National League 2024/25

[Gatekeeper]

Aldershot

Altrincham

Barnet

Boston United

Braintree Town

Dagenham & Redbridge

Eastleigh

Ebbsfleet United

Forest Green Rovers

AFC Fylde

Gateshead

FC Halifax Town

Hartlepool United

Maidenhead United

Oldham Athletic

Rochdale

Solihull Moors

Southend United

Sutton United

Tamworth

Wealdstone

Woking

Yeovil Town

York City

The Nation League season will begin on Saturday 10th August.

 

[joethegill]

A very tricky one to call, I don't think there's a standout candidate to win the league at all. Expect the usual suspects to be up in the top echelons in Barnet and Solihull, the two coming down might do ok for once, and a lot depends on the situation at Southend and whether they can keep a decent squad together. A lot of people have Southend down as favourites but for me they still have plenty of work to do with that squad first. I think York will be better next season as well.

 

[Greenacres]

Not too sure what to expect from next season, our first back in the National League after seven away, it was pretty competitive when we left but if I'm honest I haven't a clue who will present the biggest challenge to our attempt to avoid a third relegation in a row.

I gather that Southend may be subject to a takeover, with the plan being to sell the land that was bought for a new stadium and redevelop Roots Hall, which will surely result in money being available for players. After years of being a complete and utter basket case their fans deserve better and surely any new owner will set their sights on a return to the Football League.

Will Yeovil make it two promotions in a row, they seem to be a club on the up, with Mark Cooper at the helm. How about the other clubs who have been in the Football League, either in their current or previous guise, surely at least one or two of them will fancy their chance.

At the other end of the table, who will struggle against relegation, four down is a bit of a worry to say the least. The final table from last season suggests that it could be just about anyone who didn't make the play-offs last season if they hit a bad run of form...ouch!

 

[Josh Butler]

As a Boston fan, I'll settle for 20th right now.
We only finished 6th in a terrible league last season and I'd say only about 3 or 4 of our players could cut it regularly in the conference and I doubt our chairman will want to risk a lot just to finish half way up.
But still massively looking forwards to it even if we will get beat most weeks

 

[The Jovial Forester]

If Cotterill stays I won't worry too much about yet another relegation, even with our bunch of uninterested players and off-field circus he had us in comfortable mid-table form for his league tenure; challenging for promotion would be pleasant after a couple of losing seasons but stabilising would do me fine.

 

[Gatekeeper]

As a Boston fan, I'll settle for 20th right now.
We only finished 6th in a terrible league last season and I'd say only about 3 or 4 of our players could cut it regularly in the conference and I doubt our chairman will want to risk a lot just to finish half way up.
But still massively looking forwards to it even if we will get beat most weeks

They were my thoughts when we were promoted to the ELF. We surprised a few by doing rather well in our first season. Hopefully you will also.

 

[Darlo On Tour]

Ten Significant National League Transfers So Far -

Joe Kizzi - Barnet

The Bees paid a fee to bring him in on a two-year deal but everything points to this deal being a really smart bit of business.

Oscar Rutherford - Dagenham & Redbridge

Last season he managed to make 36 appearances, assisting twice within those matches. An exciting signing to start what may be an exciting season down at Dagenham.

Luis Fernandez - Eastleigh

Whilst still being only 22, Fernandez has a lot of room to further develop his game and be a great asset to Eastleigh, one that has the potential to be a top deal.

Jim Kellermann - Ebbsfleet

At only 29 was riddled with unfortunate injuries, Kellermann still has a lot in the tank to offer to Ebbsfleet and is a great start to the transfer window for Danny Searle"s men.

Liam Sercombe - Forest Green

Sercombe is now 34 years old though, and the midfielder may be coming to the back end of his career, but the quality he has is still enough to be competing at the highest standard in this division, making him a signing of serious intent from Forest Green.

Sam Bowen - Solihull Moors

Bowen was released by Newport this summer, but Solihull have taken no time at all to snap up the 23-year-old central midfielder. This is a signing that could go majorly under the radar this season as a great bit of business.

Siju Odelusi - Sutton

Odelusi has had a great season with Aveley so it comes as no surprise to see a National League side sign him. The 25-year-old midfielder scored 17 times in 52 appearances last season. A great midfielder with bags of potential.

Dale Gorman - Woking

Barnet"s captain has made the jump to Surrey, and what a signing this could be. The 27-year-old joins with experience of promotion and can offer great leadership qualities to Michael Doyle"s new look Woking side.

Harvey Greenslade - Yeovil

Greenslade has signed a two-year deal with The Glovers, opting to stick locally to Bristol. He is only 20, so will have lots of room to develop his game still and could be a real coup for Yeovil.

