Glorious Goodwood & Blue Square Bet

THOUSANDS UP FOR GRABS IN BLUE SQUARE ‘GLORIOUS GOODWOOD' COMPETITION!!!

Blue Square are delighted to announce our bluesquare.com Stewards' Cup competition for all clubs within the three Conference divisions. Our prestigious Glorious Goodwood race will take place at 3.40pm on Saturday 31st July - Live on Channel 4. To commemorate our new three year deal to sponsor the league we have created a prize fund for clubs centered around this showpiece race. Each club in the Blue Square BET Premier, North and South has been allocated a horse in the race. If your horse wins you will receive a cheque for £2000 plus an additional amount determined by a £100 bet on that horse. So for example a 20/1 winner would yield another £2000 for the lucky team.

The random draw took place this morning at the Blue Square offices in London and the horses/clubs are as follows:

HORSE - CLUB
Genki - Hyde
Laddies Poker Too - Chelmsford City
Palace Moon - Luton Town
Enact - Fleetwood Town
Jonny Mudball - AFC Wimbledon
Hawkeyethenoo - Grimsby Town
Victoire De Lyphar - Gateshead
Striking Spirit - Corby Town
Himalya - Hayes & Yeading United
Knot In Wood - Gainsborough Trinity
Secret Asset - Harrogate Town
Noverre To Go - Darlington
Rileyskeepingfaith - Ebbsfleet United
Ingleby Lady - Kettering Town
Five Star Junior - Crawley Town
Hitchens - Workington
Bagamoyo - Barrow
Castles In The Air - Boston United
Iver Bridge Lad - Vauxhall Motors
Jimmy Styles - AFC Telford United
Olynard - York City
Deacon Blues - Newport County
Sunraider - Southport
Mister Hughie - Stalybridge Celtic
Hogmaneigh - Eastbourne Borough
Evens And Odds - Droylsden
Elnawin - Wrexham
Hotham - Stafford Rangers
Parisian Pyramid - Dover Athletic
Prohibit - Bromley
Damien - Histon
Run For The Hills - Bishop's Stortford
Kellys Eye - Mansfield Town
Pastoral Player - Guiseley
Singeur - Nuneaton Town
Sonny Red - Eastwood Town
Poets Place - Braintree Town
Medicean Man - Basingstoke Town
Irish Heartbeat - Weston-super-Mare
Johannes - Tamworth
Everymanforhimself - Hampton & Richmond
Oldjoesaid - Cambridge United
Esoterica - Hinckley United
Imperial Guest - Ilkeston Town
Edge Closer - Staines Town
Prime Exhibit - Worcester City
Big Timer - Farnborough
Quest For Success - Solihull Moors
Redford - Boreham Wood
Baldemar - Woking
Ancien Regime - Dorchester Town
Sea Of Leaves - Blyth Spartans
Advanced - Havant & Waterlooville
Kaldoun Kingdom - Alfreton Town
Abraham Lincoln - Thurrock
Sir Gerry - Rushden & Diamonds
Lenny Bee - Gloucester City
Able Master - Welling United
Mac Gille Eoin - St Albans City
Tiddliwinks - Lewes
Valery Borzov - Forest Green Rovers
Global City - Bath City
Wildcat Wizard - Kidderminster Harriers
Gallagher - Eastleigh
Fitz Flyer - Altrincham
Captain Ramius - Maidenhead United
Aye Aye Digby - Redditch United
Osiris Way - Dartford

On Thursday 29th July - the first 28 horses that intend to run (in handicap order) will be declared for the race - meaning 40 clubs will be eliminated at this stage.

The final 28 clubs will receive additional details about their horse on Thursday afternoon.

Fantasy Football and the NLP

The Non-League Paper's Fantasy Football game was re-launched in the paper last week. Now in it's sixth season, the game has become established as a fan's favourite and attracts some 2,000 players each year.

We realised that both the Premiership and The Football League have fantasy games galore, but nothing for our Non-League lovers so we devised our own unique game.

It's simple to play, using teams rather than individual players with points being awarded for performance. Click here to download an application form so you can see the layout of it.

There is a £5,000 prize fund: £2,000 to the winner, £500 second prize, £300 third and £100 fourth plus a special £100 booby prize for bottom place (some people enter twice, once to win and once to lose.) There are also manager of the month prizes, £150 to the winner and £100 to the runner-up.

