National League North 2024/25

[Andy Harrier]

Oxford tried to be a passing, footballing team in the National League, but were regularly just outclassed by the other teams. Capable of scoring a few, but poor defensively. We weren't great last season, but I thought we were the better team in both of our matches against them.

They have a new management team so remains to be seen of their style will change much this season, but my guess is that they'll fall somewhere around upper mid table, one of the teams challenging for the bottom end play off places. Unless they've improved their defence, I don't think they'll have enough to be title challengers.

 

[Bottega Don]

I can see Kings Lynn pushing again next year after a poor year, they've got a good manager who can grind out results which is what you need to do well in this league

They were probably the best team I saw last year in our game at their place

 

[Lucky Bobble]

We smashed them 4-0 on their own turf.

They're good but not that good.

True. But we've recruited well. Shane Byrne back. Matty Lowe back. I'd like one more striker, but nevertheless we are stronger than last year. Pre-season form mixed - but all about a. hitting the ground running and b. ekeing out wins from difficult games, especially away from home. I am more confident than have been for a few years, given Scunthorpe may not be as strong as last year. It's the hope that kills you...

 

[Swedes]

We have rounded off our unbeaten pre-season with a 2-1 win against FCUM, which had a touching tribute to the 3 young girls who were murdered this week a short distance away from the ground. £5000 was raised for Alder Hey too.

We have also turned over both PNE and Oldham Athletic, drew at Cliftonville, and came back from 2-0 down at Bootle to draw 2-2. Our side has been massively rebuilt with 10 new signings, and a lot of experience has been brought in. We are playing a very different type of football than most people who have watched us in recent years will be used to as well.

HMS Piss the League sets sail from Haig Avenue next Saturday!

 

[Quakerz]

True. But we've recruited well. Shane Byrne back. Matty Lowe back. I'd like one more striker, but nevertheless we are stronger than last year. Pre-season form mixed - but all about a. hitting the ground running and b. ekeing out wins from difficult games, especially away from home. I am more confident than have been for a few years, given Scunthorpe may not be as strong as last year. It's the hope that kills you...

It's South Shields that we beat 4-0 at their own place.

We always lose at Brackley.

 

[Ninety Per Cent]

True. But we've recruited well. Shane Byrne back. Matty Lowe back. I'd like one more striker, but nevertheless we are stronger than last year. Pre-season form mixed - but all about a. hitting the ground running and b. ekeing out wins from difficult games, especially away from home. I am more confident than have been for a few years, given Scunthorpe may not be as strong as last year. It's the hope that kills you...

I’ve not seen anyone predict us to win Saturday. The main concern is square pegs in round holes. Decent going forward but can get caught out at the back.
This division though has so many quirks and oddities that I think we’ll be up there, probably scrape into the play off when we settle.

 

[BigDaveCUFC]

I can see Kings Lynn pushing again next year after a poor year, they've got a good manager who can grind out results which is what you need to do well in this league

They were probably the best team I saw last year in our game at their place

They will improve but won’t challenge.

Having watched a club under Lakeland he has qualities but also flaws. He knows his players he reminds me of heath at Alfreton and Morley/Johnson at Radcliffe…..in respect of whatever club they go to they know the type of player to bring in to suit their style, quality of said players will differ depending on budget but you know style which will be implemented and players will suit that style……he will now have a squad suited for him already.

But his flaw is he takes his all grounded defensive counter approach too far, it works sometimes and fails other times and will have games when going more direct or actually attacking would work and he sticks doggedly and infuriatingly sticks…..it costs points and we failed with a side that should have been top 7 twice because he didn’t change in games that wasn’t working out.

I can see 9th to 12th but they will fail because he won’t gamble.

 

[Railway Blue]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1791070974181281897

Some pre-season beef with Radcliffes manager and Chester fans

https://twitter.com/x/status/1791070974181281897

Some pre-season beef with Radcliffes manager and Chester fans

Is he talking about Glendon?

 

[Railway Blue]

Notice Adam a Thomas has gone from Chester to marine.

Would have liked him back at curzon he was fantastic for us a couple of years ago, shame he didn’t succeed back at Chester, he’d suited our style and I know he’s injury prone but felt he could have replaced mahon to let him concentrate on management and then you have mahon for when he’s injured….maybe he didn’t want to leave Merseyside area

Sicknote always injured.

 

[Railway Blue]

Chester and Darlo have recruited well, as have Curzon.

