2019/20 National League North

[Clem Fandango]

Five more added for us, all young players with 2-3 of them likely to be loaned out I'd guess to start;

Tom Handley and Ioan Richards both from Cheltenham Town.
Jamie Bremner and James Spruce both from Bristol Rovers.
Jack Spark from Bristol City.

Thats 9 new signings all together.

We beat Aberystwyth Town 4 nil last night, we also had 2 disallowed and hit the bar. Doesn't say much for the Welsh Premier League! Marlon Jackson has 5 goals in 4 now.

 

[Quakerz]

I see Jason Gilchrist conference North top scorer in 2017/18 has left Southport and signed for South Shields for a undisclosed fee.

Wow

 

[Quakerz]

Darlington have signed 19 year old forward Tyrone O'Neill from Middlesbrough on a loan until the end of December.

That's our tenth signing of a busy summer. There are probably another 2 or 3 (if budget allows) to come in, as we are still looking at several triallists.

 

[The Lost Riots]

We have signed Daniel Nti ex- Brackley/York/Halifax/Kidderminster/Nuneaton etc.
Also Javan Vidal ex-Bradford PA/Tamworth/Wrexham/Stockport etc.
Anyone have any opinions on whether they are any good or not?

 

[Quakerz]

Nti is useful from what I've seen of him. Not earth shatteringly good, but useful.

 

[UTS]

Five more added for us, all young players with 2-3 of them likely to be loaned out I'd guess to start;

Tom Handley and Ioan Richards both from Cheltenham Town.
Jamie Bremner and James Spruce both from Bristol Rovers.
Jack Spark from Bristol City.

Thats 9 new signings all together.

We beat Aberystwyth Town 4 nil last night, we also had 2 disallowed and hit the bar. Doesn't say much for the Welsh Premier League! Marlon Jackson has 5 goals in 4 now.

Weird how football works, Glouscester beat Aberystwyth 4-0... Connah’s Quay Nomads knock Kilmarnock out of Europe with a 2-0 win, away no less.

What does that say about the Scottish league.

 

[Clem Fandango]

We're on fire at the moment, rested four players yet still put seven past Evesham United today. Marlon Jackson with a hat trick.

 

[Lucky Bobble]

Nti isn't anything to be remotely excited about. Mainly a last 10 mins sub for us last year and never convinced. Not even sure of his position - CF or AMF, but didn't impress in either. Maybe better with more game time?

 

[EnglishRed]

Nti always looked like he had talent when he was at Worcester (and I seem to remember we looked at him at the time) but hasn't seemed to have done anything since then.

Vidal was a bit of a cult hero when he was with us, threw himself into games and tackles, plenty of pace. But unfortunately he's made of glass.

 

[EllisWaugh]

Are people thinking that South Shields walk their league this year ?

 

[The Lone Ranger]

Anyone know much about Elliot Hodge? Has played in most of the Kettering pre season friendlies. Been decent so far according from our Local sports journo.

 

[GodsGift]

Anyone know much about Elliot Hodge? Has played in most of the Kettering pre season friendlies. Been decent so far according from our Local sports journo.

Started out with us as a youngster and showed a bit of promise as a nippy winger. Did the rounds on loan with the usual non-league sides around Lincolnshire, Gainsborough, Stamford etc. Released when Danny Cowley came in and was soon picked up by Notts County, but don't think he ever got a look in there. Randomly Burton Albion then signed him, which was an odd move for a L1 club seeing as he had just been released by two L2 clubs in as many years. He's got talent but at 23 he needs to knuckle down and get some regular football.

 

[Minstermen central]

I’ve watched 4 pre season games and can not pick starting 11.
Can see why Armstrong was desperate to sign Jameson he looks good,bit hard on local lad Whitley but will start in goal.
Very impressed with Green but for me Kempster is stand out player,started last season well but got injured,got 3 goals in 3 games and was even dangerous against Leeds first team,
Watson seems to play wing back system but does change,plus had 2 trailists playing in all games who looked good,one from Newcastle U23 and played for reserves.

 

[The Lone Ranger]

Started out with us as a youngster and showed a bit of promise as a nippy winger. Did the rounds on loan with the usual non-league sides around Lincolnshire, Gainsborough, Stamford etc. Released when Danny Cowley came in and was soon picked up by Notts County, but don't think he ever got a look in there. Randomly Burton Albion then signed him, which was an odd move for a L1 club seeing as he had just been released by two L2 clubs in as many years. He's got talent but at 23 he needs to knuckle down and get some regular football.

