New season predictions

[Berko Fan]

_{What are people's opinions now given we are a third of the way into the season?  Obviously I have Berkhamsted tinted glasses on so won't comment on the team I support but been very impressed with Harpenden Town, Biggleswade FC, and Leighton Town this season.}

 

_{We don't play WGC until 16th December but that appears on current form to be between the sides that may win the league.}

 

_{I know Adam at WGC creates much discussion at times but speak as I find I think he is doing a great job and cannot wait for our meetings later in the season.}

 

_{Colney Heath finding form now and will be an interesting game against WGC on Saturday.  Shout out to Crawley Green in recent weeks who drew with us and ran WGC very close last night.  He might have quit the manager's job but Deano Bull is quite the keeper!}

[Enfield Ernie]

Must be a poor league this season if Berko are top.

[Uncle T]

That is why the SSML have 5 teams in the FA Vase 3rd Round. Just not good enough really. What league/division does your team play in?

[Berko Fan]

So poor that Berkhamsted are the only step 5 club in the entire country that are still unbeaten in the league.  Of the 14 step 5 leagues 10% of our clubs are still in the FA Vase and 2 at least will be in the last 32.  Seriously with mood hoovers like some of you around it makes me wonder why you follow football at our level.  FFS get behind our clubs, our league this season are producing some great clubs and football that is a joy to watch

[Dailydose]

I wouldn’t bite. Whenever Mr Enfield makes a comment it makes me miss Halseysapenis.

[Enfield Ernie]

I miss him as well.

Not enough controversy anymore.

[Berko Fan]

Well somebody had to start this thread sooner or later...

 

With London Colney falling apart, Hertford going up and a lot of upheaval at Cockfosters, we seem to have lost our top 3.

 

Was all very close behind them last season.

 

If Hoddesdon can keep their team together, they should do well. Wether they have or can resolve the ground issue of last year is another matter.

 

Welwyn seem to be building a Spartan All Star team. If the players buy into it and play for the club, rather than their modest travel expenses, they should do well.

 

Berko will surely mount their perennial challenge and seem to be setting themselves up for it nicely off the pitch at least.

 

Despite Wembley and Tring leading the chasing pack last season, I'm not particularly convinced by either.

Wembley were fantastic on a good day, but went off the back of a win at Welwyn to home losses to Edgware and Hadley to beating London Colney away.

 

Biggleswade could finally start to live up to all of the off the pitch hype.

Can see Edgware and Leighton making big improvements on last season.

 

Could well be the most open season in a long time.

 

Sorry for rambling. I'll make actual predictions when some dust starts settling.

 

 

You predicted well, can I have tonights winning lottery numbers?

[stingray]

Certainly, here you are

 

1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18  19  20  21  22  23  24  25  26  27  28  29  30  31

32  33  34  35  36  37  38  39  40  41  42  43  44  45  46  47  48  49  50  51  52  53  54  55  56  57  58  59

 

They're in here somewhere...

[Winslow Boy]

Certainly, here you are

 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59

 

They're in here somewhere...

Hahahaha

[nick.ince]

Welwyn have to win it with that budget.

 

1. Welwyn

2. Berko

3. London Colney

4. Wembley

5. Tring

6. Cockfosters

 

What on earth has happened at Cockfosters? Could potentially finish bottom pending the outcome of the Stotfold vs. Hoddesdon fixture.

 

Obviously having worked with Dean Barker for most of this year, I understand that he was able to pull together a talented young squad with a non existent budget last year, but to go from 3rd to 23rd/24th is a huge crash.

 

Having battled with the Cockfosters team that got promotion from Div 1 a few years ago, it will be a shame to see them drop back down.

[agamemnon3]

What on earth has happened at Cockfosters ?  Nothing --- and that's the problem...

 

Over the summer Fosters lost the whole of last season's first and second team squads, starting the season with only four players with any first-team experience, and with no more than a dozen first-team appearances between them.  This, together with a new manager, meant that a repeat of last season's heroics under Dean Barker was unlikely.

 

I know Dean quite well, and despite his subsequent success with Wingate & Finchley U23s, I am still not entirely convinced that he has what it takes to be a good manager.  What he undoubtedly does have however, is superb organisational and networking skills, and one of the best contact books in the business.  Whereas the new manager at Cockfosters has none of these things. 

 

The new manager at Cockfosters knows nothing about step 5 football, or the teams his side is playing against, does no preparation or research, takes no interest in the club's reserve or U18 sides, and seems to think that endless training ground routines will be enough to win the day.

 

Fosters' two best players by far this season both joined the club from sides in the Amateur Football Alliance, which is basically step 9 and below, and they have a player who left SSML Div Two side AFC Southgate because he couldn't get a game, yet walked straight into the Fosters first-team, where he stayed for most of the season.  This tells you all you need to know about both the club's recruitment policy, and its ambition --- and, of course, what the outcome of this is likely to be.

