GUT FEELING SIMON STODDART’S

My views - not United's - on semi-pro football and occasionally, other topics.

GO AGAIN U'S

Having said that, the sequence of results prior to last Saturday have seen United up to 6th and the midweek games didn't see any change to that. We are in with a decent shout of making the play-offs.

And yes, I remain implacably anti play-offs for reasons I've made clear many times. Nobody can deny they create end of season interest - but for me, it's that final league place that should decide it all - just as it still does for whoever finishes top - automatic promotion. Introducing knock out football to ultimately decide who gets that 2nd promotion place - not for me. How often do you see whoever finishes 2nd after a long seasonnot go up? And the sheer devastation for those who miss out after all the stress and tension of getting a play-off slot.

Give the FA time - they'll expand play-off mania to include whoever finishes top - just like it's done in both Rugby codes. And relegation will also be decided with play-offs against top sides from the league below. That has already crept in to step 4. Whoever finishes 4th from bottom plays-off at home to whoever finishes 3rd from bottom - winner at home to a step 5 side. Those two places are currently occupied by Sittingbourne who seem to be recovering after a long dodgy run (creditable 1-1 draw in front of another excellent attendance at Chatham a week ago - 1,050) and - baffling this - Haywards Heath, who scraped a point in a 2-2 draw at home to serious relegation candidates, Corinthian.

Whatever, United have done immensely well to get to where they are as a side just up from Isthmian SE. Look at the squad that featured at Colston Avenue a week ago. With the exceptions of Jake Elliott who was an established step 2 player at Eastbourne Borough and David Smith who was at Folkestone Invicta, all of them were playing step 4 a year ago - either as established squad members or working their way up through the ranks. Massive big ups due all of you.

NO NO NO, YOU CAN'T .....

Eagle eyed U's supporter found this long list of yes's, no's, don'ts and do's that visitors to Carshalton Athletic need to be aware of. I recall that FA Cup tie at Maidenhead in late 2021 - the rules'n regs on display - no doubt about it, the higher you go, the pettier it gets.

comments - he's well clued up on how councils work.

On the subject of where we were to go for our football fix the following season, 1998-1999 was a turbulent time as plans to get up to the Football League saw us heading in the opposite direction. Kev Towner found issue 22 of the Hastings Town fanzine in his collection of memorabilia (which I was guilty of producing) - this being the 'zine that kicked off Town's return to Southern League East.

Howard Ralph posted on Facebook that long list of what you can, can't and simply must do at Carshalton. And someone else - really should've noted who you were, suffice to say I'm borrowing your comments - illustrated, from on high, that part of leafy Surrey where local allotment holders are apparently sensitive to drums. Rules'n regswhere would we be without them?

Good News

Staying put then. Well - next season anyway. And let's see what Hastings Borough Council comes up with in the next month or so. The United Supporters Facebook group has obviously been pretty active regarding this topic.

Well worth keeping an eye on Roger Sinden's

Things were a lot worse in those days with the future existence of the club in question till Mick Maplesden, amongst others, stepped in to rescue Town from oblivion. Different issues, different times - but you could draw som e comparisons eh. Politicians in those days had a bit more clout .......