I can tell you that Dorchester Town FC have an existing arrangement with Dorchester Sports, a local team playing in the Dorset League who have used their artificial pitch for at least the last 2 years on Saturdays when Town are away. So it's unlikely they would break that contract, hence the rumour they asked for a high figure.

www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/national-league-south/table

Looking at the table is tricky, some have so many games in hand it's hard to compare league positions. But if you think a point a game will get 46 points, and 50 points is usually the safety mark, looking at number of points + or - games played gives a comparison how teams are doing.

Dover P 37 -16 points (16 points less than games they've played), Havant P 37 - 8 points, Eastbourne P 36 - 3 points (the bottom 3 teams all on less than a point a game) Taunton P 32 +5, Dartford P38 +2, Truro P32 +6, Us P 37 +3. Hemel P37 +7.

Sometimes near the end of a season a team can't get a win to save their life, and teams below catch up, then overtake them. Dartford and Hemel look like that, Hemel on 44 points so just need 6 points from 9 games to reach that 50 point safety mark, but with Dowse now in charge will they get any more points?! Dartford lost 1 - 4 today to out of form Torquay, and have been a mess for months now, and don't have our quality or battling spirit to fight ones way out of trouble.

Our run makes this the first time of the season where we average over a point a game over the season. But it's a reminder just how big a hole Rod had to dig us out of, and how competitive this league is, when you consider he's only lost 1 in 9 league matches, yet we're still only 3 points above the drop zone. But the positive momentum is with us, the Great Escape is still very much on!

Torquay been deducted 10 points

dfc wrote:

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Great job by your club making changes early enough to get yourself out of trouble and now I just cant see any chance of you getting relegated. 
we however are screwed and no supporter I speak to thinks well stay up and thats the general feeling. 
we are exactly where we deserve to be and credit to welling for stringing together many decent results propelling you up the table. 

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 I really thought Ade Pennock would give you a boost but so far he hasnt made any difference. Losing 4-1 to a poor Torquay side who Taunton thrashed at home is an indication of where you are. Losing to Braintree on their patch is no disgrace. Its Still gonna be tight between Welling, Darts, HH and now Torquay. Surely Taunton and Truro will pick up enough points from their games in hand to pull clear of the drop zone. We have had an encouraging few weeks. You seem to be in free fall. Neither fanbase would have envisaged this type of season. 

dfc wrote:

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Great job by your club making changes early enough to get yourself out of trouble and now I just cant see any chance of you getting relegated. 
we however are screwed and no supporter I speak to thinks well stay up and thats the general feeling. 
we are exactly where we deserve to be and credit to welling for stringing together many decent results propelling you up the table. 

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 Aaaahhh, Mister dfc. Good use of the word 'stringing' & perhaps Mr. Pennock will come to your aid. 

Your bold prediction (on this forum, no less) of Welling going down is still possible but looking increasingly unlikely. Ironically, as you state above, it is D*rtford who are now in the ****. At least you had the guts to make a bold prediction but, alas, you may have jinxed your own club.

We beat Hemel Hempstead in January & I don't think they have won in the league since. In contrast, we have lost just one league game since that memorable victory.

If you fail to beat your good pals, MUFC, on Saturday then Hemel at home would be a fantastic opportunity (for both you & Hemel) to get three points.

We brought in an excellent manager who has made some fantastic signings. We've obviously spent a few quid but haven't gone crazy. Our support for the manager & players has been huge. At times, they've been dead on their feet. We've been there to shout their names and help see them through.

Torquay, who hadn't won for ages (until they played you!) might have come to your rescue, especially with Taunton making a couple of decent signings since the transfer embargo was lifted. Just look at Taunton's last two results. Could be three on the spin for them tonight.

 

Probably goes to the wire. Non-league all the way.

 

If the Wings are United...

 

 

 

Relegation is complicated as there are so many on field and off fields issues for all the teams Hemel and below. So maybe the simplest way to try and make sense of it is thinking if the bottom 3 are going down, which looks likely, then the teams above need to win 3 games to be safe, Hemel may just need 2 wins to be safe.

