We’ve penned our thoughts on the Non-League season so far from across Steps 1 to 4…
Editor Alex Narey
Who will win the National League title?
I said Salford from day one and despite losing their way in December, they have fought back and I expect them to make a charge in the home straight.
Leyton Orient will be kicking themselves because they had an opportunity to put some clear daylight between them and the Ammies, but they slipped at the crucial time and I can see Salford settling again and regrouping for the run-in.
Wrexham looked impressive too but they have endured a horror run and look like they are scrapping their way through games with scoring goals becoming their Achilles heel again.
Who’s been the manager of the season so far?
It has to be Solihull Moors’ Tim Flowers! People will say they have spent a few quid and brought in the players but I can’t see a player who has not delivered and the manager deserves great praise for that. They have replaced what they lost in the summer and improved on that, from where they were a year ago (bottom of the National League and heading for relegation) Flowers has worked wonders, firstly alongside Mark Yates and now on his own.
When I interviewed Flowers in the autumn he was adamant the club was not in a false position, purely because of how hard his players work for him. They slipped up at the weekend against AFC Fylde but like all good sides I expect them to bounce back and they will be serious threat if they make the National play-offs, which I think they will make.
What’s been the highlight and low-light?
There are a number on both fronts. Leyton Orient winning late on in a top-of-the-table clash against Wrexham back in November, plus it’s great to see so many high-class battles in the Step 3-4 leagues, such as South Shields and Kettering piecing together their promotion-chasing campaigns. Also Stockport making a charge in National North and pulling in huge crowds.
On the flip side, there have been some unsavoury incidents and mostly off the pitch. The crowd trouble at Chesterfield a few weeks ago brought shame on the club but there have been a few incidents of trouble this season across all steps. The game needs cleaning up and Non-League football is not exempt from that.
What are you looking forward to in the next few months…
All the respective league run-ins. The battle at the top of the Southern Premier Central looks like it will be a fierce two-horse race between Kettering and Stourbridge. Both look a class above the rest but it will be intriguing to see who slips up first. Also, with both Salford and Leyton Orient still in the FA Trophy, Wembley’s Finals Day could be set for an epic tussle.
If I could change one thing in Non-League…
It’s not so much something I would change in Non-League, but rather people’s perception of what Non-League football is like. There seems to be this opinion that Non-League football is a world away from life in the Football League, and that’s frankly rubbish! The National League is virtually a full-time league now, and I believe too many clubs who are relegated into it do not give the football the respect it deserves and as a result, they offer a sluggish challenge and fall away too easily.
One other point I think needs addressing is the protection of managers at the lowers levels; too many get involved in the nitty gritty of boardroom squabbles when they should be allowed to get on with the job they were recruited to do. Non-League football can be too claustrophobic and too many people get involved on the playing side when they should be letting other more qualified people take care of that.
Senior writer Matt Badcock
Best player you’ve seen…
Bar one game, every time I’ve seen Leyton Orient’s Marvin Ekpiteta I’ve been impressed. He’s come up through Non-League to show how playing games when you’re young can help and now, still just 22, he’s a big part of Orient’s promotion push. It’s why his recent injury is a blow with the O’s counting down the days until he’s back in the centre of their defence.
His team-mate Josh Koroma has also been excellent this season, Danny Whitehead is a class act at Salford City and Bath City’s midfielder Joe Raynes had something about him.
Best team you’ve seen…
Leyton Orient have been good but they’ve been hit with some crucial injuries in recent weeks. Salford City were very impressive at the O’s earlier this month and it puzzles me why Barnet aren’t a lot closer to the play-offs.
Who should be receiving more credit across Steps 1-4?
Gavin Cowan has turned AFC Telford United into a real force in the National League North with his management career getting off to a great start.
Tim Flowers’ Solihull Moors remind me a bit of Macclesfield and Sutton last year where people say, ‘Oh, they’ll fall away eventually’. I’m not so sure.
And I have to mention Ramsbottom United. They’ve been on an unbelievable run since Chris Willcock took over, not least their FA Trophy run. To go to Weymouth on a Tuesday night and win convincingly is some effort.
What are you looking forward to in the next few months?
Can I say the press room food at Wembley for Non-League Finals Day?
That aside it’s all the drama that comes with the big games. Even though we are neutrals, it’s always exciting reporting on moments of history for clubs. Whether it’s winning titles, the play-offs, reaching Wembley – we’re getting to the best time of the year.
If I could change one thing about Non-League…
Three-up into the Football League. It’s crazy this still hasn’t changed. The National League has shown it is a competition worthy of an extra automatic promotion place and it might also spark some of the League Two clubs who are happy to tread water into life. Stagnation is no good in football and there’s too much of it in that division.
Also, and this goes for all levels of football, celebratory pitch invasions when clubs win play-off semi-finals should result in an immediate victory for the other team. They’re only acceptable when someone has actually won something.
News editor Jon Couch
Who’s been the surprise package in the National League?
Well, I’m going to take a bit of credit for myself here and refer you back to our pre-season predictions where I suggested Solihull Moors might be dark horses.
Never at that stage, however, did I imagine that Tim Flowers would have done such a great job at Damson Park with the somewhat unfashionable Midlands outfit in the thick of a title chase! What a story it would be if the former England goalkeeper could take them all the way!
