Rushden Expelled From Conference

Just seen on BBC Football site that Rushden have been expelled from the Conference due to financial issues.

This means relegated Southport will stay up, Conference South relegated Thurrock will stay up and Conference South Bishop's Stortford will be moved into the Conference North.

I think this means that Rushden could end up in the Isthmian Premier or Southern Premier, as a two level drop is the norm for expelled clubs, i.e. Nuneaton in 2008.

I'm pretty surprised by this, I didn't realise RnD were in so much trouble.

There are so many ex-league clubs in the BSP and obviously they all want to get back into the league. I guess this shows that if teams aren't careful, being back up in the BSP will be something to aspire to.

It could happen to anyone. I'm glad it hasn't happened to Mansfield and I hope it never does.

It's no surprise there's so many ex-league teams in the BSP, the teams that get promoted to the league know how to handle themselves financially and clubs like Rushden suffer trying to find a quick fix for promotion.

Away from that I'm surprised they've put Bishop's Stortford in the BSN as they're near Stansted, although there is no club North of Chelmsford in the BSS. I'm hoping Rushden get shuffled into the Southern Premier so we can have another team close to Leamington. Don't fancy the trip to Hemel Hempstead. Thank god Truro got promoted.

True. It's a lot about the quality at the top end of the BSP too I think. Most of the top 10 could probably survive in League 2 with their current teams, some would even be pushing for League 1. Look at what Stevenage did. Crawley are tipped to go up again next season, although they obviously have cash.

There is a massive bottle-neck in the BSP and many believe three should be getting promoted. I agree, although there is no chance the clubs in League 2 would agree to that. I wouldn't either, in their position. Teams are getting themselves into trouble partly because it is so hard to win the league and guarantee promotion.

We (Mansfield) cannot get promoted as it stands anyway because we neither own nor have a ten-year lease on our ground, although our new(ish) rich owner is trying to sort this out by getting the ground from our previous shady character of an owner, either in or out of a courtroom.

When he succeeds, he'll sign it over to the fans so that no future owner can hold us to ransom again.

But even after this happens, we'll still be one of many ex-league clubs trying to squeeze through a gap only big enough for two.

As for your second point about the distribution of teams to the North and South divisions, I know next to nothing about that. You have to feel for the Bishop's Stortford fans though, with regards to away games.

That's tough for the ground rules, my old home town club Bedford Town in the Southern Premier can't get into the BSN, if they get a chance, because the road outside the ground is a B road but the entrance to the ground doesn't have a roundabout and there's other businesses on the same estate, the club can't afford it and the council refuse to pay for it.

Definitely awful about the away trips, there are just too many Southern clubs at level 6, Worcester and Gloucester are in the BSN too!!! Big trips every other week.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011–12_Football_Conference

Thats really tough, I feel for them as Wrexham haven't really recovered from when it happened to us and we got relegated from League 1.