But which of the teams down there, including the ones with all their games in hand, actually look as though they could get 3 wins from their remaining games?

Our recent form looks promising, we could, Taunton are back under a transfer ban, as they didnt pay their players in full for February, but their manager has dealt really well in the circumstances, so unless they go into administration and get a 10 point deduction, could get some wins.

Some of the bottom teams will get the odd win from playing each other, but I cant see Dartford, Truro, Torquay all getting 3 wins, or Hemel getting 2 wins.

We can but hope

Dartford and Hemel have now lost all 3 games under their new managers. Torquay are also hopelessly out of form. Dover and Havant look doomed, I still have a inexplicable hunch Eastbourne could creep out of relegation, Truro and Taunton on the rare times they actually play a game are still getting some points, and we continue to be on the ascendency.

So if form remains unchanged it looks like Dover and Havant likely to go down, with two out of Dartford, Hemel and Torquay, with Dartford looking particularly likely to go down as they already are behind the teams above them.

Dartford play Hemel next Saturday, which will be hilarious, as having torpedoed Dartford and been sacked, Dowse is returning with Hemel, torpedoing them with his post match interviews carefully explaining why his team wasn't good enough to win. The few remaining Dartford fans who survived his footie will be so delighted to see him back! We are away at Chippenham next Saturday, I wonder where the winner of Spot the Jamison competition will have spotted him!

Truro v Eastbourne was abandoned due to a serious injury to a player

The Dover manager publicly spoke about their problems, 17 points away from safety, with only 21 points left to play for.

We're away at Chippenham tomorrow, I'll not make that trip, but am really amused by the situation of Dowse destroying Dartford, and now destroying Hemel, and him going back to Dartford with Hemel tomorrow, as the Dartford fans welcome back for him will be interesting!

It's a massive game for both sides, each desperately need to win it as it's one of the easiest games left for both to play. As they're both so out of form, in theory it should be 0 - 0, but I watched Dartford's cup highlights against Maidstone, there was definite improvement for Dartford, whereas Dowse's toxic approach to his own team just sucks energy out of them.

Our games teach my 12 year old son how to play football, he's always seen himself as a central midfielder, suddenly out of nowhere at Saturday's game he said I want to be a winger. I've a soft spot for Dipo Akinyemi, so will take my son to Bromley tomorrow to watch our ex wing Dipo play for York against Bromley, and see how Dipo is doing these days and learn from his positioning as a striker. He's got 11 goals in the National League so far this season, so stepped up well, though York are bottom 4.

In the national league relegation battle, for an idea of who'll drop down to play us next season, Oxford look doomed, Dorking slipped into the bottom 4. Boreham Wood are 5th from bottom, I loved Alan Devonshire as a footballer, his Maidenhead team are just 2 points above the relegation zone, who knows, maybe a chance of a post match pint with Devo next season.

Once again Jimmie the lure of Bromley beats supporting the Wings. Perhaps your son might learn the importance of 100% effort from watching Sonny Fish,!

Jimmie wrote:

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Going to Bromley rather than Chippenham isn't one I'd ideally make, but my son must be back at his mum's after matches, which usually rules out away matches. On a more positive note, I watched with my Welling/ Dipo hat on, it was fun to be in the Bromley end as the only one supporting York/ Dipo. Bromley played a very uninspiring game yesterday, they are third in the table but one couldn't have guessed that on yesterday's play. Their manager said it was a very disjoined performance, and mentioned they'd played with 10 men earlier in the week. I know from us that playing a man short sometimes catches up with the team next game.

Really interesting to see how Dipo's doing up in the National League, his positioning as a striker is great, he often sits on the shoulder of the last defender, so if he times it right just needs a ball in front of him to run onto and he is though with just the keeper to beat. He got a fantastic goal lobbing the keeper from distance, the highlights are up, his great goal is on the 5 minute mark. www.youtube.com/watch The win gets York out of the bottom 4. I'd mentioned Devo's Maidenhead are in trouble, but overlooked Tristan now plays for Maidenhead. He's a couple of National League goals for them, as has Kain at Gateshead. Oxford were mathematically relegated yesterday, so we'll play them next season.

