@crawleysth Yeah true, Braintree are an option as well.

Although generally they like to favour teams that have better travel connections and Oxford is easier to get to and from than Braintree from the North.

I really would like Merthyr! Classic ground. Appreciate it's a long shot from a winning the playoffs point of view, they are not in red hot form! Then of course there is the geography!

A couple of days ago on this very thread I was critical of the just released season ticket prices - general admission for an adult was £325, which is more than many paid for this season IIRC (and we'll be in a lower league)

There was a hell of a lot of complaining on the whatsapp group I am in too - and that is full of home and away die hards. They were saying our prices are crazy compared to Crawley for example, that they would just pay on the day for the games they do instead as it's too much to shell out (especially if buying more than 1).

Well credit where it is due, the club have dropped the price to £299 (without a fanfare). Takes good awareness that from the club. No idea if that is down to the new guy behind the scenes but fair play.

I know the seats are still £350 (adult) which means you have to do 20 or more of the 23 games to make it financially worthwhile but perhaps the club will do other little things for season ticket holders across a season anyway to make them feel the most valued fans? Doesn't even have to cost anything, eg fan forum with Marc, first priority for coach bookings or something Plus there is a scarcity of seats in the ground so a reserved seat is worth the premium IMO.

I know there were calls for some sort of payment by instalments, perhaps that will follow somehow too - maybe in 4 instalments via postdated cheques would work (end of April, May, June, July, then you get your card??)

Just thoughts and ideas.

Posted by: @dorking-eagle

↑

Next season's NLS line up is narrowing down:

 

From the NL: 

Definite - Dorking Wanderers 😥 

Possibles - Oxford City, Boreham Wood, Woking, Ebbsfleet, Wealdstone

 

Definites staying in the NLS : 

Slough

St Albans

Chippenham

Tonbridge

Weston-super-Mare

Weymouth

Truro

Welling

Torquay

 

Possibles from the NLS: 

2 OUT OF: Hemel, Eastbourne, Taunton

7 OUT OF: Chelmsford, Worthing, Braintree, Maidstone, Bath, Hampton, Aveley, Farnborough

 

Newly promoted into NLS:

Hornchurch

Chesham

 

Possibles via play offs:

1 from: Chatham, Enfield, Wingate & Finchley, Horsham, Billericay, Hastings

1 from: Gosport, Salisbury, Totton, Merthyr, Bracknell, Walton & Hersham, Hungerford, Dorchester

Predictions on the final few spots then:

Boreham Wood

Hemel Hempstead Town

Eastbourne Borough

Chelmsford City

Worthing

Braintree Town

Bath City

Hampton & Richmond Borough

Aveley

Farnborough

Enfield Town

Gosport Borough 

And for good measure, in the NL:

Sutton United (relegated from League Two)

Barnet (Promoted to League Two)

Maidstone United (Promoted from NLS)

Scunthorpe United (Promoted from NLN)

Wasn't Jason Prior at Gosport back in the day?

Just checked, yes he was, 9 appearances in 2014

Tonights action!

National League South - Taunton v Weston super Mare (7.45)

If Taunton lose tonight they are relegated and it'll be confirmed we go to Eastbourne and Hemel next season

If Taunton draw tonight then Hemel are effectively safe and staying in the NLS next season due to their goal difference, but it leaves it between Taunton and Eastbourne on the last day

@dorking-eagle Not sure which I'd prefer. I assume you've been to Hemel - what's that like?

@adeb Eastbourne is a decent away day

Not relevant to this particular thread - but how many did we take to Wealdstone? Looked a lot on the highlights.

Hemel was one of only 2 grounds I missed in the three seasons we were in the NLS, not helped by 1.5 of those seasons we couldn't go, (the other was Dartford)

However it's pretty much a bog standard non league ground, they have 3G (about half the teams in the NLS do I think?). They have a clubhouse with 'naked' Roman stye statues with blokes bits on display!!

So personally the two I want to stay up are Hemel and also Taunton (as I've done Eastbourne a few times)

Think it's a tall order for Taunton to stay up though, and also it's sort of largely out of their hands anyway.

There could be a chance we get to visit Taunton though if we play Truro away early in the season and their new Cornish stadium isn't ready (have they even started works??), as they groundshared at Taunton for some of this season, and Taunton need the money.

Peacocks relegated (booooo!)

Eastbourne and Hemel it is then.

@adeb Hemel was quite a nice away day with a mixed clubhouse and decent stands behind both goals, might not be so impressive now that we have been to Notts County, Oldham etc. Sadly, not particularly fond memories of the visit though thanks to the dire game we had to watch but fingers crossed for a better one next time around.

Farnborough, Hampton & Richmond and Boreham Wood added to the confirmed opponents list for next year.

Will be interesting to see how Boreham Wood do next year with a new manager at a new level. You imagine there crowds will be even smaller...

Unrelated but Gateshead have been thrown out the NL playoffs due to ground requirements. Solihull get a bye to the semi-final.

Feel for Alty (didn't think I'd say that) as they finished above Solihull. Would have also liked to see Aldershot be given the last playoff spot instead.

Alty must have moaned because they have now got the bye

Can Halifax actually host though with state of their pitch!!