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Derby instead of Stoke for Conference play-off?
It is being reported this morning by this is Derbyshire that Pride Park could be hosting this season's Conference play-off.
Derby County's Pride Park Stadium has emerged as a strong favourite to stage the Nationwide Conference play-off final in May.
Pride Park or Stoke City's Britannia Stadium will be handed the fixture and a decision could be made next week.
Stoke have hosted the final in the past two seasons but Conference officials are looking at a possible change.
They have already had "very productive" meetings with Derby.
"We had no problems staging the first two finals at Stoke City and they were very successful but it is good to look at alternatives," said Conference chief executive John Moules.
"We have been delighted with the discussions we've had with Derby County and Pride Park is a magnificent stadium and a very strong candidate.
"At this stage of the season we do not know who the finalists will be in May and so the venue needs to be somewhere appropriate for a national competition."
The Conference play-off final was introduced in 2002-03. Both have been held at Stoke and televised live on Sky.
A crowd of 19,216 watched Shrewsbury Town book a place in the Football League by beating Aldershot Town on penalties earlier this year.
In May 2003, Doncaster Rovers defeated Dagenham & Redbridge in front of 13,092.
Moules said the Conference had been delighted by the success of the play-offs.
"They have realised everything we hoped they would," he added.
