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Everyweeker wrote: Sat Apr 27, 2024 9:16 pm Surely you only get an in league reprieve, nor across all Step 4 leagues, if the resigning club goes 'in season' and is therefore suggested to finish bottom. That pushes us up.

But, that can't happen here? You'd have to expunge their results? Sphinx got 4 points off them. No ways that change happens?

I suspect the reprieve goes to PPG across all Step 4 leagues via the League Allocation at the FA, unfortunately?

"then the playing record of that Club will be expunged and a vacancy is created"

My reading is that Loughborough's decision falls into the former "End of Playing Season" category rather than the later "Prior to End of Playing Season". If correct, 5.5.1 (b) would be relevant:

In all cases, that Club is treated as a relegated Club. The final table of that division is not affected.

This would certainly be in line with precedence from previous seasons with other clubs.

Ironically, Loughborough Students won their UCL North Play Off Final today so there will be a Loughborough based team in the NPL next season regardless.

On the game again, what a mad decision for their penalty.

I know technically by the rules of the game it was handball. But I also don't know how any player who has a ball hurtling directly at their face from close range isn't going to flinch and put their hand up.

This past season has operated on a shortfall of 6 clubs in Steps 3 and 4..You can now add Loughborough and New Salamis.
The FA plan is for each of the Step 3 and 4 divisions to have 22 teams next season.
The two vacancies at Step 3 have been resolved already as only 3 will be relegated from NPL and SPL.

I believe the idea is for 2 teams to be promoted from all Step 5 leagues this coming season ie 32 clubs.
Quite how this could impact us I don't know. Could as many as 6 clubs be reprieved?

When thinking about reprieves don't forget that Loughborough haven't folded and had their record expunged.

They asked for voluntary relegation so "should" be one of the two clubs relegated.

A good battling away win with some much needed fortune for a change.
Reading Loughborough's statement they've obviously been planning this for some time, and you would think they'd been in contact with the NPL prior to the statement. Discussing this on the coach on the way back someone made the excellent point that the NPL would have asked for Loughborough to wait until after the final game to preserve the integrity of the competition. As they are also aware of our move it makes sense to clarify our situation ASAP.

sussexdiamond wrote: Sun Apr 28, 2024 8:08 am This past season has operated on a shortfall of 6 clubs in Steps 3 and 4..You can now add Loughborough and New Salamis.
The FA plan is for each of the Step 3 and 4 divisions to have 22 teams next season.
The two vacancies at Step 3 have been resolved already as only 3 will be relegated from NPL and SPL.

I believe the idea is for 2 teams to be promoted from all Step 5 leagues this coming season ie 32 clubs.
Quite how this could impact us I don't know. Could as many as 6 clubs be reprieved?

There will quite likely be even more than 4 clubs reprieved at step 4 because of ground grading demotions. I was speaking about this with a couple of people yesterday before the Loughborough news, and was explaining that thanks to our good standing in the PPG table anyway, that we never know and may actually get a reprieve from somewhere. Obviously thanks to the Loughborough situation it is an almost certainty.

Stourbridge_Diamond wrote: Sat Apr 27, 2024 9:57 pm On the game again, what a mad decision for their penalty.

I know technically by the rules of the game it was handball. But I also don't know how any player who has a ball hurtling directly at their face from close range isn't going to flinch and put their hand up.

Hadn't seen it for a long time, that free kick was awarded to us after the penalty taker headed the ball after he hit the bar. Reason being that in effect he'd touched tge ball twice

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TheIncognitoKid wrote: Sun Apr 28, 2024 9:45 am

Stourbridge_Diamond wrote: Sat Apr 27, 2024 9:57 pm On the game again, what a mad decision for their penalty.

I know technically by the rules of the game it was handball. But I also don't know how any player who has a ball hurtling directly at their face from close range isn't going to flinch and put their hand up.

Hadn't seen it for a long time, that free kick was awarded to us after the penalty taker headed the ball after he hit the bar. Reason being that in effect he'd touched tge ball twice

I actually thought penalty taker handled it when I first saw.