Petition - Completion of Leagues at Non League Level

[Rhodes]

I see that Stevenage owner  Phil Wallace is starting to get twitchy about the prospect of his Club being relegated to the National League, he states in his statement that "there is absolutely no integrity whatsoever in using a mathematical formula to expel a club from the EFL, that is unjust and wholly wrong" and I suppose you can see his point:

[Rhodes]

AFC Fylde's Chairman, David Haythornthwaite, has made a statement and lays into the National League for their total lack of leadership and the lack of clarity on lots of critical things. To be fair nobody seems to have a clue what is going on, not only the National League however today the FA Council have granted the National League an extension to the 2019/20 campaign meaning that they can hold playoffs beyond the end of May although that doesn't mean they will definitely take place and, crucially, the National League still haven't offered their Club's a vote on how to end the season:

Edited May 27, 2020 by Rhodes

[Rhodes]

On ‎23‎/‎05‎/‎2020 at 10:52, Rhodes said:

Here we go folks, South Shields Football Club are doggedly continuing with their battle against the FA's 'criminal' decision to null and void the 2019/20 football season and have launched a donations page to help assist with their high legal costs, please dig deep if you can:

https://nonleaguefootballlegalfund.com/packages/221/e/6

South Shields have impressively raised £16,000 thus far towards it's legal battle and these Club's have all generously contributed however it is quite disappointing to see that no SSML Club's have put their hand into their pocket:

[Rhodes]

On ‎21‎/‎05‎/‎2020 at 17:32, Rhodes said:

Following further meetings and endless discussion the EFL have designed a so called framework for ending the season early and issued a statement

The EFL have now called a meeting for 8 June in order to consider, and possibly approve, the so called framework for curtailing the 2019/20 campaign, Clubs can submit alternative proposals by 2 June if they so wish and they will be considered however, at the end of the day, what on earth is going on:

 

Edited May 29, 2020 by Rhodes

[Rhodes]

There was an excellent and very well researched article in the Yorkshire Post recently and a 'special investigation' into the state of non league football in Yorkshire during the enforced shutdown, it started by saying that if Premier Division Club's are worried about surviving the Coronavirus crisis what chance has non league football got. Most Club's touch on the total lack of leadership, communication and consultation from all 'the blazers' and the various league's hierarchy which has also been evident in earlier posts on this thread, it's appalling isn't it: 

https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/sport/football/non-league-football-crisis-yorkshire-clubs-fear-financial-ruin-2848491

Edited June 1, 2020 by Rhodes

[Rhodes]

Club's who netted the most league goals this season in the top ten tiers, New Salamis are top of the pile and then come St Panteleimon, Winslow United, Tring Athletic, Rayners Lane and Shefford Town & Campton, in that order. Surprisingly there is not one single Club from the English Football League or National League:

Edited June 1, 2020 by Rhodes

[Savagebee]

48 minutes ago, Rhodes said:

 

What a season my old club Hanwell Town FC could/should have had last season. 72 league goals in 28 league games.

[Rhodes]

The EFL and National League really do not seem to have a clue themselves what is going on so how are Club's expected to know. The National League say that the EFL remain 'supportive' of maintaining promotion and relegation between the two League's this season and 'decisions on deciding the season will be referred to Club's in due course’, whatever that means, no decision has yet been made on whether the play offs will take place. The National League believe that it is not practical or sustainable to start next season behind closed doors, they have informed their Club's that the start date of 8 August 2020 will 'inevitably need to be reviewed and updated’. It's disgusting isn't it and not good enough to leave so many Club's in total limbo and financial meltdown.

[Savagebee]

1 hour ago, Rhodes said:

The EFL and National League really do not seem to have a clue themselves what is going on so how are Club's expected to know. The National League say that the EFL remain 'supportive' of maintaining promotion and relegation between the two League's this season and 'decisions on deciding the season will be referred to Club's in due course’, whatever that means, no decision has yet been made on whether the play offs will take place. The National League believe that it is not practical or sustainable to start next season behind closed doors, they have informed their Club's that the start date of 8 August 2020 will 'inevitably need to be reviewed and updated’. It's disgusting isn't it and not good enough to leave so many Club's in total limbo and financial meltdown.

How will any non league football club from Step 1 to Step 6 be able to afford to play games behind closes doors?

[Big J R]

10 hours ago, Savagebee said:

How will any non league football club from Step 1 to Step 6 be able to afford to play games behind closes doors?

That's a very good question, and one I had already thought of myself !

