The Skrill North next year

How do you expect the league table to shape up next year? Chester and Hyde, possibly Tamworth will come into our league, how will they do? Who do you expect to be up there next year? We have certainly got plenty of competition for next season, it's going to be very, very tricky. Will there be a run away team (like Chester last year) or will it be very tight at the top?

Personally I think that Stockport will buck their ideas up and challenge for Promotion next season. I'm not saying that on the back of their victory against us, they've got a great team with great support so I will expect to see them up there next season. I reckon Alty will get promoted this season along with champions Telford. As for Chester and Hyde I've not really got any knowledge of their performances or players (well, Hyde's points tally speaks for itself.) to make an assumption.

Chorley will also be joining us next season. I agree with Alfie in that I think Stockport may be strong next season.

isn't there a chance of FCU of Manchester joining us if the win the play offs? well supported club with an ave gate of 1500 i think they play at Gigg Lane Bury

rangerider wrote:isn't there a chance of FCU of Manchester joining us if the win the play offs? well supported club with an ave gate of 1500 i think they play at Gigg Lane Bury

Yes. It's gong to be an extremely difficult season, I'm going to keep my expectations to a low. It could well be a mid table finish with all these strong teams.

If Weaver puts the money in and if Weaver Jr spends it right, we should really mount a serious promotion challenge. He needs to build on the current squad and find a strike partner for Ash. If he manages that we will be banging in the goals for fun, like Walshaw and Reeves, Alty have gone onto finish third because of their partnership. I think FCU of Manchester will be up there (if they get promoted,) like Ferriby have done this season, great attendance like rangerider said. Chester will once again finish high up in the table, but i think the league is much closer now for them to runaway with the title.

alfiejdickson wrote:If Weaver puts the money in and if Weaver Jr spends it right, we should really mount a serious promotion challenge. He needs to build on the current squad and find a strike partner for Ash. If he manages that we will be banging in the goals for fun, like Walshaw and Reeves, Alty have gone onto finish third because of their partnership. I think FCU of Manchester will be up there (if they get promoted,) like Ferriby have done this season, great attendance like rangerider said. Chester will once again finish high up in the table, but i think the league is much closer now for them to runaway with the title.

Chorley, FCU Manchester, Hednesford, Ferriby, Guiseley, Alty, Chester, Boston, Brackley could all be up there. We will have to be excellent, every game to even stand a chance.

I reckon it will be a Alty v Hednesford play-off final but its gonna be close between the others. You might be right about Chorley being up their Ollie, they've had a great season!

alfiejdickson wrote:I reckon it will be a Alty v Hednesford play-off final but its gonna be close between the others. You might be right about Chorley being up their Ollie, they've had a great season!

Alty and Hednesford are playing each other in the semis. I reckon it will be Guiseley V Alty final and will be 1-0 Guiseley

Next season starts on Saturday 9 August by the way.

JordanF wrote:Next season starts on Saturday 9 August by the way.

Awesome! Nice to know Jordan!

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It’s gonna be a tough league next season!!
Rumour is Guiseley are going FULL-TIME if they win the play-offs!!
  
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Next season will be a very tough year for Harrogate Town, I expect big things from Stockport County, & Chester. But in general, with the current teams fighting for play off promotions, the relegated conference premier sides and promoted ones too, everyone will be fighting over those precious top 5 places. Alty fans openly admitting they want to win the playoffs because they see next seasons conference north being the toughest in years.

Harrogate Town are established and settled in the conference north, they are one of the best run clubs in the conference leagues in general. They are the 'Everton' of the Conference North in my eyes. For Town, if they make 5th it will be an achievement. My heart believes we can win this league next season, my head is telling me the fight be a long battle of who wants it more, strength of the squad, and the mental task of keeping the head in the fight when the battle gets tough.

my prediction next season is 5th. But it will be a journey to get there. Am strapped in and already ready.....

Everton of the conference north? Apart from Everton having a talented young foreign manager, widely respected by players and fans and a chairman whose background is in the arts. And apart from Everton lacking the financial muscle of any of the teams above them in the league I guess you could say the similarities between two sides are striking.