AFC Totton match

Eastleigh's pre-season preparations got underway this afternoon with their first friendly ahead of the new campaign. The Spitfires took on Stuart Ritchie's AFC Totton at Testwood Park.

With a whole host of first team players either injured or unavailable including: Jason Matthews, Anthony Riviere, Peter Adeniyi, Richard Gillespie, Jamie Slabber, Shaun McAuley, Brett Poate and Warren Goodhind; Ian Baird had little choice but to field a youthful starting eleven.

Although falling behind early in the match to the only goal of the afternoon, Eastleigh were mostly in charge.

AFC Totton 1 Eastleigh 0

Match report

Premier League commits funds

                                              Premier League commits £6m of financial support to the Football Conference
 

New Football Conference club development fund to be launched

The Premier League today announced a solidarity package with The Football Conference worth £6m over the next three seasons.

Following the £1m payment made to the Football Conference in 2009/10 the Premier League has decided to provide funding for seasons 2010/11, 2011/12 and 2012/13 that will support all Football Conference clubs.

The funding will be split into general payments made to all 68 Conference clubs and a separate club development fund which any Conference club can apply to for specific projects.

The funding will be structured in the following way:
                         £1.2m per season provided as funds to support all Football Conference clubs;
                         £800,000 per season committed to a new club development fund to which all Conference clubs can apply;

Premier League Chief Executive, Richard Scudamore, said:

"The Premier League and our member clubs recognise the importance of the continued health of football outside the Football League and it is with this in mind that we have made this commitment to the Football Conference.
"In particular, we are extremely pleased to be working with the Football Conference to establish a new club development fund that will allow Conference clubs, all extremely important within their local communities, to invest more funds into local youth development and good cause initiatives."

Football Conference Chairman, Brian Lee, said:

"This is a further wonderful gesture of friendship from the Premier League towards The Football Conference. The solidarity commitment for three years is most welcome whilst the new funding will allow our Clubs to express themselves in a tangible form for the benefit of their communities. We accept the challenge with gratitude."

2010/11 Fixtures announced

Eastleigh's 2010/2011 are now available on the fixtures page!

SW Challenge Cup Draw

JOMA 2010 SOUTHWEST CHALLENGE CUP:

COMPETITION SEEDINGS AND DRAW ANNOUNCED.

OUTSTANDING, MUST-SEE GAMES IN PROSPECT FOR NORTH DEVON.
________________________

At the conclusion of a full-day Tournament Club work-shop/briefing held at the Barnstaple Hotel on Monday 14th June 2010, Tournament organisers expressed themselves pleased and satisfied with the outcome of their meeting.

All THIRTEEN Clubs and all SIX host Clubs were represented at the briefing; a total of 28 member representatives taking part in the closed working session. Representatives received at first-hand, reports from all of the host grounds together with a detailed report on Training facilities, hotel accommodation and the range of leisure and recreation facilities available to the visiting teams. Other major topics included Tournament Rules, Player discipline and the question of Match Officials, applying the full range of misconduct regulations.

From lunchtime on, Club Representatives were joined by Match Sponsors, Media representatives and invited guests; ahead of the formal Competition Draw, all 13 Clubs had discussed and agreed the SEEDINGS applied for the Competition. As planned, the 13 Clubs were then divided into 4 groups; 3 Groups of 3 teams each and a 4th group of   4 teams. All teams would therefore play TWO games each in their respective group, with the Team accumulating the highest number of competition points progressing to a SEMI-FINAL slot.

The subsequent Draw produced the following Groups:

GROUP 1. BIDEFORD AFC. KILMARNOCK FC. ACCRINGTON STANLEY FC. BLACKPOOL FC.

GROUP 2. TRURO CITY. EASTLEIGH FC. LEYTON ORIENT.

GROUP 3. ILFRACOMBE FC. SHREWSBURY TOWN FC. RUSHDEN & DIAMONDS FC.

GROUP 4. BARNSTAPLE TOWN. HAVANT & WATERLOOVILE FC. DONCASTER ROVERS FC.

THE COMPLETE FIXTURE SCHEDULE TOGETHER WITH DATES, VENUES AND KICK-OFF TIMES IS NOW AVAILABLE ON THE TOURNAMENT WEBSITE.

