Page 4 - Deal Round Up February 2020

Have You Made Your
New Years Resolutions
By Edd Paul

SANTA Claus has been and New Year’s Resolutions made. The hectic festive period is
over in earnest but for Non-League clubs everywhere, the hard work is just about to
begin.
So, what could have the man with the big white beard possibly have brought your club
to make the season run-in easier? Or what resolutions could your manager or chairman
have made to fulfil your club’s ambitions?
Here’s just a few light-hearted ideas that you might want to put on your wishlist for
2020...
For Bromley and Harrogate Town (and perhaps to a less-
er extent Sutton United), they’re getting to the point
where they will need a Plan B. Since installing 3G surfac-
es, all three clubs have been victims of their own success
with both Bromley and Harrogate having a good chance
of reaching the play-off places for the Football League
going into 2020. But with the EFL refusing to back down
and allow club’s entry with 3G surfaces, Bromley and
Harrogate will have to think again if they are to clear the
final promotion hurdle.
Sadly, it will mean ripping up the pitches and starting all over again with a grass surface,
meaning a loss in vital potential revenue. Safe to say the boardrooms at both Hayes Lane
and Wetherby Road will be coming out in cold sweats come April.
However, contemplating promotion is a problem most would love, notably John Sheridan
and Dean Keates, managers of Chesterfield and Wrexham respectively. For them, I would
giftwrap a magic wand.
Incredibly, these two giants of Non-League, pre-season favourites to reclaim their Foot-
ball League places this season, find themselves languishing in the bottom four of the
table and staring down the barrel of football in the sixth tier.
Every so often, the Spireites and the Dragons threaten to show the kind of form we know
they are capable of but neither can seem to nail down a consistent run to pull themselves
out of trouble.
Sheridan and Keates are running out time, it’s time for the rabbit to emerge from the hat.
Winging its way over to Gloucester City and Worcester City for 2020, a return ticket home
with both clubs nearing long-awaited homecomings after so long in exile.
How about a fairytale story for National League leaders Barrow AFC, with the Bluebirds
dreaming of a famous Football League return after nearly 50 years in the wilderness, or
maybe another case of champagne for Marc White, looking to secure an incredible 12th
promotion in charge of Dorking Wanderers?
There’s always a something for Santa’s Little Helpers to do in Non-League football.
Now For Sin Bins? By David Richardson
The introduction of VAR is causing a significant stir at the top levels of the game, but how
has the launch of sin-bins in Non-League faired this season?
The FA trialled the scheme, where a referee can temporarily dismiss a player for
ten minutes as punishment for dissent, across 31 grassroots leagues during the two

4