VPCTFC

Here we go again 'I know something you don't know' season. The league released a statement three weeks ago. "The League is aware that there are various clubs from both the Middlesex County League and the Surrey Elite League, geographically suitable for the CCL, who have applied for promotion and will be eligible to be promoted. It is highly likely that no more than one club from each league will be promoted. In addition, three clubs have applied to join the League from outside the National League System and they will be invited to make their case to the FA in April. They are Bagshot FC, (currently Aldershot Senior League), Godalming Town Development FC (new club but associated with Godalming Town) and Leatherhead Town FC. (new club, youth only at present). Again it will be a matter for the FA to decide whether or not all or any of these clubs will be permitted to join the system at Step 6. There are two further clubs one at Step 5 and one at Step 6 who have made enquiries about the possibility of a transfer to the CCL. They will not be named as the matter has not gone beyond the enquiry stage but both have been referred to the FA."

Really? You've played step 1 football? Fair play.

Our average attendance this season - 101. Knaphill's average - 76. http://www.nonleaguematters.co.uk/divisions/25/

There were quite a few in this round that wouldn't have gone to a replay. I don't think I've ever seen so many although it's strange that, on the FA website, the Farnham game did have a replay date of October 6th listed. I suspect one reason for no replays is groundshares. Say your lot drew an away game but Chipstead had a home game booked the following Tuesday. Would they postpone their fixture for you? Of course you could play on a Monday or Wednesday but again, would your hosts allow it? The answer might well be yes, but in some groundshare agreements I suspect the answer would be no.

The first season of the 'new' league after the Surrey Senior League changed its name. 1978-79 http://fchd.info/lghist/homecos1979.htm Pos Name Pld W D L GF GA Pts 1 British Aerospace (Weybridge) 24 21 2 1 81 16 44 2 Ash United 24 18 4 2 74 23 40 3 Malden Town 24 14 4 5 49 19 34 4 Lightwater 24 12 5 7 42 43 29 5 Chessington United 24 10 8 6 33 13 28 6 Guildford & Worplesdon 24 10 6 8 28 27 26 7 Westfield (Surrey) 24 8 8 8 27 31 24 8 Hartley Wintney 24 9 4 11 35 47 22 9 Yateley Town 24 5 7 12 31 53 17 10 Cobham 24 4 8 12 25 52 16 11 Lion Sports 24 4 6 14 29 54 14 12 Sheerwater 24 2 6 16 22 58 10 13 Clarion 24 2 4 18 23 63 8

Horley aren't very good. Neither are we. Neither side will trouble the top of the table this season. That concludes the match report.

"everyone knows Camberley dropped the budget for that one season when they finished 16th" Do they? I didn't. I think you mean "everyone assumes". We're not in Southern SW territory at the moment. Fleet are furthur west than us (but not Hartley) and they're in the Central Division. As long as the Western and Hellenic Leagues promote a club this season there'll be no need to move anyone from this area back into the SW Division. In fact, If someone from the Wessex league like Salisbury make it three western area clubs going up there'll be teams transferred back into the Central Division. I would have thought Burnham are first on the list, then Marlow. But we'll start worrying about this in February if need be....

And the CCL isn't the last league to release all their fixtures. Some leagues have only done half of theirs so far. There are a few that release the first month's, then do the rest over time. The United Counties for example have only done up to December so far.

I never had you down as part of the Walton conspiracy tin foil hat brigade Rich! Casuals are playing at Merstham this season and W&H say Theo doesn't visit the ground these days and has no involvement with the club. I remember when Wingate & Finchley had Margaret Thatcher as their president. I never saw her there and I doubt she got involved! The Walton area is clearly Isthmian territory and always has been so my theory is that the league are fighting to keep their boundaries from moving too much which is a good thing. I know they were reluctant to take some clubs from the top of the Eastern league in the past as they didn't see it as their area. Aside from that, over time the boundaries SHOULD sort themselves out now the Isthmian league has, theoretically, six relegation places. There aren't six leagues at step 5 who are wholly in Isthmian territory so the boundary should go west a bit over time. The Southern South West has the Western, Wessex and most of the Hellenic feeding it so, again, with only two relegation places, one of those should be placed in a more easterly division or force a more easterly club that way. Of course, you also have to think of relegation from step 3 which can change things slightly. It's all very complicated. It looks like us lot in this part of the country are back in Southern One Central territory now but who knows - maybe the Isthmian will reach these parts again in a couple of years.