Great for us Dartford and Hemel drew so both lost 2 points, the table would look worse for us if either had won. Hemel went into that lost 12 of their previous 15 games, so a match Dartford had to win for a decent chance of staying up. But as we learn, these relegation battles often result in draws as neither side wants to lose. Torquay were the only team in the bottom 9 to win, so not much change in positions. Our match against Dover is key for them, they're 17 points adrift with only 18 points to play for, (and a much worse goal difference than everyone else) so anything less than a win for them against us sees them mathematically relegated. Taunton now have another 2 weeks to find a new buyer to avoid administration, if that sale fails, and the league summer meeting is unconvinced of Taunton's ability to fulfil its fixtures next season then they could be kicked out of the league. I'm not sure if that also means they automatically take a NLS relegation spot.

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 Johnny, at this stage, it is not definite that we'll play Oxford (City) in the league next season. There is a possibility that they could end up in the North (again).

Trust you didn't wear your West Ham scarf whilst supporting York City... standing in The Bromley end...

Ouch! I've been Wallop'd!

Hey, you know what, I've seen lots of football, including going to all home matches of a certain other team in 85-86 that just missed out on the title by 4 points. But this current season with Welling is my joint favourite most memorable season of all time, as it has been such a mad, contradictory roller coaster of a season, lows and highs.

We did great in the cups, so got to play teams we'd not normally play, so something like the National League doesn't relate to us, but this season we have played against National League teams Barnet, Chesterfield and Boreham Wood. That Boreham Wood FA cup loss was so gutting, as Tristan went in a bit injured so unable to train during, the week and one can only imagine how we would have done if we had been able to play a fit Tristan that day, as we were so close to a result there and could so easily have had an even longer FA cup run.

Leaguewise has been crazy and dramatic, we played with real heart and commitment, yet didnt get results our effort deserved, as from pre season onwards our final third play was lacking under Danny. Rod arrived with us in the relegation zone, seven points from safety, with just 24 points from 28 games and 5 league wins. Rod has got us 5 points above safety and already got 5 wins from his first 12 games.

Looking at our last 6 games Dover, Maidstone, Torquay, Havant, Weymouth and Slough, the Dover and Havant games are the biggest ones to win, with decent possibilities against Torquay and Weymouth, Maidstone are tough and going for a play off spot, and Slough are unbeaten in their last 20 home games. We're not like Dartford or Hemel, wondering where our goals are going to come from, let alone wins, we have winnable games coming up. Earlier this season we were 2 up against Dover, and only drew 2 - 2. Really looking forward to fixing that on Friday.

I saw Eastbourne at our place, they didnt look relegation standard to me, so I just had a feeling they could get out of trouble, and they're getting good results recently, so could well get out of the bottom 4. If they do, then the key for our survival is finishing above Hemel for the fourth from bottom spot, as Dover, Havant and Dartford look in serious trouble. The Dartford collapse is a surprise after their runner up spot last season. From what I gather, the reason is after that good finish last year Dowse was allowed to have a bigger say in player recruitment this season, and got it wrong. No! No! I will resist the temptation of joking that Jamison advised Dowse on Dartford player recruitment!

But our fate is in our hands, even if Dartford and Eastbourne win their game in hand we are still above them.

Truro 0 Dirtford 0 good result for us

After last nights results Council Stadium FC are out of the drop zone. Personally I would rather see them in the same league as us rather than Truro or Boring Wood. Only because they would bring more than 10 fans to PVR which helps out our coffers.

Riverstown can you still get Woodbines. I remember nicking one off my grandad back in the 50s when I was about 8. Made me sick as a pig 

Hey Riverstown man, I'm under stress, we are 4 points above relegation, with 6 games to go! And what is worse, I've run out of booze and drugs and money, as I spent it all on booze and drugs! I'll have to set up a crowdfunding to sponsor my addictions! I'll set the total for £2.50, so I can buy a can of Special Brew!

