Pure idiocy. Originally the clubs were going to have till the end of this week to vote - spinning it out till the end of the month so Sport England can clarify what grants might be on offer to genuinely hard up clubs would make sense - if NLN and NLS clubs weren't being asked to resume their fixtures from Saturday. What happens when some refuse to play on, as they're bound to do?

For that matter, what happens if Dover, just about the only club in the NL who have openly declared that they want the season to stop, refuse to play Pools on Saturday? What are the chances the NL board will show a bit of backbone and immediately award the points to Pools? Zero, I'd say.

You obviously haven't noticed that the overall number of Covid cases in the UK is falling quite rapidly, new variants or no. Games aren't being postponed due to positive tests any longer. The case for calling a lot to football because of the pandemic was a lot stronger a month ago than it is now.

What do you know about the new variants of covid?? please let us know, because the scientists still sound very worried to me.

Funny, I thought it was the tea leaf reader who sleeps in the skip next to you who'd predicted which new variants would bring the country grinding to a halt.

Small busy corner shops are best..the one's with really small aisles,and the rougher the clientele the better.

Petition to save the National League football clubs with urgent support grants – not loans.

https://www.change.org/p/department-for ... rect=false

"Games aren't being postponed due to positive tests any longer."

I so hope that turns out to be correct.

To be fair, I'm describing the situation as it is now. I don't have a crystal ball, nor does anyone else. As of today, Covid isn't a reason to call games off - which is not to say the someone shouldn't be paying for proper testing for all clubs at National Leagues level.

I'd like to see a solution here that works for all teams in all three leagues because this could all get nasty, get legal and get messy.

National league teams could fall out with the leagues below and conversely that could be flipped over. North could fall out with south.

We are competitors in a sporting way but what good would it do anyone for our leagues to fracture, or for our teams to be forced into financial difficulties.

This fuck up has been caused by the government it would seem, they need to change tack.

I would say the fuck up has been caused by those in football , who want an EFL 5th division, making the NL into something its not. The NL as it stands now is an unofficial 5th division or division 3 if you like. The chance of getting into the FL has also created a scenario where the NLN and NLS have been made into something they're not. These leagues NL NLN NLS IMO should not be classed as Elite football , why? because its infrastructure , both the league and most of its member clubs are far from elite , and why would it/they be, in leagues that historically used to be known as semi professional and non league , not full time professional. Covid has exposed the fragility of this set up.

If the government change tack on this, then what about the clubs in the Northern League etc? are they not part of the wider football family as? vital parts of their communities and are they not entitled to some help as well?.

I see your point - I think there had to be an 'Elite' line drawn somewhere but the clubs themselves didn't draw it and I suppose the obvious level would be for the line to be at the bottom of the EFL, which I think is what you suggest.

Some with vested interests wanted it, i.e. York City, who were desperate to get the playoffs going so they could get promoted.

Still picking bones with mr horden's last post..not sure were the top of the current NL come into it regarding their expectations of being in the elite part of the FL next season.

"Look after after wider football family" ..mr horden said it.

Most clubs in the National League are professional. 8 of them (Torquay, Pools, Stockport, Notts County, Wrexham, Halifax, Aldershot, Chesterfield) were football league members of very long standing and have grounds and core support on a par with or better than a number of current EFL clubs. Not to mention the likes of Yeovil and Barnet, who have had long spells in the EFL in the last 20-30 years and also have decent support and facilities.

I don't care what the division below League Two is called, the reality is its a very competitive league packed with clubs striving to regain their former status. The old Fourth Division stagnated for donkeys years while there was no automatic relegation to the level below. Vince Barker couldn't care less that Pools were absolute rubbish year in, year out - finishing bottom of the heap out of 92 counted for nothing provided you had enough pals attending the re-election meeting.

As long as you accept that football in England has a pyramid structure with proper promotion and relegation there is going to be a grey area where professional and part-time football meets and overlaps. 'Elite' is a stupid term, especially when applied to the NLN and NLS, when there's only a degree of separation between those clubs and the likes of Whitley Bay and Hampton & Richmond.

I disagree.

Whether clubs are professional or not is neither here nor there, a line has to be drawn somewhere, and I believe that line should be between EFL div 2 and the NL. Trying to push through the NL as an unofficial div 3 has added unnecessary pressure on clubs that were always quite happy playing non league football. Covid has exposed this fragile existence that a lot of clubs live under. All of the clubs you mention professional or not, have suffered huge financial problems in recent years that has put their existence in doubt. I do agree that the old system of re-election was unfair, in terms of non league clubs wanting to get into the FL but it gave non league clubs who felt they couldn't sustain FL status the option in not applying for election, whether they won the league or not, now they have to go up whether they like it or not. In a perfect world promotion and relegation looks okay, but in the real world its not viable or sustainable for many clubs, the old blokes running in football knew this to be the case in the past, the modern day clowns not so much. hence re-election and regional leagues. I do believe the answer probably lies somewhere in the middle, not the new system or the old, maybe more clubs automatically promoted from the NL and less play offs and same for the leagues below. It won't happen though, as these days its all about the money, with common sense taking a back seat.

This pandemic does give football a chance to put its house in order though, especially at non league level,with a restructure , for example a regionalised NL to cut down on costs and help the environment in the process, this would also help stimulate the FA Trophy with games against Southern teams a novelty etc, of course it wouldn't be welcomed by those who own petrol stations or hotels, but there you have it, it would cut down on costs for clubs though, the vast majority of whom just want to compete in non league football and the Trophy or Vase and maybe have a good cup run in the FA Cup.

