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      NATIONWIDE CONFERENCE 
2005/06
      P W D L F A Pts
 

Leading League goalscorer:
Andy Bishop
(York City)
 23  goals

Lightening can strike twice - for the second season in a row a Conference side drew Manchester United in the Third Round of the FA Cup - and both Exeter last season and Burton Albion this season took their mighty opponents to a replay. They lost - but the memories....and money  (results)

Altrincham fell foul of the rule book and finished bottom of the League after an 18 point deduction - but escaped relegation! Their problems started when they signed James Robinson from eventual champions Accrington. He played in 14 matches and scored 4 goals before moving on to Richmond Eagles in Australia. However it was then found that Accrington had not obtained his international clearance after a spell in Iceland before signing for them. So he was ineligible to play in England - he hadn't played for Stanley but Altrincham had to forfeit all the 18 points the club had picked up with him in the side.  But they escaped relegated because...

...with the Conference increasing to 24 clubs in 2006/07 only 2 clubs were relegated this season and....

..Canvey Island were one of them. Having been a member of the non-league elite for 2 seasons they lost their main financial backer which left them with severe money problems. They dropped 3 divisions - to the Ryman (Isthmian League) Division 1 North - for the start of the 2006/07 season and....

...Scarborough also suffered serious financial problems which saw them forcibly relegated to the Conference North (within a year Scarborough FC were no more)

The clubs who gained promotion to the National Conference for 2006/07 were Conference North sides Northwich Victoria (champions) and Stafford Rangers (play-offs) and Conference South sides Weymouth (champions) and St Albans City (play-offs).

   1 Accrington Stanley 42 28 7 7 76 45 91 Promoted
    2 Hereford United 42 22 14 6 59 33 80 Promoted
    3 Grays Athletic 42 21 13 8 94 55 76 Play Off
    4 Halifax Town 42 21 12 9 55 40 75 Play Off
    5 Morecambe 42 22 8 12 68 41 74 Play Off
    6 Stevenage Borough 42 19 12 11 62 47 69
    7 Exeter City 42 18 9 15 65 48 63
    8 York City 42 17 12 13 63 48 63
    9 Burton Albion 42 16 12 14 50 52 60
    10 Dagenham & Redbridge 42 16 10 16 63 59 58
    11 Woking 42 14 14 14 58 47 56
    12 Cambridge United 42 15 10 17 51 57 55

    13 Aldershot Town 42 16 6 20 61 74 54
    14 Canvey Island 42 13 12 17 47 58 51 * Relegated
    15 Kidderminster Harriers 42 13 11 18 39 55 50
    16 Gravesend & Northfleet 42 13 10 19 45 57 49
    17 Crawley Town 42 12 11 19 48 55 44 **
    18 Southport 42 10 10 22 36 68 40
    19 Forest Green Rovers 42 8 14 20 49 62 38
    20 Tamworth 42 8 14 20 32 63 38
    21 Scarborough 42 9 10 23 40 66 37 + Relegated
    22 Altrincham 42 10 11 21 40 71 23 ++
   
   

Promoted Champions Accrington Stanley were promoted automatically to the Football League, Promoted Hereford United regained their Football League place through the Conference play-offs. Oxford United and Rushden & Diamonds were relegated to the Conference from the Football League.

* Canvey Island dropped out of the Conference at the end of the season (see details on the left).

** In the close season it was found that Crawley Town had exceeded their annual playing budget set by the Conference and so had 3 points deducted retrospectively.

+ Scarborough were relegated to the Conference North for financial reasons.

++Altrincham had 18 points deducted for fielding an ineligible player (see left).
   
   
Play Off Semi Finals Play Off
1st Leg
Sat May 6 Halifax Town 3 - 2 Grays Athletic
Sun May 7 Morecambe 1 - 1 Hereford United
2nd Leg
Wed May 10 Grays Athletic 2 - 2 Halifax Town
Thu May 11 Hereford United 3 - 2 Morecambe
Aggregate scores
Halifax Town 5 - 4 Grays Athletic
Hereford United 4 - 3 Morecambe
Play Off Final (at the Walkers Stadium, Leicester City FC)
Sat May 20 Hereford United 3 - 2 Halifax Town
Hereford United were promoted to the Football League