24thdec04

Thamesmead submit application for promotion

ALTHOUGH they are currently fourth from bottom and eleven points off top spot, with games in hand in the Go Travel Kent League premier division table, Thamesmead Town have today confirmed they have submitted their application for promotion, writes Stephen McCartney.

Kent League club's that want to follow suit haven't got too much longer to submit their applications as the Football Association must receive the paperwork by the 31st December 2004.

The Bayliss Avenue club, runners up to promoted side Cray Wanderers last season, have submitted details on the long drawn out procedure on how to gain promotion at the end of this season.

Details taken from their website www.thamesmeadtownfc.co.uk

Step Five - Promotion (8)

Northern, North West Counties, Northern Counties East, Midland Alliance, United Counties, Eastern, Essex Senior, Kent, Sussex, Combined Counties, Isthmian Div 2, Spartan South Midlands, Hellenic, Wessex, Western

(15 leagues currently. Possible adjustment to a total of 12 in the future)

Procedure for promotion

Relegation from Step 4

The clubs occupying the bottom two places in the Isthmian League Division One, Northern Premier League Division One, Southern League Division One East, and Southern League Division One West will be relegated and placed into a Promotion/Relegation Pool and allocated to the most geographically appropriate league at Step 5.

Promotion from Step 5

The following procedures will apply for season 2004-2005:

a.    Clubs wishing to be considered for promotion from Step 5 to Step 4 must make application to The Football Association by 31^st December 2004 in accordance with current National League System Regulations. All applications must be accompanied by a grading fee of £150.00.

The grading fee will not be required from those clubs that have already paid a three-year grading fee to the Southern Football League.

b.    Clubs wishing to be considered for promotion must meet a minimum acceptable standard with regard to facilities. Therefore, in order to be considered for promotion, clubs must achieve the proposed new Grading Category E by the 30^th April 2005.

 c.    Between the 1^st January and 1^st March all clubs will be graded and advised of any works that need to be carried out.

 d.   At the conclusion of Season 2004-2005 a club, in order to be considered for promotion, must finish in 1^st place in their Step 5 League. If a club finishing in 1^st place is not eligible to be considered for promotion a club finishing in 2^nd place may be eligible provided that it meets the entry criteria. Clubs finishing below 2^nd place will not be eligible to be considered for promotion.

e.    If necessary, the National League Committee will arrange a series of play-off matches between the clubs eligible for promotion. A draw will be carried out in January 2005 to determine a format.

       As then names of clubs will not be known at this stage, the draw will be league based. At the conclusion of the playing season should a league not be in a position to nominate an eligible club then the league shown as its opponents in the play-off draw will receive a walkover.

f.     Each play-off will consist of one game, which will be played to completion with extra time and kicks from the penalty mark being used to determine the winner should the scores be equal after 90 minutes.

g.     The 8 winning teams from the play-off games will be placed Into the Promotion/Relegation Pool and allocated to the most geographically convenient division at Step 4.