WITH Blues' future in either the Blue Square Bet North or South up in the air, the Observer investigates where they could be playing next season.
You might have needed a Maths A-level to work out all the promotion and relegation issues in football in previous years.
However, this season Blues supporters would be better off with a degree in geography to determine whether the club can switch back across to play in Blue Square Bet South next season – and that’s if new boss Rod Stringer continues to sprinkle his magic and make sure Bishop’s Stortford avoid the drop!
Certainly the fortunes of Lowestoft Town, Leamington, Brackley, Cambridge City and Stourbridge are those that Stortford fans should be following with more than a keen interest in terms of the non-League shake-up at the end of the 2011-12 campaign.
It was back in the summer of last year that the Football Conference dropped the bombshell at its annual meeting that Stortford – despite being just 45 minutes away from London – would have to switch over to the Conference North feeder division, just below the Blue Square Bet Premier.
BSFC bean counters estimated this move would cost the club an extra £80,000 over the course of the season in overnight hotel costs and travel expenses to away games.
The sleep-depriving lengthy journeys Blues fans have faced this season include the 600-mile round trip to Workington in Cumbria, 538 miles to Blyth in the North East and the 512-miles return hike to and from Colwyn Bay in North Wales.
The problem has ultimately been caused by too many northern teams dropping out of the Blue Square Bet Premier over the last few years.
Histon in Cambridgeshire had already been sucked into the Blue Square Bet North division, so some eagle-eyed Blues fans had already spotted the potential for Stortford to be moved across from South to North.
Most fans might have had one eye on the Conference Premier this season, in terms of watching who could drop back into the North and South divisions.
Clearly Stortford – and the FA – are hoping more northern teams are relegated to restore some balance.
With Bath City and Hayes & Yeading occupying two of the relegation spots, there could be two teams going straight back to the South feeder division and two into Blue Square Bet North.
Blues fans need to hope Bath and the Londoners find some resolve in 2012 to beat the drop, so the likes of Alfreton Town, Kettering Town, Stockport County, AFC Newport County and AFC Telford go down to the North division.
It is the feeder divisions below the Conference South and North where things become interesting.
You would have thought that the Ryman (Isthmian) premier division would offer little hope for Blues fans, what with most teams based in and around the M25 motorway.
But Suffolk side Lowestoft are doing well, and if they don’t win the title they will surely be favourites to go up through the play-offs – and straight into the Blue Square Bet North to potentially replace Stortford, at present the most southern team in this division.
Lowestoft is roughly 40 miles further north than Stortford.
But Stortford’s greatest hope of avoiding another season in the North lies with the fortunes of teams in the Evo-Stick Southern League premier division.
Brackley in Northamptonshire currently top this division.
Cambridge City are third and Leamington in Warwickshire are fifth.
Blues fans should also keep their fingers crossed for Stourbridge in the West Midlands (currently in 8th but with several games in hand on most other sides).
However, many of the other teams fighting to go up – even Oxford City – are further south than Stortford which increases the odds of the East Herts club facing another season in the North.
If Lowestoft plus two from Brackley, Cambridge, Leamington and Stourbridge go up and perhaps only one southern team drops down from the Blue Square Bet Premier, this would surely ensure Stortford can switch back to the South division – and get back to getting some home gates where there are more travelling supporters!
Of course, Stortford also have to make sure they don’t get relegated!
If they do, they might even be making an appearance in the Evo-Stick Southern League premier division for the first time.
Down to you, Mr Stringer.
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THE Blues have received sympathy from the Football Association, but no guarantees from the game’s governing authority about a switch back to Blue Square Bet South next season.
Bishop’s Stortford still have a battle to maintain their Step Two status in non-League football as they are flirting with relegation in Blue Square Bet North.
Relegation would see them drop down to Step Three for the 2012-13 season and most probably switch into the Ryman premier division.
However, since Rod Stringer was installed as boss, Blues have won four out of six games, raising hope they could remain at Step Two.
If they survive the drop, Stortford would be keen to be in Blue Square Bet South next term.
Stortford’s directors have been in regular dialogue with the FA to try and establish what will happen in 2012-13.
Although the club is receiving a grant of £12,000 from the FA to cover this move the costs of playing in Blue Square Bet North, the costs of travelling and overnight stays to some away games is thought to be costing at least six times this subsidy.
An FA spokesperson said: “There is little doubt that the way in which this situation arose was most unfortunate with Bishop’s Stortford FC being caught up in a situation that was not of their doing, especially coming at such a late stage.
“The placement of BSFC into the Blue Square Bet North, whether you agree with the outcome or not, was dealt with in accordance with the Football Conference rules and the National League system regulations.”
The spokesperson added: “I can assure you that every effort will be made at the end of the current season to return the club to Conference South.
“However, the club must understand that there will be a ‘pool’ of 44 clubs to be split North/South to provide for two divisions each of 22 clubs. The Football Conference would not entertain the option of a 21/23 split.”
Stortford were in the Conference South when the league was first formed for the 2004-05 season and played in it for seven seasons.
However, when Rushden & Diamonds folded last summer, Southport were spared relegation to Blue Square Bet North from the Conference Premier.
This left 21 clubs in Blue Square Bet North and Stortford were switched into this division as they were the most northern team geographically in Blue Square Bet South.
The FA spokesperson said: “The league structure in the first season was pretty good, but this can go wrong as each year passes as the wrong teams are involved in the promotion and relegation process.
“In an ideal world what we need at the end of this season is for four northern based teams to be relegated from Conference National.
“This would then enable ourselves and the leagues to address the anomalies that currently exist at Step Two. We cannot state that it is now perfect.”
The spokesperson also said there was little appetite for a reduction in the 44 clubs at Step Two level or a restructuring for three divisions with a North, Midlands and South split.
