The Vanarama Non-League Football Thread

[Bobfoc]

I don't think the club itself has been particularly unlikeable lately. Boston itself may be populated largely by backward people, but Boston United do a fair amount in the community.

[gunnar hendershow]

Just wanted to say that all of you could be talking about any sports league and the refrain of "fuck Boston" would be accurate. 😆

[Lineker]

Quote

The new National League season is scheduled to start on October 3, a number of fifth-tier clubs have announced. Torquay and Stockport, amongst others, released statements on Monday confirming the date - which is subject to FA approval - and added that spectators would be allowed into grounds - albeit at a significantly reduced stadium capacity. The home and away season is due to end on Saturday May 29, with the play-offs to follow in June. The decision was reached at a National League board meeting on Friday.

[Lineker]

Boston lost.

[Bobfoc]

The goalkeeper made a howler to concede the goal.

Anyway, it's the National League playoff final today. It's one of those matches that I could imagine being close or really one-sided for either team, such is the nature of non-league football after a long hiatus. I just hope it isn't a penalty defeat.

[GA!]

3 hours ago, Lineker said:

Boston lost.

Thank fuck.

 

Also as a casual York fan, I'm meant to hate Harrogate so c'mon Notts County!

[METALMAN]

4 hours ago, Lineker said:

Boston lost.

Loston

[Bobfoc]

3 hours ago, GA! said:

Also as a casual York fan, I'm meant to hate Harrogate so c'mon Notts County!

I'll take whatever uneasy alliance I can get.

[Bobfoc]

This is bloody awful.

[Bobfoc]

Notts were named the most stressful club in England to support ten years ago. Things have only got worse since then.

[Adam]

Commiserations to @Bobfoc, but I am really pleased for Harrogate. Another Yorkshire side in the league this season!

[Bobfoc]

They've deserved it today. They probably should have had four or five in the first half. Notts just didn't show up, though. The first fifteen minutes of the second half was the only stage at which they looked like coming back.

I just hope history doesn't repeat itself. The last two Notts defeats in playoffs have been immediately followed by relegation.

[GA!]

Championship Manager football strikes again.

[GA!]

Harrogate will play at least their first three home games as a Football League team at Doncaster's Keepmoat Stadium while they get an actual grass pitch installed.

[Adam]

Makes sense, the owner is from here (as is his son, the manager, who also briefly played for us) plus he is friends with our owner and they played here a few seasons ago when they were having issues too.

[Bobfoc]

Harrogate will be hoping to move further up the football pyramid now. Irving Weaver is seriously wealthy for the owner of such a club.

[DFF]

Always think its cool to see a new side in the footy league. Well done Harrogate. 

[Lineker]

Quote

National League side Dover Athletic have said they are likely to become insolvent by the end of the month without further investment or an alternative solution, becoming the first professional club to warn of collapse because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The chairman, Jim Parmenter, has made the entire squad available on free transfers in an attempt to cut costs, after he claimed the players refused a temporary pay cut of 20%.

“The board have been busy assessing the club’s financial position and immediate future due to the very difficult circumstances of the Covid-19 pandemic,” Parmenter wrote in an open letter to supporters. “The club is still unsure of its income in the coming season but the board are clear income will be greatly reduced.

“The club has 14 players under contract for next season and at a meeting last week the club’s position was explained in detail to the players and staff.

“At that meeting the players and staff were asked to accept a 20% short-term reduction in salary to assist the club in its efforts to stay solvent and keep the club alive bearing in mind the club will move from four to three days’ training.

“The management have accepted the proposal, however unfortunately the players have not agreed.

“I must further inform supporters that if a solution or further investment cannot be found by the end of August it is likely that the directors will consider the club insolvent and as a consequence will be forced to cease trading.”

Dover finished 12th in the National League during the curtailed 2019-20 season. The 2020-21 season is due to begin on 3 October, a date designed to coincide with the planned return of spectators to stadiums.

According to the government 1 October is the earliest date by which fans could make a comeback, but there are doubts over that possibility after the prime minister paused pilot events owing to a resurgence in Covid-19 infections.

The viability of the National League as a whole would be under question if fans were unable to return to grounds because gate receipts are a primary source of income for clubs.

[Lineker]

 

[Lineker]

Bury are back: