IWEDFM Posted October 11, 2022 Share Posted October 11, 2022 Real fans, proper community clubs... Some of the names currently down there are scary. Notts County, Chesterfield, Scunny, Oldham, Wrexham etc. Big clubs in their own right with decent-sized fanbases. IMO it is the hardest league in England (certainly to get out of). A graveyard of ex-EFL clubs that have failed to recover after suffering relegation. Rooting for Notts County this season as they should be nowhere near the National League in terms of size. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kopparberg Posted October 11, 2022 Share Posted October 11, 2022 Suggests they’ve been bad on the pitch and even worse off it. Must be hard work to watch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
punkskaphil Posted October 11, 2022 Share Posted October 11, 2022 I grew up not far from Dorking. Can't believe they're only one division from the Football League. I didn't even know they had a team! One of my friends is a Woking ST holder since moving there a few years ago. I've been to see them a couple of times and really enjoyed it - far less stressful than going to watch Wednesday - but it does give me some sympathy for the officials that I never previously had, because you can hear every word being said, and they get some pretty nasty abuse. Martin Tyler always stands next to the dugout - I think he's on their coaching staff - but he doesn't shout "and it's LIVE!" at kick off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IWEDFM Posted October 11, 2022 Author Share Posted October 11, 2022 9 minutes ago, Kopparberg said: Suggests they’ve been bad on the pitch and even worse off it. Must be hard work to watch. True It wasn't that long ago that Notts Country had Sven Goran Eriksson as manager and they signed Sol Campbell They're still paying for it to this day... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IWEDFM Posted October 11, 2022 Author Share Posted October 11, 2022 8 minutes ago, punkskaphil said: I grew up not far from Dorking. Can't believe they're only one division from the Football League. I didn't even know they had a team! One of my friends is a Woking ST holder since moving there a few years ago. I've been to see them a couple of times and really enjoyed it - far less stressful than going to watch Wednesday - but it does give me some sympathy for the officials that I never previously had, because you can hear every word being said, and they get some pretty nasty abuse. Martin Tyler always stands next to the dugout - I think he's on their coaching staff - but he doesn't shout "and it's LIVE!" at kick off. Yeah I had never heard of them before this season By all accounts they're making a decent fist of it as their budget must be a fraction compared to some of the bigger clubs at that level Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bradowl Posted October 11, 2022 Share Posted October 11, 2022 2 hours ago, IWEDFM said: Real fans, proper community clubs... Some of the names currently down there are scary. Notts County, Chesterfield, Scunny, Oldham, Wrexham etc. Big clubs in their own right with decent-sized fanbases. IMO it is the hardest league in England (certainly to get out of). A graveyard of ex-EFL clubs that have failed to recover after suffering relegation. Rooting for Notts County this season as they should be nowhere near the National League in terms of size. I'm rooting for York City, got a few family members that follow them, recently moved to a new stadium and doing well this season. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beswetherick Posted October 11, 2022 Share Posted October 11, 2022 Real nightmare of a division to get out of with only two promotion spots to play for — champions go up automatically and 2nd-7th have to go through the play-offs for the second spot. Seems quite unfair really, considering 3 go up automatically from L2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IWEDFM Posted October 11, 2022 Author Share Posted October 11, 2022 Just now, beswetherick said: Real nightmare of a division to get out of with only two promotion spots to play for — champions go up automatically and 2nd-7th have to go through the play-offs for the second spot. Seems quite unfair really, considering 3 go up automatically from L2 Wrexham finished 2nd last season on 88 points hitting 91 goals in the process yet lost in the playoffs to Grimsbsy in 6th who eventually went on to win the final. It does seem harsh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OxonOwl Posted October 11, 2022 Share Posted October 11, 2022 13 minutes ago, beswetherick said: Real nightmare of a division to get out of with only two promotion spots to play for — champions go up automatically and 2nd-7th have to go through the play-offs for the second spot. Seems quite unfair really, considering 3 go up automatically from L2 It is really the playoffs that are unfair, although everyone signs up for them. You spend all season trying to get more points than your rival and if you finish third you get to play in the lottery that is the playoffs however big the gap between 3rd and 4th. Still, it is exciting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fudge27 Posted October 11, 2022 Share Posted October 11, 2022 6 minutes ago, IWEDFM said: Wrexham finished 2nd last season on 88 points hitting 91 goals in the process yet lost in the playoffs to Grimsbsy in 6th who eventually went on to win the final. It does seem harsh Playoffs aren't a new concept. No harsher than MK Dons losing yo Wycombe last season. Been to watch York a couple of times quite enjoy it, specially when there's no emotional attachment to the team Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IWEDFM Posted October 11, 2022 Author Share Posted October 11, 2022 1 minute ago, fudge27 said: Playoffs aren't a new concept. No harsher than MK Dons losing yo Wycombe last season. Been to watch York a couple of times quite enjoy it, specially when there's no emotional attachment to the team I know it isn't new but where as in League Two there are