While nothing in football is a foregone conclusion, news that only one team will likely be relegated from the Vanarama National League South at the end of this season will be a boost to the Berkshire sides of Hungerford Town and Slough Town.
While neither side is in any particular danger of relegation to step 3 this season, the news may just allow both clubs to head-on into the rest of the season with a little more freedom.
The news was broken by BBC non-league reporter Ollie Bayliss on Tuesday night, and comes due to the Football Association’s intention to increase the National League North and South Division’s to 24 teams – currently, the South division has 21 teams.
If one relegation in 2021/22 makes life a little easier for clubs, prepare for a battle royale in 2022/23 when four clubs from each division will find themselves back at step 3 at the end of the season.
One of a number of ‘confirmed’ promotion and relegation scenarios across the English Football Pyramid, a footnote on the release does say that it is a fluid situation and dependant on further withdrawals and the reserved right of the National League System Committee to make changes in the best interests of the system.
