The new Conference North and South set-up

[Matt]

Does anyone fully understand this? I looked at tonykempster.co.uk and it made it a lot clearer to me. The main thing we need to worry about is finishing in the top six this season, because I think that means we'll be at the same equivalent level as we're in now (except I believe we'd be in the Ryman Premier). Anything less than 6th means we effectively drop a league (I think).

 

However if we were to win the league, we'd play off against the winner of Ryman One North, then the winner would play the 14th-placed team in the current Ryman Prem. The winner of this would play the winner of the 17th vs 18th-place play-off game. Winning that would mean entry to the Conference South. (tonykempster.co.uk)

 

It's all a bit complex but the main thing is that we need a top-six finish and the irony is that the winners of this league this season may not even gain any sort of promotion. What I like about the new setup though, is that there's more chance of promotion because in the current Ryman setup, there's only one promotion place into the Conference, two promotion places from North and South into the Ryman Prem, etc. etc.

[Barry Scott]

once the new conference north and south have been set up, how many promotion places from the ryman to the conference? presuming it's three down from both North and south I'm guessing that'd be 1st automatic and then a playoff in each of the feeder leagues?

[Matt]

From the Ryman league, there will apparently be one champion club promoted plus one other determined by play-offs, presumably 2nd to 5th.

 

Six teams in total are relegated from the Conference Level Two (three from Conf North and three from Conf South) and these have to be split between the Northern Prem, Ryman Prem and Southern Prem.

[GarySTFC]

I thought there was going to be four feeder leagues into the Conference 2 level? The three you've listed plus a midlands region?

[Paul]

Not immediately Gary

 

The intention is to go from 3 to 4 at some stage in the future I believe. For next season, there'll still be just the three Conference feeders.

 

What Matt says about the way promotion is worked out is totally correct. What that basically means is that Slough would have to win some very difficult games to go up if they were to win the league this year. Otherwise, it's not much of a promotion.

[Guest]

I understand that the Ryman is to challenge this in court so i think you are being a bit premature.

[Paul]

The Ryman League are attempting to take the FA to Court over the issue, but it has already been ratified.

 

I can't see the Ryman League's actions having any effect on the restructure.

[Matt]

Gary the plan at the moment is to have three feeders (Ryman, Northern and Southern leagues - Step 3) into Conference North and South (Step 2). At Step 4, there are four feeders feeding into Step 3 - the Northern League 1st division, Ryman League 1st division, and the Southern League Western and Eastern divisions.

[Burnham Lad]

I think the total imponderable from all this, Matt, is what will be the effects on all this of Ground Grading and the Financial Rating of clubs for the new Conference leagues? If some clubs make it to the Conference standards on footballing grounds, but fail on either or both of these what happens then? Do clubs next down in football terms get a chance, if they pass on the other two criteria?

 

Anybody any idea what is expected to happen?

 

It could all get very interesting......

[Matt]

It's a good question, I'm assuming some of the losers from the play-offs would be given promotion instead ! And then, what about clubs without a ground at all? <img src="/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

[Paul]

The Conference significantly relaxed its ground criteria for entry following the Football League's relaxation of its entry criteria.

 

So long as there is a lengthy arrangement, groundsharing wouldn't appear to be a problem.