Non-League Football 25/26

[Soar Fox]

18 minutes ago, Gary Eatfood said:

Agreed. And when you see clubs at Step 6 with budgets of £2.5k per week, it further diminishes the charm.

Leicester St Andrews were paying very well I heard for a Step 6 side 

[snoopy87]

1 hour ago, Soar Fox said:

Leicester St Andrews were paying very well I heard for a Step 6 side 

That's what about killed them off last time. Started hiking the fees of the grassroots teams up to fund their first team and lost them all. It's why we have AFC Andrews over on Aylestone Rec

[CosbehFox]

2 hours ago, SemperEadem said:

That is bonkers money at that level. Maybe I'm naive but any romance of non league is lost with that sort of figures being thrown about.

Hence I've bit my lip a lot with the Harborough stuff. Anstey are not far behind. 

[SemperEadem]

1 minute ago, CosbehFox said:

Hence I've bit my lip a lot with the Harborough stuff. Anstey are not far behind. 

Is anyone in Leicestershire doing it without a rich benefactor? 

[purpleronnie]

19 minutes ago, SemperEadem said:

Is anyone in Leicestershire doing it without a rich benefactor? 

Not sure its possible these days.

[Dan]

32 minutes ago, SemperEadem said:

Is anyone in Leicestershire doing it without a rich benefactor? 

Leicester City

[CosbehFox]

1 hour ago, SemperEadem said:

Is anyone in Leicestershire doing it without a rich benefactor? 

Quorn are against the tide. Shepshed I'd say have overachieved this season. 

 

Think the money has ran out at Aylestone too. 

[snoopy87]

34 minutes ago, CosbehFox said:

Quorn are against the tide. Shepshed I'd say have overachieved this season. 

 

Think the money has ran out at Aylestone too. 

Owners looking to get out. Rumour a while back was Harborough were looking at taking them over

[STEVIE B]

2 hours ago, SemperEadem said:

Is anyone in Leicestershire doing it without a rich benefactor? 

Harborough aren't being financed by a solo benefactor. Seems to be a joint effort. The function room brings in a fair amount too. It's very well organised. 

Next season will be a big test though. 

[SemperEadem]

2 minutes ago, STEVIE B said:

Harborough aren't being financed by a solo benefactor. Seems to be a joint effort. The function room brings in a fair amount too. It's very well organised. 

Next season will be a big test though. 

Yeah I was told it's between the chairman and the manager himself.

[purpleronnie]

Makes you wonder what goes through the FA's mind sometimes.

 

Finished 2nd in the league and then this:-

[STEVIE B]

40 minutes ago, SemperEadem said:

Yeah I was told it's between the chairman and the manager himself.

Not sure about the manager, but at least 1 other is also involved. 

I think they're well aware of the risks of only having 1 source of income. 

[Soar Fox]

3 hours ago, CosbehFox said:

Quorn are against the tide. Shepshed I'd say have overachieved this season. 

 

Think the money has ran out at Aylestone too. 

It was the sponsors last year, they didn’t want to invest any longer and the chairman won’t fund it himself. 
 

Surprised & shocked they didn’t get their dual reg players in for the playoffs. 

[CosbehFox]

2 hours ago, purpleronnie said:

Makes you wonder what goes through the FA's mind sometimes.

 

Finished 2nd in the league and then this:-

To be honest having been to the ground and watch them play. Quite clearly prioritised players over ground improvements. There is no connecting changing rooms, you have to work over another pitch to get to the main pitch which is a glorified 4G court. There is no turnstile. There is barely any terracing 

[purpleronnie]

53 minutes ago, CosbehFox said:

To be honest having been to the ground and watch them play. Quite clearly prioritised players over ground improvements. There is no connecting changing rooms, you have to work over another pitch to get to the main pitch which is a glorified 4G court. There is no turnstile. There is barely any terracing 

Everything asked was going to be in place, the extension was given.  Just seems a ridiculous OTT reaction.  Of course I am only going off their statement and their might be more to it.

[CosbehFox]

50 minutes ago, purpleronnie said:

Everything asked was going to be in place, the extension was given.  Just seems a ridiculous OTT reaction.  Of course I am only going off their statement and their might be more to it.

What’s to say the same sort of delay which occurred in March doesn’t occur in July? 
 

Every club has to play by the same rules on this one. Clubs get a years grace to improve their facilities. A lot of clubs when having a decent season are probably already at it March before promotion may have occurred. 
 

The FA grants an extension, then they have to start doing it for everyone. 
 

Equally the league’s integrity is jeopardised by the suggestion that Portishead budget was heavily weighted towards players rather than facilities. 

[Dan]

Can they not just ground share?