All this caused by the Southern League deciding to relegate Clevedon Town for ground grading issues. That should have been notified to the FA at the beginning of April before they done the allocations. I haven't looked in here for weeks so I don't know what's already been said but here's my view: You can't blame Flackwell for refusing the promotion based on being switched into the SW Division but, as the Ryman League had already had their AGM, this caused the Southern League some issues as they couldn't just ask for a reshuffle at step 4. The talk was that Highmoor Ibis would get the promotion spot - they finished second to Flackwell in the Hellenic and would have been the team promoted if Flackwell hadn't applied but they're saying they weren't asked by the FA despite being willing to play in the SW Division. No one seems to know if they have the ground grading though. I saw on Fleet Town's Twitter today the news from the Southern League AGM. I couldn't believe Salisbury were in the mix for the place. I checked with our secretary and we hadn't been asked. We were aware of the possibility of being placed in the SW Division next season if we'd got promoted. We would have preferred the Central Division of course but I think the club decided we would take promotion to the SW if it was offered. As Winchester got more points per game than us (we got 86 points from 40 games, they got 89) we can't argue with them being asked before us and it's reported they have now secured their place in the league after paying off a £2500 fine owed by the previous regime. If Salisbury had been put in above us I don't know what we as a club could have done. It's far too late to go down the appeal route. The thing is - there are other step 5 teams who finished second in their league with a higher PPG than Winchester got but, as some leagues have had their AGMs, that rules those clubs out of the running. We have to apply for promotion by November 30th each season. It's now June 20th and step 4 has finally been sorted out. Nearly seven months. Ludicrous. Oh well, we'll have another go at promotion this season. We know it won't be easy but we'll see what happens. See you in the bar. VP.

No one's ever said they were going to the SCEL. It's just been mooted as a possibility due to their location and the fact the FA can move clubs if they like. I've never known a case where the FA have moved a side who get internal league promotions at our level unless the club wants to move. According to their official blurb these days the FA notify clubs that they might be getting moved so that those clubs can at least argue their case if they don't want to switch. The SCEL say on their website "There are no step 4 clubs being relegated into SCEFL so, at best, we will have 19 teams next season if Lingfield stay and Rochester are replaced by Woodstock Sports as bottom side." so it looks like AFC CA are staying in the CCL. Of course, I'm unaware of anything that's going on behind the scenes so could be wrong.

Isn't this the sort of thing Elmbridge want to do with Walton Casuals and Walton & Hersham? I know W&H are against it and have the local public on their side. If there's one thing NIMBYs hate more than football grounds, it's houses.

I should hope so. The Hellenic League has full time staff. The CCL are volunteers doing it in their spare time.

This is one of the few things that the member clubs can change as promotion and relegation between the same league at steps 5 & 6 is a matter for that league. Our league has three relegation places - some have two. As the SCEL doesn't have a step 6 division it's down to local agreements and/or the FA to decide for them. If our clubs don't like the current CCL system then it can be changed via a vote at the AGM, assuming proper notification etc. Bear in mind though - it'll mean reducing promotion from Division One to match relegation from the Premier.

The FA handbook specifically states that the bottom clubs at step 4 and step 5 will be relegated. Not 'if', 'may' or 'could'. As AFCCA's chairman has pointed out though - a team withdrawing, either voluntarily at the end of the season or through folding mid-season, is placed at the bottom of the table so can fill the definite relegation place. So it's not really that definite after all.....