New to National League next season

[hantslondoner]

after today's playoffs, the list is:

Oldham, Scunthorpe (down from League 2)
Gateshead, York (up from NL North)
Maidstone, Dorking Wanderers (up from NL South)  

We've seen Gateshead, York and Maidstone before.

[tenacres]

6 in and 5 out.

Stockport
Dover
Weymouth
Kings Lynn
Playoff winners (Wrexham?!)

[unknownquantity]

I did wonder whether Dorking Wanderers were related to the Dorking who we once played in a competition called the Gilbert Rice Cup and who three years later played against Plymouth Argyle in the F A Cup when Peter Shilton was manager and have since folded. However although the clubs briefly shared grounds they are two different clubs.

I remember the trip to Dorking well as the players and supporters arrived in a coach less than 10 minutes before the game started and made a disastrous start to the game and eventually lost 6-0, making the second leg a fairly meaningless affair. Let us hope that next season's trip to Dorking is more successful.

[nkc]

They seem to like anyone who has previously played at Bognor Regis Town. The winning squad this season has included Dan Lincoln, Sami Al-Abd, Wes Fogden, Jimmy Muitt, Kane Wills, Alfie Rutherford and Jason Prior. Obviously some of those have been at Havant as well and Wes Fogden was only on loan for a handful of games from Brighton before he had made a name for himself. Still a strong show considering it isn't a result of players following an ex manager or clubs on each others door step.

[richgy]

Scunthorpe and Oldham are basket cases. As Scunthorpe are our local rivals i keep up to date no money (500k budget apparently) no players and attendances are getting lower around 1.5k home fans by the end of the season can see them doing a dover if they can even start the season

[nkc]

Good luck to your boys at Notts County tonight Rich. Stockport re replacing one f the basket cases, so why not the Mariners replacing the other one.

[richgy]

Cheers hope we do it but tough game! And then wrexham for whoever win +final. Have a feeling for Solihull, watched both of their games against us and they looked the best side of what I saw all season .Although with the amount of games down here wouldnt be too unhappy if we do stay down tbh

[nkc]

Very interesting your comments on Solihull. I saw them earlier in the season and immediately backed them at 40-1 to win the title. Stayed the course but just did not make up that gap that had seen them at 40s when I put the bet on. Best team I saw during the season though.

[hantslondoner]

Having seen all the home games but one I felt that Stockport were the best visiting team I saw, followed by Wrexham, then Chesterfield.

Wrexham seem a bit dodgy at the moment, but they're still pretty good at home, and I think home advantage might see them through to the final.

Chesterfield's form seems to have gone, especially since the manager change, but I'd underestimate them at your peril.

Notts County v Grimsby will be a very close game tonight.

[richgy]

Stockport were quite bad against us at grimsby but we played the role of the underdog, harried them and they got a man sent off so maybe they were a lot better in the other games the table doesn't lie i guess.

We are playing well tonight but it could go either way, like you said I think Wrexham will be very hard for whoever wins.

Maybe next season The Spitfires can do quite a bit better? the league will definitely be weaker next season i think with the teams that are going up and going down. Dorking will be a good local ish game for Eastleigh i might even try and go to that one try a new ground as I don't think I would get tickets for the away end against grimsby I think the whole ground holds 2700

[hantslondoner]

Didn't include the Mariners in my assessment above, since they played only one of the players who start tonight. But I'd say promotion may be a year too early if it came.

Impossible to tell with Eastleigh next season - there will be have to be a massive rebuild, I'd say there is some doubt about whether the manager is up to it, and whether the budget will dictate that a lot of ex-Academy players will have to be used. Away form was also awful for most of the season.

Personally I would say we'll be in the bottom eight again but we showed a lot of fight at home against some of the better teams, so I quite enjoyed most of the games I saw. It's a very strong league, lots of big clubs.

Yes, Grimsby the better side so far tonight, could do with scoring a goal, though.

[tenacres]

I think I’d like Wrexham to go up. If they don’t I reckon they could walk away with it next season.

Gives us a clearer run (stop laughing at the back) to the playoffs/promotion :-)

[hantslondoner]

Chesterfield did the business at Halifax last night - play like that again and they'll give Solihull some problems.

As will Grimsby at Wrexham.

Both higher-placed teams at home but have to be absolutely on their game to make that count. I think at least one of them won't make it to the final....

[back4more]

Good luck Grimsby. I would like to see them back in the League with the ambition of us playing EFL football against them in a year or two.

[richgy]

Hope we do it, thought was gone in that playoff game and in reality the Wrexham game is a bit of a free hit but stranger things have happened - would be funny/crazy if it was us against Chesterfield in the final who were quite far behind second and third,still not sure i like the play off setup but good for us and keeping the season alive.

Still have a sneaky feeling for Solihull though in the final.Although I would also want Wrexham gone if we don't manage it imagine how much they would throw at it, even though there is supposed to be a wage cap next year they never seem to be adhered to!