Communication from the FA regarding Step 4/5 playoff fixtures. As you are probably already aware Malvern Town will visit Highworth Town in a Step 4/5 playoff fixture on Saturday 29th April.
Full notes from the FA below….
Step 4/5 Inter-Step Play-Off fixtures – 2022/23 season
Firstly, we thank you for your patience in awaiting the Step 4/5 Inter-Step Play-Off (ISPO) fixture list – some of you will be aware that the draw had been delayed as the results of several league fixtures played on Monday 24th and Tuesday 25th impacted this and there were also three ground grading appeals heard today that had the potential to impact the draw.
A Sub-Committee have now discussed the grouping and pairing of Clubs for the ISPO fixtures. You may recall from our recent correspondence via the ISPO Rules document that the Sub-Committee’s pairing of Clubs was based on creating geographical pools and then to pair Club on the basis that the Step 4 Club with the best PPG in that pool would play the Step 5 Club with the worst PPG in that pool, and to then perform this on a sliding-scale in each pool.
The Sub-Committee has assessed all the qualifying Clubs and has decided that the fixture list below will apply:
| 1 | Bristol Manor Farm FC | v | Saltash United FC |
| 2 | Highworth Town FC | v | Malvern Town FC |
| 3 | VCD Athletic FC | v | Phoenix Sports FC |
| 4 | Sutton Common Rovers FC | v | Crawley Down Gatwick FC |
| 5 | Merstham FC | v | Egham Town FC |
| 6 | Haywards Heath Town FC | v | Redbridge FC |
| 7 | Lincoln United FC | v | Avro FC |
| 8 | Glossop North End FC | v | Ashington FC |
| 9 | Dereham Town FC | v | Stotfold FC |
| 10 | St Neots Town FC | v | Lye Town FC |
| 11 | Coggeshall Town FC | v | Winterton Rangers FC |
| 12 | Great Wakering Rovers FC | v | Quorn FC |
| 13 | Barton Rovers FC | v | Thetford Town FC |
We would appreciate it if the Leagues could make public the attached press release and drawsheet via their websites.
We have simultaneously made direct contact with Clubs who fall into the following categories, in order to share this and other important information with them:- Clubs at Step 4 who: (1) are reprieved, (2) finish in a ISPO position or (3) are automatically relegated, and, Clubs at Step 5 who: (4) are Champions, (5) finish in second place and are automatically promoted based on PPG, or, (6) finish in second place and are to be involved in the ISPO matches.