 

I could go on and on, but it's getting late --- perhaps I could finish by referring you to back to post 16 of this very thread, where on July 20th 2017, someone calling himself 'agamemnon3' wrote that 'if Cockfosters finish anywhere outside of the bottom three I will be truly amazed'. 

[nonleaguegenius]

What on earth has happened at Cockfosters ?  Nothing --- and that's the problem...

 

Over the summer Fosters lost the whole of last season's first and second team squads, starting the season with only four players with any first-team experience, and with no more than a dozen first-team appearances between them.  This, together with a new manager, meant that a repeat of last season's heroics under Dean Barker was unlikely.

 

I know Dean quite well, and despite his subsequent success with Wingate & Finchley U23s, I am still not entirely convinced that he has what it takes to be a good manager.  What he undoubtedly does have however, is superb organisational and networking skills, and one of the best contact books in the business.  Whereas the new manager at Cockfosters has none of these things. 

 

The new manager at Cockfosters knows nothing about step 5 football, or the teams his side is playing against, does no preparation or research, takes no interest in the club's reserve or U18 sides, and seems to think that endless training ground routines will be enough to win the day.

 

Fosters' two best players by far this season both joined the club from sides in the Amateur Football Alliance, which is basically step 9 and below, and they have a player who left SSML Div Two side AFC Southgate because he couldn't get a game, yet walked straight into the Fosters first-team, where he stayed for most of the season.  This tells you all you need to know about both the club's recruitment policy, and its ambition --- and, of course, what the outcome of this is likely to be.

 

I could go on and on, but it's getting late --- perhaps I could finish by referring you to back to post 16 of this very thread, where on July 20th 2017, someone calling himself 'agamemnon3' wrote that 'if Cockfosters finish anywhere outside of the bottom three I will be truly amazed'. 

Cockfosters are a div 1 club, awful ground with a car park that fits about 5 cars....deservedly back where they belong.

[GinolaII]

I am so sorry the bucolic charm of Chalk Lane is not to your taste NLG. We look forward to not accommodating your vehicle or your sensibilities next season.

[tringarmy]

Any news as to when the FA are going to announce who is going to be in the Premier Division ?

 

One of the latest predictions sees Tring & Holmer playing in some ridiculous league that goes across to the Welsh borders and St Mags & Hoddesden moved to the Essex Senior who appear to have relegated 4 clubs rather than just 2.

[Dailydose]

I am so sorry the bucolic charm of Chalk Lane is not to your taste NLG. We look forward to not accommodating your vehicle or your sensibilities next season.

Personally I like the ground but parking is a joke.

When the fa are clamping down on facilities surely this needs addressing.

[Karen Browne]

Any news as to when the FA are going to announce who is going to be in the Premier Division ?

 

One of the latest predictions sees Tring & Holmer playing in some ridiculous league that goes across to the Welsh borders and St Mags & Hoddesden moved to the Essex Senior who appear to have relegated 4 clubs rather than just 2.

 

Expect the FA to announce between 24th and 26th May

[agamemnon3]

'Cockfosters are a div 1 club, awful ground with a car park that fits about 5 cars....deservedly back where they belong.'

 

Do you know, it had never occurred to me that a football club's position in the overall scheme of things should be dependent upon the size of its car park.

 

This is indeed a novel approach, and you are indeed well-named.

 

Incidentally, the projection that has Holmer Green and Tring moving westward also supposes that the Essex Senior League is currently five teams short.  Moving St Margaretsbury and Hoddeson across would then leave Cockfosters as the easternmost club in the SSML --- and the ESL still three clubs short.

 

So who knows --- perhaps all you hardline car park fetishists will get your way after all...  

[Big J R]

'Cockfosters are a div 1 club, awful ground with a car park that fits about 5 cars....deservedly back where they belong.'

 

Do you know, it had never occurred to me that a football club's position in the overall scheme of things should be dependent upon the size of its car park.

 

This is indeed a novel approach, and you are indeed well-named.

 

Incidentally, the projection that has Holmer Green and Tring moving westward also supposes that the Essex Senior League is currently five teams short.  Moving St Margaretsbury and Hoddeson across would then leave Cockfosters as the easternmost club in the SSML --- and the ESL still three clubs short.

 

So who knows --- perhaps all you hardline car park fetishists will get your way after all...  

 

 

Has that got something to do with 'dogging' ??

[tringarmy]

The FA think a car park is important

 

Ground grading for Step 5 states

 

There must be adequate car parking facilities at or adjacent to the ground. Car parking within the boundary of the ground may not be acceptable.

[Winslow Boy]

Nichols Appointment at Leighton is a great one. Statement of intent from them. I expect them to be favourites next year.