To try to calm our collective nerves I've looked at the fixture table of the remaining games of the relegation candidates, as these are cool for us as both teams can't win, so some points will be dropped, which helps us. Welling United v Torquay United, Dartford v Eastbourne Borough, Truro City v Torquay United, Truro City v Hemel Hempstead Town, Havant & Waterlooville v Dartford, Hemel Hempstead Town v Dover Athletic, Havant & Waterlooville v Welling United, Truro City v Dover Athletic, Taunton Town v Torquay United, Dartford Truro City, Taunton Town v Hemel Hempstead Town, Torquay United v Havant & Waterlooville.

The total remaining games against relegation candidates are

Welling 2
Torquay 4
Dartford 3
Eastbourne 1
Truro 4
Hemel 3
Taunton 2

Havant 3

Bearing in mind most teams have around 6 games left, it's a high proportion of dropped points from these games. If we win 2 out of Dover, Torquay and Havant, that may be enough to keep us up, even if we lost our other 4 games. But Truro kept everyone behind the ball against Dartford last night, which is clever game play by them, as like Taunton they know they need to grind out an average of 1 point from each remaining game to stay up, and sitting back defending is less tiring in their heavy fixture backlog than going out and playing an open game. Most of the above games are likely to be 0 - 0, 1 - 1, or 1 goal scored in a game. Not ours though, we either win 4 - 1 or lose 1 - 4!

Is it 4 games Dartford and Hemel have now both played with their new managers without winning? That's odd, Dowse's signings haven't improved Hemel. The teams around us have tough fixtures on Friday, assuming we win and they all lose on Friday I'll be out begging at our bus stop to scrounge another £2.50 to celebrate. But looking at recent form and games in hand, one could imagine Eastbourne and Taunton getting out of the bottom 4, but it's still in our hands.

-- Edited by Jimmie on Wednesday 27th of March 2024 06:34:22 PM

Polo wrote:

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Squarevanmanthesecond wrote:

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After last nights results Council Stadium FC are out of the drop zone. Personally I would rather see them in the same league as us rather than Truro or Boring Wood. Only because they would bring more than 10 fans to PVR which helps out our coffers.

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 Wash your mouth out with soap young man!

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 Sorry Polo but may I suggest a visit to Specsavers. Its been a long time since I was young.

Dear gods of football, thanks for helping us beat Dover on Friday. They're now relegated, now only 3 relegation spots to avoid.

From our point of view great results yesterday, apart from us and Truro the other 7 bottom 9 teams lost. Taunton will probably gets points from their 4 games in hand, which then puts Dartford back in a relegation spot. Dartford's remaining fixtures are tough, just 2 easier chances against Havant and Eastbourne. But win those and they're still on only 46 points, below our current 47. Eastbourne had 2 sendings off yesterday, 1 straight red card, 1 2 yellow cards, so that's suspensions, which wont help them. It is great we've climbed above Hemel for the first time this season. You can imagine Truro overtaking us with points from their games in hand, but we are 7 points above relegation, the best we've yet been.

We've a tough match against Maidstone on Monday, but apart from the Dartford v Eastbourne game all the other lower teams have tough games too, so the table probably won't change that much on Monday, and the great hope is the teams below run
out of games to overtake us.

Looking ahead to next season, we already knew Oxford are relegated from the NLS, but Dorking's sudden unexpected collapse means they now look likely to go down, 5 points below safety, having played 1 or 2 games more than the teams immediately above the relegation zone and just 5 games to go. I'm avoiding the Sonny Fish thread, as I said more than enough on that already, but Gateshead are 4th in the National League, 4 points below Bromley with equal games played and just 5 games to go. so you can see why they wanted to sign Sonny Fish, though he didnt even make their bench yesterday.

D*rtford 0 Eastbourne 2

Could have been 6.

Down with the Dover.


If the Wings are United...