Non-league restructuring gets go-ahead

The proposed restructuring of the National League system finally got the green light on Thursday after a legal appeal by the Isthmian League was rejected. "The Arbitration Tribunal which heard the Isthmian League's challenge to the restructuring of the National League System today announced that it has unanimously dismissed their claims."

The FA website summed up the timeline for the process as follows:

'At a meeting in May 2003 the Football Conference and the Isthmian, Northern Premier and Southern Leagues’ 'Alliance' agreed to recommend to the National League System Committee a new structure and a timetable to achieve it. This proposal includes the following key features:-

- 22 clubs per league
- Play-offs at each step down to step 4
- Better linkages throughout the league structure
- A semi-national step between the Conference and step 3
- Remove leagues within a league
- Deliver more consistent rules, regulations, ground grading and promotion/ relegation through play-offs

This structure was considered by the National League System Committee at their meeting on 9th May 2003 and approved by The FA Council at its Summer Meeting on 21st June 2003. It will now be implemented with effect from the start of season 2004-05.'

Crazy goal tally gets offending teams banned

With the championship going down to the wire, just goal difference separated Second division rivals Curtorim Gymkhana and Wilfred Leisure as they kicked-off their final matches. Curtorim had the obvious edge as they were +7 goals up on their close challengers Wilfred.

Things appeared to be going fairly smoothly in both matches in the first-half, with Curtorim Gymkhana narrowly in front, 1-0 up over Sangolda Lightning, while rivals Wilfred Leisure were hammering Dona Paula Sports Club 7-0.

However, when news of both half-time scorelines reached their opposite numbers, all pretense of fair play went out the window and the amazing scenes unfolded, as both teams started to pile on the goals in a frantic bid to outscore their rivals.

With the Dona Paula goalkeeper wandering off upfield and his team mates passing to their opponents at every opportunity, Wilfred Leisure soon had the ball in the back of the net faster than the referee could count and with four own goals included, Wilfred's final score was 55-1.

Meanwhile in the other match, Curtorim Gymkhana were scoring at an even more frantic pace, again amazingly helped by their opponents who were trying to get themselves sent-off, feigning injuries and eventually even refused to leave their own half. The Curtorim team's final goal tally was 66-1, which meant between them the two rivals had scored 116 goals!

The Curtorim-Sangolda match referee, Benjamin Silva, reported that he had never seen anything like it in his life and nor had the Indian Football Association, who needless to say, banned all four clubs from competition for a year and have recommended that they should be expelled permanently.