The Non - League thread

[Wax Jacket]

probably osmething to do with the Corinthian spirit

[paultheroyal]

Corinthian Casuals, now that's a non league team!

[Hoop Blah]

Nice quote from the Henley Town Chairman:

"We have had a meeting to discuss whether we can amalgamate the two clubs but the only way I think we can do that is to let the club go bankrupt so it can start a fresh with no debt"

Great attitude to have really isn't it? I know they'll have worked hard to keep the club afloat but basically what he's saying is that to move forward they need to screw over those they owe money to.

It's not an "attitude" though is it?

It's just a factual statement of the current position.

Well the reality is that if Henley Town can't pay their bills then they may well have to go out of business yes.

The 'attitude' I don't like is the one where they're looking at how they can keep the club going in one way or another, ie by merging, but the best way to do it to suit them is to write off all that debt first. That is an attitude. Another attitude would be to find a way of merging the clubs, keeping the debt, then finding a way of paying it off. Another attitude would be to fold Henley Town and let AFC Henley carry on without them but with the Lillywhites being a thing of the past.

[Barry the bird boggler]

Anyone know why its called The Hellenic League? that translates to The Greek Football League

Back in the day there were a number of "Greek" Leagues e.g. the Delphian and the Athenian. The Hellenic is the one that survived through with it's name intact.

Yeah true, never really noticed the Greek link to the old league names. I guess there is a reason behind the names?

Believe the Isthmian League was the first, set up in the early 1900s. It was set up solely for amateur clubs and, initially, didn't even present tropies or medals to winners. The Isthmian name is most likely taken from the Isthmian games, which were Greek games held in the years immediately preceding and immediately following the Olympic games, and took place on the Isthmus of Corinth.

The following "Greek" leagues were set up in the decades following; Athenian in the 1910s, Corinthian in the 1930s and Hellenic and Delphian in the 1950s and I believe simply took a Greek nomenclature to give some sort of consistency to the non-league game across London, the Home and the Southern counties.

[Rev Algenon Stickleback H]

There's also The Spartan League, originally in the London area, it merged with the South Midlands League when its membership became a little ..err.. spartan.

[Friday's Legacy]

Bath City have been relegated from the Conference.

[biscuitman]

Bath City have been relegated from the Conference.

Poor Scotty Murray

[Four Of Clubs]

Anyone know why its called The Hellenic League? that translates to The Greek Football League

Back in the day there were a number of "Greek" Leagues e.g. the Delphian and the Athenian. The Hellenic is the one that survived through with it's name intact.

Yeah true, never really noticed the Greek link to the old league names. I guess there is a reason behind the names?

... not forgetting the Spartan League (formed 1907) [whoops I see there's a lot of crossing in the ether this evening! - just read Algy S's post above] - which I grew up (a considerable number of years later ) looking out for the results cos its where Bracknell Town were originally - along with such teams as 'Crown & Manor', Swanley Furness, Vauxhall Motors, Ambrose Fleming , Hoddesdon and a fair few others - also used to include Maidenhead Utd and Met Police in much earlier times.

Merged latterly with the South Midlands League to form today's .... Spartan South Midlands!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

..Oh and in tonights matches: - in the Hellenic Premier: Binfield went down 0-2 at home to Nomads - Shortwood thumped Ardley 4-2 and skip over them into that all important 2nd place - now 11 points adrift of Nomads with 3 games in hand - should they be hoping to get top spot and avoid the Points Per Game melee.
RTFC progress to the 'Losers' Cup semi-final with a 2-1 win at Malmesbury.

