What goes into scheduling the fixtures?
Fri 11th July 2025 | Fixture Changes | By Media Team
Now that the first few week’s worth of fixtures are out, with the remainder of the season to be released in due course, we will go through the fixture planning process to hopefully shed some light on what goes on behind the scenes!
The planning for the following season’s fixtures starts as soon as the final whistle goes in April, if not earlier! Clubs are sent a ‘Fixture Questionnaire’ to complete; this is their opportunity to request to play at home or away (or not at all) on certain dates or to request to be ‘opposite’ a nearby club, whether that be a local rival or a nearby professional side.
We have to work backwards from the season end date dictated to us by The FA. We have to ensure sufficient Management Committee representative availability for all play-off finals and therefore stagger these, also taking into account the prevailing opinion of Clubs that play-off fixtures should be on Saturdays to allow for sufficient preparation. This leads us to the mid-April final days for the First Divisions with the Premier Division drawing to a close the following week
The requests given through the Fixture Questionnaires, alongside other constraints that we have to abide by, mean that the standard fixture grid pattern of home/away, home/away goes out of the window. The FA requirement for postponed fixtures to be rescheduled within 35 days (down from 42 previously) provides an additional spanner in the works. We have detailed the many aspects that impact the fixture calendar in each division below...
Premier Division
There are 24 teams in the Premier Division meaning each will play 46 league matches, and all but one of these teams have entered the FA Cup. We leave 2 blank Saturdays for the Extra Preliminary and Preliminary Round of the FA Cup and schedule no midweek matches in the weeks immediately following those rounds to allow for possible replays. Similarly, we leave 2 blank Saturdays for the FA Vase; depending on exemptions and byes we may bring some league games forward to fill gaps. We leave another blank Saturday for the First Round of the Macron Cup as 20 Premier Division sides take part in this round.
The following restraints apply:
1. All 23 of FC Isle of Man’s home fixtures need to be set out for Saturdays, meaning they will play a considerable number of midweek away games. There are also closed home dates due to other events on the Island and they require an away fixture on the last Saturday of the season as the Isle of Man FA Cup takes place at The Bowl at 3pm that day. They also request to play specific away fixtures during certain periods to reduce costs by travelling over by ferry as the ferry service is restricted in the winter.
2. Groundshares. We have one groundshare where the host club take priority as they play at a higher Step in the National league System - AFC Liverpool at Bootle. There are also two internal groundshares affecting this division; South Liverpool (who take preference over First Division North MSB Woolton) and City of Liverpool at Burscough, the latter having priority at their own facility.
3. Ground unavailability. One club cannot play home matches on any Bank Holidays and various clubs have requested to either not play at all, or to play home/away on certain dates (e.g. AFC Liverpool request to not play on 15th April every year). Other requests generally stem from nearby larger events taking place that would affect access to/from the ground.
4. Club pairings. Although not all are requested, we highlight the pairings and requests from other clubs and of course to assist with the appointments of match officials. This applies to all 3 divisions. In the Premier Division, there are the following pairs:
- Atherton LR and Daisy Hill (First Division North)
- Barnoldswick Town and Colne (First Division North)
- Charnock Richard and Euxton Villa
- Cheadle Town and Cheadle Heath Nomads (First Division South) and Stockport County (EFL)
- FC St Helens and Pilkington
- Litherland REMYCA and AFC Liverpool
- Padiham and Nelson (First Division North)
- Ramsbottom United and Bury (NPL West) and Bacup Borough (First Division North)
- Stockport Town and Stockport County (EFL) and Stockport Georgians (First Division South)
- West Didsbury & Chorlton and Maine Road (First Division South)
The various combinations above present problems which are not easily solved and have a knock-on effect to the other divisions, throwing out any constant fixture pattern. We ask for midweek fixtures to be within a 50-mile radius but this is not always possible. Also, of the 8 teams with artificial turf pitches only 4 should be at home on any particular match date.
First Division North
In the First Division North we have 18 clubs, so 34 matches each. No clubs have been accepted into the FA Cup, but all have entered the FA Vase so two Saturdays are left free for the Qualifying Rounds.
There is also the Edward Case Cup to fit in for the two Step 6 divisions. Although the Preliminary Round of the Edward Case Cup will be scheduled for midweek, the First Round (and the same stage of the Macron Cup) will be on Saturdays.
Again, there are various constraints and requests which we try and oblige but it’s not always possible.
1: Groundshares. One in this division: MSB Woolton playing at South Liverpool (Premier Division), who have priority as they play at a higher Step.
2. Ground unavailability. Bacup Borough are unable to play any home fixtures until September due to ongoing work within their clubhouse and facilities for spectators and Maghull are unable to play home games during the week until 1st October due to the restrictions placed upon their use of floodlights. As per the Premier Division, numerous clubs have requested to be away, or to not play, on a certain date due to other nearby events.
