A couple of non league snippets

[Holyport Rebel]

Just seen that Bracknell have released manager (of only a few weeks) Bobby Wilkinson after their 5-1 home defeat yesterday, which leaves them in a dodgy position just above the relegation zone. 

Edited April 22 by Holyport Rebel

[Reading Rebel]

24 minutes ago, Holyport Rebel said:

 

But then RR, St. Albans (you'd expect), would be fighting for their lives to get a good result to try to keep them up , whereas Hemel Hempstead have got nothing really at all to play for.

(Although some St. Albans fans on their forum are saying that if they were to stay up, it is possible that they would be moved across to the National League North, and they wonder whether it might be better to be relegated than have that happen to them ! ) 

Agree that St Albans are fighting for their lives but they're in a relegation place for a reason.

Never an easy place to go to Truro will be up for this and I can't see anything but a Truro win and the title.

 

[Reading Rebel]

36 minutes ago, Bernie Gogan said:

Just one question, where's the money come from at Truro? It's a whole bunch more money if they go up too, not least in ground improvements needed for Step 1.

I think I read somewhere that Truro have ambitious new owners who's sole aim is to get into the football league. 

[Reading Rebel]

26 minutes ago, Holyport Rebel said:

Just seen that Bracknell have released manager (of only a few weeks) Bobby Wilkinson after their 5-1 home defeat yesterday, which leaves them in a dodgy position just above the relegation zone. 

After a face to face meeting.

I bet that was a pleasant one 

[Bernie Gogan]

1 hour ago, Holyport Rebel said:

Just seen that Bracknell have released manager (of only a few weeks) Bobby Wilkinson after their 5-1 home defeat yesterday, which leaves them in a dodgy position just above the relegation zone. 

Wow, Bobby seemed so happy to be back in the interview with "Mattitude"!

[grandad]

1 hour ago, Reading Rebel said:

I think I read somewhere that Truro have ambitious new owners who's sole aim is to get into the football league. 

Take all that with a massive pinch of salt. As I understand it the "main" man is Eric Perez who was behind the Toronto team in League 1 of the rugby league system a few years ago. After that went belly up, mainly due to covid to be fair, he ended up heading up the Cornwall RL team in the same league, with bit ambitions.  Only a couple of seasons later he left them in the lurch and ended up at Truro City, as football "was always his main love"....  Cornwall RL staggered on for one more year after he pulled the plug, with yet another "dodgy" owner appointed last November, they've just gone pop and withdrawn after a few games of the new season.

[SloughFlyer]

9 hours ago, Reading Rebel said:

After a face to face meeting.

I bet that was a pleasant one 

Wilkinson is a failed manager everywhere he has been. Very pleased to see this at Bracknell given the treatment of Jon Underwood recently. Not likely but I hope they get relegated.

[Reading Rebel]

On 22/04/2025 at 19:58, SloughFlyer said:

Wilkinson is a failed manager everywhere he has been. Very pleased to see this at Bracknell given the treatment of Jon Underwood recently. Not likely but I hope they get relegated.

To give him his due SF he did well at Hungerford. 

Edited Sunday at 11:54 by Reading Rebel

[Irishadrian]

Maidenhead (22nd) won today and Wealdstone (21st) lost so it will go to the last game Maidenheads last game is with lowly Boston(17th) so the great escape may be on.

[Irishadrian]

Other results today mean that the final relegation place will be between Maidenhead Wealdstone and Dagenham &R.

[Reading Rebel]

49 minutes ago, Irishadrian said:

Maidenhead (22nd) won today and Wealdstone (21st) lost so it will go to the last game Maidenheads last game is with lowly Boston(17th) so the great escape may be on.

Boston are safe so Maidenhead have the easiest game to win.

 

46 minutes ago, Irishadrian said:

Other results today mean that the final relegation place will be between Maidenhead Wealdstone and Dagenham &R.

We'll be playing 2 from those 3 next season.

[Reading Rebel]

Remarkable title win for next seasons opponents Horsham.

They won 5-1 to win the title by +1 goal.

[Kaiser Gibbs Batman (KGB)]

36 minutes ago, Reading Rebel said:

Remarkable title win for next seasons opponents Horsham.

They won 5-1 to win the title by +1 goal.

Whilst, as noted on a different thread, contriving to miss two penalties!

[Reading Rebel]

I'm sure most teams in the NLS will be over joyed that Truro have been promoted and a lot of NL teams will be less than pleased 😅 

[GlenSTFC]

6 minutes ago, Reading Rebel said:

I'm sure most teams in the NLS will be over joyed that Truro have been promoted and a lot of NL teams will be less than pleased 😅 

Away trips especially to Carlisle and Gateshead will be mammoth, although they may fly to those.

[Holyport Rebel]

There is what I think an interesting comment on the Hampton fan's Forum.

It refers to a thread on the Farnborough fan's Forum.

The conversation seems to relate to 3g pitches being renewed, and what rules the FA will impose on clubs when they do this.

I have no idea if any of this is legit or not, (perhaps someone on here knows more about this subject than I do), but it suggests that any new artificial pitch put down at a step 1 or 2 club has to be a " FIFA Quality Pro Standard" pitch.

This comes with regulations regarding how this new pitch can be used.

The comments suggest that this artificial pitch can only then be used for a total of 20 hours a week, and only by the club itself for its own matches and training.

 Hiring it out to third parties would not be allowed.

If there is any truth in this then that would surely severely handicap our operations ?

Like I said, I have no idea how legit these comments are.

I've tried to put the link to these reports below.

 

 

Quote

An interesting thread on the Farnborough form about new regulations for 3G pitches which may mean commercial and community use is severely restricted. Some clubs may face some very large bills as replacement dates loom.

https://farnboroughfcfans.freeforums.ne ... ent?page=2

 

[Reading Rebel]

There are two relevant FIFA quality marks for artificial pitches:-

- FIFA QUALITY PRO, which is designed for professional football with a typical usage of up to 20 hours per week.
- FIFA QUALITY, designed for municipal, recreational and community football with a typical usage of 40-60 hours per week.
 

Without looking into this in detail it doesn't make sense that clubs at step 1 and 2 with existing 3G pitches when up for renewal have to have a FIFA quality pro pitch with a usage of up to 20 hours a week.

For a start not all clubs at steps 1 and 2 are professional with clubs like us being semi pro and a community club with teams from all ages playing on the 3G pitch virtually 7 days a week.

[Curtis]

There do appear to be new standardised FA rules for the 2025/6 season:-

https://www.thefa.com/-/media/files/thefaportal/governance-docs/rules-of-the-association/2024-25/february-2025-update/29---standardised-rules.ashx

A 3G pitch is referred to as a Football Turf Pitch (as a opposed to a Grass Pitch), and the regulations referring to them is covered in Section 23 (on pages 44 to 48).

[Reading Rebel]

17 hours ago, Irishadrian said:

Maidenhead (22nd) won today and Wealdstone (21st) lost so it will go to the last game Maidenheads last game is with lowly Boston(17th) so the great escape may be on.

All we need is for Dagenham to get a point at Solihull to send Maidenhead down.

Not an easy place to go but Solihull have nothing to play for so fingers crossed.

[SloughFlyer]

13 minutes ago, Reading Rebel said:

All we need is for Dagenham to get a point at Solihull to send Maidenhead down.

Not an easy place to go but Solihull have nothing to play for so fingers crossed.

After Dagenham's 6-1 win yesterday, you'd have to make them favourites to get at least a point.