Thanks for the reply

 

[Pink Panther]

Are people thinking that South Shields walk their league this year ?

I've no idea what sort of playing budget they have but I went there two seasons ago and it felt like a very vibrant club with a crowd well into four figures. They were close to promotion last season so I'd expect them to be a bit stronger again given their progress over several years.

 

[DarkSithLord]

Clem Fandango

We have Andre Wright on trial. Any good?

Bullet dodged. Has signed for Bohemians of Dublin

 

[Farsley Arkan]

Beebot - I'd say the main problem IS the isthmian league. Basically 2 southern divs feeding into the confs 2nd divs. Creating this midland divs doesn't really help much, if southern end midland sides win it, it restricts the NPL and northern clubs even more.
My solution. Have the Isthmian take over the southern sides - not just those they can walk to round London as they are currently, but the Truro's etc. Then the Southern league people can run a proper midlands structure, and the NPL can go back to being properly northern - these should (hopefully) feed in an even spread from across the country.

 

[Farsley Arkan]

NPL -This would cover:
Scottish border to Merseyside/the top of the Wash
S League -running a midland setup from there, down to gloucester or so, and with E Anglia in with them
Isthmian/v south league - from there down.

Promoting (for example) South shields & Scarborough
Rushden & Stourbridge
Met Police & Hastings

S Shds, SAFC & Stourbge in the North, others in the south.

This would be more likely to get even splits of teams like this - no guarantees, mind. Rather than in 2019, and 1 northern side get promoted and basically 5 fairly southern ones. Certainly from Blyth's perspective etc.

 

[Farsley Arkan]

OR just absorb the Isthmian into the southern league. HOWEVER that then causes what we have now - 2 divs feeding into the confs structure, so the travelling will not be significantly different in the div below ours, and the theory was that the journeys should increase the higher up the pyramid you go. Crazily the promoted southern league sides now probly travel less in the confs s than they did in getting promoted. And in terms of getting used to it, they are not doing Isthmian clubs any favours by going from games as I say, they can walk to, to suddenly going across the south to Truro etc. The very south league can have east & west 2nd divs, then step up travelling in the top flight, like the NPL now.

 

[Farsley Arkan]

In answer to the other question- S Shields'll be favourites in the NPL. I reckon they'll be top 2-3 I'm sure. Might not have it as easy as they probly think they will. They only finished 2nd due to the North Ferriby thing. It looked like us n Warrington were dropping them from the title race in truth, until that changed the table. Again they've recruited this summer, but also warrington will be strong again, Ashton u know how to get out of that div, FCUM- who knows, Gainsborough will be better than they were in 2018-19. Scarborough have improved over the summer, but I can't see them in the top 2-3. Could make the play offs.

 

[#Beebot]

OR just absorb the Isthmian into the southern league. HOWEVER that then causes what we have now - 2 divs feeding into the confs structure, so the travelling will not be significantly different in the div below ours, and the theory was that the journeys should increase the higher up the pyramid you go. Crazily the promoted southern league sides now probly travel less in the confs s than they did in getting promoted. And in terms of getting used to it, they are not doing Isthmian clubs any favours by going from games as I say, they can walk to, to suddenly going across the south to Truro etc. The very south league can have east & west 2nd divs, then step up travelling in the top flight, like the NPL now.

Welcome to the forum. I think I made this post several weeks ago so maybe best to quote me!

I think if you rejig the allocations at step 3 then you will only ever end up with a handful of teams moving each way. The situation might look slightly better but as non-league is a pyramid the higher tiers are always going to be a reflection of the base (effectively step 6) and at the moment that's got a huge Southern bias - the number of leagues the South East has at step 5/6 compared to the whole of the North is crazy. This is where there is more room for the FA to manoeuvre. The decision to create an additional step 6 division just for Essex was just ridiculous, as shown by the fact that reserve teams, plus poor Hadley who are from nowhere near Essex, were drafted in to fill it, and despite that they're still running one team short.

But ultimately it's population size that ultimately feeds the creation of teams low down the pyramid - and unfortunately the North can't really compete with the South in that respect. There is also an inverse problem here though in that the further a town's distance from other population centres, the greater that town's allegiance to its football team because of the difficulty of travelling over long distances. Take South Shields for example. Their population is less than half that of the borough of Richmond, but H&Rs attendances will probably be less than half of South Shields next season at the same step. Richmond residents have a hatful of teams to choose from all across London within fairly easy reach - South Shields fans, probably less so. And so the higher attendances up North give their teams higher budgets, and so the bottleneck of good teams in Northern League queueing to get into step 4 while FC Romania get in with average attendances under 40. In the short term the best solution is to just expand step 5/6 with Northern divisions only - the South has more than enough - and focus on the quality coming from up there rather than quantity of teams down south.

