Promotion is complicated in at Step 7 – the likelihood is that Windsor & Eton will go up if they win the Thames Valley Premier League title or not.
And with seven games to go, the title is far from a foregone conclusion for the Royalists in their first season.
Leaders Westwood Wanderers are making life uncomfortable for Windsor and won a ‘six pointer’ 3-1 at the weekend at Denefield School with goals from Jamie Porter, Sam Poulter and Sid Gbla.
Westwood boast some familiar names in their side in Gbla alongside former Reading City and Basingstoke Town forward McKoy Palmer as well as Devonn Reid and lead the table on 37 points.
Games in hand mean Windsor are likely still the favourites with nine points to play for but with the two sides to meet again plus games against Finchampstead, Holyport Reserves and Maidenhead Town still come.
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Fiifi Carter was Windsor’s goalscorer on Saturday but he trails Poulter in the race for the TVPL golden boot with 17 goals to the Westwood stars 21.
Football Association promotion rules at Step 7 mean who goes up is decided by application rather than title winners. Each Step 7 division across the country should promote the highest placed applicant and to the best of Football in Berkshire’s knowledge, Windsor are the only TVPL side to apply.