Darlo also have a proper manager which is worth several extra points a season, and showed play off form in the 2nd half of last season.

If we don't reach the play offs I will be disappointed.

Chester should win it.

Thanks for that, but we are notorious slow starters past 2 seasons. Need a good start I feel.

 

[Railway Blue]

Moly record of picking clubs is shocking I think I picked Buxton last season and Chester year before and neither did anything.

Darlington and Radcliffe seem to be the clubs with the most positivity around it currently which may well help.

Brackley will always hover about that top 4, Chester seem to have spent, Scunny for me too much turnaround to do same as last season.

Alfreton and curzon seem to be hoping the same sides can achieve the same, Chorley I’m not sure about.

Hard league to read

We haven't spent. Just normal budget plus £100k + from squad builder. Handicapped last season with fines and reduced capacity after the police failed to do their job in the Brackley play-off match.

 

[Bottega Don]

Is he talking about Glendon?

Yeah he is

 

[BigDaveCUFC]

So two days from the new season I find this league impossible to predict frankly so a couple of questions easier to answer.

Where do you realistically think you will finish this season?

Do you think your club has done well improving for this season or needs more work?

What issues may hinder you finishing in the top 7?

People can add others if they wish

 

[BigDaveCUFC]

My own:

Realistic finish place for Curzon: 6th-9th

This summer curzon have gone differently to any previous summer I’ve been watching them and it’s bizarre since we finally broke the top 7, in that we kept pretty much the entire side, no other clubs bought or nicked our stronger players no crucial gaps lost. We actually added to that squad adding a conf north team of the season player and a goal scorer at that, a goalie that played in marines play off games and a player of the season at Mossley…….stability and improvement of stability is the route we have gone this summer not finding our next gambles or Chester cast offs to improve…..will it work is what we shall see.

As for what may hinder us the main thing for me is how many other sides undeliver, we deserved top 7 our away form was second best in division and we beat most of the top 10, but a crucial aspect curzon and I’d say Alfreton and even Tamworth took advantage of was a few more expected teams failing to deliver…..Chester, Southport, Kings Lynn, South Shields, Buxton, Hereford, even Warrington all expected to do better than they did (don’t count Darlo as they expected a struggle last summer)

League looks tougher I don’t see many basket cases or really weak sides apart from maybe Farsley, no financial collapses so we need to keep the stability going in what is tougher games for me.

 

[Quakerz]

Darlington: Realistic expectation for me is 6th-7th

This is based on the fact that Steve Watson is an excellent manager and has already proven to be very shrewd on signings. We've signed arguably the best keeper in the league Pete Jameson, Scott Barrow who made such a difference to our defence on loan 2nd half of last season, Joe Leesley who is frankly better than this league, as well as highly rated striker Jack Maskell and competent defender/midfielder Elliot Forbes.

I expect we will have trouble holding on to Cedric Main, not a massive goal scorer (15 last season between Darlo and Blyth was comfortably his best goalscoring effort), but he just gives so much on the pitch, constantly links midfield and attack by running at defenders and is just an absolute menace. It's no co-incidence that we went from a team that barely ever scored, to a team regularly scoring 2 or 3 after he joined in mid January.

Man to watch is attacking midfielder/wide forward/winger Cameron Salkeld. On his day an absolute match winner and another player we may struggle to keep hold of.

What probably could hinder us is squad size - we're running at 15/16 good senior pros, supplemented with a few kids. We definitely need a couple more senior signings and are still looking to add but Watson just won't sign anybody just for the sake of numbers. Basically it won't take many injuries and suspensions for us to be in a situation of just kids on the bench, so bad luck in that department could see us tank.

As for the quality of signings made by other clubs, and the quality of the league, it "looks" scarily competitive this season and you could quite easily see 2/3rds of clubs putting a good case together for why they should be in the play offs.

But what we need to remember is there is a difference between how it all "looks" and how it actually is. In reality, we're just recycling the same division 6 quality players amongst ourselves with just a few exceptions, so I've never bought the argument that the league is getting tougher every year, which we see every pre season. It will just be "same old, same old" in terms of quality.

 

[Swedes]

Southport: Realistically aiming to be in or around the play-offs.

