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Kent Football News KL News Still not done and dusted...
Kent Football News KL News Still not done and dusted...
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| Still not done and dusted... |
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Well, here we are at "crunch time!" This has been the week when our applicant clubs have found out whether their grounds have been graded as suitable for Step 4 football next season or not. Joy for some and heartache for (it would appear) many. By my calculations, this week has seen 25 clubs either withdraw from the promotion process or indeed fail to make a suitable ground grading. In fact, this number may rise significantly during the forthcoming week as clubs announce that they have/have not achieved the necessary ground grading. I believe that there are now only 60 clubs from an initial pool of 100 applicants remaining in the promotion race. A large number of these clubs will fail to make a top 3 league position at the end of the season simply due to the number of applicants within their own league. This week's chart has altered radically. At its' most populated, the chart had 36 clubs on it (comprising of teams that were in a top 3 promotion position). This week sees a record low of only 28 clubs populating our chart. If the season were to finish tomorrow, then maybe 2 Step 4 clubs would be saved from relegation? I think it would be clearer to approach the overall picture in a leagueby league manner this week owing to the massive changes that have occurred. In the Combined Counties League it would seem that all 7 applicants are now out of contention following ground grading visits. However, the circumastances surrounding Merstham's exclusion may well lead to an appeal. Significant work has been completed at their ground, including the requisition of a new all seated stand, which apparently was ordered on February 10th this year. The stand has been paid for in full. The foundations have been prepared but agonisingly for Merstham, the company supplying the stand this week contacted the club to say that there was a production delay and that it would not be delivered and installed on time. No stand, no grading. An appeal? Probably. A positive decision on Merstham's behalf from the FA? Let us hope so. The Eastern Counties League now has only 2 applicant clubs remaining from an initial list of 7. AFC Sudbury and Bury Town continue to pursue promotion and currently sit in 1st and 3rd positions respectively. The Essex Senior League continues to have a "race" to see who can take 2nd place behind champions AFC Hornchurch. Confirmed ground grading news has not materialised at this time, so the assumption must remain that 5 of the 6 original applicant clubs remain on course for promotion. Brentwood Town can now no longer achieve a top 3 position, so there are in effect 4 clubs now fighting for places 2 and 3. The second club to guarantee a promotion spot this season are Hellenic League side Didcot Town. They can now finish no lower than 2nd place. The only team in a position to overhaul them are Bishops Cleeve. They too have achieved the necessary ground grading for promotion. News on the other applicant clubs' grading results are keenly awaited. Kent League numbers are now reduced from 6 applicants to 3. Only Maidstone United, Erith & Belvedere and Whitstable Town can now be promoted. Herne Bay achieved the necessary grading but cannot now attain a top 3 position. 4 clubs have fallen by the wayside in the Midland Alliance leaving just 6 clubs in contention. Ground grading news has again been in short supply here. In our table Chasetown move up to 3rd place whilst Romulus slip to 4th. A major casualty in the Northern Counties East League this week was Liversedge, who currently occupy 2nd position. Of the 10 original applicants, 6 now remain. For the first time Harrogate Railway Athletic make the top 3 at the expense of Sheffield. 9 clubs continue to be in contention in the North West Counties League and many of the clubs still have quite a few games to play. This is of course in part due to both Nantwich Town and Cammell Laird being in the FA Vase Semi Finals. The Lairds have dropped out of the top 3 this week with Salford City being the beneficiary. Whether the stress of playing 16 further league fixtures before the end of the season hampers Cammell Laird's promotion prospects remains to be seen and at present they are the only NWC club with a confirmed ground grading pass. The Isthmian 2nd Division now has only 10 clubs in contention for promotion. Ware Town continue to lead the way with Brook House in a solid second place. These two clubs are both confirmed as having passed the grading criteria. In 3rd place this week are Witham Town who edge out Flackwell Heath. The Spartan South Midland League promotion race remains intersting with 5 of the original 6 clubs pushing for the top spots. Harefield United this week dropped out of the top 3 with Aylesbury Vale moving back up. Confirmed ground grading news is still awaited. And then there was one! Horsham YMCA achieved a ground grading pass this week and topped a great week off for the club by achieving a confirmed top 2 finish in the Sussex County League and thereby assuring themselves of promotion this season. There are no longer any other Sussex teams in the promotion hunt. Woodford United and St Neots Town are the two remaining promotion applicants in the United Counties League from an initial list of 4 clubs. Woodford are still in second place whilst St Neots are back in 5th place in the table. Finally, the Wessex League had its' list of promotion candidates trimmed from 4 to 3 this week with the withdrawal of Gosport Borough. The remaining candidates, Winchester City, Thatcham Town and Andover hold 1st, 2nd and 4th places repsectively. It remains that the information above is only as accurate as information in the public domain allows. If you have confirmed news of any club that has either passed or failed a ground grading visit this season please share the information with the users of TK's site, so that we may have as much accurate information as possible.
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