2025/26 Step 2 constitution

[Nathan]

Now that we're mathematically safe, it seems like a good time to think about who we'll be playing next season and who (if anyone) from NLS will be moved up north.

Going down from NLP look likely to be:
Ebbsfleet United (confirmed)
AFC Fylde (almost certainly)
Maidenhead United
Dagenham & Redbridge

It's still possible for Wealdstone or Boston United to go down if they're caught by Maidenhead or Dagenham, although at the moment this looks unlikely.

Going down from NLS:
Aveley
Weymouth
Welling United (almost certainly)
1 from St Albans, Salisbury or Enfield Town (unlikely)

Coming up from step 3:
From Isthmian: Dartford, Billericay Town or Horsham (as Champions), see also Dover Athletic or Cray Valley Paper Mills via play-offs. All should go into the South.
From Southern Premier South: Merthyr Town or AFC Totton (as Champions), see also Walton & Hersham, Gloucester City, Dorchester Town or Havant & Waterlooville via play-offs. Most should go into the South, though Gloucester have been in the North in the past.
From Southern Premier Central: Bedford Town, Kettering Town, AFC Telford or Halesowen (as Champions), see also Stamford, Stratford Town, Harborough Town or Spalding United via play-offs. All should go into the North.

I'd say it's looking likely that we'll be reunited with our old 60's rivals Maidenhead and also with Dagenham & Redbridge. There are several southern based sides destined for Step 2, so with St Albans now looking more likely than not to go down and with only 1 northern side going down from NLP (2 should Boston United go down) could we potentially see Hemel Hempstead or Chesham being moved north?

[Kaiser Gibbs Batman (KGB)]

Squeaky Bum time down here in North Sussex. Us and Walton and Hersham? Maidenhead and Dagenham (I know they're not the real Dagenham but nevertheless)? This league gets more like a version of "All Our Yesterdays" by the minute. 

[Curtis]

17 hours ago, Nathan said:

could we potentially see Hemel Hempstead or Chesham being moved north?

Is there a possibility that Merthyr will go into NLN?

It would probably make their local derby match Hereford.

Edited 15 hours ago by Curtis

[Reading Rebel]

31 minutes ago, Curtis said:

Is there a possibility that Merthyr will go into NLN?

It would probably make their local derby match Hereford.

Hemel is furthest north followed by Chesham then Merthyr. 

There's always the possibility but I think they also take into account road links which would probably make Hemel the favourite to go into the NLN.

[Nathan]

2 hours ago, Kaiser Gibbs Batman (KGB) said:

Squeaky Bum time down here in North Sussex. Us and Walton and Hersham? Maidenhead and Dagenham (I know they're not the real Dagenham but nevertheless)? This league gets more like a version of "All Our Yesterdays" by the minute. 

It really would be a remarkable recovery for Walton & Hersham should they go up; as recently as 2021 they were in the Combined Counties Division One!

I'm not sure what you mean by "not the real Dagenham"?

2 hours ago, Curtis said:

Is there a possibility that Merthyr will go into NLN?

It would probably make their local derby match Hereford.

Merthyr and Hereford are around 40 miles apar, so if Merthyr want proper local derbies they should be in the Welsh league! I hadn't considered that Hereford were in the North, but this doesn't necessarily mean Merthyr will go north as well; look at St Albans and Bishops Stortford last season.

1 hour ago, Reading Rebel said:

Hemel is furthest north followed by Chesham then Merthyr. 

There's always the possibility but I think they also take into account road links which would probably make Hemel the favourite to go into the NLN.

The obvious team to go north I'd say is St Albans as it's right in between the M1 and A1(M). But as it's possible they're going down, I'd say that the obvious ones would be Hemel and then Chesham. They must take the roads network into consideration, which is why I can't see Chelmsford going north.

To be honest it's ridiculous that we're talking about these teams going north. I've looked at the map; if Aylesbury United ever get back into their own ground and go up to step 2 they might have been in the north this season as they're further north than Oxford!

[Kaiser Gibbs Batman (KGB)]

As regards "the real Dagenham", I understood that, although Redbridge Forest were the principal partners in the merger with Dagenham FC in 1992, the local council, which owned Victoria Road, had a long-standing requirement that the name of the most senior team playing there had to begin with "Dagenham". Few happy memories of the place except that Athenian League Cup win in 1972.