Can somebody explain the situation regarding play-offs for promotion and relegation this season?
How many teams automatically get promoted/relegated, and which teams will be contesting the play-offs?

As I understand it:-

(all subject to ground grading etc)

1. The Premier Division champions will be promoted to the Conference.

2. The bottom two clubs in the Premier Division will be relegated to Division 1

3. The top two clubs in Division 1 will be promoted to the Premier Division.

4. The third promotion/relegation place will be decided by a play off between the third bottom club (Club A) in the Premier Division and the clubs finishing 3rd 4th and 5th in Division 1 (Clubs B,C & D)

There will be 2 semi finals:

Club A v Club D and
Club B v Club C

With the winner of semi final 1 at home to the winner of semi final 2.

Page 115 of the League rules expands on circumstances where any of the clubs concerned do not have an "A" grading but my brain then started to hurt!!!!

I hope this is reasonably clear.

Dave

Thanks...my head's just about stopped spinning after all that now!

Is it definitely two automatic plus one play-off to get promotion? I find it a bit odd that the Premier Division clubs would agree to three-up three-down.

Yes it is definite - subject to ground grading. We were surprised (as a Division 1 Club), but it was passed very easily. I think there was an attempt to show solidarity with the Conference's (abortive) attempt to get two up two down with Division 3.

The sting in the tail is obviously ground grading, and if, for instance, the club finishing 5th did not meet the requirements there is no option for any lower placed club to be involved.

Dave.

That's how I understood they would work too. On checking the league yearbook I was however surprised to see that there's nothing there to regulate the clubs involved, "ie the club finishing in 3rd place in Division One shall be Ashton United".

I thought that decree came from a higher power!

since the playoffs have been introduced a new strategy has been introduced and ashton will this year finish in sixth place to narrowly miss the play-offs and frustrate their supporters

Well League Tracker currently predicts a 6th place finish for Ashton!

Where can I find this League Tracker? Where does it predict Matlock to finish?

It is a League Management program available from
www.ngthomas.co.uk. It is freeware and invaluable if you want to keep track of the fixtures and results.

You have, however, to input the data yourself.

Its prediction capabilities are very limited, when Ossett Albion went for several matches without a point it assumed that they would lose all their remaining matches! (I bet some of their supporters feared that might be true!)

Anyway it currently gives Matlock the final play-off place.

1Radcliffe
2Harrogate
3Leek
4Ossett Town
5Matlock

20Workington
21Kendall
22Ossett Albion

If you do download the program, e-mail me at searbyb@aol.com and I will let you have my Division 1 file.

No way can Chorley not be in the bottom 3 on current form (played 8 lost 5 drawn 3 scored 3, and that includes defeats to Guiseley, Ossett Albion, Stocksbridge and Gretna, no offence but hardly forces to be reckoned with). Steer well clear of this dodgy software Unless it has predicted that Ken Wright is going to be fired next week and replaced by Graham Barrow

Sorry Mark, this fantastic!! software also gives current form tables and you are indeed well last over the last eight games viz:-

1Harrogate
2Leek
3Matlock
4Radcliffe
5Ossett Town
6Guiseley


20Workington
21Ossett Albion
22Chorley


However it is obviously taking possible managerial changes into account and expects you to recover to finish 19th 6 points clear of Workington.

Yours in fantasy

Dave

PS Talking of fantasy:- East Riding Senior Cup tonight

North Ferriby 5 (Five) Hull City 3

City seriously wanted to prevent Ferriby equalling their record of 6 successive ER Cup victories and put out a side with 5 regular first teamers (Morley, Beresford, Greaves, Rowe and Mann) plus another 4 with first team experience and Paul Musselwhite in goal. In spite of going a goal down after 9 minutes through sloppy defending Ferriby hit back with 5 goals in 15 minutes to stun the 3rd Division high fliers.
However they face a stern challenge in round three away to.......
North Ferriby Reserves !!