Ashley Nathaniel-George - York

Obviously the standout transfer at York this summer has been Ollie Pearce, but the arrival of Nathaniel-George from fellow National League side Maidenhead has gone majorly under the radar. The tricky winger has been a key player for The Magpies over the last two seasons, racking up 73 appearances, which includes 10 goals and 9 assists.

 

[JaredSUFC]

I can’t believe we got a fee for Joe Kizzi. Couldn’t have been more than a nominal fee I would have thought.

If it had been 2022 I would have been properly gutted that he’s gone. In 2024 not so much.

Considering how much of a liability our defence was last season I was surprised to see that initially we were planning on keeping most of our defensive players on. Probably a contract thing.

 

[Josh Butler]

Still waiting for us to sign someone other than the lads who helped us finish 6th in NLN last time out!

 

[Less than a mile (WAFC)]

Great signing for FGR getting Tozer in!

 

[Fedora Dale]

We've (Rochdale) signed a couple of players:
- Connor McBride, young winger previously with Gateshead.
- Tobi Adebayo-Rowling, wing back who has spent the previous couple of years with Notts County.

 

[RavenBish]

Tobi is maybe the most entertaining personality you will ever encounter in the game. Genuinely brilliant bloke. As a player he’s a bit flawed, absolutely rapid so if you play him at wing back and switch the play quickly or play him in behind he’s a problem for teams. As a defender and all-round footballer he’s just very limited. Wing back in a more direct team is his niche I think.

 

[jacobncfc]

Tobi is maybe the most entertaining personality you will ever encounter in the game. Genuinely brilliant bloke. As a player he’s a bit flawed, absolutely rapid so if you play him at wing back and switch the play quickly or play him in behind he’s a problem for teams. As a defender and all-round footballer he’s just very limited. Wing back in a more direct team is his niche I think.

Think he’s decent enough at NL level if they can keep him fit, always did a job for us when he played in the promotion season but any time he had anything approaching a run of games he just got injured again. Absolutely hilarious, lovely man, wish him all the success in the world.

 

[Sidelineseye]

I’ve been told from a scouting mate this lad is currently talking to a “London based National League club” (he doesn’t don’t know which) after leaving Vancouver FC as a free agent last month. 26 years old Defensive Midfielder. Ex MK Dons youth, has spent the past 5 years in the full time Canadian Premier League. Over 100 appearances, mostly at Cavalry FC and ex teammate there included Joe Mason formerly of Wolves & MK Dons. Lots of video on line. Would appear he was heavily linked to Barnet back in December/January, but I have been informed it’s not them he is in talks with. Definitely appear to suit a possession oriented side. Might get more information next week.

 

[Gatekeeper]

After surveying all clubs, the National League Board agreed that the League will reverse next season’s Boxing Day fixtures with Good Friday and New Year with Easter Monday.

Confirmation of key dates for the 2024/25 season:
Fixture Release Day – Wednesday 10 July
Opening Day – Saturday 10 August
North/South Closing Day – Saturday 26 April
National Closing Day – Monday 5 May

 

[Bartonyellow]

Why 10th July when everyone else has released theirs already ?

 

[JaredSUFC]

Why 10th July when everyone else has released theirs already ?

To avoid things like two sides from similar areas/Police force areas playing at home at the same time. And other potential fixture clash issues

 

[Greenacres]

It looks like we might be starting the season with a run of away fixtures, if the league are in agreement, our pitch is still a building site with not a blade of grass anywhere near being ready to play football on.

 

[Bartonyellow]

To avoid things like two sides from similar areas/Police force areas playing at home at the same time. And other potential fixture clash issues

I’m talking about the fixture release date.

 

[JaredSUFC]

I’m talking about the fixture release date.

And I explained why in part the fixture release date is later. Partly to best avoid potential local fixture clashes.

It’s one of the reasons why the EFL release their fixtures after the Premier League

 

[GEORGE]

Ryan Jones who we released has joined Aldershot. Quite a decent player.

 

[kieran_vale]

Seen one of our old boys Harry Charsley has gone Oldham today. Good signing that. They’ve also signed Manny Monthe. This surely has to be the season they go up. Be a massive failure if they don’t.

 

[Greenacres]

First pre-season friendly for us this evening, against Slimbridge, one of four games arranged away to teams fairly local to us. Not sure what to expect, they can be pretty one sided affairs, we will probably field completely different line-ups in each half. Main priority is to get the players used to running around and hopefully avoid injuries.

 

[Gatekeeper]

A few dates for your diary.

