National League Playoffs

[shoddycollins]

We're onto the semis, with Barnet (finished 11th) beating Yeovil and Borehamwood (a match made in heaven with Matt Rhead) beating Brother Halifax.

So, semis will be:
Harrogate v Borehamwood
Notts v Barnet

anyone but Borehamwood please (as much the idea of Borehamwood v Bolton as a league game amuses me). If they get into the football league we should all resign in protest.

 

[kieran_vale]

I think if it were to be Borehamwood I might actually be in favour of revoking Stevenages relegation to keep them out.

Would prefer Notts went up of them teams and then Barnet as second choice as I do like their away end.

 

[Chris FGR]

What sort of a shit tinpot play off system is this?

Why only one leg at one of the teams grounds (all that effort to get back for just 1 game), why are there 'play off eliminators' and why do 2 teams get the big disadvantage of the semi being their first competitive game when the lower sides have got a game in first?

What was wrong with the old system they used many years back when we were in non league? Two legs and a final, as it should be.

Would prefer Notts up, cracking away day. Harrogate and Barnet alright too.

 

[Chris FGR]

>Many years back
>Three years ago

3 years is a long time. Back then May was still PM, no one had heard of Covid 19, everyone still liked China, Stoke were a mid table Prem team, fans were allowed in stadiums and the Conference still had a proper play off system.

 

[kieran_vale]

3 years is a long time. Back then May was still PM, no one had heard of Covid 19, everyone still liked China, Stoke were a mid table Prem team, fans were allowed in stadiums and the Conference still had a proper play off system.

I was thinking it was a things were better back in the day type of post until that bit ruined it Chris.

 

[shoddycollins]

>Many years back
>Three years ago

Have you ever met ChrisFGR? This is classic him.

 

[shoddycollins]

What sort of a shit tinpot play off system is this?

Why only one leg at one of the teams grounds (all that effort to get back for just 1 game), why are there 'play off eliminators' and why do 2 teams get the big disadvantage of the semi being their first competitive game when the lower sides have got a game in first?

What was wrong with the old system they used many years back when we were in non league? Two legs and a final, as it should be.

Would prefer Notts up, cracking away day. Harrogate and Barnet alright too.

I propose a playoff system for the National League which includes all 24 sides. Knockout would be a bit of a crapshoot though so instead there should be groups, though instead of multiple groups leading to a knockout stage, just one big group with all 24 teams in... the top two at the end of that get promoted.

 

[Vanni]

Watched last night's game as well as todays, and I couldn't help but think all 4 sides that were in action so far would need to replace most of their first team players just to be competitive at this level.

 

[Chris FGR]

I propose a playoff system for the National League which includes all 24 sides. Knockout would be a bit of a crapshoot though so instead there should be groups, though instead of multiple groups leading to a knockout stage, just one big group with all 24 teams in... the top two at the end of that get promoted.

Sounds way too complicated. They'll never go for it.

 

[Posh Harry]

Although Notts is a great away day, it’s too early for them to come back. They need to know what it’s really like to be down there before they return which means at least one more season. And I’m not sure this forum is ready for Bolton, notts and Tranmere fans mall at the same time.

 

[Monkey Tennis]

The younger Notts County fans (not the ones on here) are entitled little pricks, bleating about how they were robbed of the title. They need to stay down.

Harrogate is a fairly close game for us, and even though they are as plastic as their pitch, they're the best of a dreadful bunch.

 

[dedwardp]

Purely geographically, Barnet or Boreham Wood please.

 

[Chris FGR]

Matt Rhead plays for Boreham Wood!

Thought that fat c*** had retired.

 

[Son of Cod]

Wait...Barnet actually did finish 11th? I figured Shoddy was taking the piss there.

 

[Chris FGR]

The National League board, well run as always, apparently decided to have an egm at the Kings Arms in Stafford to decide on the final play off place. The method used was the old stick a load of numbered pool balls in a bag for life method. First ball pulled out was dropped and rolled under the table, the old fuckers couldn't reach it, so second ball out was Barnet.

 

[Bottega Don]

Harrogate would be great, Notts County if not. Stay away Barnet and Boreham Wood.

 

[Boz]

Really don't want Boreham wood. No strong views about the others though Barnet/Harrogate would be new grounds if away fans allowed in.

 

[RLC]

I would prefer Barnet as we have never played them in a competitive game.

I would not want B'wood or Harrogate as they are both fabricated, bankrolled clubs of which we have enough already. However, of the two I would prefer Harrogate.

 

[Essex2Wessex]

Notts>>>Barnet>>>>>Harrogate>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Boreham Wood

 

[Trapdoor]

Barnet would be fine. Notts County I dont actually like as an away day despite them having a decent stadium and decent fans. Just personal preference.

