The unofficial AFC Rushden & Diamonds messageboard

I wonder what's going to happen over promotion, plays offs etc etc, to Step 3 and Step 4 next season, wonder when we will find out.

Play-Off Quarter Finals, or 'Eliminators' as I think they've been called, were introduced this season at Steps 1 and 2. Braintree Town actually won promotion from Conference South yesterday despite finishing 6th in the league which ordinarily wouldn't have earned them a play-off spot.

I envisage that play-offs next season at Step 3 will work similarly but without the additional play-off places available. You'll probably have 2nd - 5th facing off in the two Southern League Premier Divisions, with both regional winners facing off in an additional game for promotion. That would however be slightly unfair as it then becomes harder to gain promotion for the clubs in the two Southern League Premier Divisions than it is in the Evo Stik or Bostik Leagues.

I thought half the point of the additional Step 3 league was to better align promotion and relegation between Steps 2 and 3. So 4 teams relegated from both the National League North and South, with 2 each from the four Step 3 leagues going the other way.

Or have I got that wrong and the FA have made it unnecessarily complicated?

davealbon wrote: ↑Mon May 14, 2018 11:36 am I thought half the point of the additional Step 3 league was to better align promotion and relegation between Steps 2 and 3. So 4 teams relegated from both the National League North and South, with 2 each from the four Step 3 leagues going the other way.

Or have I got that wrong and the FA have made it unnecessarily complicated?

I think the FA have made it complicated! They should keep it simple and relegate 4 from both National North & South. Whatever they decide I don't think it will affect us next season.I anticipate a stormy few weeks for the FA as clubs appeal against their allotted league placings. It seems no one wants to be in the South West.

davealbon wrote: ↑Mon May 14, 2018 11:36 am I thought half the point of the additional Step 3 league was to better align promotion and relegation between Steps 2 and 3. So 4 teams relegated from both the National League North and South, with 2 each from the four Step 3 leagues going the other way.

Or have I got that wrong and the FA have made it unnecessarily complicated?

I had read that the National League weren't willing to relegate 4 teams from the Step 2 divisions although that wasn't official.

Ah, ok. So they made a mockery of this season's Step 4 promotions, in order to add an additional league at Step 3, which in turn will make a mockery of future Step 3 promotions? Business as usual then.

Yaxley and Peterborough Sports now moved to Southern League Central. Step 4.Some common sense prevailing.

sussexdiamond wrote: ↑Tue May 15, 2018 6:33 pm Yaxley and Peterborough Sports now moved to Southern League Central. Step 4.Some common sense prevailing.

When did the name of that league change - I thought that was the name of our new league - or is it a case of the Southern League Website getting confused - http://www.evostikleaguesouthern.co.uk/ ... ions-50646 states "Yaxley and Peterborough Sports will now placed in the Southern League's Central Division."

I don't think Wisbech will be too happy in their new league given they've lost two of their few local games.

Changes partly caused by Andover Town rejecting promotion and being replaced by AFC Mansfield. Obviously Wisbech Town not happy but difficult to see what the FA could have done to reduce their travelling bearing in mind their location.

Updated League Allocations:-

Formic wrote: ↑Tue May 15, 2018 7:06 pm

sussexdiamond wrote: ↑Tue May 15, 2018 6:33 pm Yaxley and Peterborough Sports now moved to Southern League Central. Step 4.Some common sense prevailing.

When did the name of that league change - I thought that was the name of our new league - or is it a case of the Southern League Website getting confused - http://www.evostikleaguesouthern.co.uk/ ... ions-50646 states "Yaxley and Peterborough Sports will now placed in the Southern League's Central Division."

I don't think Wisbech will be too happy in their new league given they've lost two of their few local games.

Typo/confusion I think. That's clear this up. Step 3 consists of Southern League CENTRAL and Southern League SOUTH. Step 4 consists of Southern League EAST and Southern League WEST. The lack of 'Premier' does make it very confusing.