FA Cup

Fourth Round Qualifying - Saturday 12 October 2024
First Round Proper - Saturday 2 November 2024
Second Round Proper - Saturday 30 November 2024
Third Round Proper - Saturday 11 January 2025
Fourth Round Proper - Saturday 8 February 2025
Fifth Round Proper - Saturday 1 March 2025
Quarter Final - Saturday 29 March 2025
Semi Final - Saturday 26 April 2025
Final - Saturday 17 May 2025

FA Trophy

Third Round Proper - Saturday 7 December 2024
Fourth Round Proper - Saturday 4 January 2025
Fifth Round Proper - Saturday 1 February 2025
Sixth Round Proper - Saturday 1 March 2025
Semi Final - Saturday 5 April 2025
Final - Saturday 10 or Sunday 11 May 2025

 

[Gatekeeper]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/ar ... 1y91pnyxno

Woking's owner has said the National League club will go into administration if a buyer cannot be found in the next few weeks - and he is willing to sell for £1.

A £600,000 loan from owner Drew Volpe's parents has given the Cards a lifeline to begin the new season next month.

Speaking to BBC Radio Surrey, Volpe revealed he had invested "over £3.425m" in the club since taking over in 2021.

When asked if the club would now be in administration without the loan from his parents, Volpe said: "Yep, 100%".

"The bottom line is I'm not made of money, so I couldn't keep on doing this for a fourth year straight," he added.

"Between tax stuff, insurance, some other liabilities, the numbers add up real fast – to a scary, scary degree.

"Once it's in your veins it's hard to stop, you want to keep chasing that promotion - but I realise now I can't keep doing it. I don't want to be eating out of a dumpster outside of my apartment."

The Cards are due to begin the new season away at Altrincham on Saturday, 10 August.

Volpe said the loan from his parents would ensure the team could start the league season, when money would begin coming in from gate sales on matchdays.

But Volpe said he was now more confident a deal could be reached for new owners to rescue the club after making "great progress" with takeover talks.

"Obviously we're still bringing on new investment, which should be happening in the next couple of weeks, but at this moment we are fine," he added.

"It's absolutely been sleepless nights, a lot of worry, but for now we're safe.

"I'd be lying if I said it wasn't dire straits until [we got] the money into the account.

"The reality of it, is that the club's going to be sold for probably £1 - based on the liabilities that we have, the money I sent over will be able to pay off almost all of that and then we'll have games and money will be coming in."

Volpe and his business partner John Katz took over the club in 2021.

A 15th-place finish in the National League in 2021-22 was followed by a promotion push that ended in fourth place behind Wrexham, Notts County and Chesterfield in 2022-23, with Woking beaten by Bromley in the play-off eliminator.

He conceded that it had "probably not" been wise to spend "a lot" to compete with the likes of former National League sides Notts County and Wrexham, who had much higher budgets.

Last season, the team regressed to end the campaign 17th.

Woking announced in June that Katz had stepped down from his role as chief executive officer but would remain on the board of directors.

They said Katz, who previously managed the club's women's team, would also continue in his position as football secretary., external

Volpe says it is a "systematic failure from all angles" that has led to the club's perilous financial position and that entering administration would represent a "catastrophic failure" to himself and Katz.

"I think we had higher expectations than we should have had in terms of commercial revenue and also in terms of making a run in the FA Cup or FA Trophy - those are very important to covering your projective losses," he said.

"And we didn't have that this past year, we had basically nothing.

"It's hard to say we're not guilty of that [overspending] given where we are."

BBC Radio Surrey approached Katz but he did not wish to comment.

 

[Gatekeeper]

TV deal with the NL.

Groundbreaking Deal Announced With Broadcast Giants DAZN - The Vanarama National League

The National League are delighted to announce a new long-term partnership with DAZN, Europe’s largest sports broadcaster.

www.thenationalleague.org.uk

 

[Fedora Dale]

A fairly competent performance at Boston by Dale resulted in a pretty comfortable 3-0 win. Can't read too much into one game, but still pleasing - there finally seems to be green shoots of revival showing.

 

[GEORGE]

A fairly competent performance at Boston by Dale resulted in a pretty comfortable 3-0 win. Can't read too much into one game, but still pleasing - there finally seems to be green shoots of revival showing.

I reckon your lot will be in the top three this season.

 

[Greenacres]

A 3-3 draw for us, after being 2-0 down really early on, managed to recover to lead 3-2...then, typical Rovers, conceded an equaliser late on. Either way, given that we have our first four games away from home...as our pitch isn't quite ready...I'm happy to have a point on the board.

 

[Gatekeeper]

A very poor performance from Sutton. We were lucky to get a point against a team that will struggle in the NL.