It is simple to make the point that we have missed a golden opportunity this season to go up this year. With the teams in the league this season, we should have gone up automatically due to the quality of our playing staff. However, we blew it, big time. Irving knows it, Simon knows it and the players know it. There have been plenty of dismal excuses as to why we didnt go up. Some understandable, some not so understandable and some just bordering on ridiculous.

Next year will be the toughest Conference North line-up in many years. Do I have faith in Simon to take us up through this division next year? I honestly don't know, and previous seasons and form seem to suggest not. The only way I see us being successful is if we make 3/4 real statement signings, and focus on quality, rather than quantity. And also for Simon to become more tactically adept.

Its time for Irving and Simon to stand up and be counted, as the fans certainly expect a lot better than this season, thats for sure.

Yep, it has been a disappointing season, no doubt about that. To finish 9th with the squad we had is a real downer. Don't buy the 'injuries' excuse, I kind of suspect other teams have them as well! And we had a massive squad anyway.

It does look like an awesome league next season, especially if FC United finally make it through the play offs. Big teams with big support coming into our league: Chester c.2000, Chorley c.1500, FC United (if they make it) c.2500, Tamworth c.1500 etc.

Incoidentally I have fond memories of Chorley. I grew up in Crosby and supported the local team, Marine. In those days (pre-Pyramid) threy were both in the Cheshire League and Chorley were always the 'big boys', the game of the season! It will be great to see them again in their famous black and white stripes.

I agree that Stockport will surely make a serious bid for the title next year, Tamworth and Chester won't want to hang around long in our league, and Chorley have, I believe, serious money behind them, a very promising young manager, Gary Flitcroft, great support...watch them go. Boston missed the play offs this season and they are potential challengers as well. I kind of hope Guiseley DO make it this time (they deserve it, lets face it), otherwise they will also be major contenders. So a great league in prospect, but not good news for us.

If Irving is serious about going for promotion next year, I think more than tinkering with the squad is required.

Now, tell me, how am I going to get through the next 10 weeks before the friendlies start   

I am certianly interested to see who stays and who goes. I think there will definitely be a few surprises. Just hope they are nice ones, and as long as they keep Bolder and Woods.

There is a rumor suggesting that Barrow are on the brink of hiring a new chairman, this could possibly mean that they have more money to invest in better players, so don't be surprised if they are one of the many teams challenging for promotion next season!

TheNeil29 wrote:I am certianly interested to see who stays and who goes. I think there will definitely be a few surprises. Just hope they are nice ones, and as long as they keep Bolder and Woods.

I'd be surprised if Bolder wanted to hang around.

FC United of Manchester played Chorley at Gigg Lane a month or so back and there was nearly 5000 in attendance. The match highlights are on Utube. The atmosphere was amazing with flares, smoke, flags it had it all.
For your info, Fc United have just played there last game at Gigg Lane and move to their own purpose built stadium for next season.
Next season will be super crazy and I'm no statto, but I'm sure the average attendance record will be smashed next season. If FcUnited get through the play offs, I'm sure there games against Stockport will break some ind of attendance records for this league.

well it looks like 15th place for us next season if the last 10 games are to go by   

The average cost of a Conference North player will be hitting an all time high next season by the looks of things!
  

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TheNeil29 wrote:I am certianly interested to see who stays and who goes. I think there will definitely be a few surprises. Just hope they are nice ones, and as long as they keep Bolder and Woods.

I'd be surprised if Bolder wanted to hang around.  [/quote

Very true TS. The disregard with which he has been subject to and the lack of respect he has been shown by the manager, I reckon he may end up at North Ferriby next year. If we lose him, we wont replace a player of his calibre. I'm surprised he agreed to come to us in the first place.

Big Lundy wrote:The average cost of a Conference North player will be hitting an all time high next season by the looks of things!
  

And that is why our Chairman needs to get his hand in his pocket, sign some quality players or we are going to be a mid-table team next year.

Time for the Chairman to show if he really wants us to go up, and is in for the long haul.

Yep, I ve said before, no point having a multi millionaire Chairman if he won't put his hand in his pocket in a big way! Especially next season for all the reasons cited above.

Woods finished the season on the bench...is he likely to stay? My guess is not.