promotion updates

4 clubs have confirmed promotion to step 4 as they are champions and have the ground grading .Their ppg is immaterial at the moment
5 clubs are on course to be champions and be promoted pending ground grading
The remaining 3 spaces would be taken up by 2nd placed clubs who are eligible with a good ppg
currently westfield from the midland alliance would miss out
The northern league are not currently able to provide a team for promotion

GUILDFORD CITY CHAMPIONS 2.425
WROXHAM CHAMPIONS 2.324
WITHAM CHAMPIONS 2.531
WINCHESTER CITY CHAMPIONS 2.525
SHORTWOOD CURRENTLY 2nd 2.324
HERNE BAY CURRENTLY 1ST 2.423
WESTFIELD CURRENTLY 2ND 2.100
RAMSBOTTOM CURRENTLY 1st 2.250
RETFORD CURRENTLY 1st 2.279
NORTHERN LEAGUE NO ELIGIBLE CLUB
ROYSTON TOWN CHAMPIONS 2.525
THREE BRIDGES CURRENTLY 2nd 2.343
KINGS LYNN TOWN CURRENTLY 1st 2.684
MERTHYR TOWN CURRENTLY 2nd 2.167

Though the northern league currently are unable to provide a team for promotion dunston uts are 4th and have games in hand could still win their league

Things are looking much rosier tonight (depending on us finishing the job off our end of course).
In the Northern League Dunston lost tonight, this means that the league is no longer in their hands & they have the big Wembley date looming over them...
We can all Cross our fingers for an Oxford Nomads win in their final hellenic game and as they have withdrawn from the promotion bid the 1st place spot will be lost for Shortwood Utd.
We also currently have a better ppg than the sides who have applied in the Midlands Alliance.

Re. Shortwood, if they fail to win at home against Wantage Town tomorrow evening then Oxford City Nomads will be crowned champions of the Hellenic League Premier Divison.

Three Bridges will go top if (when) they beat Chichester City tonight. Chi do have a "new" team that has picked up 7 points from 4 played, and would get off the bottom if they win, but even if they don't stop Three Bridges, Bridges get to play Peacehaven on saturday, a week after one of the Peacehaven players was killed in a punch-up, so their hearts may not be in it. Rye, currently top don't have a game until April 28th, by which time Bridges will probably be champions already.

Shortwood drew oxford city nomads are champions

Big game Saturday. Gresley (currently 3rd) versus Coventry Sphinx (1st).
A Win for Coventry would be very nice as they have already withdrawn from promotion bid.
Gresley are potential champions if they win game in hand. However Both Westfields (2nd) and Gresley still have lower ppg than us

In basic terms, Westfields or Gresley are our new oposition, they can achieve a ppg of 2.19, which means that 75 points will give us a better record than them. So two wins and a draw is the current target for promotion to step 4

If we win the league we will be promoted. Why are we concerned about sides that are destined to finish second and their ppg? They can't beat us to promotion on ppg if they finish second and we win the league! Lets relax.

As there are no Northern League champions going up and that Oxford team have won their league (and they haven't applied for promotion) that means the 12 remaining champion clubs will be GUARANTEED promotion (if they've applied and have the necessary ground grading).

Someone please stop me from getting sucked into all of this debate!!!

There are no nothern teams going up at present because dunston uts are outside the top three in that division.However they have games in hand from which they can pick up sufficent points to win their league .this paints an entirely diffrent picture .Simply we need to keep on winning.Our next two games are a big challenge

I must say it's sometimes difficult enough keeping up with what promotion rivals in our own division are doing without having to keep an eye on 13 other leagues as well!

Gives us silver surfers something to do i suppose

we still got to finish first place though,
not over yet

sure we will be ok though

The northern league have no team to promote as teams in 1&2 do not qualify. It is likely that the team in 4th dunstan will win the league. They are eligible and that league will have a team to promote. They will then go above us assuming they win their two games in hand. So we need the 6 points I mentioned.

We need 75 points to guarantee a promotion. Fact.

It is likely that the team in 4th dunstan will win the league

With Dunston having 6 matches to play in 13 days I would say exactly the opposite - it'll be West Auckland Town (not applied for promotion) for my money.

I retire, having bowed to superior knowledge. I think we'll get 7 points in our last 3 games.

If we're talking about what we think may happen, rather than the worst possible scenario. I think it will all be over by 5pm Saturday. We will win, Bitton will not and we will be champs. Coventry will beat Gresley and westfields will not win. Up Up Up

Also dunstan will be focused on the FA Vase final on may 13th. They play again tonight and it's 0-0 at half time.

Think I'll join Rob in retirement now.

the Whites are going up......

Dunstan drew 2-2.

The worry I have is the number of these sides I've seen...

Temped in the treck to Gresley - one of our old stomping grounds - for the table topper against Coventry Sphynx (one of Lamb Chops old sides from memory). In stead going around the corner to Highage in the same Alliance level to watch the six-pointer at the other end of the table against Heather St Johns. Not sure if the Shirley side did us a favour last week beating Cov.

For info, West Aucklands ground is equivilent to Taffs Wells.

I know there has been a bit of criticism regarding the fear of missing out on promotion, but I really appreciate the efforts of those who have kept everyone up to date with the information. It is far better to be aware of the situation rather than be unaware. I live in South Africa - just check out what happened with regard to the Nations Cup when South Africa assumed they needed a particular number of points only to find out they were wrong!!!

The Martyrs form in recent games has been sensational. I was over in the UK for the Hallen game and they could have scored 10 that day. They almost have on many other occasions - and what a great result today at Ilfracombe. The league is nearly ours and a win against Wells on Tuesday will finish the job. Won't help the club much, but would love Merthyr to be put in the Northern division. My British base is Sheffield and it would make getting to watch them when at home so much easier #totallyselfish!

Northern Division? - stuff that! The Martyrs will have enough travelling to do in the Sothern League Div 1 South & West.

I know Cliff, that's why I put #totallyselfish next to the post. It will help me to get to games, will not help Merthyr. They can come to the north of the country when they get into the Conference Premier!

As things stand, I think we need 4 points to be guaranteed promotion - this will give us a ppg of 2.20, while Gresley can only (at best) get a ppg of 2.19.

Of course, if Dunstan of the Northern League fail to win their league (currently 4th, 8 points off the league, with 2 games in hand - 4 games left in total, all away) - all the ppg becomes immaterial as both us and Gresley will be promoted, if we both win our leagues, of course!

Of course, results over the course of this week can affect all of this, but worst case, 4 points will seal promotion!

Whilst I've been a critic of this detailed analysis in the past , I feel the time is right, given the little amount of games left for all promotion candidates, for us to all be fully aware of points attainment required for promotion. If I've got it wrong, please feel free to correct me!!!