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March 2007 Step 4 Applications	An examination of the 74 clubs who have applied for elevation to Step 4 shows it includes several clubs who in the recent past have replaced other clubs from their town. These include Barking, Bridgewater, Wellingborough and Witney. There are also four former Isthmian League clubs who were placed in the feeder leagues when its Second Division closed in 2006. Perhaps understandably ambition remains high. However, is now is the time to prevent clubs who ground share from elevated although this would exclude the phenomenon that is FC United, the club formed by dissident Manchester United supporters who opposed the Glazer family takeover at Old Trafford. By league the applications are: Combined Counties League (8) Eastern Counties League (2) Essex Senior League (5) Hellenic League (5) Kent League (6) Midland Football Alliance (9) North West Counties League (12) Northern Counties East League (12) Northern League (3) Spartan South Midlands League (5) Sussex County League (2) United Counties League (1) Wessex League (3) Western League (1)
February 2007 F A Trophy Last Eight	The Conference National secured six places in the quarter finals of the 2006/7 competition with Welling United and Salisbury City of the Conference South claiming the other two places. Their record is seven clubs achieved on three occasions the last in 1991/92. In the first year of the competition (1979/80) they had only two quarter-finalists. Arguably with non-league players then not prepared to travel they were not the strongest non-league clubs in the country. Salisbury City, on their way to the Southern League championship, also reached the last eight in 2005/6 when four Conference National clubs reached this stage. Of the other three places the Conference North had two and the Southern League (Division 1 East) one.
January 2007 AFC Wimbledon disqualified	AFC Wimbledon have forfeited £12,000 of prize money after being disqualified from the FA Trophy. In another instance of 'international clearance' the club fielded a player signed from Cardiff City. Subsequently they were also deducted 18 league points for fielding him in the Ryman League. On appeal this was reduced to 3 points after the FA agreed that leagues have an equal responsibility to check clearances after a first appearance. FIFA previously ruled that as Cardiff City played in the Football League they were classified as 'English'. Player registration is complex and clubs with part-time or voluntary administration have particular difficulties.
January 2007 Coulsden Town and Salfords to merge	This season, Salfords, previously Monotype, commenced a ground share with Coulsden Town, previously Netherne and Netherne Village, at the latter's Woodplace Lane ground. Monotype were founder members of the Surrey Premier League in 1982 returning to that level when joining the First Division of the Combined Counties League, having previously played in the Crawley & District League. Netherne Village is a 1990s residential development on the former site of Netherne Hospital. Its football club joined the Combined Counties League in 1994/95 returning to its new First Division in 2003/04 after playing in the Surrey Premier League since 1998. The two clubs have announced they will merge as Coulsdon United for 2007/08.
January 2007 East Grinstead Ground Move?	East Grinstead, who apart from a between the wars spell in the Southern Amateur League have played only in county football, are planning to leave their home of 40 years at East Court. The club's sponsor since 1991, Rydon Homes, have resubmitted a planning application for 90 homes on the site. In the last five years the club have installed new floodlights, built new dressing rooms and added a hard-standing walkway around the pitch. These have allowed the club's reserve team to be admitted to the Suburban League. Despite work on the drainage system, the ground, situated near the town centre, has always been prone to water logging causing postponements. This work was part-funded by a grant from the Football Foundation. The club previously shared West Street with the town's cricket club leaving in 1959 before completing the initial work to move to East Court in 1967.