That's a valid point of view, and nobody could disagree that "Covid has exposed this fragile existence that a lot of clubs live under." Even so, I doubt very much that the likes of Darlington and Gateshead , or for that matter Spennymoor and South Shields, would be remotely interested in passing up on the chance of moving into the EFL if they won successive promotions. Ambition is in the DNA of fans and players as well as football club chairmen, and a very competitive, mostly professional fifth division is here to stay, whatever it's called.

Of course, my view is based on the assumption that the Covid pandemic is a hideous one-off - in my lifetime at least. If it's not, life as we used to know it is screwed, never mind football.

South Shields would need more successive promotions than the rest of course - but the ambition is still there.

That is why I believe there should be a clear line between Football League and Non League, because its a complicated mix of clubs wanting to get into the FL and clubs happy to stay where they are. Its never been an easy process, especially regionalisation, but classing the NL as Elite has placed it in a grey are , between the FL and the rest of non league.

I happen to believe that this pandemic could be the first of many, even if it isn't we should be prepared for another one, hence the need to put our houses in order should it happen again, not just in football but life in general.

South Shields getting into the FL would be about as much as I could take. I think I once said on here I thought they would get back into the league before Pools. I bloody hope not.

think everyone has made some good points regarding this issue. think one of the main problems that has arrived in non league football which is what it is no matter how they call it is full time football. back in the days when say workington got the boot they joined the non league structure as a part time pro outfit. when promotions to div. 4 started they came from the national conferance which for years was a part time league. teams won promotion and then turned pro. every team were more or less the same unlike todays non league. they have changed the structure of non league before and for me its time to have another go at it. think even in the EFL morecambe have more in common with a championship club than bradford park avenue have with notts county.

A cluster of clubs in NLN/S voting against resolution 1. Clubs tactically voting to swing things their way. Have no idea why the divisions aren’t voting separately. Would the championship stop if League 2 did? No. Totally different levels - and same applies here for me.

What a mess.

Why the" I'm billy big bollock's" attitude ?



You must be impressed with Darlo beating FL and NL opposition on their cup runs this season?

Good result for Darlo.
Only 2 games from Wembley.
Could be Pools n Darlo Victorious on the so called hallowed Turf in the Summer.
Will the Vaccine kick in intime to get 3000 Darlo n 20000 Pools fans in Wembley.

UTP.

Fair play to them. Will this be their 3rd time at Wembley?

If we get there it will be our 4th visit, highly unlikely to happen anyway,

Good luck anyway.

cheers

Rub it in why don't you I don't see it as unlikely, I think you have a good chance.

To be fair its the only thing we have to brag about over you lot in the last 20 years lol!
And looking at the draw, we have a very good chance of getting into the semis now.

[quote="loan_star".[/quote]

To be fair its the only thing we have to brag about over you lot in the last 20 years lol!
And looking at the draw, we have a very good chance of getting into the semis now.[/quote]



Nothing wrong with Pools record in the Durham Challenge Cup.

Indeed, but I was on about visits to the home of football, the place that all fans want to see their team grace the turf. 3-0 to us

Nice of you to be so complimentary about the Vic but it's been 14 seasons since you were in the same division as Pools. How time flies

you get that every season now. you play bradford park avenue again.

[quote="loan_star"][

To be fair its the only thing we have to brag about over you lot in the last 20 years lol!

when you walked out of wembley in one of the last games at the old stadium when beaten by the posh i doubted you would have guessed what the future did hold. same for us at cardiff. if someone had told any of us our future they,d have been sectioned under the mental health act at the time.

When I walked out of wembley after we won the FA Trophy I didnt guess Raj would pull the plug only a few months later either!!


you get that every season now. you play bradford park avenue again.[/quote]

Genuinely one of the nicest clubs to visit in the NLN. Decent people and the scran they serve is great too!

Genuinely one of the nicest clubs to visit in the NLN. Decent people and the scran they serve is great too![/quote]
its hard to believe they belong to the same city. never had any problem with BPA fans even back in the league days. however those at the other side of the city were a different breed.

its hard to believe they belong to the same city. never had any problem with BPA fans even back in the league days. however those at the other side of the city were a different breed.[/quote]


This might interest you Accrington. Thinking of buying it myself

https://bantamspast.net/our-latest-book/

best to wait a bit till the prices drop and get a second hand copy. reading anything about the valley parade mob just leaves a bad taste in my mouth as i got some type of hassle everytime i have been to that place either inside or outside the ground.

Goin by the Mail
According to the votes allegedly in.
9 clubs in our division r in favour of carrying the season on.
And
4 clubs want it null n void.
Still be a close call IMO.
UTP.

I see some clubs are now facing league sanctions for refusing to play.
Interesting piece from Dulwich.....

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Etzzxr-XEA4mg3k?format=jpg&name=medium

Pretty sure Concord Rangers got a sport England grant?

Shocking behaviour from the NL though consideing it seems every step 2 club wants to stop playing. If I was Dulwich I'd just waterlog the pitch.

Mental part is at step 3 600 were permitted up until November. The elite sport ruling has come at a gigantic price.

100% sure the season will be null and voided, unless the FA do the right thing and give grants with their own money. Its them who lied to clubs about grants in the first place.