Harriers Chatter

After being told the other day that they could not participate in the play-offs this has now been confirmed. They are to appeal.

http://www.thenonleaguefootballpaper.com/latest-news/conference-north-step-two/18927/darlington-to-appeal-after-being-told-they-will-not-be-allowed-in-national-league-north-play-offs/

Should Darlington not be successful in their appeal then does the sixth placed team make the play-offs or do the second placed team get a bye to the final?
Assuming of course Darlo finish in fifth place.

This opens up a real "can of worms".

If Darlo finish in the play-off places and win their appeal, wouldn't the 6th team then appeal that Darlo were being allowed to take part even though their ground doesn't meet the standard.

For that reason I can't see any appeal from Darlo being successful.

Who do they plan on appealing to?

The Welsh FA have to be favourites

Cal's Spongebag wrote:Who do they plan on appealing to?

TJU'S wrote:The Welsh FA have to be favourites

Cal's Spongebag wrote:Who do they plan on appealing to?

Presumably rules are rules. Similar thing as happened to us when we won the Conf. & were denied promotion, albeit to the League. Surprised this type of rule has not been made a little easier/sensible to comply with, though seems it`s recently been made harder.

Tricky one this as they did know in advance about the required number of covered seats, so should have cracked on with the work.

It is different to Harriers when denied access to the league as Harriers had begun work (delayed because of the West Ham FA Cup match an exceptional one off) on their new stand.

Don`t see it as any different, we didn`t have our ground up to standard at the due date.

I suspect the rule that stopped our promotion from Conf. to League ie Football League rules, has been relaxed in as much as the due date has been moved back, so any prospective club fighting for promotion is more certain they will achieve promotion.

Shame on the Conf. that they have made promotion more difficult.

Seems a shame that a club can be denied a play off spot due to the number of seats they have but the likes of Gloucester, Staylybridge and Newport County can play on surfaces reminiscent of a cabbage patch.

I believe Poole in the National South are in the same position.

Either they misinterpreted the rules, or at the start of the season assumed the chances of playoffs so unlikely they were loathe to spend hard-earned capital just to put a load of seats in.

Neither have Hungerford http://www.pitchero.com/clubs/hungerfordtownfc/news/hungerford-town-fc-play-off-ground-grading-1785356.html

Its tough on Darlo for sure but if those are the rules then they can have no complaints they were aware of them at the start of the season, so any appeal is pointless unless of course its to the Welsh FA

It Darlo are disallowed at least it will discount the nightmare scenario of a Wednesday night play off in the North East with only a few days notice.

Lovejoy wrote:Should Darlington not be successful in their appeal then does the sixth placed team make the play-offs or do the second placed team get a bye to the final?
Assuming of course Darlo finish in fifth place.

The next highest placed eligible team will take the place of Darlo if the appeal fails.
Answered my own question there!