 

[The Terminator]

Anyone but Boreham Wood, watched them beat us twice at their place already and they always run out of programmes and food when we go there.

Tinpot is not even the word.

 

[Hooped Wizard]

Why is Harrogate a more acceptable prospect than Borehamwood? Is Harrogate considered one of the larger non-league teams?

 

[jacobncfc]

Although Notts is a great away day, it’s too early for them to come back. They need to know what it’s really like to be down there before they return which means at least one more season. And I’m not sure this forum is ready for Bolton, notts and Tranmere fans mall at the same time.

Everyone said this sort of thing last year and it’s been easily our most enjoyable season for at least a decade, to the extent that I don’t know anyone who’s viewing the play-offs as anything other than a bit of a free hit.

It’s been a significantly more enjoyable league to be in than League Two. Which is strange to say when you want to get promoted back into it, I know.

 

[Trapdoor]

Everyone said this sort of thing last year and it’s been easily our most enjoyable season for at least a decade, to the extent that I don’t know anyone who’s viewing the play-offs as anything other than a bit of a free hit.

It’s been a significantly more enjoyable league to be in than League Two. Which is strange to say when you want to get promoted back into it, I know.

It's an odd feeling isnt it. Some of my happiest memories watching football are from when we were in non-league. (Having said that I never want to go back down there.)

It feels so good to be able to get rid of the bang average league cloggers, clear out the bad apples steeling a wage and rebuild with people who actually care about performing for the badge. In retrospect dropping out of Div 4 was one of the best things to happen to us. Although if you had told me that just after we lost to Curzon Ashton I would not have believed you.

 

[Essex2Wessex]

Why is Harrogate a more acceptable prospect than Borehamwood? Is Harrogate considered one of the larger non-league teams?

Purely in terms of status as clubs, I'd view both Harrogate and Boreham Wood as being at a similar level: neither have been in the top tier of non-league for very long (Harrogate since 2018, BW since 2015 I think). Completely different in that sense to long-established National League/Conference/Alliance League stalwarts plugging away with a reasonable expectation that some day they'll get promoted, which more or less all the non-league teams to have been promoted over the years, Salford and in their way Rushden apart, mostly have been to a greater or lesser extent.

Yeah, Harrogate's plastic pitch is a mark against them. I think - for me anyway - it's more the combination of personnel (the character of BW's owner, as expressed in his posts on the clubs website, doesn't come over well) and location. (Harrogate is a lovely town to visit, Boreham Wood.....makes Barnet, or even Queensbury, where they are based now, look exciting and a good day out in its own right.) .

Then there's that the average attendance at BW is extraordinarily low, even for the fifth tier (718 in 2018/19, according to Transfermarkt, about half that of Harrogate, with Barnet falling between them: second lowest in the league that year, with the team below them having since been relegated) also doesn't hint at an atmospheric away day on the cards. More blatantly than Stevenage or, say, perhaps Crawley, and fairly or otherwise, they give the impression of being no-one's first choice team to support.

 

[Posh Harry]

Everyone said this sort of thing last year and it’s been easily our most enjoyable season for at least a decade, to the extent that I don’t know anyone who’s viewing the play-offs as anything other than a bit of a free hit.

It’s been a significantly more enjoyable league to be in than League Two. Which is strange to say when you want to get promoted back into it, I know.

I think thats ok for one or maybe two seasons. This issue is when it gets longer than that and it becomes almost the accepted and then you start to worry about whether your club can actually survive in the long term or not. I know a lot of our fans were at the point after 6 years thinking we might even go part time and thinking the club could fold.
You’re not there yet, but if you are still there in a couple of years time, that enjoyable cute feeling will soon disappear. Trust me.

 

[jacobncfc]

We’ve spent much of our recent history worried about whether we might fold and losing at home to teams with 100 away fans. I’m not sure it’d feel that much different just because we were doing it in a league with a different title sponsor.

All of that said, it probably helps that for the first time probably in living memory no one has any complaints about our owners, manager or players really.

 

[Si Robin]

I've always said our season back int he conference was easily my favourite season for some time. I've always backed that up with the fact that we were comfortable champions in the end though.

as you say Jacob, not having any real concerns and being able to enjoy the football (regardless of quality) for what it is makes a huge difference.

 

[Soup Ladle]

Well I haven't enjoyed a single minute of being non league as we've always been a basket case since we went down and haven't been able to compete at the top as a result of that. Chesterfield fans would probably say similar. Bit different for Notts as they are financially well backed and seem to be managed sensibly on and off the pitch.

Things were turning for us before Covid came along and that's just ruined everything. Now I'll just be grateful if we have a club this time next year.

 

[Huntsman94]

Preference for me goes to Notts County. If they were to miss out then Barnet would be my next choice followed by Harrogate.

Just. Not. Boreham. Wood. Please. And. Thank. You.