2018-19 National League North

[DarkSithLord]

The league consitution for the 2018/19 season is as follows

AFC Telford United
Alfreton Town
Altrincham
Ashton United
Boston United
Blyth Spartans
Brackley Town
Bradford Park Avenue
Chester
Chorley
Curzon Ashton
Darlington
FC United of Manchester
Guiseley
Hereford
Kidderminster Harriers
Leamington
Nuneaton Town
Southport
Spennymoor Town
Stockport County
York City

Looks like another tough,tough divison this year. Subject to the AGM Cup of course.

Welcome back Altrincham Guiseley and Chester and welcome too to new boys Hereford and Ashton United!

 

[GuiseleySteve]

After the Paul Cox debacle and the associated financial cost I think we'll be back to cutting our cloth accordingly next season.
The impending new manager announcement will give us more of an idea of what to expect I guess.
Right now I'd take mid table obscurity. Building a sustainable self funding plan with far less reliance on our benefactors is the priority moving forwards.

 

[Alty Pieman]

After a year away in the gluepot wilderness, and my self imposed exile including giving up pies,.. little Alty are back in NLN and hoping we can avoid relegation this time round!

The Alty manager has avoided any unneccessary speculation and uncertainty by retaining and resigning the entire team

Add a few Salford rejects and we should be good to go.

 

[Minstermen central]

We have apparently signed Kallum Griffiths from spennymoor.not sure about him but got supporters player of year,at this rate will have new team signed by end of week.

 

[wilsontown]

Which is amazing because we have no money. Or do we? Who knows, at the moment if Jason McGill told me that today was Monday I'd have to double check.

 

[Harrier94]

After the disappointment of last season, I'm looking forward to this season. Kept the majority of the squad that performed well from November time. We've just got to push for the title this year, not the playoffs.

 

[Harrier94]

Looks like another tough,tough divison this year. Subject to the AGM Cup of course.

Welcome back Altrincham Guiseley and Chester and welcome too to new boys Ashton United!

*cough* And Hereford *cough*

 

[DarkSithLord]

Bernard Morley and Anthony Johnson to be named the new Chester management team apparently

 

[Bluandwite]

We'll be popular....

If it's true I don't know how we're affording it unless Stuart Murphy's money is already doing the talking.

 

[MWS]

We'll be popular....

If it's true I don't know how we're affording it unless Stuart Murphy's money is already doing the talking.

Chester must be putting up a healthy player budget if those two are to go there. They are like the Non-League Steve Evans. Only manages a club that gives him a load of dough to spend.

 

[ForeverUnited]

I for one am absolutely thrilled to be in the National League North.

 

[UTS]

We'll be popular....

If it's true I don't know how we're affording it unless Stuart Murphy's money is already doing the talking.

Doubt they were on a fortune at Salford with there being two of them. They’d have been on pittance at Ramsbottom too so it’s not like they’re used to mega money.

Both live in Bury and ones a Bury fan so I wish them well.

 

[Bluandwite]

Doubt they were on a fortune at Salford with there being two of them. They’d have been on pittance at Ramsbottom too so it’s not like they’re used to mega money.

Both live in Bury and ones a Bury fan so I wish them well.

One of our local reporters believes our management budget will be less this year, so that would weigh up.

We'll see, anyway.

 

[GuiseleySteve]

Marcus Bignot & Russ O'Neil are our new management team with Paul Clayton as assistant manager. Going back to part time which makes far more sense for us financially at this stage.

 

[BigDaveCUFC]

Will be a partial observer and partial supporter with Curzon this season because circumstances make it certain my season ticket will be at Stalybridge, but I still hope to get to 10 games or so depending on how fixtures land.

Another tough hard season, although I feel less damage coming our way this summer, last year in summer we lost 5 of our starting 11 and could never on pretty much the smallest budget fill the gaps.

Possible change in style because like Kidderminster it is becoming harder to do the all passing play from the back style, but we tried changing start of this season, failed and went back.

Big issue is scoring, we rely on Niall Cummins and he is getting slower each season, but we have a good solid base to work in and could do ok if the attack is sorted, if not we shall be in another battle.

One thing I do have for first time is a derby game, have some affinity now to Curzon (takes a good two seasons) so am looking forward to my first proper derby having never had one in 20 years with Carlisle.

Bring on Boxing Day!

 

[DarkSithLord]

Marcus Bignot & Russ O'Neil are our new management team with Paul Clayton as assistant manager. Going back to part time which makes far more sense for us financially at this stage.

Wow. Certainly did not expect that!

Really pleased Russ O Neil has got a new job and is back in football! Russ and Clayts are great lads and will absloutely everything to the cause. Russ is a very shrewd appointment by Bignot in an assistant role too. Has some really good contacts and knows the level like the back of his hand after his decade long partenship with Nicky.

Russ loved Alfreton. It was very much in his blood and he was gutted to leave. Be interesting/ weird to see him in opposition to us. Watch it be Alfreton v Guiseley on the opening day now..

Russ is a superb assistant but he and Clayts kept us up as a management team in 2016/17 however not taking anything away from their achievement (We beat eventual play-off winners Halifax ironically managed by Billy Heath) but the fact that Altrincham and Stalybridge were so far adrift and Worcester wanted voluntary relegation certainly helped a lot as we did finish the season with a run of 500 mins without a goal and no win in our final 8 games.

Guiseley have clearly cut their cloth after relegation. Think you will recruit very shrewdly with Russ/Clayts. Wonder if any former Alfreton lads may join? Will certainly keep an eye on your results

 

[GuiseleySteve]

Wow. Certainly did not expect that!