Managed to get out early tonight to a 'non-lit' N.Berks2 match - Steventon 0-5 Berinsfield - took my youngest - he likes this league. I find the clubs here a treat to visit too - most have 'facilities' that some local STEP05 & 06 clubs could learn form. Tidy welcoming little Social Clubs etc - draught Abingdon Beer (Loose Cannon) available. No Hot Food but you can't have everything at this level. Expect they can rustle something up for w/e games. Game just about finished in good enough light but I suspect the Ref probably blew up closer to 40' than 45'. May almost definitely have another bash at this league next midweek as its still Easter Hols - though the early start is a bit challenging during Term time ...... and I will return to Steventon sooner rather than later too.

[Compo's Hat]

Bath City have been relegated from the Conference.

Is that the first team to go up or down this season?

[Four Of Clubs]

Bath City have been relegated from the Conference.

Is that the first team to go up or down this season?

Not sure officially .... but somewhere amongst my rambling drivels above, I think I pointed out that the Southern One S&W Division would see Stourport Swifts definitely destined for bottom - if they failed to beat leaders Bideford a week last Saturday - they lost 0-3 -
- However this was based upon the Evostik Official Glue-Sniffers League Table, as was published at the time , not being f£cked up ... as it was of course! Swifts subsequently beat Abingdon Utd (4-3) one place above them but still look doomed albeit NOT quite mathematically.

The official league Tables on there somewhat cryptically suggest two down from Div One Central but only one from One S&W.

Lower down the Pyramid from there; mathematics and final placing don't really ensure relegation.

A quick glance at the three Southern Leagues would suggest Marlow and Cirencester Town are both certain to finish in relegation places - i.e. bottom four - but even this might not mean demotion should reprieves/disbandings transfers/re-org mix it all up; as it seems to every season.

One more win would certainly put Winchester back up to Southern 1 S&W - assuming they've applied that is.

Also fairly certain Guernsey AND now Bedfont Sports have been 'promoted' to Combined Counties Premier too.

... so I s'pose the short answer is 'YES'

[Four Of Clubs]

Today's (brief) NL programme and tomorrow's with 'local' ish interest.

Fixtures 120406 Good Friday 15:00 KOs

Basingstoke v Woking
Eastleigh v Dorchester
Thurrock v Boreham Wood

Fixtures 120407 Easter Saturday
CONFS
Dartford v Chelmsford
Eastbourne Borough v Welling
Farnborough v Hampton & Richmond
Salisbury v Weston-S-Mare
Staines Town v Maidenhead Utd
Sutton Utd v Bromley
Tonbridge Angels v Dover
Truro City v Havant and W

ISTH1S
Godalming Town v Corinthian-Casuals

SOUTHP
Arlesey Town v Chesham United
Oxford City v Cambridge City
St Albans City v Weymouth
Swindon Supermarine v Stourbridge
SOUTH1C
Beaconsfield SYCOB v Ashford Town (Mx)
Bedfont Town v Slough Town
Chalfont St Peter v Rugby Town
Fleet Town v Leighton Town
Marlow v St Neots Town – bottom vs top
North Greenford United v Burnham
Uxbridge v Aylesbury
Woodford United v Chertsey Town
SOUTH1S&W
Abingdon United v Cinderford Town
Halesowen v Hungerford Town
Thatcham Town v Clevedon Town
Wimborne Town v Didcot Town
Yate Town v North Leigh

CCLP
Banstead Athletic v Horley Town
Croydon v Chessington & Hook United
Farnham Town v Dorking
Molesey v Egham Town
Raynes Park Vale v Badshot Lea
Sandhurst Town v Wembley
Windsor v Ash United

CCL1
Farleigh Rovers v Eversley
Guernsey v Staines Lammas (3.00 p.m.)
Sheerwater v Bookham
Worcester Park v Hartley Wintney
Lemon Recordings Division One Challenge Cup – Semi-final
Warlingham v Cobham

HELLP
Bracknell Town v Cheltenham Saracens
Fairford Town v Thame United
Henley Town v Abingdon Town
Kidlington v Binfield
Reading Town v Ascot United
Shortwood United v Wokingham & Emmbrook
Slimbridge v Ardley United
The 'Bluefin' - Insurance Brokers Challenge Cup Semi Final
Highworth Town v Oxford City Nomads