Tournament Secretary HEATHER SCHOFIELD commented: The atmosphere of this full working session was so supportive; the delegates were fully engaged  and it  is  plain  for  anyone  to see, that we are in for some absolutely must-see games! If this is just the start, we can certainly look forward with confidence  and  anticipation  to  the wealth of football in prospect for the whole of North Devon.

SW Challenge Cup-Wild card entry

JOMA 2010 SOUTH WEST CHALLENGE CUP.

DRAMATIC ANNOUNCEMENT FROM JOMA 2010 TOURNAMENT EXECUTIVE:

WILD CARD ENTRY APPROVED FOR PREMIERSHIP'S NEWEST LEAGUE TEAM: BLACKPOOL FC.

_______________________

In a fast-moving climax to the launch of JOMA 2010 South West Challenge Cup, Tournament Secretary HEATHER SCHOFIELD       issued the following statement:

‘Developments over the past 48 hours have resulted in agreement being reached for the announcement of an important addition         to the final line-up of teams invited to compete for the 2010 Challenge Cup. Supporters will recall that it had been the intention of       the Tournament Organisers to withhold the Wild Card entry, pending discussions with top-flight UK and European teams. To this    end, two teams had been ear-marked for the stand-by slot following the preliminary announcement.

That Wild Card entry has now been irrevocably accepted by BLACKPOOL FC; the UK's newest Premiership League side who       gained promotion to the top-flight following a dramatic Championship play-off win, against CARDIFF CITY.

Confirmation of this development came late on Friday when Manger IAN HOLLOWAY expressed his intention of accepting the   invitation to return to the West Country, subject only to the formalities of the Tournament timetable and travel arrangements being finalised. BLACKPOOL FC had previously entered the Competition in 2009 and now joins with EASTLEIGH and RUSHDEN &  DIAMONDS as returning Clubs ahead of the Challenge Cup Draw, scheduled for Monday 14th June at the Barnstaple Hotel, Barnstaple.

Tournament Director MICHAL BRADSHAW commented:

On behalf of the entire Tournament Executive, I want to warmly welcome Ian Holloway and his victorious side back to the West    Country for the JOMA 2010 Tournament; we are privileged to host such a gentleman of integrity and principle whose feats this           past season have just left people absolutely spellbound .When Ian enters a room, it immediately lights up. And he has just lit-up        the entire 2010 South West Challenge Cup. Welcome back Ian.

Eastleigh FC Friendlies July/Aug 2010

Eastleigh's pre-season friendly fixtures are now avaiable to view on the 1st team news page.

Southwest Challenge Cup

JOMA 2010 SOUTH WEST CHALLENGE CUP TOURNAMENT.

FORMAL ANNOUNCEMENT OF TOURNAMENT TEAMS.

FIVE MONTHS’ HARD WORK BEARS FRUIT FOR TOURNAMENT ORGANISERS.

__________________________    

The following statement has been issued on behalf of the JOMA 2010 Tournament Executive:

‘ At the end of FIVE MONTHS hard and sustained planning, the JOMA 2010 Tournament can now announce the 12 Teams who will compete in July for the  South West Challenge Cup; the Executive wants to thank all those host Clubs and local organisations, too numerous to mention, who have assisted in the overall planning of the event to date.

As we enter a new phase of the overall plan, the Executive is completely satisfied that the structure and timetable is now in place to deliver a superbly competitive pre-season Tournament, subject to formal Registration by Devon FA and the appointment of suitably qualified Match Officials. Following this announcement, the Tournament organisers will be moving ahead with Publicity/Ticket Sales and the monitoring of the host ground and training facilities for the visiting Clubs. Further updates will be issued in due course.

TEAMS now officially accepted for the Tournament are:

ACCRINGTON STANLEY FC.

BARNSTAPLE TOWN FC.

BIDEFORD AFC.

DONCASTER ROVERS FC.

EASTLEIGH FC.

HAVANT & WATERLOOVILLE FC.

ILFRACOMBE TOWN FC.

KILMARNOCK FC.

LEYTON ORIENT FC.

RUSHDEN & DIAMONDS FC.

SHREWSBURY TOWN FC.

TRURO CITY FC.

·         NB:TWO TEAMS REMAIN ON STAND-BY.

Last Night of the Proms!

Last Night of the Proms!

Eastleigh FC's Dinner Dance is on October 2nd at the De Vere Grand Harbour.

 For details, please see our Social Events page.