Summer recruitment appears to have gone well. Jordan Keane, Sam Minihan and Nathaniel Knight-Phillips bring a lot of experience to our previously naive back line. In midfield Callum Spooner brings physicality, Sonny Hilton brings ball-playing ability, and Luke Burgess looked a completely different player this pre-season. Up front we have signed Marcus Carver back permanently, brought in Tunde Olowabi who seems highly regarded everywhere he has played, and also signed Jamie Proctor who has only turned part-time due to business interests. We look well-equipped for dealing with a lot of different styles of play, with the only negative being perhaps a lack of natural width going forwards.

A lot of deadwood from last season has been moved on, with the only great loss being Hmami to King's Lynn. Tyler Walton got a surprising move to Accrington, fair play to him. Harry Flowers is still with us but ruptured his Achilles Tendon, so our weakest link is effectively out for most of the season.

It's odd looking at how fans of other clubs are reacting to signing some of our former players. Freddie Sass was nothing special (except for a long throw), and has ended up at King's Lynn. Jack Bainbridge would play well then completely disappear, and did this consistently during his time with us, and towards the end couldn't get in the starting line up, so I'm not sure why Chester think he will make a huge difference to them.

 

[Josh Butler]

Darlington: Realistic expectation for me is 6th-7th

This is based on the fact that Steve Watson is an excellent manager and has already proven to be very shrewd on signings. We've signed arguably the best keeper in the league Pete Jameson, Scott Barrow who made such a difference to our defence on loan 2nd half of last season, Joe Leesley who is frankly better than this league, as well as highly rated striker Jack Maskell and competent defender/midfielder Elliot Forbes.

I expect we will have trouble holding on to Cedric Main, not a massive goal scorer (15 last season between Darlo and Blyth was comfortably his best goalscoring effort), but he just gives so much on the pitch, constantly links midfield and attack by running at defenders and is just an absolute menace. It's no co-incidence that we went from a team that barely ever scored, to a team regularly scoring 2 or 3 after he joined in mid January.

Man to watch is attacking midfielder/wide forward/winger Cameron Salkeld. On his day an absolute match winner and another player we may struggle to keep hold of.

What probably could hinder us is squad size - we're running at 15/16 good senior pros, supplemented with a few kids. We definitely need a couple more senior signings and are still looking to add but Watson just won't sign anybody just for the sake of numbers. Basically it won't take many injuries and suspensions for us to be in a situation of just kids on the bench, so bad luck in that department could see us tank.

As for the quality of signings made by other clubs, and the quality of the league, it "looks" scarily competitive this season and you could quite easily see 2/3rds of clubs putting a good case together for why they should be in the play offs.

But what we need to remember is there is a difference between how it all "looks" and how it actually is. In reality, we're just recycling the same division 6 quality players amongst ourselves with just a few exceptions, so I've never bought the argument that the league is getting tougher every year, which we see every pre season. It will just be "same old, same old" in terms of quality.

I think the league had been noticeably worse since covid. Gateshead 2021/2 are the only team that looked anything like on a consistent basis, scunny would've done under any other manager apart from that PE teacher last year

Which is why us and tamworth will be massively swimming against the tide in the NL this year (let's be real. We squeezed into 6th place then won 2 penalty shootouts and beat brackley who have promotionphobia) and why I think newly.promoted sidrs like marine and Radcliffe will possibly do well and even Leamington and Needham market surviving. If you're good at step 3, NLN isn't really much better and teams do well again

 

[Ninety Per Cent]

I think the league had been noticeably worse since covid. Gateshead 2021/2 are the only team that looked anything like on a consistent basis, scunny would've done under any other manager apart from that PE teacher last year

Don’t hurt Bottega’s feelings, he’s still in the mourning period.
Scunny I think will scrape into the last play off spot. Andy Butler reckons he’s got space for two or three more to come in.
What might stop us is if some players look at the league and think it’s easy - it’s not

 

[Quakerz]

I think the league had been noticeably worse since covid. Gateshead 2021/2 are the only team that looked anything like on a consistent basis, scunny would've done under any other manager apart from that PE teacher last year

Which is why us and tamworth will be massively swimming against the tide in the NL this year (let's be real. We squeezed into 6th place then won 2 penalty shootouts and beat brackley who have promotionphobia) and why I think newly.promoted sidrs like marine and Radcliffe will possibly do well and even Leamington and Needham market surviving. If you're good at step 3, NLN isn't really much better and teams do well again

I disagree.

I don't think the quality changes much from season to season either way. The whole "oh the quality is atrocious" is nothing more than a meme and people often conflate how high quality the league is with how many teams play outstanding on the eye football.

