"No more dead rubbers": Mobbs-Smith eyes drama-filled season for Maidenhead and rivals

Head coach David Mobbs-Smith anticipates fewer ‘dead rubbers’ and more drama and jeopardy through to the end of the season - and possibly beyond - following the introduction of promotion and relegation play-off matches.

For the first time in the Regional 1 South Central Division, the sides finishing second and third in the table, and those finishing ninth and 10th, will play-off to try and get promotion to National League 2 or to avoid the drop down to the level below,

Maidenhead kicks off the campaign at CS Stags on Saturday knowing the importance of getting off to a good start this season.

They follow that up with a home game against Hammersmith & Fulham at Braywick Park on Saturday, September 13, and Mobbs-Smith has already highlighted that fixture to be of key importance.

Maids are set to face most of last season’s front runners in a bruising opening set of fixtures and with the stakes raised by promotion and relegation play-offs, the head coach knows the importance of getting off to a decent start.

On paper, their opening fixtures against the likes of CS Stags, Bracknell, Camberley, Jersey and Wimbledon look daunting for a Maidenhead side still gaining the experience to really compete at the top end of the division.

And for the first time, play-off matches for promotion and relegation will mean there are fewer dead rubber matches towards the back end of the season.

The bottom two sides will be relegated as usual and the next two sides in ninth and 10th will play off to avoid the prospect of being dragged down alongside them.

The details of the new play-off system, which replaces the now defunct Papa John’s Cup and Plate competitions is explained in more detail below, but Mobbs-Smith knows it will add to the drama this season, and mean there’s less likelihood of a team like Maidenhead catching one of the bigger boys off guard when they have little to play for.

“This year there’s going to be a promotion and relegation factor which will have an impact,” said Mobbs-Smith.

“So, at the end of the season you won’t just be looking to avoid the relegation places (bottom two) but also the relegation play-off places.

“Or alternatively, we could be trying to get into the play-offs for promotion if the season has gone well.

“This could make some of those matches that did feel like dead rubbers around February a lot more important.

“Camberley for example last season couldn’t catch London Welsh or Jersey last season but this year they may still be chasing a play-off spot when teams play them.

“Teams were beating Camberley at the end of last season because they had little to play for, but that won’t happen next season. You’ve still got a chance of being relegated if you finish 10th in the table.

“It’s going to take that jeopardy longer into the season at both ends of the table. Who was catching London Welsh and Jersey last season? No one.

“The league was over at Christmas. The Camberleys and Bracknells weren’t catching them, so the season was over for them.

“But now, wherever you are in the league, whether you have the ambition to be promoted or are looking to avoid relegation, there’s going to be jeopardy as the second and third placed sides will play-off for promotion and the 10th and 11th placed sides will be involved in a relegation play-off.”

“It’s good because the cup competition was dying on its feet,” added Mobbs-Smith.

“And this will add drama to the league. So, when we play Hammersmith now, that’s a very important fixture.”

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From next year, the regular Regional 1 South Central Division season will finish on April 11 with Maidenhead finishing as they started, against CS Stags at Braywick Park.

From there the teams finishing second and third and those in ninth and 10th will enter promotion and relegation play-offs. The highest placed or seeded team will always be at home, and those matches are scheduled for April 25.

The teams finishing second and third in Maidenhead’s Regional 1 South Central Division will have a job on their hands to gain promotion. First, they’ll have to win the play-off match for their division on April 25, and then they’ll have to play-off in another match at their level against the play-off winners from the Regional 1 South West Division.

Should they come through those two matches they’ll advance to the final on May 9 against one of the three 12th placed sides from the leagues at National 2. The winner of that game will be promoted to National 2 for the 2026/27 campaign and the loser demoted to Regional 1 (South Central or South West).

The teams finishing ninth and 10th in Maidenhead’s league will play-off to avoid the possibility of relegation on April 25 and the winners will get to remain in the Regional 1 South Central Division.

The losers of that match will then be at home to one of six Regional 2 play-off winners on May 9.