Post-Easter Bank Holiday weekend is always a great time to get a lay of the land when it comes to title triumphs, promotion chances and relegation disasters in football.
Most teams played twice and have the number of games left to play in single digits – unless you are Sandhurst Town or Brook House.
Here Tom Canning takes a look at who’s up and who’s down, the likely title contenders and relegation possibilities.
As ever, you can see all the forthcoming fixtures on our Fixtures & Results page here. You can also click on any team name below to get the next matches for your side.
The full guide to promotion and relegation in Men’s non-league football is here.
Vanarama National League
Winners promoted, 2nd to 7th in play-offs, four relegated
Maidenhead United could really have done with three points off Torquay United at the weekend. That would have almost certainly confirmed their status at the top table of the Non-League Pyramid for another season. As it stands, the Seagulls can still mount an escape from the drop that has already seen Maidstone United and Scunthorpe United plummet.
Maidenhead, Gateshead, York City and Dorking Wanderers are all on 49 points, Aldershot Town on 45 while Torquay have 43.
Yeovil Town look doomed.
At the top, Wrexham lead Notts County by three points and a game in hand. It’s going to be another play-off heartbreak for the other Magpies isn’t it.
Vanarama National League South
Winners promoted, 2nd to 7th in play-offs, four relegated
Ebbsfleet United are already champions. There’s plenty to sort out for the play-offs though with the teams in second to 11th all capable of making a late dash for it.
At the other end, Slough Town in 19th can just about start to breathe a bit easier BUT all the teams below them have games in hand. The Rebels are seven points clear of the drop with three to play.
Hungerford Town have managed great escapes before. Winning their games in hand would put them on the brink of safety and it was an impressive point earned at Havant & Waterlooville on Monday. Danny Robinson’s men have it all to do though with six games left and Dulwich Hamlet the most likely to drop into the bottom four.
Southern League Premier Division South
Winners promoted, 2nd to 5th in play-offs, four relegated
Bracknell Town are already confirmed in the play-offs and are now playing for home advantage that finishing second would bring.
The Robins could also mount a late push for the title although Weston-super-Mare seem to have steadied their form after a wobble.
That no team is yet relegated from this division confirms just how strong a table this one is. In all three other Step Three division’s at least one team is already mathematically down.
Isthmian League South Central Division One
Winners promoted, 2nd to 5th in play-offs, 17th to 18th in Inter-League play-off, bottom two relegated
Binfield had looked odds on here for a play-off spot but it’s out of their hands now after a 4-2 reverse against Uxbridge. The Moles have three to play and can still make the end of season shake-up but it is Hanworth Villa in pole position with a game in hand.
Realistically there is one play-off spot left with Walton & Hersham, Basingstoke Town, Marlow and Northwood occupying the top four spots.
The Moles are in a straight fight with Chertsey Town, Hanworth, Leatherhead and South Park for that final spot.
Thatcham Town have just had a really good two-thirds of a season. Carry that form over and they’ll be looking at play-offs next season.
Possibly the biggest shock in this division is one of the bigger names in Isthmian League football – Tooting & Mitcham United – have already been confirmed as relegated to Step 5 next season. Their first outside the competition since joining in 1956.
Combined Counties League Premier Division North
Winners promoted, runners-up in play-off with Step 4, two relegated
Ascot United will be crowned champions on Tuesday night if Egham Town drop points against Virginia Water. If Egham win, Ascot will have another opportunity on Thursday night when they play Edgware & Kingsbury.
Reading City’s play-off chances took a blow on Saturday with the loss to Holyport. They also need Egham to drop points now as the Sarnies have games in hand.
Virginia Water and Burnham are going to finish in the top half. Both have quietly had excellent seasons.
Wallingford & Crowmarsh, after a slow start, are firmly ensconced in mid-table.
Holyport aren’t yet safe but are probably now classed as ‘low risk’ when it comes to the drop. Port have seven games remaining and probably need six points from a possible 21 to be safe.
Wokingham & Emmbrook still have work to do. Safety is in their hands with four to play. The Sumas are clear of the bottom two by three points and crucially play Chalfont St Peter and Broadfields United in their final four games.
It doesn’t look great for Windsor though, performances have improved dramatically but so have fellow bottom-side Oxhey Jets. It’ll likely be two down from Wokingham, Chalfont, Windsor or Oxhey.
Combined Counties League Premier Division South
Winners promoted, runners-up in play-off with Step 4, two relegated
Raynes Park Vale and Badshot Lea are vying for top sport with advantage RPV as it stands.
Tadley Calleva are in a healthy top eight and will likely finish in the top half of the table.
Frimley Green are relegated with the other relegation spot fought over Sheerwater, Horley Town, Fleet Town and Banstead Athletic.
Combined Counties League Division One
Winners promoted, 2nd to 5th in play-offs, three relegated*
Berks County, Langley, Sandhurst Town all look good for play-off finishes. Any of the top six could take the title and automatic promotion spot. Sandhurst would probably be the favourites if they didn’t essentially have to play every day until the end of the season to catch up on games.
Eversley & California and Woodley United look set to finish mid-table but the Boars do have a couple of games in hand.
At the bottom, AFC Aldermaston have probably done just enough to stay out of the bottom three. Brook House are the one side that could drop them in it, but like Sandhurst they have a lot of games to play before the end of the season.
*Dependent on the number of teams eligible for promotion from Step 7. Any reprieves will be given to teams finishing third from bottom in their divisions on a points-per-game basis, and then teams finishing second from bottom similarly.
Thames Valley Premier League
One team promoted based on application, unknown if any side will be relegated due teams pulling out during the season
Yateley United are the champions and have applied for promotion. Finchampstead, Reading YMCA and Burghfield could all still finish second.
Reading City U23 are not quite mathematically bottom but a point for SB Phoenix in any one of their final seven games will confirm that.