3: Club pairings. As per the Premier Division; plenty affecting the First Division North:
- AFC Blackpool and Squires Gate
- Ashton Athletic and Ashton Town
- Bacup Borough and Ramsbottom United (Premier Division)
- Colne and Barnoldswick Town (Premier Division)
- Daisy Hill and Atherton LR (Premier Division) and Bolton Wanderers (EFL)
- Darwen and Blackburn Rovers (EFL)
- Garstang and Fulwood Amateurs
- Holker Old Boys and Barrow (EFL)
4: Other considerations. There are 3 clubs with artificial turf pitches. Darwen and Steeton who should be opposite each other along with MSB Woolton who groundshare with South Liverpool (Premier Division). Although the fixtures for this division can be set out with no midweek fixtures, it may be prudent to bring at least 3 sets of Saturday fixtures forward, one from January, February and March, as historically the area covered by this division has the most postponements during those months.
First Division South
This Division has 19 teams for 36 fixtures per Club. However, this has to be set out as a 20 team Division would be, meaning that there needs to be midweek fixtures. The blank weekends mentioned further up for the FA Vase and League Cups also apply here.
1: Groundshares. Barnton with 1874 Northwich (Midland League - Step 5). 1874 Northwich have priority as they play at a higher Step.
2: Ground unavailability. Market Drayton Town require away fixtures at the start of the season due to ongoing ground works. Other clubs require away games on certain dates due to staff availability and pre-booked events at their ground. Weddings of players and managers also feature!
3: Club pairings.
- Allscott Heath and Telford Town
- Ashville and Cammell Laird 1907
- Cammell Laird 1907 and Tranmere Rovers (EFL)
- Cheadle Heath Nomads and Cheadle Town (Premier Division)
- Haughmond and Shawbury United
- Runcorn Town and Runcorn Linnets (NPL West)
- Stockport Georgians and Stockport Town (Premier Division)
- Wolverhampton Casuals and Wolverhampton SC
Additionally, six of the midland area clubs are paired due to discussions taking place with the Midland League over the appointment of Match Officials and a reciprocal agreement for their clubs in the Cheshire area. In this division there is only Stafford Town with an artificial turf pitch and as they are in close proximity to Brocton (Midland League - Step 5) they should be paired opposite.
In conclusion, we can try to accommodate every club’s requests but we can make no guarantees that all requests can be accommodated, and we accept that we can’t please everyone all the time. Additionally, as much as we would like to release fixtures earlier and give clubs and supporters more notice, the various issues involving clubs higher up the pyramid mean that this simply isn’t possible!
What goes into scheduling the fixtures?
Fri 11th July 2025 | Fixture Changes
By Media Team
Now that the first few week’s worth of fixtures are out, with the remainder of the season to be released in due course, we will go through the fixture planning process to hopefully shed some light on what goes on behind the scenes!
The planning for the following season’s fixtures starts as soon as the final whistle goes in April, if not earlier! Clubs are sent a ‘Fixture Questionnaire’ to complete; this is their opportunity to request to play at home or away (or not at all) on certain dates or to request to be ‘opposite’ a nearby club, whether that be a local rival or a nearby professional side.
We have to work backwards from the season end date dictated to us by The FA. We have to ensure sufficient Management Committee representative availability for all play-off finals and therefore stagger these, also taking into account the prevailing opinion of Clubs that play-off fixtures should be on Saturdays to allow for sufficient preparation. This leads us to the mid-April final days for the First Divisions with the Premier Division drawing to a close the following week
The requests given through the Fixture Questionnaires, alongside other constraints that we have to abide by, mean that the standard fixture grid pattern of home/away, home/away goes out of the window. The FA requirement for postponed fixtures to be rescheduled within 35 days (down from 42 previously) provides an additional spanner in the works. We have detailed the many aspects that impact the fixture calendar in each division below...
Premier Division
There are 24 teams in the Premier Division meaning each will play 46 league matches, and all but one of these teams have entered the FA Cup. We leave 2 blank Saturdays for the Extra Preliminary and Preliminary Round of the FA Cup and schedule no midweek matches in the weeks immediately following those rounds to allow for possible replays. Similarly, we leave 2 blank Saturdays for the FA Vase; depending on exemptions and byes we may bring some league games forward to fill gaps. We leave another blank Saturday for the First Round of the Macron Cup as 20 Premier Division sides take part in this round.
The following restraints apply:
1. All 23 of FC Isle of Man’s home fixtures need to be set out for Saturdays, meaning they will play a considerable number of midweek away games. There are also closed home dates due to other events on the Island and they require an away fixture on the last Saturday of the season as the Isle of Man FA Cup takes place at The Bowl at 3pm that day. They also request to play specific away fixtures during certain periods to reduce costs by travelling over by ferry as the ferry service is restricted in the winter.
2. Groundshares. We have one groundshare where the host club take priority as they play at a higher Step in the National league System - AFC Liverpool at Bootle. There are also two internal groundshares affecting this division; South Liverpool (who take preference over First Division North MSB Woolton) and City of Liverpool at Burscough, the latter having priority at their own facility.