Tamworth were absolute quality last season. Were they a pleasure to watch, probably not.

Regarding the gap between this league and the leagues below, I think there is definitely a gap but teams normally do well in their 1st season here based on momentum then sometimes fade away in their next seasons.

The gulf between here and the NL is gigantic though, are you staying part time? I think Tamworth are.

 

[Prodigal]

Not at all sure what to expect from Chorley this new season, once again lost our top scorers and whilst we have made 10 new signings they are young players mostly untested at this level. The defence and spine of the team remains but unsure if we have replaced the goals. Time will tell, am expecting mid table to be honest.
Spent a lot of money on the pitch and new surround, sprinklers, drains etc.

 

[Harrier94]

Darlington: Realistic expectation for me is 6th-7th

This is based on the fact that Steve Watson is an excellent manager and has already proven to be very shrewd on signings. We've signed arguably the best keeper in the league Pete Jameson, Scott Barrow who made such a difference to our defence on loan 2nd half of last season, Joe Leesley who is frankly better than this league, as well as highly rated striker Jack Maskell and competent defender/midfielder Elliot Forbes.

I expect we will have trouble holding on to Cedric Main, not a massive goal scorer (15 last season between Darlo and Blyth was comfortably his best goalscoring effort), but he just gives so much on the pitch, constantly links midfield and attack by running at defenders and is just an absolute menace. It's no co-incidence that we went from a team that barely ever scored, to a team regularly scoring 2 or 3 after he joined in mid January.

Man to watch is attacking midfielder/wide forward/winger Cameron Salkeld. On his day an absolute match winner and another player we may struggle to keep hold of.

What probably could hinder us is squad size - we're running at 15/16 good senior pros, supplemented with a few kids. We definitely need a couple more senior signings and are still looking to add but Watson just won't sign anybody just for the sake of numbers. Basically it won't take many injuries and suspensions for us to be in a situation of just kids on the bench, so bad luck in that department could see us tank.

As for the quality of signings made by other clubs, and the quality of the league, it "looks" scarily competitive this season and you could quite easily see 2/3rds of clubs putting a good case together for why they should be in the play offs.

But what we need to remember is there is a difference between how it all "looks" and how it actually is. In reality, we're just recycling the same division 6 quality players amongst ourselves with just a few exceptions, so I've never bought the argument that the league is getting tougher every year, which we see every pre season. It will just be "same old, same old" in terms of quality.

I see Leesley got injured again. Honestly don't think he'll play 20 games for you this season. Unbelievable player but don't think he can be key for you this season.

 

[Bottega Don]

I was actually really surprised with the quality of this league last year. Players were a lot better than I expected part time players to be.

Teams like Curzon, Alferton and Boston were so well drilled against us, they never seemed to make a mistake. They knew exactly when to press and when to fall back.

I was a lot more impressed with teams last year than i was in our National league year

 

[Bluandwite]

Couple of reminders for the season ahead:

- Name and make 5 subs, no blocks, all on individual occasions if you wish. (NL only is name 7 make 5)
- Introduction of Fourth Officials.

Can't wait for teams 1 up with 5 minutes left to make 5 individual subs.

 

[Quakerz]

I see Leesley got injured again. Honestly don't think he'll play 20 games for you this season. Unbelievable player but don't think he can be key for you this season.

Apparently it was a freak training accident so it's not necessarily linked to previous injury problems.

 

[BigDaveCUFC]

The stalemates of all stalemates so far. We were well on top first half of this half and they were on top the second half with neither of us really ever looking like scoring and 0-0 spot on.

This game only going to be won by one goal and that is either going to be brilliance or a mistake!

 

[Swedes]

HMS Piss the League has departed Haig Avenue as expected

 

[BigDaveCUFC]

Stepped up a gear and won easily could have got more, we look good when we click

 

[Harrier94]

Good start to the season. Kouyhar and Summerfield look brilliant. Biggest worry is the Foulkes went off injured late on.

We're very controlled in possession, not rushing it and looking to create a chance rather than force one.

I also swear Hatfield scores a screamer against us all the time for Darlo

 

[Lucky Bobble]

Excellent way to spend £17... waching a 3-0 defeat.

 

[Bottega Don]

Great win for us, didn’t expect that at all.

Thought Brackley away would be the hardest game of the season before the fixtures came out so was glad to get it out the way.