HELL1E
Chinnor v Newbury
Lambourn Sports v Woodley Town

Hellenic Supplementary Quarter Final
Highmoor Ibis v Clanfield

SSMP
Aylesbury United v Haringey Borough
Berkhamsted v Leverstock Green
Harefield United v London Tigers

WESSP
Winchester City v GE Hamble
WESS1
AFC Portchester v Tadley Calleva
Fleet Spurs v Petersfield Town
Hythe & Dibden v Whitchurch United
Pewsey Vale v Ringwood Town
Stockbridge v Verwood Town


.. will post up Easter Monday's games on Sat eve or Sun - there is scope for some 'heavy-duty-Anoraking' with morning KOs in the CCL locally - and a few elsewhere, giving the chance of 'doubles' - in some case the seriously hardcore get an evening game in too!
Actually, there is a group of 'Hoppers' (fundamentalist/extremist NL followers) who partake regularly in 'organized B/H Ground-Hop Days' with staggered KOs in a specific league on and around BH weekends. Think they did the Hellenic not long ago - don't know where they are this w/e.
Personally not the sort of thing I would go for: - I like to see a club in its 'natural environment' - and get served at the bar of they've got one: Not swamped with a few hundred Rucksack-Toting, Programme-Grabbing, Real-Ale swilling, Camera-wielding loons.
I'm not knocking all the hard work that goes into planning games, transport, accomodation etc etc and it brings a lot of much needed revenue to the clubs who are 'invited' to host a 'Ground-Hop' - but in my experience where you have a large presence of the like, they spend nearly all the game with their back to the action chatting about Thursday night reserve fixtures in Outer Dubrovia in June!
Not sure where we are bound on Saturday - house is being swamped with the Wife's Bellringing associates, so me and the youngest are being 'forcibly evicted' from mid-morning - with that in mind might look to do one of the longer trips to try and get nearer completing one of the leagues we 'target' - maybe somewhere in the Midlands - Barwell or Halesowen p'raps.

[Tad Showbiz]

A must win game for Maidenhead today at Staines in the relegation six pointer. If the game ends in defeat for the Stripes I reckon they'll end up relegated at the end of the season.

[postwhisperer]

Celtic win SPL title!! Wow!!

[Rev Algenon Stickleback H]

I went to Marlow v St Neots. Not the greatest game in the world, ending in a 0-0 draw, but a few (only a few) St Neots fans came across as total arseholes.

Suspicions are that a few were taking a day off from watching their league side to come along. Some "jibbed" in without paying, while others kept up a stream of "your support is f---ing shit" etc type comments, going some way to explaining their lack of popularity around the league.

[Four Of Clubs]

.... And Bracknell grab their way up another rung to possible safety with a win over Cheltenham Sara's whilst all three sides above them before today lose.

Big shock in the Challenge Cup S-F Highworth 5-0 Oxford C Nomads

RTFC win 3-1 v Ascot

.... Fuller review tomorrow.

[Four Of Clubs]

Fixtures 120406 Good Friday

Basingstoke 0-3 Woking - crowd just short of 1200
Eastleigh 0-1 Dorchester
Thurrock 1-0 Boreham Wood

Fixtures 120407 Easter Saturday
CONFS
Dartford 0-0 Chelmsford
Eastbourne Borough 0-3 Welling
Farnborough 0-2 Hampton & Richmond
Salisbury 0-0 Weston-S-Mare
Staines Town 0-0 Maidenhead Utd
Sutton Utd 1-1 Bromley
Tonbridge Angels 2-3 Dover
Truro City 0-1 Havant and W

ISTH1S
Godalming Town 4-0 Corinthian-Casuals – G’s up to 7th and level on points for last PO place

