Our opponents for next season

[boris]

Things are starting to take shape as far as who's going to be in the Conference next season. We know that Droylsden and Stafford are down, and that Aldershot will almost certainly go up. The play offs will almost certainly perm four from Torquay, Cambridge, Stevenage, Exeter, and Burton, while at the other end it's not looking good for Altrincham, while also trying to avoid the drop are Weymouth, Halifax, and Farsley.

Coming down, Wrexham are virtually doomed, and while Mansfield look most likely to be joining them, Notts County and Dagenham can't afford to relax.

Coming up from Conference North, we know that we've got another horrible trip to Kettering to look forward to, with six teams fighting for the four play-off places: Stalybridge Celtic, AFC Telford (my preferred option), Harrogate, Nuneaton, Barrow, and Southport.

The situation in Conference South is far more interesting. The automatic promotion place is almost certainly between Lewes and Eastbourne Borough, and Hampton &amp Richmond look certainties for one of the other play-off places, but the two remaining play-off places are being contested by everyone from 12th-placed Thurrock up, with ten points between them and fourth-placed Eastleigh, but Thurrock have games in hand on most of their rivals. It's going to be an interesting climax to the season in that division.

[MightyOxford1982]

I Think that Lewes Wont be Promoted cause of Ground Grading so we can count them out.

Does anyone know if theres gonna be another team promoted (hopefully that would be my choice) or will we only relegate 3 teams (and save Altrincham AGAIN)????

Im hoping for AFC Telford and Eastleigh to come up from the play offs!

[Myles Francis]

I Think that Lewes Wont be Promoted cause of Ground Grading so we can count them out.

Again, you're wrong about that. Lewes have had their &quotB&quot grading confirmed which is what they need for promotion. They then have one year to bring the ground up to the &quotA&quot grading.

[MightyOxford1982]

Oh am I im gonna shut up then.

Cheers for pointing that out Mr Francis.

I was going on what I read in the Non League Paper.

[Myles Francis]

Never believe what you read in the papers

[Pe├▒a Oxford United]

The internet is a far more reliable source of information.

[Mooro]

[quote=&quotMightyOxford1982&quot]Does anyone know if theres gonna be another team promoted (hopefully that would be my choice) or will we only relegate 3 teams (and save Altrincham AGAIN)????

[quote]

That fountain of all knowledge on non-league football suggests that the most likely scenario in this situation is that the second placed finisher would be promoted and 3rd-6th would enter the playoffs.
The actual conversation was around Retford who have won the Unibond South league but failed grading for the Unibond Premier rather than Lewes, but the principal was the same.
The league rules apparently only refer to when a playoff placed finisher fails grading and/or did not apply for promotion, as historically the playoffs have run with three sides, but the rule has been changed to take the 6th or 7th finisher if necessary to make up the number to four.
The rule does not specifically refer to what happens when the club in question is champion, but the assumption has been that the same principle applies.

In other words, if Lewes had failed, then Eastleigh would get the automatic place and 3rd to 6th would play off.

[MightyOxford1982]

Cheers guys ive learnt my lesson not to trust any papers not just the Sun/Mirror!!!

Damn only thing for me is ive been to Lewes I went last year in the FAT and I wanna vist new places and ive been to Eastbourne Borough, Mansfield and Wrexham too so its cutting down any new Grounds to vist next year hence im looking forward to going to Kettering.

[Pe├▒a Oxford United]

Tony Kempster has a map. Stalybridge is the interesting one, isn't it? We've not been there before.

[boris]

And unless I'm being even more dense than usual, I can't see Stalybridge marked on the map, despite being in the list.
[edit] forget that, Stalybridge is on the map, but I thought it was Droylsden[end edit]

I've been to Kettering, Eastbourne, Eastleigh, and Lewes, so my options for new grounds are even more limited.

[Pe├▒a Oxford United]

You weren't mixing it up with Spennymoor? I did at first.

[boris]

First leg of the Conference South play offs tonight:

Fisher 1 Hampton &amp Richmond 1

Braintree 0 Eastbourne 2

EDIT: Oh, and Mansfield Town will be joining us after all, as Chester drew 0-0 with Stockport.

[Ascension Ox]

First leg of the Conference South play offs tonight:

Fisher 1 Hampton &amp Richmond 1

Braintree 0 Eastbourne 2

EDIT: Oh, and Mansfield Town will be joining us after all, as Chester drew 0-0 with Stockport.

Off to see second leg of H and R game on Saturday. if they get promoted you will not believe how basic the ground is! Very friendly people though.

[SmileyMan]

Mansfield now down. Which is annoying as they'll probably be quite strong contenders next year. Still, hopefully they'll suffer the same problems as the rest of us ex-Leaguers.

[Radley Rambler]

Mansfield now down. Which is annoying as they'll probably be quite strong contenders next year. Still, hopefully they'll suffer the same problems as the rest of us ex-Leaguers.

I don't think they will be that strong - they're in turmoil off the pitch (the real Harchester United?) and their crowds have been poor this season due to hatred of the current owner. They'll also probably sell their 20 goal man whose name I forget - no doubt he'll want to leave even if under contract.