three automatic spots up for grabs. It seems harsh that in the NL only the team finishing 1st goes up automatically and the 2nd placed side has to go through the playoffs 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fudge27 Posted October 11, 2022 Share Posted October 11, 2022 13 minutes ago, IWEDFM said: I know it isn't new but where as in League Two there are three automatic spots up for grabs. It seems harsh that in the NL only the team finishing 1st goes up automatically and the 2nd placed side has to go through the playoffs You could say that about any league though. It's unfair 4th in league 2 can lose and the team in 7th go up. Its the nature of the competition they all enter at the start of the season Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IWEDFM Posted October 11, 2022 Author Share Posted October 11, 2022 23 minutes ago, fudge27 said: You could say that about any league though. It's unfair 4th in league 2 can lose and the team in 7th go up. Its the nature of the competition they all enter at the start of the season You're missing the point. It's not about who finishes where. The playoffs should be an equal system throughout the pyramid. If three go up automatically from League Two then three should go up automatically from the National League 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fudge27 Posted October 11, 2022 Share Posted October 11, 2022 3 minutes ago, IWEDFM said: You're missing the point. It's not about who finishes where. The playoffs should be an equal system throughout the pyramid. If three go up automatically from League Two then three should go up automatically from the National League 3 minutes ago, IWEDFM said: but the conference isn't governed by the same body? And league 2 is different to the other leagues higher up which are governed by the same body Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kew Owl Posted October 11, 2022 Share Posted October 11, 2022 4 hours ago, IWEDFM said: Real fans, proper community clubs... Some of the names currently down there are scary. Notts County, Chesterfield, Scunny, Oldham, Wrexham etc. Big clubs in their own right with decent-sized fanbases. IMO it is the hardest league in England (certainly to get out of). A graveyard of ex-EFL clubs that have failed to recover after suffering relegation. Rooting for Notts County this season as they should be nowhere near the National League in terms of size. One rung further down the ladder -in National League North - you have Darlington, Southport, Bradford Park Avenue and Hereford, all clubs that have also seen better days. Way back in May 1997 Hereford played Brighton on the last day of the season at the foot of League Two with the losers dropping out of the League. It finished 1-1 with the draw saving Brighton at Hereford’s expense. Yes, 25 years have since passed, but look where both clubs are now ! Incidentally, geography was never my strong point at school, but it’s somewhat curious to me to see Hereford in National League North ( and not South ) ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StudentOwl Posted October 12, 2022 Share Posted October 12, 2022 Y'all haven't even commented on why the Conference play offs are different to play offs in the football league. Do you know how they're different? Look it up, but here's a spoiler: for the team that finished seventh to win the play-offs, they need to win 3 play-off games... and play-off games in that league are one-off affairs, not two legs. It's an odd one... 21 hours ago, IWEDFM said: Yeah I had never heard of them before this season By all accounts they're making a decent fist of it as their budget must be a fraction compared to some of the bigger clubs at that level Think their budget is smaller than Notts County and Wrexham etc, but relatively it's actually quite big! One of the clubs that's being properly bankrolled down there Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IWEDFM Posted October 12, 2022 Author Share Posted October 12, 2022 57 minutes ago, StudentOwl said: Y'all haven't even commented on why the Conference play offs are different to play offs in the football league. Do you know how they're different? Look it up, but here's a spoiler: for the team that finished seventh to win the play-offs, they need to win 3 play-off games... and play-off games in that league are one-off affairs, not two legs. It's an odd one... Think their budget is smaller than Notts County and Wrexham etc, but relatively it's actually quite big! One of the clubs that's being properly bankrolled down there That's a good point I had forgotten about. It's a quarter and semi final system. 2nd and 3rd are given a bye into the semi final whilst 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th playoff in the quarters with both winners playing the 2nd and 3rd placed sides in the semi The Wrexham/Grimsby semi final match last season was bonkers. It went to ET and finished 5-4 to Grimsby Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheffield_dave Posted October 12, 2022 Share Posted October 12, 2022 Could probably swap 7 or 8 clubs in that league for teams in League One and it'd be a better division for us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Road Runner Posted October 16, 2022 Share Posted October 16, 2022 Decent standard of football down there, watch quite a bit of Chesterfield, it feels like proper football. Scarborough on the way back too in the National North which is great to see. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maddogbob Posted October 16, 2022 Share Posted October 16, 2022 (edited) I've Been enjoying my trips to Ilkeston Town. Think they are two or three levels below the national league. Cheap to get in, zero aggro (which is rare for Ilkeston as a place). Decent pint and I can watch the game, while drinking it. 800 to 1k on the ground regularly and you get to watch Chris O'Grady roll back the years with his dry gangrene leg. Edited October 16, 2022 by Maddogbob 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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