Latest news with #CombinedCountiesPremierSouth
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Jersey Bulls win promotion after play-off victory
Jersey Bulls have won promotion to the eighth tier of English football for the first time as they beat Cobham 2-1 in their play-off final. The islanders had topped the Combined Counties Premier South table at the end of the season, but a three point deduction for playing suspended player dropped them to second place and into the play-offs. But a capacity crowd at St Helier's Springfield Stadium saw them reach their highest level since joining the English football league system in 2019. It means the islanders will play in Isthmian League Division One South East next season facing sides based mainly in Kent, Sussex and south London. Joe Kilshaw blasted Bulls ahead in the 11th minute as he got on the end of Miguel Carvalho's pass inside the penalty area. Lorne Bickley almost doubled the lead four minutes later before Elijah Simpson had a good effort for Cobham. Cobham began to up the pressure and Bulls needed a superb goal line clearance from James Queree and an excellent save from goalkeeper Euan van der Vilet from the rebound to keep them ahead at half time. The islanders started the second half off better and were rewarded with a second goal when Fraser Barlow flicked home from close range after good work by Bickley. Bulls hit the post soon after but a nervy finish was ensured when Cobham were awarded a 70th-minute penalty which van der Vliet saved, but Patrick Murray converted from the rebound. Despite Cobham's continued pressure as they searched for an equaliser Bulls held out to ensure scenes of joy for their home fans. Jersey Bulls make play-off final after penalty shootout Jersey Bulls title hopes in balance after points deduction Non-league team win title after finishing third The victory represents a second promotion for the island side since they were formed in 2019 - but a first done via on field performance. The club had won all 36 of their matches in Combined Counties Division One in the 2019-20 season before the Covid-19 pandemic saw the campaign annulled. After the 2020-21 season was also wiped out by the pandemic Jersey Bulls were promoted to their current level after a restructuring of the leagues in the summer of 2021. They finished fourth in their first season in the ninth tier and third a year later - both seasons saw the top two teams win promotion automatically. Last season they were second, but a play-off was introduced and the islanders were knocked out by AFC Croydon Athletic in the semi-finals. This season, after just two league defeats under new boss Elliott Powell, the island side thought they had finally won their first-ever title before their points deduction. But they have managed to put that disappointment behind them as Powell won promotion in his first season in charge. "It was obviously good to start quick and always nice to get a goal," goalscorer Kilshaw told BBC Radio Jersey. "I thought we were good and maybe should have killed the game and put it 3-0, but luckily we saw it out at then end. "I'm sure most of the lads will tell you that it's taken over our lives for the last 11 months. "What we've been through in the last month or so has been pretty brutal, not just for ourselves but our families having to deal with what we're going through, so to get over the line is brilliant. "This is our biggest achievement in football, no-one in Jersey's ever been promoted to step four. "I don't know when it'll sink in, but we'll have a good night and enjoy it." In total Jersey Bulls suffered just three defeats all season - they lost to title rivals Whyteleafe and Redhill in the league and were knocked out of the FA Vase by Whitstable Town, who went on to win the title at Wembley. It ended a superb first season as manager for Powell, who succeeded Gary Freeman as Bulls manager last year after guiding Jersey to an Island Games gold medal in 2023. "In terms of a Jersey football achievement I think this has to be number one," Powell told BBC Radio Jersey "Cobham were a great side and commiserations to them - they're the best-coached side we've played in the league, they've got patterns of play, they're really efficient at set pieces and defensively they're solid - we really had to be at our very best today to beat them. "Whatever's happened can't happen again - yes we've got over the line, but we shouldn't have been playing in these games, so there's a lot of things that as an island we ned to improve on now. "We're not going to get a group of players like this again, let's make sure we use the absolute most of them. "I said before the game the James Queree's, Luke Campbell's and Luke Watson's, they're Jersey football Hall of Famers, they're once in a generation-type players so we need to make sure that as an island we get right behind them. "This was Jersey at it's best, a sea of red and everyone getting right behind us and that last five or 10 minutes was nervy, but those fans got us over it." Jersey Bulls
BBC News
28-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
Jersey Bulls fan excited for 'biggest game' in play-off final
A Jersey Bulls fan said the team's play-off final was "probably the biggest game in Jersey football history".Later, the side will face Cobham FC at Springfield Stadium in front of 1,800 supporters after tickets to the game sold out in a Ollie Boletta, 18, said "it's been a stressful time for players and fans" after the Bulls were docked three points after they played a suspended player earlier this year, which cost them the Combined Counties Premier South Bulls also called the match the "biggest game in our short history as a club" on social media. On social, Jersey Bulls urged fans not to bring flares and pyrotechnics to the final."Anyone found to have any in their possession will be removed from the ground and will be subject to a ban from future games," it comes after the club faced a charge for its fans failing to conduct themselves in a proper manner over similar incidents during a match in Boletta, who has been supporting the Bulls for three years and regularly travels away to watch their matches, admitted he was anxious, but also excited about the game which kicks off at 19:45 said "I think it will be a tough game" but added he was hopeful the Bulls would win "with the grit and determination we showed in the semi-final"."I'm very nervous because we've drawn with Cobham twice this season but I think we can win 2-nil."
