just outside the area right into the bottom corner) and we held out relatively comfortably. Keith Scott was going mental at the players in the last 5 minutes for not retaining possession to run the clock down. Absolutely mental!

Thing is, we arrived early at about 7pm and the game didn't finish until damn near 10.30 so it's all a bit of a blur now, a hazy frozen blur!

A decent win but I can't say it was my most enjoyable night down at Stag Meadow!

[Terminal Boardom]

To say the referee was leniant is being generous in the extreme. NPT are the most cynical side I have seen this season and the referee did little to prevent a number of mental challenges going in. Eventually a NPT player saw red but that was in the last minute of ET. Where he got 5 minutes stoppage time at the end of ET is beyond me.

You saved yourself a very cold night 4oC. It wasn't free admission as we refunded 98% of those who turned up last week. And a crowd of 87 is not that bad either. Now for a lovely trip to Abingdon Town for the semi finals.

[Rev Algenon Stickleback H]

its a bit like a slightly tidier version than Larges Lane .

Isn't that like being a slightly prettier version of Susan Boyle?