What have you made of the FA Cup?
A lot more entertaining than this time 12 months ago, that’s for sure. No Non-League representation beyond round 2 made 2017-18 something of a damp squib, but watching Barnet topple Sheffield United at Bramall Lane this month and then play out a six-goal thriller with Brentford – not to mention Woking walking out alongside Premier League Watford at Kingfield – there’s been a lot more for the neutral Non-League fan to cheer this time round.
Throw into the mix the fact that Wrexham and Solihull Moors came within minutes to hosting Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal, then it’s fair to say the magic has since returned.
Who will finish in the National League bottom four?
Why do I get the feeling I’ve been thrown under a bus here?! Tough one this as all the clubs down there are improving.
Braintree, it’s fair to say, have a lot of work to do but the likes of Chesterfield, Maidstone and Aldershot are all looking up after sticky spells and I think all three will climb to safety.
For me, Maidenhead and Havant need to show more consistency if they are to keep their heads above water, similarly FC Halifax Town, who will be looking over their shoulder. Sorry to say, but I’m going for Halifax, Maidenhead, Havant and Braintree.
Who are you backing for promotion from National League North and South?
Chorley have been mightily impressive in National League North so far this term and will take some catching, four points clear with a game in hand.
It’s great to see Stockport County mounting a serious challenge and I think they will lead the chase with Chester causing the play-off threat.
As for the South, it appeared, at one stage, to be a two-horse race with Torquay United and Woking opening up a sizeable gap, but little wobbles have let in the likes of Bath City and Chelmsford City.
I believe the top two, however, will prevail with Gary Johnson’s Torquay ensuring that Woking’s Alan Dowson must break his play-off hoodoo in order to join them.
If I could change one thing about Non-League…
For me, the FA Trophy could be structured a lot better than it currently is. National League clubs enter the competition far too late, thus reducing the chances of a Step 3 or 4 club pulling out a potentially money-spinning crowd puller.
Saturday matches, unnecessary replays and a two-legged semi-final are other factors which put the bigger clubs off mounting a lengthy FA Trophy run, especially when there is something still at stake in their league campaigns.
Staff writer Hugo Varley
Will South Shields make it a fourth title in a row?
If their home form is anything to go by, they are certainly in with a big chance. To have a 100% home record is a superb statistic and is something that will no doubt bring fear to their title rivals.
The Northern Premier League title race is one of the most interesting battles across the pyramid though and there are plenty of teams who will still believe that they can get their hands on the trophy.
Paul Carden has built a resilient side at second placed Warrington, while Farsley Celtic could still return to the top of the table if they emphatically win their game in hand.
Meanwhile, this season’s surprise package Nantwich Town will no doubt be boosted by the signing of Stoke City legend Ricardo Fuller to bolster their strike force.
Overall, it will be one hell of a title race but I think South Shields’ quality of play, especially at Mariners Park, may well be enough to continue their remarkable rise up the divisions.
Who should be receiving more credit across Steps 1-4?
There are certainly a lot of clubs that have gone under the radar this season.
Haringey Borough have undergone a fantastic revival in the Bostik Premier after their heartbreaking last minute defeat to AFC Wimbledon in the FA Cup back in November.
The club do so much brilliant work in the community and are a real credit to Non-League. On the pitch, with the return of Ralston Gabriel, who will score plenty of goals at this level, you wouldn’t bet against Tom Loizou’s side making their way to the National League South next season.
Elsewhere, in the Southern Central Premier, Alvechurch have built on last season’s promotion and have put themselves in the mix for a play-off position, despite having a far smaller budget than most other clubs in Step 4. While in Bostik North, under the guidance of Julian Dicks, Heybridge have gone on a remarkable sequence of results and could now be an outside bet for promotion.
Manager of the season at Step 3 and 4?
That’s a tough one because there are so many contenders.
Gavin MacPherson has done a remarkable job at Met Police considering they were forced to move into the Southern League as part of this summer’s re-structure.
In Step 4 Peterborough Sports boss Jimmy Dean also deserves a huge amount of credit. As well as masterminding a shock FA Cup win at Boston back in September, the Sports boss has sown the seeds for a tilt towards promotion and with a three point lead at the top of Southern Division One Central they could certainly make it a season to remember.
Several other managers also deserve a mention. For example, Nick Gray at Morpeth looks to be on course for back to back promotions, while Paul Hughes’ free scoring Hayes & Yeading side are untouchable.
What are you looking forward to in the next few months?
We are coming up to the best part of the season. It is always great to see Non-League Finals Day at Wembley, especially the FA Vase final, which usually represents a special, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for players, managers and fans alike.
As previously mentioned the Northern Premier League title race is going to be superb to watch unfold, while up in the National League, the relegation battle contains some huge teams this year who will be fighting for their lives to stay up.
One thing that I am certainly not looking forward to is the potential chaos that the super play-offs may cause in Step 3 this summer!
If I could change one thing about Non-League…
It would be to change the stereotype among many people that Non-League football mainly consists of muddy pitches and long ball football.
The quality across the entire pyramid is getting better and better every year and it is a brilliant place for young players to learn the ropes of the game.
