English Promotion and Relegation Part 0: The Daily News: Tuesday 24 May 2005 ==============================================================
Review: National League System's Debut, FA & High Court Appeals
The highlight of the promotion/relegation season was the debut of the National League System and the coming out of the Football Alliance. The lowlights including the unsuccessful High Court appeal of the FA overturning the UniBond Premier League's expungement of Spennymoor United's record that changed both the championship of UPL's Premier Division and the clubs promoted; The NLS Step 5 Ground Grading appeals that reshaped the promotions to Step 4; and the failure of Nationwide Conference South's Hornchurch FC, which also affected relegation.
The Football Alliance, an executive committee formed by an alliance of the Nationwide Football Conference; the Ryman Football League; the UniBond Premier League; and the Southern Football League, stepped up and met the various unexpected challenges (detailed above) with a mixture of relegation cancels (Hornchurch), adaptation (Step 5) by promoting all 10 qualifiers, and the surprising ability to plan ahead by taking pre-emptive actions to deal with as yet unresolved issues (Spennymoor United's fate).
It is obvious, in hindsight, that the Alliance expected Hornchurch's failure when it allowed 10 clubs to come up from Step 5 and only sent down 8 clubs and then spread the extra clubs across two leagues, thus unbalancing both leagues with 23 clubs, knowing Hornchurch would resolve one of the 23 club league problems. Although, this still leaves the Ryman Football League Division One unbalanced with 23 clubs currently assigned to it, one could suspect that an unannounced plan is in place to deal with this. ..........................................................................................
Tomorrow's UEFA Champions League Final between Liverpool and TIM Serie A's AC Milan (Italy) could decide the Reds European fate with a Liverpool win. Although UEFA has been sending conflicting signals over how they would handle a holding club that failed to qualify by the usual method of domestic league placement by first having their President publicly imply that a holding Liverpool could be awarded a UCL berth next year if it appealed its inability to defend the title, then having UEFA say that it's too late to make changes for next year, only to have the UEFA President repeat his impression that a holding Liverpool's appeal could be successful. Regardless of the outcome of the match and any possible appeal, UEFA will meet to permanently resolve the issue of a possible non-qualifying UCL holder.
Tonight, the UniBond Premier League's executive board will meet to discuss league issues with Spennymoor United's fate likely the top issue. It is expected that Spennymoor will be expelled from the league after failing to play its last 9 matches of the league season. Spennymoor could find a new league a few Steps lower, if it survives its internal crisis, but given that Spennymoor's failure to play was a result of lacking players, one could assume that they are near liquidation, and could not afford to pay player salaries, especially since a club in Step 5 suffered a severe flu epidemic and was still able to field a team by using players, including a 16 year old, from its Reserves and U-clubs.
Tuesday next (31 May) is the deadline for Nationwide Football Conference's Northwich Victoria to re-meet the Conference's national ground grading standards. If they fail, they will be relegated to Conference North and the Forest Green Rovers will be de-relegated.
Tuesday next is also the end of UEFA's Fair Play competition. Around Sunday 05 June, UEFA will announce the winning nation (probably Norway or possibly Denmark) and the two nations that won the six nation lottery for 2 of the 3 UEFA Fair Play berths in the First Qualifying Round of the 2006 UEFA Cup. Tottenham Hotspurs has been revealed as England's candidate after finishing second in the English Fair Play League behind UEFA Champions League qualifier Arsenal. ......................................................................................... Correction:
*** League Two ***: Lincoln, Southend advance.
Lincoln City will try to return to Third Division football after their one year stay in 1998-99 when they meet former *** Second Division *** side and losers of the last two LDV Vans Trophy Finals, Southend United, in Cardiff, Wales' Millennium Stadium for the 2 p.m. (BST) *** League Two *** Play-Off Final on Saturday 28 May live on Sky Sports One and Setanta Sports USA (9 a.m. EDT). .........................................................................................
Play-Off Fixtures w/ TV listings --------------------------------------------
Sat 28 May 2005 ============
Coca-Cola Football League Two ------------------------- Southend United v Lincoln City Final @ Millennium Stadium (LIVE - Sky Sports 1 - 2.00 pm BST) (LIVE - Setanta Sports USA 9:00 am EDT)
Coca-Cola Football League One ------------------------- Sheffield Wednesday v Hartlepool United Final @ Millennium Stadium (LIVE - Sky Sports 1 - 2.00 pm BST) (LIVE - Setanta Sports USA 9:00 am EDT)
Coca-Cola Football League Championship ------------------------- Preston North End v West Ham United Final @ Millennium Stadium (LIVE - Sky Sports 1 - 2.00 pm BST) (LIVE - Setanta Sports USA 9:00 am EDT)