3. Ground unavailability. One club cannot play home matches on any Bank Holidays and various clubs have requested to either not play at all, or to play home/away on certain dates (e.g. AFC Liverpool request to not play on 15th April every year). Other requests generally stem from nearby larger events taking place that would affect access to/from the ground.
4. Club pairings. Although not all are requested, we highlight the pairings and requests from other clubs and of course to assist with the appointments of match officials. This applies to all 3 divisions. In the Premier Division, there are the following pairs:
- Atherton LR and Daisy Hill (First Division North)
- Barnoldswick Town and Colne (First Division North)
- Charnock Richard and Euxton Villa
- Cheadle Town and Cheadle Heath Nomads (First Division South) and Stockport County (EFL)
- FC St Helens and Pilkington
- Litherland REMYCA and AFC Liverpool
- Padiham and Nelson (First Division North)
- Ramsbottom United and Bury (NPL West) and Bacup Borough (First Division North)
- Stockport Town and Stockport County (EFL) and Stockport Georgians (First Division South)
- West Didsbury & Chorlton and Maine Road (First Division South)
The various combinations above present problems which are not easily solved and have a knock-on effect to the other divisions, throwing out any constant fixture pattern. We ask for midweek fixtures to be within a 50-mile radius but this is not always possible. Also, of the 8 teams with artificial turf pitches only 4 should be at home on any particular match date.
First Division North
In the First Division North we have 18 clubs, so 34 matches each. No clubs have been accepted into the FA Cup, but all have entered the FA Vase so two Saturdays are left free for the Qualifying Rounds.
There is also the Edward Case Cup to fit in for the two Step 6 divisions. Although the Preliminary Round of the Edward Case Cup will be scheduled for midweek, the First Round (and the same stage of the Macron Cup) will be on Saturdays.
Again, there are various constraints and requests which we try and oblige but it’s not always possible.
1: Groundshares. One in this division: MSB Woolton playing at South Liverpool (Premier Division), who have priority as they play at a higher Step.
2. Ground unavailability. Bacup Borough are unable to play any home fixtures until September due to ongoing work within their clubhouse and facilities for spectators and Maghull are unable to play home games during the week until 1st October due to the restrictions placed upon their use of floodlights. As per the Premier Division, numerous clubs have requested to be away, or to not play, on a certain date due to other nearby events.
3: Club pairings. As per the Premier Division; plenty affecting the First Division North:
- AFC Blackpool and Squires Gate
- Ashton Athletic and Ashton Town
- Bacup Borough and Ramsbottom United (Premier Division)
- Colne and Barnoldswick Town (Premier Division)
- Daisy Hill and Atherton LR (Premier Division) and Bolton Wanderers (EFL)
- Darwen and Blackburn Rovers (EFL)
- Garstang and Fulwood Amateurs
- Holker Old Boys and Barrow (EFL)
4: Other considerations. There are 3 clubs with artificial turf pitches. Darwen and Steeton who should be opposite each other along with MSB Woolton who groundshare with South Liverpool (Premier Division). Although the fixtures for this division can be set out with no midweek fixtures, it may be prudent to bring at least 3 sets of Saturday fixtures forward, one from January, February and March, as historically the area covered by this division has the most postponements during those months.
First Division South
This Division has 19 teams for 36 fixtures per Club. However, this has to be set out as a 20 team Division would be, meaning that there needs to be midweek fixtures. The blank weekends mentioned further up for the FA Vase and League Cups also apply here.
1: Groundshares. Barnton with 1874 Northwich (Midland League - Step 5). 1874 Northwich have priority as they play at a higher Step.
2: Ground unavailability. Market Drayton Town require away fixtures at the start of the season due to ongoing ground works. Other clubs require away games on certain dates due to staff availability and pre-booked events at their ground. Weddings of players and managers also feature!
3: Club pairings.
- Allscott Heath and Telford Town
- Ashville and Cammell Laird 1907
- Cammell Laird 1907 and Tranmere Rovers (EFL)
- Cheadle Heath Nomads and Cheadle Town (Premier Division)
- Haughmond and Shawbury United
- Runcorn Town and Runcorn Linnets (NPL West)
- Stockport Georgians and Stockport Town (Premier Division)
- Wolverhampton Casuals and Wolverhampton SC
Additionally, six of the midland area clubs are paired due to discussions taking place with the Midland League over the appointment of Match Officials and a reciprocal agreement for their clubs in the Cheshire area. In this division there is only Stafford Town with an artificial turf pitch and as they are in close proximity to Brocton (Midland League - Step 5) they should be paired opposite.
In conclusion, we can try to accommodate every club’s requests but we can make no guarantees that all requests can be accommodated, and we accept that we can’t please everyone all the time. Additionally, as much as we would like to release fixtures earlier and give clubs and supporters more notice, the various issues involving clubs higher up the pyramid mean that this simply isn’t possible!