BBC News
22-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Third-placed team wins title after top two docked points
Two teams locked level on points and separated only by goal difference at the top of the league at the end of a 38-game season - yet the title is won by a side one point below is the story in the Combined Counties Premier South, where the top two have been docked three points each for both fielding an illegible player and the title has instead gone to Surrey side AFC caps an amazing season for the club, who were only formed four years ago but reached the FA Vase final earlier this month, where they were beaten 2-1 by Whitstable Town at Bulls finished top with 96 points but were docked three points for fielding a player who should have been suspended in their 4-0 win over Tooting and Mitcham United on 20 Redhill were then set for the title having finished below the Channel Islands side on goal difference but have now also been deducted three points for the same means the trophy has gone to Whyteleafe, who would have finished third with 95 points, and the club have been awarded automatic promotion to the Isthmian League Division One South Jersey will take on Fleet Town and Redhill will face Cobham in the play-offs. "I feel great that we've been crowned champions and been promoted to Step Four, but at the same time it's a very strange way to go about it," Whyteleafe boss Kelly Waters told BBC Radio Surrey."I feel quite sorry for Jersey and Redhill in the situation that they've had, I've experienced it myself before when I was managing at Balham and it's painful."But they have to enforce the rules to make sure people don't use them inappropriately and in the end we've been a beneficiary of that and we couldn't be happier to be back in Step Four."The original Whyteleafe FC folded in 2021 and the current version of the club was formed shortly after by chairman and co-manager Waters.'Leafe entered the Surrey South Eastern Combination League in 2021-22. The club are now back at the same level Whyteleafe FC had been at at the time it folded.
BBC News
02-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Jersey Bulls fail in points deduction appeal
Jersey Bulls have failed in the appeal against a points deduction that cost them the Combined Counties Premier South islanders were docked three points after played a suspended player in their 4-0 win over Tooting and Mitcham in late March. The club had appealed to the Football Association (FA) to try and overturn the points deduction, but the appeal was Combined Counties League is assessing a number of other cases of ineligible players, and as yet no dates for the play-offs have been it stands Bulls will drop to third place in the league table, although it is understood rivals Redhill are also facing a similar charge to Bulls and, if similarly punished, would drop to third with Whyteleafe winning the title. In a statement Jersey Bulls say the FA's judgement read: "Having played an ineligible player, League Rule 6.9 directs that the Club shall have any points gained from the match in question deducted. "The Appeal Board concluded that there were no exceptional circumstances in this case, and that the process that had been followed was fair."The case centred on midfielder Toby Ritzema who received 10 bookings - one coming in the FA mistakenly counted that booking as counting towards the 10, and therefore he served a two-match ban in the league when he did not need to. He subsequently passed the 10-booking threshold in league games, and should have been suspended for the Tooting and Mitcham win on 29 March,.
BBC News
19-04-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Jersey Bulls end season with win after title disappointment
Jersey Bulls ended the season with a 1-0 win over Sandhurst Town as they wait to see if they will enter the Combined Counties Premier South the island side will end the campaign with the best record in the league, they are unlikely to be promoted having been docked three points after fielding an ineligible player last they do not appeal the decision, or an appeal is unsuccessful, they will finish the season in third are set to be champions after a goal in the third minute of second-half stoppage time saw them win 1-0 at Guildford Whyteleafe are likely to end the season in second position after winning 2-0 at Fleet Town. It means the islanders are set to face fourth-placed Cobham in the play-offs, with the winners meeting either Whyteleafe or Fleet Town in the final. Bulls tried to put the disappointment of the previous 24 hours behind them as they came out to their highest attendance of the at Springfield, who had been there anticipating a league title celebration before their points deduction, saw few clear cut first-half chances despite the islanders having the better of the play. Karl Hinds had a shot deflected wide while Luke Campbell went close with a header from a corner shortly before half time as Jonny Le Quesne's follow-up was saved. Campbell went close from a Fraser Barlow free kick 10 minutes after the restart while Luke Watson headed a Barlow delivery against the post five minutes the deadlock was broken soon after as Lorne Bickley broke through, and while goalkeeper Harry White saved his effort, Joe Kilshaw was there to slam home the rebound. Goalkeeper Piers Roche did well to deny Sandhurst with 19 minutes to go before Bulls had a series of chances in stoppage islanders hit the post before Bickley brought two excellent close-range saves from White while Francis Lekimamati hit the bar. But while Bulls earned their 30th victory of the season, it was Redhill who were celebrating as they look to have won the title.
