Opponents For Next Season?

[PSG55]

A bit previous, yes. But just been having a look at who our potential opponents might be for next season.

Obviously, we hope we'll be going up and it'll all be irrelevant. But on the basis of our current situation, there could be some interesting new grounds to visit in 26/27.

Cobham have won the CCL Premier South, so I guess they would come into the IL1SC as they're far enough west. Potentially Abbey Rangers, Tadley Calleva and Fleet Town fighting it out for the playoffs. I think Tooting & Mitcham would be too far east?

Burnham look a good bet for the title in the CCL Premier North. Pretty sure they'd come into the IL1SC. Potentially Ashford Town, Windsor & Eton and North Greenford United in the playoffs. Broadfields United perhaps a 50/50 given that Rayners Lane went into the Southern Central. But then Harrow are in with us. So I guess it depends on other divisions.

I suspect we may see a realignment with perhaps Marlow, Flackwell Heath and / or Beaconsfield Town coming across to the IL1SC. Perhaps one of the Channel Islands if Guernsey are promoted? They're currently in the playoffs of the Southern Combination and there are flights to Heathrow from Guernsey, so perhaps that might qualify them over Jersey who seems to be Gatwick-only.

It looks like we could potentially lose quite a few of the south coast teams this season. I see Steyning Town are top of the Southern Combination and they might just be far enough west to join the IL1SC. Also, AFC Stoneham are top of the Wessex Premier and are based right next to Southampton Airport. So that's another potential replacement.

[Surrey Missioner]

I've never been clear how they work out who plays in each league. I'd like to think there's an algorithm which works out the total travelling distance (or better still, travelling time) across all possible combinations, and then goes with whatever minimizes this (overall).

Some of our away fixtures feel excessively far away, given that we're in the eighth tier of English football....

It will also be interesting to see who comes down from step 3 ....

[Red army]

Largely depends on relegations and promotions the borders shift to accommodate the right amount of teams into each given league.

Replacing Beaconsfield and Rayners Lane with trips to Bognor, AFC Portchester and Fareham seems strange but ties in with Moneyfields and Horndean for those coastal clubs. I quite like the fact as a supporter that there always a chance of new grounds every season and ones you may not visit for seasons on end without a cup draw.

Players demanding higher wages for this level of football is mind boggling at times. Clubs playing budgets are through the roof these days. Non-league club attracting new ownership models, who are willing to invest huge sums to make them successful sets the bar for the rest!!!

Be interesting to see where we sit in regards of player budget in any given season.
Lot of talk of 3/5 year plans with promotion back to step 2 in the not too distant future!!
That’s some serious investment for a club that struggles to break 250 through the gate every home game.