SOUTHP
Arlesey Town 2-4 Chesham United
Oxford City 0-0 Cambridge City
St Albans City 2-2 Weymouth
Swindon Supermarine 2-1 Stourbridge
SOUTH1C
Beaconsfield SYCOB 0-1 Ashford Town (Mx)
Bedfont Town 1-2 Slough Town
Chalfont St Peter 0-2 Rugby Town
Fleet Town 1-2 Leighton Town
Marlow 0-0 St Neots Town
North Greenford United 2-1 Burnham
Uxbridge 3-0 Aylesbury
Woodford United 2-1 Chertsey Town
SOUTH1S&W
Abingdon United 0-0 Cinderford Town
Halesowen 1-3 Hungerford Town
... trekked all the way to the outskirts of Dudley yesterday to see this - odd that the only 'shirts' around were Villa one's - nice old-style 'stadium' lots of built up terracing plenty of seats and a big clubhouse 'The Yeltz Bar' - though this was outside the ground and the stewards momentarily couldn't get the gates open to let us out at HT for a swifty.
Thatcham Town 3-2 Clevedon Town
Wimborne Town 1-1 Didcot Town
Yate Town 0-1 North Leigh


CCLP
Banstead Athletic 0-1 Horley Town
Croydon 1-3 Chessington & Hook United
Farnham Town 0-1 Dorking
Guildford City 1-1 Epsom & Ewell
Hanworth Villa 3-0 Camberley Town
Molesey 3-1 Egham Town
Raynes Park Vale 3-2 Badshot Lea
Sandhurst Town 1-3 Wembley
South Park 1-2 Colliers Wood Utd
Windsor 4-2 Ash United - 7 pts behind 4 games left but Guildford are wobbling slightly. If the next two games go the right way for Windsor it sets up a blockbuster on the 21st when City go to Stag Meadow.
Guildford at Dorking tomorrow (might go myself if I can't find anywhere 'new' with a morning KO) then RPV next w/e : Windsor go to 3rd place Egham [both 11:30 KOs] then play CWU somewhere - currently showing on League site as at Molesey FC.

CCL1
Farleigh Rovers 1-0 Eversley
Guernsey 5-0 Staines Lammas
Sheerwater 2-2 Bookham
Worcester Park 2-4 Hartley Wintney
Lemon Recordings Division One Challenge Cup – Semi-final
Warlingham 1-0 Cobham

HELLP
Bracknell Town 3-1 Cheltenham Saracens att 133- big PR exercise in the Town during the week had some effect then their 3rd biggest crowd - sets up a bumper PM for them at Scours next Sat.
Fairford Town 0-3 Thame United
Henley Town 3-1 Abingdon Town
Kidlington 0-6 Binfield
Reading Town 3-1 Ascot United
Shortwood United 2-0 Wokingham & Emmbrook
Slimbridge 1-4 Ardley United
The 'Bluefin' - Insurance Brokers Challenge Cup Semi Final
Highworth Town 5-0 Oxford City Nomads

HELL1E
Chinnor 1-4 Newbury - Newbury now 4 pts behind Highmoor with 2 games in hand but one of these is at Rayners Lane, which will be tough. Both sides play vs 'Reserve' sides tomorrow (Hungerford and Abingdon Utd.)
Latest Hellenic Chat suggests H/I will be staying at Palmer Pk for a couple more years yet - though there are some (doubtless scurrilous) rumours that their promotion may be 'refused' by the Hellenic League Committee on disciplinary grounds!
Lambourn Sports 0-3 Woodley Town - could be a tasty one tomorrow when Maidenhead 'Reserves' visit East Park Farm:- according to the EP some bad blood from the reverse fixture on Jan 2nd - where the Woodley boss had the impression 'Magpies' put out almost a first team and won 7-1. They won't be doing that tomorrow as York Rd sees Farnborough as visitors in CONFS

