Berkhamsted to SSML

[Football Man]

Just been looking at the Step 1-4 allocations for next season (will be made public on the FA website at 1pm today) which includes the placement of clubs relegated from step 4 and Berkhamsted, after a couple of reprieves in recent seasons, have finally been relegated and placed in the SSML Prem next season.

[Ian_W]

http://www.nonleague.co.uk/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/1394614/Non_League_line_ups_for_2008_9.html

[Rhodes]

I think Berkhamsted Town will be the perfect acquisition to the SSML next season:

 

Berko held their presentation night on Saturday in the clubhouse at Broadwater and the trophies were shared around. Loyal top scorer Andy Mullins, who has made 400 appearances for the first team in over a decade at Broadwater, was voted by the players as their player of the year. The supporters chose busy goalkeeper Mike Underwood as their player for the Joe Harries Trophy. Centre half Andy Hughes, who returned to the club this season, was the manager's player of the year, a joint decision by Ian Richardson who has been in the hot seat lately and his predecessor Tony Duncombe, who has been ill.

 

The reserve awards went to two players at the opposite end of the age spectrum, with teenager Danny Brumwell winning manager Rob Butler's award and the players voting for veteran centre back Pete Owen.

 

Teenage left back Samir Amadu is leaving as he has won a football scholarship to the USA for a year in Richmond, Florida.

 

The other big news this week was that the FA have announced their first stab at league allocations for the new season and provisionally allocated Berkhamsted Town to the Spartan South Midlands League. When confirmed at the league's annual general meeting next month it will end a 25 year period of the Lilywhites being in higher league football in the Athenian, Isthmian and latterly following FA imposed reorganisations, the Southern League, where they finished bottom last season. It should mean plenty local derbies to look forward to against the likes of Leverstock Green and Tring Athletic.

 

On the bright side, the club will also get back into the FA Vase, a competition that they reached the final of at Villa Park in 2001, instead of the impossible to win FA Trophy. Training for the new season starts under the guidance of ex Watford striker Ian Richardson and Rob Butler, at the club on Tuesday 24th June but everyone will be reunited before then at a race night, being held on Friday 13th June. Berko are looking for new forwards in a bid to get back to winning ways for the new season and are already arranging pre-season friendlies. Please contact Rob on 0771 421 9720 if you want details.

 

The club will also have a wider choice of players, including those who work on Saturday mornings, as their new league will not have the ridiculous amount of travelling that they have experienced in recent seasons. The current Spartan South Midlands champions Beaconsfield SYCOB replace Berko in the Southern League and can look forward to trips as far as Truro in Cornwall, whilst Chesham United are allocated to a division that now stretches all the way from Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk across to Malvern in Worcestershire!

 

The reserves are continuing in the Suburban League.

 

 

[hemelite]

So does that mean that Berko will not apply for promotion back to the Southern League, should they bounce back? Because the FA wont put them back in the Ryman will they?

What efect do you think that will that have on player recruitment and moral?

[Rhodes]

I note that Berkhampsted Town are featured on the Non League Today Website, the piece is very informative:

 

Berkhamsted Town are busy preparing for life in the Molten Spartan South Midlands League and have made several changes off the field.

 

Former Watford striker Ian Richardson (pictured) is promoted from caretaker boss to permanent joint first-team manager alongside Rob Butler.

 

Butler steps up from managing the club

[NeutralFan]

Rhodes, you know you're supposed to put links to the article and not paste it. This is an old article from non-league daily.