Next season at the seaside

[Dagger03]

Billericay lost on pens - so they stay in the Isthmian Premier

Hastings won at Tooting - so Hastings up, not Tooting

And Harlow won on pens - so they go up

 

AFC Hornchurch

AFC Wimbledon

Ashford Town (Mx)- This is the Ashford in Middlesex - not Kent

Billericay Town

Boreham Wood

Carshalton Athletic

Chelmsford City

East Thurrock United

Folkestone Invicta - seaside

Harlow Town

Harrow Borough

Hasting Utd - seaside

Hayes

Hendon

Heybridge Swifts

Horsham

Leyton

Maidstone United

Margate - seaside

Ramsgate -seaside

Staines Town

Tonbridge Angels

 

[Mitchurchin]

I travelled to Tooting to watch the game against Hastings. A lively affair on a dreadful pitch, totally out of keeping with a nice ground. The Hastings fans were brilliant, lively and definitely gave their team the edge.

 

The first half was edgy with not much to choose between to cautious sides, perhaps Hastings just shading it. Second half Tooting came out with a positive mind, but, the Tooting centre half nodded a back pass to the keeper, too short and in came the Hastings number nine to slot past the onrushing keeper. Cue pandemonium in the Hastings ranks.

 

Still Tooting could not get going and Hastings held their ground, then another longish ball, number 9 spins the defender who hauls him down in the box, conceding a penalty and gaining a red card for his woes. Off he ambled and up stepped the Hastings number 11 to slot home a lovely spot kick.

 

Cue two Tooting subs and throwing caution to the wind, they launched wave after wave of attacks, hitting the bar twice, but in truth they didn't turn up yesterday. They were nervous and Hastings fully deserved the win.

 

Lots of fans, lots of noise and the two Wombles fans behind me were commenting about looking forward to the extra trip to Essex next year. Suffice to say, it will be a rather excellent, if very tough, season.

[coach et 64]

it looks like AFC Wimbledon and Chelmsford city for top 2 places.A lot of outsiders tough...Margate,Billerycay,Hornchurch..

[YELLOW]

Wimbledon will flash the cash I expect although I reckon Chelmo will make alot of changes.

 

Maidstone potential dark horses.

[Eastside Urchin]

hornchurch,chelmo,ricay,wimbledon,maidstone,margate will all be up there,horsham,ramsgate,hastings should all be in top half and heybridge are no mugs although their bar doesn't open for long!

[YELLOW]

Might need to watch out for Hayes although they've fallen badly since their Conference days.

[Eastside Urchin]

I think hayes struggles crowdwise because of the large asian community over that way,you don't really get any of them going to the games and they probably make up 50 % of the local population

[coach et 64]

it's going to be a tough division and clubs that want to win it ,will have to flex their muscles.Certainly 3000 supporters for an home match can help at this level

[Eastside Urchin]

hornchurch are well capable of a big crowd when the wombles come down,we will probably have over 1000 of our own fans in there as our gates against big non league clubs are very healthy,nearly 1100 for a game v welling earlier in the season and something around 1600-1700 for the burton and stevenage games 3 years ago as well as gravesend which i think attracted about the same size crowd.I would predict anywhere between 1700-2000 for the wimbledon game depending on when it is

[Uncle Urchin]

with our limited budget and concentration on a new ground we shall struggle to compete for top ten next season....

 

chelmo/ricay for me with maidstone..afcw..boringwood and swifts in the play offs...

 

we may however win the FA Cup and the Trophy....

[Eastside Urchin]

i woudl settle for that,just!

[coach et 64]

AFC Wimbledon brings an average 2000 supporters for an away match alone!I know sometimes that doesn't count but surely they are giving themselves the structure of a division 2 league club.it's only a matter of when..I can see Chelmsford city going for it big time as well.

[Uncle Urchin]

absolutely correct coachie....

 

we shall be happy to float along mid table...

[Eastside Urchin]

they don't take that many to their game now the novelty has worn off,there is another thread with a link to their crowds and some are as low as 700ish,apparantly they average about 4-500 per away game,i think they were taking around 2-2500 when they were in the combined counties league were most teams came from around that area

[coach et 64]

dark horses is better..

[The Monk]

A couple of years ago I'd have made you right Coach but as UM said, now the novelty has worn off they take up to 700. A shadow of the thousands that followed in '04.

[coach et 64]

i make you right.they only averaged 2124 at home and had a disappointing season.tha's only better than 3/4 of the teams in the conference national..

[Eastside Urchin]

no one was questioning that coach,i think you need to re-read the thread.What was in question was that many people are under the illusion that has been created by the wimbledon bandwagon that they fill non league grounds regularly,they don't but they do make other clubs a bit of fast cash.

People always speak about how they take 2-000 plus to most away games but this was only the case when they were in the combined counties league,the majority of which games are played no more than 15 miles from their ground in kingston.

This season they probably take on average around 4-500 to an away game,to some games far away they may only take 2-300 but to some close to kingston like carshalton they probably take over a thousand,i think the attendance when they played away at carshalton was 1700.

But in essex they don't seem to like coming as much,but i reckon we will get a few down as its only an hour on the train from wimbledon

[NotTheRealSteveWest]

Does anyone know: will maidstone be in their new ground when next season starts?

 

If so, I think there's gonna be a pub issue!!!!

[Eastside Urchin]

i think they are!!!

why the issue with the pub???