Hellenic Supplementary Quarter Final
Highmoor Ibis 3-0 Clanfield

SSMP
Aylesbury United 0-1 Haringey Borough
Berkhamsted 3-1 Leverstock Green
Harefield United 1-2 London Tigers

WESSP
Alton Town 0-5 Christchurch
Winchester City 2-0 GE Hamble – City are Champions – Ground is OK for STEP04
WESS1
AFC Portchester 4-0 Tadley Calleva
Fleet Spurs 1-0 Petersfield Town
Hythe & Dibden 0-4 Whitchurch United
Pewsey Vale 1-2 Ringwood Town
Stockbridge 0-5 Verwood Town

... will put together the B/H Monday Fixtures later today incl plenty of Morning KOs.

[just some bloke]

Hythe & Dibden 0-4 Whitchurch United

Cracking result for Whitchurch in what looked like a bit of a banana-skin fixture at first glance.

[Four Of Clubs]

Hythe & Dibden 0-4 Whitchurch United

Cracking result for Whitchurch in what looked like a bit of a banana-skin fixture at first glance.

... hmmmm not sure about that - in danger of avoiding a whooshing noise - H&D aren't rock bottom for nowt : 6 defeats in seven and only one goal.

...anywhich here's tomorrow's matches - been doing a lot of 'chopping about' what with KO changes - so hope I've not missed anyone off:

Fixtures 120409 Easter Monday

CONFS
Boreham Wood v Staines Town
Bromley v Dartford
Chelmsford v Eastbourne Borough
Dorchester v Truro City
Dover v Sutton Utd
Maidenhead Utd v Farnborough
Welling v Thurrock
Weston-S-Mare v Eastleigh
Woking v Tonbridge Angels

ISTH1S
Chipstead v Godalming Town

SOUTHP
Banbury United v Brackley Town
Chesham United v St Albans City
SOUTH1C
AFC Hayes v North Greenford United
13:00 Ashford Town (Mx) v Fleet Town
Aylesbury v Chalfont St Peter
Burnham v Marlow
13:30 Chertsey Town v Bedfont Town
Northwood v Uxbridge
Slough Town v Beaconsfield SYCOB
SOUTH1S&W
Didcot Town v Abingdon United
North Leigh v Thatcham Town

CCLP {all KO 11:30}
Ash United v Farnham Town
Badshot Lea v Sandhurst Town
Camberley Town v Cove
Chessington & Hook United v Molesey
Dorking v Guildford City
Egham Town v Windsor
Epsom & Ewell v Banstead Athletic
Horley Town v South Park
Raynes Park Vale v Colliers Wood United
Wembley v Hanworth Villa
CCL1
Eversley v Hartley Wintney
Sheerwater v Spelthorne Sports

HELLP
Abingdon Town v Witney Town
Highworth Town v Shrivenham
12:00 Holyport v Flackwell Heath
Oxford City Nomads v Slimbridge
Shortwood United v Fairford Town
Thame United v Ardley United
Wantage Town v Reading Town
Wokingham & Emmbrookv Binfield

HELL1E
Abingdon United Reserves v Highmoor Ibis
Chalfont Wasps v Milton United
Lambourn Sports v Chinnor
Letcombe v Finchampstead
Newbury v Hungerford Town Reserves
Woodley Town v Maidenhead United

WESSP
Alresford Town v Fawley
WESS1
Tadley Calleva v Fleet Spurs
Whitchurch United v Andover New Street

... may attempt the BH double but there's not a lot of 'new' options for the first match unless I aim low and start in the Surrey or Hants leagues. Will possibly opt for an 'easy' low mileage option - never quite sure how M'ways will behave on a BH Monday. Trouble is most of the 'new' grounds for me for the 2nd (15:00h) match are some way away or around the M25 .

[AthleticoSpizz]

Maidenhead v Farnboro' looks like an even set and possibly worthy of a visit

[Stuka]

Hornchurch v Billericay, top of the table clash Essex derby. Large scale disorder predicted.