Decisions being made

[Paulmichael]

How the hell are they going to fit any planned play off dates in if we are going into another week without a decision

[Jonty]

How the hell are they going to fit any planned play off dates in if we are going into another week without a decision

With great difficulty. Training, covid checks, prep, injuries occur going straight into competitive games. Could settle it all on PPG

[Nigel Bamford]

According to NLP there are unlikely to be play-offs in NLN and NLS:
https://www.thenonleaguefootballpaper.c ... s-in-doubt

[HenneysKnee]

According to NLP there are unlikely to be play-offs in NLN and NLS:
https://www.thenonleaguefootballpaper.c ... s-in-doubt

Oh good, more delays

[Suffolk Blue]

Think squads would need a minimum of 4 weeks conditioning. Some of the clubs will have furlough issues. And there will be the thorny issue of payments for testing. So any club wanting to engage in play-offs will have to be willing to part with a minimum of what £60k ? plus whatever the costs are of re-activating their squads into contracts which for some clubs will have expired. That's probably a six figure sum. They might also lose of course.

I still think that the likes of Notts County, Harrogate, Yeovil and Barnet will be up for it. Halifax I'm not too sure about and Borehamwood definitely not. If they were to lose a couple of potential play-off candidates I wonder whether they might try and trim the size to 4 - I think they have discretion to do this under their existing rules.

On this basis you'd have play-offs in late July, possibly no later than the Premier League completion/FA Cup final. Not an insoluble problem logistically if the view is that the new NL season wouldn't start until September at the earliest.

Oh and the FA Trophy semi-final/final has to be accommodated in theory - though at least three of those teams would be involved in play-offs anyway.

[Suffolk Blue]

According to NLP there are unlikely to be play-offs in NLN and NLS:
https://www.thenonleaguefootballpaper.c ... s-in-doubt

Wouldn't surprise me though this has come from a newspaper so caution is advised in accepting it.

The interesting part of that story is the bit that equates play-offs with being a requirement of "elite" football - the implication being that the NL is classified as "elite" but that the NLN/NLS is not.

[chipmunx]

Think squads would need a minimum of 4 weeks conditioning. Some of the clubs will have furlough issues. And there will be the thorny issue of payments for testing. So any club wanting to engage in play-offs will have to be willing to part with a minimum of what £60k ? plus whatever the costs are of re-activating their squads into contracts which for some clubs will have expired. That's probably a six figure sum. They might also lose of course.

I still think that the likes of Notts County, Harrogate, Yeovil and Barnet will be up for it. Halifax I'm not too sure about and Borehamwood definitely not. If they were to lose a couple of potential play-off candidates I wonder whether they might try and trim the size to 4 - I think they have discretion to do this under their existing rules.

On this basis you'd have play-offs in late July, possibly no later than the Premier League completion/FA Cup final. Not an insoluble problem logistically if the view is that the new NL season wouldn't start until September at the earliest.

Oh and the FA Trophy semi-final/final has to be accommodated in theory - though at least three of those teams would be involved in play-offs anyway.

the L2 play off's were scheduled to start 10 days after it was confirmed that they would take place - why wait 4 weeks?

[xerxes]

the L2 play off's were scheduled to start 10 days after it was confirmed that they would take place - why wait 4 weeks?

Maybe because EFL clubs had been tentatively preparing for them, whilst NL clubs have not.

[Matty Bassdriver]

Think squads would need a minimum of 4 weeks conditioning. Some of the clubs will have furlough issues. And there will be the thorny issue of payments for testing. So any club wanting to engage in play-offs will have to be willing to part with a minimum of what £60k ? plus whatever the costs are of re-activating their squads into contracts which for some clubs will have expired. That's probably a six figure sum. They might also lose of course.

I still think that the likes of Notts County, Harrogate, Yeovil and Barnet will be up for it. Halifax I'm not too sure about and Borehamwood definitely not. If they were to lose a couple of potential play-off candidates I wonder whether they might try and trim the size to 4 - I think they have discretion to do this under their existing rules.

On this basis you'd have play-offs in late July, possibly no later than the Premier League completion/FA Cup final. Not an insoluble problem logistically if the view is that the new NL season wouldn't start until September at the earliest.

Oh and the FA Trophy semi-final/final has to be accommodated in theory - though at least three of those teams would be involved in play-offs anyway.

the L2 play off's were scheduled to start 10 days after it was confirmed that they would take place - why wait 4 weeks?

L2 squads of the four clubs concerned had been training and were being tested for past couple of weeks in anticipation of play-off dates being officially confirmed.

[Roadrunner]

Ebbsfleet not Fylde

Fylde are down regardless on weighted or unweighted

My heart bleeds for Fylde

[Suffolk Blue]

I've checked the Northampton website as they are involved in the L2 promotion play-offs. Their squad met up for the first time on 1st June although the play-offs were not confirmed by the EFL until the 9th June. Play-offs are due to take place on Thursday 18th June. So its fair to assume that from a standing start 3 weeks it the shortest time that it would take to arrange and commence NL play-offs. More likely 4 when decision making and amin is taken into account

So assuming a mid-week start you are probably looking at 9th or 16th July earliest. A massive advantage for those clubs that have larger contracted squads. Cant really see further than Harrogate or more likely Notts County.

[barrowfan]

National League North and South clubs have been told it is "inevitable" that the play-offs will not take place - less than 24 hours ahead of a vote on how to end the season.

The dramatic developments were revealed in an email to clubs last night from National League chief executive Michael Tattersall.

The 11th-hour guidance, sent to the National League via the FA and seen by Sky Sports News, explained government policy on "the return of elite sport behind closed doors will not include Step 2 football".

[whitty1969]

https://twitter.com/ollie_bayliss/statu ... 59554?s=12

[whitty1969]

Would this not leave an odd number?
Why not Fylde down?

[chipmunx]

https://twitter.com/ollie_bayliss/statu ... 59554?s=12

what that does mean now is that Ebbsfleet and Fylde would now vote for PPG to stay up