Really pleased Russ O Neil has got a new job and is back in football! Russ and Clayts are great lads and will absloutely everything to the cause. Russ is a very shrewd appointment by Bignot in an assistant role too. Has some really good contacts and knows the level like the back of his hand after his decade long partenship with Nicky.

Russ loved Alfreton. It was very much in his blood and he was gutted to leave. Be interesting/ weird to see him in opposition to us. Watch it be Alfreton v Guiseley on the opening day now..

Russ is a superb assistant but he and Clayts kept us up as a management team in 2016/17 however not taking anything away from their achievement (We beat eventual play-off winners Halifax ironically managed by Billy Heath) but the fact that Altrincham and Stalybridge were so far adrift and Worcester wanted voluntary relegation certainly helped a lot as we did finish the season with a run of 500 mins without a goal and no win in our final 8 games.

Guiseley have clearly cut their cloth after relegation. Think you will recruit very shrewdly with Russ/Clayts. Wonder if any former Alfreton lads may join? Will certainly keep an eye on your results

Marcus & Russ are joint managers, Paul is their assistant.
From our press release it seems Russ had been involved in recruitment at Burnley so a link to Nicky there.

What we don't know at this stage (fans) is the detail of any existing player contracts so the next couple of months will be very interesting. I'm sure some were signed on two year deals but there may well be clauses linked to relegation from the NL.

At least we won't have so many 10/12 hours of travelling for 90 minutes of football next season.

 

[DarkSithLord]

We'll be popular....

If it's true I don't know how we're affording it unless Stuart Murphy's money is already doing the talking.

Now confirmed - http://www.chesterfc.com/2018/05/15...rley-are-appointed-chester-fc-joint-managers/

 

[DarkSithLord]

Marcus & Russ are joint managers, Paul is their assistant.
From our press release it seems Russ had been involved in recruitment at Burnley so a link to Nicky there.

What we don't know at this stage (fans) is the detail of any existing player contracts so the next couple of months will be very interesting. I'm sure some were signed on two year deals but there may well be clauses linked to relegation from the NL.

At least we won't have so many 10/12 hours of travelling for 90 minutes of football next season.

Sorry my mistake. Still think he will be in a more advisory role to Marcus.

It does not surpise me Russ has been working with Nicky at Burnley.

Yeah the National League looks bloody awful this year. A real North/South divide.

 

[Bluandwite]

Marcus Bignot & Russ O'Neil are our new management team with Paul Clayton as assistant manager. Going back to part time which makes far more sense for us financially at this stage.

Good luck to Marcus, didn't always agree with his tactical decisions but a good guy who handled himself well in extremely difficult circumstances here.

I do think given a clean slate to build a team himself (well, nearly himself) he'll do well as I think he can spot a player.

 

[Darlo On Tour]

We have apparently signed Kallum Griffiths from spennymoor.not sure about him but got supporters player of year,at this rate will have new team signed by end of week.

Seen him a few times a decent defender, and obviously been at the club since 2009 tells a story. After an improved offer from Spenny must have been a difficult decision for him to leave. I wonder if MG threw a two-year contract on the table to prize him away?

 

[Darlo On Tour]

I for one am absolutely thrilled to be in the National League North.

Me too, with having fond memories of the big plastic bull on the pitch in the play-offs of 1996!!
It's like the good ol days, unfortunately wrong league.

 

[DarkSithLord]

My guess at the festive fixtures for this season -

Alfreton v Boston
Ashton United v Curzon Ashton
Altrincham v FC United
Blyth v Spennymoor
Brackley v Telford
Bradford PA v Guiseley
Chester v Stockport
Chorley v Southport
Darlington v York
Hereford v Kidderminster
Leamington v Nuneaton

 

[MWS]

I highly doubt we'd have Chester. Ever since we've been a non-league club we've been shafted over the Xmas fixtures.

The other year we had Harrogate while Salford (I think it was) had BPA. Made absolutely no sense whatsoever!

We'll probably have Boston or Nuneaton!

 

[Harrier94]

Talks that Telford could be going somewhere in the middle of Full Time and Part Time.

https://www.shropshirestar.com/spor...-planned-talks-over-the-club-going-full-time/

 

[Quakerz]

Darlo make their first summer signing in attacking midfielder / utility man Liam Hughes.

As we'll be running with a smaller squad this year, but on the other hand hopefully with quality players, his versatility could be useful.

He's got a good pedigree - 25 years old, 6ft 5 tall, played extensively in the Conf Premier and also L2 with Cambridge, also had a stint at Barrow and in the SPL - scored in the play off final for Cambridge when they got promoted to the league, played 80 mins for Cambridge in the 0-0 draw with Man U.

 

[Darlo On Tour]

He could be very useful providing he's back on the straight and narrow from his off the field issues of his private life. Which i understand that's been dealt with and under control at the moment.

Like i say if we can get the best out of him, he'll be a cut above this level of football in this division.

He also scored on his debut at his previous club Billericay Town back in Feb, and helped them to promotion (unsure why he didn't stay with them once the season finished). Certainly got a decent pedigree - I think he'll do well at Darlo under Tommy Wright.

 

[Darlo On Tour]

Talks that Telford could be going somewhere in the middle of Full Time and Part Time.

https://www.shropshirestar.com/spor...-planned-talks-over-the-club-going-full-time/

Bit surprised how they can afford the luxury of going Full Time after the nail-biting season they had.

 

[Darlo On Tour]

After the disappointment of last season, I'm looking forward to this season. Kept the majority of the squad that performed well from November time. We've just got to push for the title this year, not the playoffs.

I will second that Harrier94! Well apart from the title

 

[Harrier94]

Elton Ngwatala has signed for Dundee from us. Gutted he's gone. He's been a quality player for us for 3 years.