Opening day date

[Tuesds]

Thinking about it further, I suppose you could have both eliminators on Thurs 8th May, then the semi-finals on Sun 11th May, which would allow you to have the final on 17th/18th - even if it's all a bit of a tight squeeze.

Has Wembley ever previously been used for two finals on the same weekend?

Don’t they usually have L2 and L1 finals back to back at Wembley?

they have all 3 finals over bh weekend. Also they need to fit in non league finals day and the WFA Cup finals in that time period so can't see play off final being at Wembley as insufficient dates available.

Yes, it does seem likely that the finalists could be traipsing off to one of the soulless bowls, in a retail park in Bletchley or perhaps an industrial estate outside Coventry, rather than being rewarded with a very special occasion at Wembley.

Looking on the bright-side, perhaps if we make the play-offs we’ll do better without our Wembley hoodoo to overcome!

Didn’t help in 2004, mind you, when the shoot-out defeat denied us the glamour of a trip to Stoke!

[becbee]

Thinking about it further, I suppose you could have both eliminators on Thurs 8th May, then the semi-finals on Sun 11th May, which would allow you to have the final on 17th/18th - even if it's all a bit of a tight squeeze.

Has Wembley ever previously been used for two finals on the same weekend?

The F A Trophy and F A Vase Finals are played on the same day, also last Saturday 3 Rugby League Finals were played there on the same day, following England playing there the evening before.

[finchleyman]

The FA have paid off their debt to Wembley so play-offs etc may not be held there any more.

[letchbee94]

Interesting so if the final game is on the Monday the 5th May I presume we would still have a game on the Saturday the 3rd May?

[jerroll]

Doubt it, means last game can kick off at 3pm without blackout rule on a Saturday.

[DerekRocholl]

The FA have paid off their debt to Wembley so play-offs etc may not be held there any more.

If they let us know in advance that the FA Trophy Final isn’t going to be played at Wembley, we can all make the conscious effort not to bother with it that some exhort our team’s management to take.

[becbee]

The FA have paid off their debt to Wembley so play-offs etc may not be held there any more.

If they let us know in advance that the FA Trophy Final isn’t going to be played at Wembley, we can all make the conscious effort not to bother with it that some extol our team’s management to take.

The impression I get is that fans who have wanted us to take the FAT seriously have done so principally because of Wembley. Even those like me who considered it an inconvenience to our chances of league success still wanted the Wembley trip.
Hard to imagine there would be huge excitement about a potential trip to the likes of Stadium MK / Britannia Stadium.

[Tuesds]

It’s surely more likely that if anything moves away from Wembley it will be the play-off final, because that’s the National League’s event and they have to compete for a slot/pay a hefty price for the right to have their game take place there.

The FA own Wembley and the trophy is the FA’s own tournament, so while there’s obviously the opportunity cost of not hiring it out if they stage the trophy final there, it’s surely more likely that they will continue to use it for both the Vase and the Trophy, to at least signal their support for the non-league game and the clubs across the pyramid.

[thebeekeeper]

I can't ever imagine a situation where the FA move the Trophy final away from Wembley. They'd be removing pretty much the only appealing aspect of the competition.

[jzsbee]

Interesting development as per the website. I quite like the double-header over a few days, makes for a good rivalry.

"Historically, the Christmas and New Year schedules are reversed, in that the Boxing Day Fixtures are reversed with New Year Day fixture, therefore playing the same team in a close time-frame.

After surveying all clubs, the National League Board agreed that the League will reverse next season’s Boxing Day fixtures with Good Friday and New Year with Easter Monday."

[jerroll]

Another nonsense decision to not have a game on Saturday 28th or Sunday 29th if true, probably means midweek fixture in January again instead.

[becbee]

Another nonsense decision to not have a game on Saturday 28th or Sunday 29th if true, probably means midweek fixture in January again instead.

Not only that but if last season is anything to go by, a long distance away fixture as well.

Why can we not have the more distant fixtures in August / September and the local fixtures in midwinter?

[letchbee94]

In an ideal world it would be good to have midweek games at the hive and local away, Also the local on bank holidays.

Also some of the long distance when we know weather would be decent.
Having said that we got lucky in January having Altrincham, Oldham and Gateahead all away and not getting postponed.

[letchbee94]

Is that non league JPT style competition going ahead ?

[rudebwoyben]

I really hope not!