League allocations: Windsor reprieved and Marlow join Flackwell Heath at step 4
Photo: Theo Edwards
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The FA today (Thursday) confirmed its National League System allocations for steps 2-6 with Windsor FC reprieved from relegation in the Combined Counties League 1 and Marlow dropping down into the same division as Flackwell Heath at step 4.
Windsor weren’t the only club to be spared the drop from step six, with league rivals Rising Ballers Kensington and FC Deportivo Galicia - who finished bottom - also set to stay up.
Windsor were leapfrogged on the final day of the season by Woodley United after The Jacks’ 2-2 draw with Eversley & California and although there was a strong sense they would receive a reprieve, today’s news will still have been welcome.
They had a better points per game record than many of the teams in line to be relegated and there also wasn’t a full quota of clubs applying for or being successful in their application to be promoted from step 7.
Maidenhead Town of the Thames Valley Premier Division did apply for promotion but were denied because of ground issues. They are set to play their matches at Burnham’s 1878 Stadium next season but needed to have been in the ground for a full season to have met the requirements needed for promotion.
Further up the pyramid, Marlow’s demotion from the Southern League Premier South will see them return to step 4 football in the Southern League Central Division.
The Blues spent several seasons in the Isthmian League South Central Division prior to their promotion via the play-offs in 2024.
They’ll be hoping to rediscover the kind of form that led them to that promotion in a division that was dominated last season by the likes of Real Bedford and Berkhamsted - who’ve both been promoted.
The next best in the division were Marlow’s local rivals Flackwell Heath who were beaten 5-0 by Berkhamsted in the play-off final over the recent May bank holiday weekend.
In the National League South, Hemel Hempstead Town and maybe a couple of other more northerly teams were sweating on being switched into the North division, with Ebbsfleet United, Maidenhead United and Dagenham & Redbridge all moving down from the National League.
Only AFC Fylde were demoted to the National League North, however, a solution has been found, with AFC Telford United, Bedford Town, Macclesfield and Merthyr Town all being promoted to the North division.
Only AFC Totton, Dover Athletic and Horsham have been promoted into the South division.
one of either Chester or Scunthorpe United from the North and Boreham Wood or Maidstone United in the South will be promoted to the National League via the play-offs.
The FA has stressed the current allocations are still subject to appeals and possible amendments and these will be confirmed in due course.
The FA said: “We would like to thank everyone involved, from volunteers to clubs and leagues across the National League System for their hard work during the 2024-25 season and wish everyone the best of luck for next season.”
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