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Away days
Apr 29, 2023 18:41:48 GMT
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Post by agoymer on Apr 29, 2023 18:41:48 GMT
Anyone else already thinking about a weekend trip Torquay next season?
What other away games / new grounds are you looking forward to visiting?
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Away days
Apr 29, 2023 18:51:04 GMT
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Post by Tom Bowen on Apr 29, 2023 18:51:04 GMT
Looks like a very western league next season so there will be some long away trips to enjoy.
WSM, Yeovil, Torquay, possibly Truro, Bath, Chippenham, Taunton, etc...
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Post by markhardy on Apr 29, 2023 19:07:21 GMT
A quick look.
I've promoted Dartford for now, and taken the runners up from Isthmian and Southern Prem South. Oxford City moved to Conference North.
From West to East
Torquay United Taunton Town Weston Super Mare Bath City Yeovil Town Weymouth Chippenham Town Farnborough Havant & Waterlooville Bracknell Town Slough Town Hampton & Richmond Hemel Hempstead Town St Albans City Worthing Hornchurch Braintree Town Bishop's Stortford Chelmsford City Welling United Tonbridge Angels Maidstone United Eastbourne Borough Dover Athletic
Many of those to the west could be midweek trips. Torquay on a Tuesday night. Yeovil almost definitely. The only one we have never played at is Maidstone.
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Away days
Apr 29, 2023 19:29:25 GMT
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Post by Tom Bowen on Apr 29, 2023 19:29:25 GMT
I presume the fixtures are scheduled in such a way that the closest teams to each club play midweek, and the closest play BD/NY. E.g. Slough, HRB, Welling, St Albans, Hemel midweek, and Bracknell as the festive fixture.
Surely if lengthy trips can be avoided in midweek that would be better for every club.
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Post by borobob on Apr 29, 2023 23:03:17 GMT
Plus the possibility of Truro??
Regarding Sandhurst and Bracknell being owned by the same family!! I thought that was against F.A. Rules??
It's why Donaldson had to relinquish his shares in Sunderland to go back to Eastleigh!!
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Admin
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Post by Admin on Apr 29, 2023 23:34:35 GMT
A lot to unpack here, to say the least!
If the National League operates a simple north/south split (which they've done before), then it'll be Braintree that will (not so sadly, in my opinion) depart from the division. Obviously, Oxford are next door to the M40, so have decent road links northwards, but they are south of Braintree and would likely have to recruit a new squad if told to go north. And they've been through this before, and, according to sources, were informed they were not going to be put in a position of bouncing between north and south, season in season out. So, hmm ...
Meanwhile, there is now a coherent "Western" division - Weston, Yeovil, Torquay, Taunton, Weymouth, Bath and Chippenham (plus Truro, depending on the play off result) - which means the chances of us heading into the deep southwest on a Tuesday night are reduced. But, we're talking about the National League here, so I wouldn't bet against it.
A hint to the fixture planners, going to Torquay and Weymouth on a Saturday in the autumn or spring is absolutely fine.
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Post by markhardy on Apr 30, 2023 16:57:38 GMT
All depends on who does win the Play offs.
If Oxford, Bishop's Stortford could be the ones as has happened before.
If Braintree, then 99% sure that Oxford would go North as they have far easier for them to travel North. Not that far to Gloucester, Hereford, Banbury, Brackley, Tamworth.
Stortford or Braintree would have to travel a fair way before coming to there first club, probably Peterborough Sports.
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Post by borobob on Apr 30, 2023 17:42:43 GMT
Ah, don't we just love the AGM Cup?
Mark, any thoughts on my question re the legality of Sandhurst/Bracknell being owned by the same family, or have they got round it by Father and Son, ala Alec Fergusson at United and his son at Peterborough?
Playing at, and sharing, the same ground looks a bit too close for comfort to my mind!!
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Post by markhardy on Apr 30, 2023 18:15:03 GMT
It is actually Husband and Wife. He owns Bracknell, she owns Sandhurst.
Perhaps it is because one is at Step 3, the other at Step 6. The two would only meet if they drew each other in the County Cup.
I'll just wait to see the day that they actually return to Bracknell.
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Post by borobob on Apr 30, 2023 21:36:54 GMT
Still a bit close to the wind in my eyes, especially if Bracknell do use Sandhurst as a 'reserve' team!! Not sure that's allowed, or ethical!!
If it were, Man City would have Bolton or someone as their reserves!!
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Admin
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Post by Admin on Apr 30, 2023 23:13:57 GMT
Still a bit close to the wind in my eyes, especially if Bracknell do use Sandhurst as a 'reserve' team!! Not sure that's allowed, or ethical!! If it were, Man City would have Bolton or someone as their reserves!! It is allowed under the current rules, and I don't see how they could be changed, as, otherwise, we'd being venturing into dangerous territory where people in badged blazers would be asked to judge who is the controlling influence in a marriage. Football would step into these deep waters at its peril. In the olden days Reading were Arsenal's feeder team, just saying.
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Post by hawleybootboy on May 1, 2023 8:13:56 GMT
Yes, it’s hardly new; back in their hey-day Liverpool used to sign players and send them to Altrincham for a season so they would learn the ‘Liverpool way’ of playing.
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Post by borobob on May 1, 2023 11:02:33 GMT
That's loaning players! It's not owning two clubs!!
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