FA Announcement

[piearce9]

Beat me to the punch!

Now do some bloody work!

Haha- yes I'm aware that this reflects badly on me!

[Wheels]

It seems Evesham are joining us. Unless it means the NPL South? http://www.thenonleaguefootballpaper.co ... n-refusal/

[piearce9]

It seems Evesham are joining us. Unless it means the NPL South?http://www.thenonleaguefootballpaper.co ... n-refusal/

Evesham are moving to the D1S (the one we won), and they ain't happy about it. One assumes it's more mileage for them, but they also now miss out on a decent moneyspinner against Hereford.

Corby are the other apparent movers, who will be joining the SLP.

Anyone got any thoughts on this whole "thanks but no thanks" to promotion, as it seems the league have said it's OK for Cinderford to stay where they are? Personally I think it's a bit of a joke!

[YeltzDoc]

I 'm fairly sure that we did it twice in 82/3 and 83/4, before applying and being refused in 84/5 and finally being accepted to The Southern League (who?) after winning the league yet again in 85/6.

Is that right?

Now, I were but a nipper, barely old enough to enjoy my Banks' Mild, but I expect that it was driven by worries about the affordability of making the necessary ground improvements and the increased costs at the higher level.

I suspect Cinderford have similar concerns.

A question for those a bit longer in the tooth than me -
Was the refusal of promotion seen as a prudent move by us at the time? Or was it seen as a lack of ambition?

[The Reasonable Man]

I 'm fairly sure that we did it twice in 82/3 and 83/4, before applying and being refused in 84/5 and finally being accepted to The Southern League (who?) after winning the league yet again in 85/6.

Is that right?

Now, I were but a nipper, barely old enough to enjoy my Banks' Mild, but I expect that it was driven by worries about the affordability of making the necessary ground improvements and the increased costs at the higher level.

I suspect Cinderford have similar concerns.

A question for those a bit longer in the tooth than me -
Was the refusal of promotion seen as a prudent move by us at the time? Or was it seen as a lack of ambition?

There was no automatic promotion from the West Midlands League into the Southern League in those days. Clubs had to apply. I'm fairly sure I'm right in saying that you applied more than once but were rejected as your ground was deemed not up to the grading (rightly or wrongly). It was 1986 when you finally got in.

I'm sure Bilston Town came up in 1985 as runners-up behind you in the WML.

As far as I'm aware you never "refused promotion". Quite the opposite - you were desperate to get in and exceedingly disgruntled every time they turned you down.

[YeltzDoc]

Sorry, it would have been more accurate if I'd said that we never applied for promotion in the first two years.
I think Hednesford went up instead of us one year as well and maybe even Tamworth (sorry Andy).
My understanding is that there's still not automatic promotion from what's now the MFL and that you have to apply but it's generally a league that the Southern or NPL take someone from.
Is that right?

[The Reasonable Man]

Promotion is "automatic" for the champions of all Step 5 Leagues now, PROVIDED they apply. If the Champions don't apply, the runners-up can go up in their place. If the runners-up don't apply then the third-placed team can go up, but third is as low as it can go.

No more than one team can go up from any Step 5 Division, except in exceptional circumstances.

The classic example is the Northern League where very few clubs ever apply. Last season only Bishop Auckland did, and they finished some way short of the top three.

EDIT. In theory the Midland League is one of four feeders to the NPL - along with the Northern League, North West Counties League and Northern Counties (East) League.

In practice, though, the NL rarely promotes anyone and the ML promotee is often more suited to the Southern League (eg. Hereford and Stratford Town in recent seasons). So if the NPL relegates four clubs from Div 1 North/South it usually ends up at least one club short, leading to constant transfers from the SL and hence the boundary between the two Leagues at Step 4 moving further South every year.

[YeltzDoc]

Informative as ever TRM, thanks.

Not sure I'm comfortable with all this "Hands Across the A458" chumminess though. I'm definitely weeing in Higginson's pint next time I see him.

[The Reasonable Man]

Enjoy it when you win, shrug your shoulders when you lose. It's only a game, and ultimately I kind of reckon we're all on the same side against those at the top of the pile who would hoover up every penny for themselves if they could.

[old git]

Enjoy it when you win, shrug your shoulders when you lose. It's only a game, and ultimately I kind of reckon we're all on the same side against those at the top of the pile who would hoover up every penny for themselves if they could.

Amen to that