I thought it might be a good idea to start a thread covering news & events in the non-league and grass roots level in UK football. Sadly the opening post is not a positive one; Referee abuse: Hundreds tell of safety fears at grassroots level https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/64584541 This epidemic of abusive, aggressive behaviour against referees is a disgrace, and also a tragedy waiting to happen. At some point a referee will be killed - then the Government will throw up its hands in shock, as if they were totally unaware anything amiss was going on. I know as fans we all love to give referees verbal abuse sometimes. But at our level at least refs have some protection from crowd anger, even if they are subjected to chilling intimidation online. Amateur referees up the park on a Sunday morning have no protection. I'm amazed any of them want to carry on volunteering their time when they are treated this way.
Top managers like Klopp don't set a good example. A survey a couple of years ago showed that about 90% of fans from both sides at any given game believe the ref was biased against their own team. Who'd be a ref.
England are five points in front of Ivor's mob in the National League Points in the bag are better than games in hand.
Considering the investment in their squad, it is remarkable that Wrexham do not comfortably win every league game they play. But it's a good sign for the National League (5th tier) in general. It shows there are teams in that league who can take on quality opposition. I don't know how much bus parking goes on, but the 2-2 result yesterday indicates Woking had a go.
I'm not sure how the play offs work, there is a line under the third placed team, then another under the 7th placed. Very strange.
With only 2 coming up to the 4th tier the 6 teams that finish under the Champions have some kind of mini-knock-out competition I think. Teams 2 & 3 play a semi-final Teams 4,5,6 & 7 play quarter-finals then a semi. Winners meeting to decide the 2nd promotion place. Simples! Or I could be completely wrong
Southend United v Gateshead (National league) This could be Southend's last ever match at Roots Hall. I heard on the radio that SUFC have got until the end of the month to find £2m for the Tax Man, or it's Game Over. Their owner says he'll do it... I wouldn't want to be a Southend fan right now. It's always the fans who suffer.
Karl Robinson sacked this weekend after five years at Oxford Utd. Their owner described him as a "Wow" appointment when they took him on Came close a couple of times, but definitely no cigar. Lee Bowyer was definitely a step upwards. If the mean old Scrote had backed him after Wembley 2019 we might still be in the Championship. PS: Southend United might be wound up on Wednesday if HMRC don't get their £2m.
Southend have announced their debt to the Tax man has been paid in full... just hours before the Club would have been closed down. Great news for their long-suffering fans, but did it have to be left so late? What kind of dodgy types are running that Club?
Southend United is now up for sale. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/64995097 I hope Ron Martin doesn't sell the Club to scum who will try to profit from tearing it apart.
Why else would any sane person buy a loss making business, where the fans hate you if you don't keep pouring money into it?