[Rhodes]

On ‎29‎/‎05‎/‎2020 at 23:50, Rhodes said:

South Shields have impressively raised £16,000 thus far towards it's legal battle

Sadly South Shields legal challenge against the Football Association's decision to overturn the null and void decision at Steps 3-7 level was today dismissed by a three man arbitration panel, their challenge to suspend promotion and relegation was also dismissed. It doesn't seem right does it and also a very large amount of Club's donated money has been used for the unsuccessful legal campaign:

https://southshieldsfc.co.uk/club-statement-legal-challenge/

https://www.thenonleaguefootballpaper.com/latest-news/30748/independent-tribunal-dismiss-south-shields-promotion-challenge/?utm_medium=onesignal&utm_source=push_notifications&utm_campaign=web_push

[Rhodes]

I am actually at a loss as to why South Shields challenge was not through the Courts, as I thought was going to be the case, and with an independent arbitration tribunal who were obviously going to side in favour of the FA:

[Rhodes]

Another statement from Stevenage Chairman Phil Wallace earlier today (Wednesday) who is clearly having sleepless nights at the moment and praying that Macclesfield get a points deduction:

Edited June 10, 2020 by Rhodes

[Arsenal fan]

I see South Shields lost their tribunal case for points per game promotion. It seems the logic was the pandemic was not foreseeable so the FA, NLS  and Leagues were able legally to scrap titles, promotion and relegations without really consulting clubs. Meanwhile in Scotland and English  Leagues  1 and 2 and the National League, clubs have been consulted and points per game was used with promotion and relegation instead of null and void.

Clubs need to use this month’s  League AGMs to seize back control and prevent the same farce probably taking place next summer. There might be a second virus wave and late season start, both of which are foreseeable. Here is three draft rule changes that at least offer possible promotion routes if clubs fail by AGM time. Some would also add rules to relegate on points per game but that is not my preference for an incomplete season:

X. This rule only applies in the event  that the FA truncate the playing season and at least  two thirds of the scheduled matches for the season have been played for a division. For each team, the number of points obtained in games played (after any deductions made by the Competition or by The FA) shall be divided by the number of league games they played in the division before the season was truncated, to determine each team’s points per game. For each division a table shall be produced arranging teams in descending order of points per game. The team with the highest points per game will be declared the winners of the division. In the event of two or more teams having the same number of points per game, their relative positions shall be decided in favour of the team with the higher goal difference. If teams are level on points per game and goal difference their relative position shall be determined in favour of the team that scored most goals. If teams are level on points per game, goal difference and goals scored, their relative position shall be determined in favour of the team that won most matches.

Y. Where rule X applies, if there would otherwise be less than 20 teams left in the Premier division for the following season, then the number of teams shall be shall be brought up to 20, by promoting sufficient teams from division One  based on their position in the points per game table (winners first). Where rule X applies, if there would otherwise be less than 20 teams left in the division One for the following season, then the numbers shall be shall be brought up to 20, by promoting sufficient teams from division Two  based on their position in the points per game table (winners first).

Z  If teams  cannot take promotion because of ground grading or wish to decline promotion then the vacancy shall be filled by promoting  the next team in the points per game table, but teams that finish below third in the points per game table shall not be offered promotion.

[Rhodes]

I see that the Wessex League, with a Premier Division and Division One at steps five and six level, have sadly lost its sponsor Sydenhams after seventeen years and the Isthmian, Southern and Northern Premier League's are still without a sponsor following BetVictor's decision to trigger an early release clause in their two year sponsorship deal after just one year. I wonder which League will be next to lose its sponsor with still no indication of when non League football will be back: 

[Rhodes]

Alan Mak, MP for Havant, has written letters to both the Minister for Sport at the Department for Digital Culture Media and Sport and the National League seeking clarification on behalf of Havant & Waterlooville Football Club as to the play offs at Step 2 level and asking the National League to automatically promote the top two Club's should they not take place. Needless to say Havant & Waterlooville sat in second place of the National League South when the curtain came crashing down in mid March, what a surprise:

Edited June 12, 2020 by Rhodes

[Rhodes]

On ‎10‎/‎06‎/‎2020 at 21:31, Rhodes said:

I see that the Wessex League, with a Premier Division and Division One at steps five and six level, have sadly lost its sponsor Sydenhams after seventeen years

Sydenhams statement which leaves a sour taste in the mouth doesn't it after seventeen years:

Edited June 12, 2020 by Rhodes

[Rhodes]

Julian Sturdy, MP for York, has written a well worded letter to the Minister for Sport at the Department for Digital Culture Media and Sport asking to review the guidance regarding Step 2 playoffs. It does seem rather unfair doesn't it that York City 'finished' top of the National League North yet under the points per game (ppg) system they would be placed second to Kings Lynn and therefore not qualify for promotion as only the top placed Club would be promoted to the National League:

Edited June 13, 2020 by Rhodes

[Rhodes]

On ‎01‎/‎06‎/‎2020 at 19:13, Rhodes said:

Further to the Club's who netted the most league goals this season in the top ten tiers, here are the Club's who scored the fewest league goals in the top ten tiers with no SSML Club's in the bottom 25, London Colney were on 28 goals when the curtain came down in March:

Edited June 14, 2020 by Rhodes

[Rhodes]

An article in yesterday's Times which pretty much says it all about the current situation:

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/2abf0ed6-ae5a-11ea-86d3-bc5eef90654f?shareToken=1112da1760d980066da56a1360dd166d

Coronavirus has illuminated how every league in the English pyramid is inextricably linked - which should be cherished - but also deep inadequacies and inconsistencies in their governance. The National League spent three months waiting for the EFL to resolve their league standings, desperate to hold on to the two promotion places to the Football League it spent decades fighting for. The EFL’s top league was no different in desperately clinging on to the coat-tails of the Premier League, both of which resume this week. So, we have three “league organisers” independent but interdependent, and an impotent FA in the background.