[CosbehFox]

8 hours ago, Dan said:

Can they not just ground share?

There’s another rule about having a ground share agreement signed by a certain date. 
 

I can’t stress enough how shit of a ground it is 

[Stuntman_Mike]

Looking forward to Retford on Saturday with Coalville. It's going to be really tough though 

[FoxesFan#1]

20 hours ago, STEVIE B said:

Harborough aren't being financed by a solo benefactor. Seems to be a joint effort. The function room brings in a fair amount too. It's very well organised. 

Next season will be a big test though. 

After watching a few seasons of NL North I think any team on the up will do well in it so I expect Harborough Town will be fine.

 

It's the league above that which is a step too far for a lot of small clubs

 

At Brackley we're seeing massive upgrades to the playing surface (not plastic grass thankfully as I'd stop going if it wasn't grass) with new drainage and I imagine they have the aim to be like Boreham Wood that secures a NL spot properly and then can aim to kick on. 

 

Trouble is there's a huge queue of clubs wanting the same and just looking back over history of the 5th tier it is littered with small clubs lasting 1-2 seasons and then going south afterwards in terms of league placings and/or worse sadly.

 

The NL is a league of three distinct sections with the ex-football league clubs generally dominating it whereas in the NL North anything is possible!  The year Brackley won the league they were struggling for first three months looking over their shoulder at that time before going on an incredible run.

 

Some real big teams in NL North that have big followings like Kidderminster, Hereford, Chester etc.  Don't expect a big following from Brackley!  50-70 max I'd say.  A pity Curzon got relegated as you get to know their 4 away fans quite well!

 

Should be an enjoyable season and it would not surprise me to see Harborough in the play offs next year

Edited 28 April by FoxesFan#1

[grobyfox1990]

Jersey bulls lose on pens in the step 4 playoffs. Quite dramatic shootout although I missed the 90 mins as a lot stayed in hospitality to watch PSG v Bayern which was incredible.

The playoff final is afc Croydon (stormzy) v whyteleafe on Friday. Two teams who came up with the bulls from step 5 last year. Perhaps showing the gap between step 5 and 4 is small 

[purpleronnie]

13 hours ago, grobyfox1990 said:

Jersey bulls lose on pens in the step 4 playoffs. Quite dramatic shootout although I missed the 90 mins as a lot stayed in hospitality to watch PSG v Bayern which was incredible.

The playoff final is afc Croydon (stormzy) v whyteleafe on Friday. Two teams who came up with the bulls from step 5 last year. Perhaps showing the gap between step 5 and 4 is small 

I'm sure you were like me and expecting jersey to blow it..

 

I noticed Carlton who were leading the Northern Premier League Midlands Division before Anstey sneaked it, lost to warwick...despite finishing 25 points ahead of them in the league...playoffs can be cruel.

[Fox92]

On 25/04/2026 at 15:02, Super_horns said:

Congratulations to York .

 

Tough on Rochdale but will they recover for the play offs ?

Great to see York back in the Football League.

 

Must have been a good game to go too.

 

Tough on Rochdale but I still think two should go up automatically. Meanwhile four clubs in League Two all have 40 points or less (and that's excluding Barrow who are bottom).

[grobyfox1990]

2 hours ago, purpleronnie said:

I'm sure you were like me and expecting jersey to blow it..

 

I noticed Carlton who were leading the Northern Premier League Midlands Division before Anstey sneaked it, lost to warwick...despite finishing 25 points ahead of them in the league...playoffs can be cruel.

Haha, do you follow the bulls or are aware of their results? They have been really good this season, I can't believe they got into the playoffs. Although ofc they are well funded and some people say because they play on astro they have an advantage because other teams aren't used to the surface. I'm not sure how true that is but it does sound believable. 

I recall their CEO saying the difference in facilities and professionalism at step 4 groundds compared to step 5 is huge, that was surprising but good to hear.

[purpleronnie]

10 minutes ago, grobyfox1990 said:

Haha, do you follow the bulls or are aware of their results? They have been really good this season, I can't believe they got into the playoffs. Although ofc they are well funded and some people say because they play on astro they have an advantage because other teams aren't used to the surface. I'm not sure how true that is but it does sound believable. 

I recall their CEO saying the difference in facilities and professionalism at step 4 groundds compared to step 5 is huge, that was surprising but good to hear.

Occasionialy, they always seem to lose in the play offs, so when i saw they had made the play offs again I feared the worst.  I suspect Croydon will go through.  It irks me when I team like croydon thats so poorly followed (averaging less than teams 2 divisions below them) continue to rise whilst other clubs like jersey who get 5 times their attendances do not.