 

[Who Needs Mourinho]

We’ve got Ben Jackson starting at left-back in our pre-season friendly tonight.

What was he like when on loan with you Darlo fans?

 

[Clem Fandango]

10th signing for us in Canadian Alex Hainault. Played in midfield in our 7-1 win Saturday and looked very good. Had trialled for Newport County. His older brother has over 40 International caps so hopefully we've found a gem.

 

[Alty Pieman]

We’ve got Ben Jackson starting at left-back in our pre-season friendly tonight.

What was he like when on loan with you Darlo fans?

He did OK ish but JJ got past him a few times. Nowhere near as good as your last LB.

 

[Clem Fandango]

Bohemians

No idea how he's wrangled that one! Dreadful player

 

[KHFC_Shaun]

We're currently headed into this season, as light as any team can be. Looks like a dire, and quite frankly, disgraceful situation to be in at this stage of pre-season.

 

[DarkSithLord]

Ex York City, Cheltenham Town & Kidderminster Harriers centre-back Keith Lowe has joined Nuneaton Borough after impressing on trial

 

[DarkSithLord]

We're currently headed into this season, as light as any team can be. Looks like a dire, and quite frankly, disgraceful situation to be in at this stage of pre-season.

How many players you got?

 

[KHFC_Shaun]

Palmer (only GK - far away from first team level)

Moyo
Johnson
O Connor (can't stay fit)
Austin
Davidson
Penn (no legs or preseason, assistant manager, but registered)
Prosser
Weeks
Williams
Butterfield
Chambers
Peniket

Higginson (academy)
Taylor-Randle (academy)
White (academy)

Honestly think we have 10 fit first team players heading into the season.

Got 2 on trial tonight, but not been playing for us in pre-season, so they'll be behind. Shambolic to be honest. Only decent defender in Horsfall left for Macc and not replaced. Ironside replaced with Peniket, an obvious downgrade.

Honestly think if we are in this division next year, it'll be a success. Sad state our club is now in. I won't worry though, we are always told our chairman knows best...i'd take Lowe back in a heartbeat right now but we upset him as our chairman knew best.

 

[Andy Harrier]

Palmer (only GK - far away from first team level)

Moyo
Johnson
O Connor (can't stay fit)
Austin
Davidson
Penn (no legs or preseason, assistant manager, but registered)
Prosser
Weeks
Williams
Butterfield
Chambers
Peniket

Higginson (academy)
Taylor-Randle (academy)
White (academy)

Honestly think we have 10 fit first team players heading into the season.

Got 2 on trial tonight, but not been playing for us in pre-season, so they'll be behind. Shambolic to be honest. Only decent defender in Horsfall left for Macc and not replaced. Ironside replaced with Peniket, an obvious downgrade.

Honestly think if we are in this division next year, it'll be a success. Sad state our club is now in. I won't worry though, we are always told our chairman knows best...i'd take Lowe back in a heartbeat right now but we upset him as our chairman knew best.

I don't buy the relegation battle talk. We will bring in a goalkeeper on loan. It's clear that they wanted the Shrewsbury keeper we had trialing with us for weeks but the circumstances changing there means that won't happen, which is unfortunate. Think we'll probably bring in the one who played tonight for us. I agree that it's not ideal, and personally I'd have kept Hall, but I don't think it's the end of the world.

Moyo has looked the part in preseason, and based on the second half of last season is easily a decent replacement for Horsfall, who hasn't looked interested for months, and was comfortably putting in more poor performances than Johnson towards the end of last season.

Davidson appears to be an upgrade for Taylor and Prosser looks better than Daniels. We've lost Ironside, but I think that will lead to Chambers playing a more important role this season and if Williams is playing a more advanced role, we may get more out of his creativity.

Of the youth players in the team, Higginson will be a useful backup this season (I suspect a centre back will come in on loan) and Jaiden White will be involved. I suspect Knory Scott will be making appearances at some point, although I understand that there is an international clearance issue for the club to resolve first before he can feature in competitive fixtures.

Keith Lowe was let go because the club had assurances from Tunnicliffe that he would be staying, and I'm told the plan was to make him captain and build the defence around him. He then went on holiday and upon returning signed for Fylde, by which point Lowe was on his way to Macclesfield. That was entirely John Eustace's decision, not Colin Gordon's.