Non-League Football Thread 18/19 (Rolling)

Yeah - been quite a few times over the last few seasons. It’s always a fun day out though the ground isn’t the easiest to get to. Friendly, loud, supportive fans - mix of families, hipsters and the old hardcore. They do free season tickets to bring in more fans and have a really good community set up with loads of youth/women’s teams.

Promotion last year was somewhat unexpected and a lot of fun. We were doing well this season, sitting pretty at the top of the league with 11 wins in a row over Christmas but then have faltered a bit in the last few months having lost a couple of key players to higher divisions.

2 Likes

Found this photo album from a guy who did a lot of ground hopping in the 80s whilst looking for old pictures of Macclesfield’s ground. There are quite a few from teams that get mentioned in here so thought it’d be of interest: https://www.flickr.com/photos/foxtrot2/albums/72157639931147196

1 Like

Another HBFC follower here… been pretty regularly the last few seasons, given the free season tickets it’s a solid afternoon out for less than a tenner, factoring in a programme, couple of pints and a bag of chips. Always a really good atmosphere, plenty of comedy chants with an emphasis on self-deprecation rather than opposition bashing. Seeing more and more families coming along to Saturday games, which is great. Some nice local away trips in Enfield, Finchley and Harlow too.

Owner and manager seem like top guys, and the team are having an unprecedented amount of success at the moment with promotion, the fa cup 1st round and their general form this year. Looking like it could be play-offs again this season, it was a brilliant atmosphere for the semi and final last year.

Decent content on their YouTube channel too, including some promos on how they’re trying to engage the local community:

1 Like

Good little webzine here too, with an excellent away day guide: https://eweteabee.wordpress.com/

This morning North Ferriby United were wound up.

Anyone know how things normally work when a team is prevented from being promoted due to stadium requirements?

Current situation is that Kettering Town (K-E- etc) are runaway leaders of the Southern League Central Division (step 3), but there are doubts about where they will play next season as their stadium isn’t up to scratch. Stourbridge are second and King’s Lynn are four points behind in third. If Kettering finish first, and aren’t allowed to go up, am I correct in thinking that it’ll just result in a Step 2 team being repreived from relegation? Just don’t want to get my hopes up.

Lynn are having a good run of form - won three in a row including two games against play-off rivals Alvechurch and Stratford. The victory against Alvechurch was particularly sweet as their management team were a bit odd when the original fixture was postponed:

https://www.edp24.co.uk/sport/kings-lynn-town/king-s-lynn-v-alvechurch-1-5877254

If Kettering’s ground is sufficient for your current division (FA C grading) then they’ll be allowed promotion, but will have to have their ground up to scratch (FA B grading) by 31st March 2020 otherwise they’ll be demoted automatically.

1 Like

Missed this. Tbh I’m only familiar with the name, no idea about the circumstances that led to this, but always sad to see :frowning:

Complex, but a short version as I understand it.

The owner wanted to move them from North Ferriby to a different ground around 12 miles away and rename them East Hull. The supporters fought this and the application was denied. All funding was removed at some point, and the club was legally wound up over an 8k debt (although apparently other money was owed elsewhere).

1 Like

I wish there were ways of preventing cunts like this from owning clubs.

This is bloody sad about North Ferriby. A guy who supports Hendon is from that way and told me the story in great detail.

Yet another cautionary tale for fans of any club taken over my a loaded ego maniac promising the earth and all its virgin minerals.

Over 500 people and more than 50 dogs at West Didsbury & Chorlton on Saturday for their second non league dog day, which was great fun all round. Would’ve been nice to win for once but they’ve just lost their best forward to one of the Runcorns and two players were away with Gibraltar so a draw was ok. Still very much in the relegation zone though.

It does sound like he pulled the plug because he didn’t get his own way. Also wasn’t his girlfriend or wife the daughter of the Allam’s at Hull City?

Potentially just a plaything with their money?

1 Like

Nail, Head, hit.

1 Like

Massive game on Saturday 6th April. Woking vs Torquay Utd to pretty much decide who wins National League South.
image

We (Torquay) have apparently sold out our allocation of 1400 so will be a great atmosphere.
As luck would have it i’m in London that weekend so hoping to get hold of a ticket before match day, but likely will end up in the home end which isn’t ideal. Will be my only game of the season though so i’m not fussed.

We’ve got a 2 point lead and a game in hand so it’s very much in our hands. Gary Johnson has done an incredible job since coming in. Am really ruddy excited at the prospect of getting back into the National League.

Always seems a bit weird seeing Torquay in the 6th tier… Weren’t they a third tier side back in the day? Mrs CCB hails from that part of the country. Just up the hill from Plainmoor in fact.

1 Like

We’ve never been a mid-table side, it’s either going for promotion or trying to avoid relegation.
Quick history: We were indeed League 1 about 15 years ago for 1 season. Have had subsequent spells in L2, National League, back up to L2, relegated to NL again and now, our first and hopefully final season in NL South!

Cool does she follow them at all?
I’m not actually from anywhere near there or live anywhere near there now so my support for them typically is at away matches only.

She used to watch them every so often when she was younger, but she doesn’t really follow them now. She does say the exact same thing though: that they were always getting promoted or relegated! Keeps it interesting though.

1 Like

Match day

1 Like

Pre match