What on earth is going on in the Hellenic League?

Runaway and well-deserved Hellenic Premier Division champions Worcester City were crowned as victors after a 1-0 win at Thornbury Town on the ninth of April as the West Midlands based side earned a long-awaited return to the eighth tier of English football. The Faithful had previously competed in the National League at their peak but found themselves in the ninth tier after exile and obstacles stunted their development.

The Blues had been favourites for the league since the early months of the campaign and were only denied top spot when Corsham Town had played multiple games more. Their eventual title win was more an inevitability than an occasion, but who will be joining them in promotion?

Well, that's where our predicament lies.

Cinderford Town face off with Mangotsfield United tonight in the Premier Division, a win will see them leapfrog Slimbridge AFC and climb into fifth place, the final play-off spot, with one place to go. The Forresters have a huge advantage over the Swans as they have two games left to play this season, while Slimbridge have done all they can. But the play-offs are on Wednesday.

The second, third, and fourth places are safely occupied by Corsham, Royal Wootten Bassett Town, and Highworth Town. A win for Highworth against Corsham tonight would see them climb above Wootten Bassett on goal difference.

So how can the play-offs be only two days away and not have confirmed fixtures?

The main issue is the weather. As you will have seen yourself, it has been dire. Pitches across the country, and South West in our case, have suffered from torrential downpours bringing a sense of pathetic fallacy as week after week saw games fall foul of the elements.

Harking back to the ever dominant Worcester City, their home of Claines Lane, also the headquarters of the Worcestershire FA, was unable to cope with the weather and resulted in numerous games called off and matches moved to nearby Sixways Stadium which is currently home to cross city rivals Worcester Raiders and boasts an artificial surface, leading to Raiders being one of the first to complete their run of fixtures. Those lucky enough to play on an astro were able to get most of their games played on schedule, but those with homes of grass were not so lucky.

And that's what has led us to our current situation. The play-offs starting before the season ending. If everything went to plan then this would not be the case but the wettest winter since the 1800s scuppered any hopes for a normal season in the Hellenic League. This is also the first season in which the classic play-off system will be used, with the league eager to wrap up the league and play-offs before the FA deadline of May 6th seeing games packed in before an artificial deadline imposed by the league. Previously the winner of the league would go up automatically while the runner-up would face one of the best 'relegated' sides from the tier above with the winner taking the Southern League spot. But this season sees a more normal 2nd v 5th and 3rd v 4th campaign with a play-off final to decide the winner.

But what if Cinderford lose tonight? Will Slimbridge face Corsham on Wednesday? What is Cinderford win their final league game next Monday and claim the spot then? I'm sure those in charge will be silently hoping for the easy option to come to fruition...but football is all about what ifs and this what if could cause chaos. After all, what's worse than planning a game at 24 hour notice? Planning and cancelling a game at 24 hour notice and having to fit it in another time...

So, with the mix of weather and an added deadline, we find ourselves in this position. A play-off semi-final being played before the season is finished. Perhaps with a dryer winter this wouldn't be happening, and perhaps with this season testing the waters we'll find ourselves with a more run-of-the-mill end to the season in 2025, but for now, we can just love non-league football for what it is. Slightly chaotic but perfect nonetheless.