I've just been onto the Bishop Auckland website www.bishopafc.com which says they have been relegated to the first division as their ground for next season at Shildon does not meet Premier Division requirements. Can anyone confirm that this is true and what would happen to the teams who have gone down or would be in the playoffs?

We really need something official to be said about this, someone on the excellent www.hydeunited.cjb.net message board says that we're playing in the playoff final next Thursday!?

Help!

It would not suprise me if the league let the play offs go on, then made a decision at the AGM in June (nothing can be confirmed till then anyway).

If Bishop go down having not been involved in the play offs, i can see the league reverting to 22 teams, and leave 23 in the 1st..??

If we assume that Bishop's relegation is a done deal, because the meeting of ground grading requirements is a matter of fact, then the obvious solution is to place them 23rd which will automatically move Hyde up into the play offs and give a reprieve to Bay.

I don't think there is a right of appeal against the ground grading committee's decision.

Dave's idea of putting Bishop in 23rd place and Hyde into the play offs sounds fairest.

I cant seem them boycotting the play offs seeing as how the Div 1 clubs have been working towards them all season.

I dont think there can be any sympathy for Bishop Auckland though. The clubs have known for years that these criteria were coming and most have done things to meet them in plenty of time, Emley moving to Walefield for example. Bishop Auckland have dragged their feet for years about moving to a new ground (wasnt it about 8/9 years ago they first talked about it?), and have only themselves to blame for leaving it until the last moment before looking for alternatives.

OK, the reason they failed the criteria at Shildon might only be relatively small and they might have the work required completed by next week, but deadlines have to be set somewhere. If they had had more foresight and got themselves organised a bit better, i.e. moved last season, or announced their move to Shildon a few months earlier than they did none of this would have happened.

The Non-League Paper website confirms that Bishop Auckland are definitely promoted but it only speculates what'll happen with the play offs etc.

The UniBond should've made an announcement when they demoted Bishop Auckland. But no, that would be to simple.

Whatever happens, Colwyn Bay are definitely safe.

Perhaps they should relegate Bamber Bridge and Bishop Auckland, and have the 1st division play-offs between those finishing 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th... oh well, just a dream.

Brian (hoping for a 14 goal winning margin tonight)

much easier just to automatically promote the team that (always) finihes third