Vanarama National League 2016/17

[chipmunx]

Loads of those tinpotters will start chucking money at it again so it'll always be tough but yeah, it's getting worse every year. If Tranmere get their shit together then they'd have to be up there for the title. Seeing Grimsby go up makes me imagine what it would feel like if we were ever to escape from this hellhole. This'll be our 9th fucking season down here, it's way too long.

you do realise that If you are out of the league for 10 years or more you get exiled to the LoW.....

 

[Kim Mitten]

The teams with money could well make up most of the top spots. To add to Eastleigh and FGR remember that Bromley have loads as well, their owner said he wanted football league in 5 years when they were Conf. South. Barrow have a bit of dosh, as do Dover.
North Ferriby are an interesting case, bankrolled till last season when they massively cut their budget, will they up it again in an aim to compete or just stay up? Throw in Still at Dagenham & Redbridge and the ex-leaguers and the top of the table looks incredibly difficult to call. Does of course have the potential for an FGR/Eastleigh to just walk it!
At the bottom, you'd expect all the part-timers to struggle but as Braintree showed last season they doesn't need to be the case. If they or any of the others have a good season there could well be a surprise going down.

As for the ground grading I think rather than relaxed it clubs just get more time to 'upgrade' to the standard.

 

[Railway Blue]

The quality of the stadiums has gone down this season, lost two decent ones in Kiddy and Halifax, and the teams that have come up all have tired and tiny stadiums. Bar Maidstone where it's new and tiny.

With Maidstone's ground only having a capacity of just over 3,000 will there be any problems for teams like us with big away followings?

 

[Luke Imp]

Taken from FB.

 

[Ryan]

With Maidstone's ground only having a capacity of just over 3,000 will there be any problems for teams like us with big away followings?

Might have to be ticketed for away fans. North Ferriby will be the worst, some of the big teams might take twice as many fans to the game than the home team.

 

[rudebwoyben]

Might have to be ticketed for away fans. North Ferriby will be the worst, some of the big teams might take twice as many fans to the game than the home team.

Surely when you play at North Ferriby you could have 4 or 5 times as many fans as they do!
The league looks very difficult to call next season, the only thing I'm pretty sure about is that FGR will be up there again and I think that both York and D & R will find it tough, at least initially.

 

[Ryan]

I think that both York and D & R will find it tough, at least initially.

I think they'll have seasons more like Tranmere than Cheltenham. Would be surprised if either bounced back in the first season.

 

[yellow]

Taken from FB.

The state of that!!! Fucking hell.

 

[Silver Stone]

Capacity is 3,000 now, but that'll be reduced while rebuilding is going on I expect. I'd imagine games will be all ticket for away fans, and many for home fans too.

 

[Bendubz]

So, the 24 teams are confirmed:

Aldershot
Barrow
Boreham Wood
Braintree
Bromley
Chester
Dagenham
Dover
Eastleigh
Forest Green
Gateshead
Guiseley
Lincoln
Macclesfield
Maidstone
North Ferriby
Solihull
Southport
Sutton
Torquay
Tranmere
Woking
Wrexham
York

Is it just me, or does that look like quite a weak league on paper?

Feels surreal seeing our name on that list, still can't believe it! I'd definitely take survival next season, reckon it could take a long time to take that final step to being a FL club.

 

[Luke Imp]

Surely when you play at North Ferriby you could have 4 or 5 times as many fans as they do!
The league looks very difficult to call next season, the only thing I'm pretty sure about is that FGR will be up there again and I think that both York and D & R will find it tough, at least initially.

I can't quite call York and Dagenham yet.

You wouldn't necessarily consider relegated teams who can't muster mid-30 points a threat.

 

[rudebwoyben]

I can't quite call York and Dagenham yet.

You wouldn't necessarily consider relegated teams who can muster mid-30 points a threat.

That's my feeling too.
Bristol Rovers and ourselves were both relegated with a very high number of points and we both took time to acclimatise to this league. Both York and Dagenham have far poorer squads..

 

[Silver Stone]

Feels surreal seeing our name on that list, still can't believe it! I'd definitely take survival next season, reckon it could take a long time to take that final step to being a FL club.

First of all welcome More Stones is good.

Second, let's not worry about the FL for a while eh? We'll stick here for a few years and let the facilities catch up and the club settle.

 

[Cheese & Biscuits]

That's my feeling too.
Bristol Rovers and ourselves were both relegated with a very high number of points and we both took time to acclimatise to this league. Both York and Dagenham have far poorer squads..

The one thing we have in our favour is that not many of our squad will be here next season. I'm expecting a top half finish with an outside chance of a play off spot.

 

[rudebwoyben]

The one thing we have in our favour is that not many of our squad will be here next season. I'm expecting a top half finish with an outside chance of a play off spot.

The payments that you will receive from the Football League for next season will give you a competitive advantage for sure and if Still (does Dafforn still work with him?) can unearth a few overlooked non-league gems you could be contenders.

 

[DarkSithLord]

Feels surreal seeing our name on that list, still can't believe it! I'd definitely take survival next season, reckon it could take a long time to take that final step to being a FL club.

Welcome to the forum

 

[1884 Belmont]

I'd say it's very tough to call next year. No offence to the sides coming up, but they all seem weaker than the teams they replaced if you take into account crowds, facilities, etc. Fylde and Ebbsfleet would have been much more concerning. At the top, I'd say York and Dagenham will have a chance given their parachute payments (especially Dagenham with the John Still factor).
If we get our act together, we can have a real crack at it next season. We've settled down and had the 2nd best form in the league from January onwards. FGR, £astleigh, Wrexham, Lincoln, Barrow, Torquay - they'll all be saying the same thing. It appears to be very open with no out and out favourite.

I have a feeling we could have two 'mini-leagues' next season - the top 10 and then the rest, with a massive gap between 10th and 11th. The bottom is very, very tight to call but there's a lot of clubs who ended last year in woeful form. The promoted clubs, Chester, Southport, Guiseley and Woking could be in real trouble if they start poorly.

 

[Raymondo316]

Our ground will be limited to just over 2000 for 4-5 months of the season.

So away fans be prepared for low ticket allocations, no cover and no terracing

 

[Luke Imp]

I'd say it's very tough to call next year. No offence to the sides coming up, but they all seem weaker than the teams they replaced if you take into account crowds, facilities, etc. Fylde and Ebbsfleet would have been much more concerning. At the top, I'd say York and Dagenham will have a chance given their parachute payments (especially Dagenham with the John Still factor).
If we get our act together, we can have a real crack at it next season. We've settled down and had the 2nd best form in the league from January onwards. FGR, £astleigh, Wrexham, Lincoln, Barrow, Torquay - they'll all be saying the same thing. It appears to be very open with no out and out favourite.

I have a feeling we could have two 'mini-leagues' next season - the top 10 and then the rest, with a massive gap between 10th and 11th. The bottom is very, very tight to call but there's a lot of clubs who ended last year in woeful form. The promoted clubs, Chester, Southport, Guiseley and Woking could be in real trouble if they start poorly.

Not so sure. Mid-table usually ends up very congested, with around 9th to 18th.

 

[Boz]

A good manager goes a fair way in this league, as we've seen with Johnson, Cowley and to an extent Kinnear. For that reason, coupling John Still's presence with the relegation parachute payment compensating for Daggers smaller fan-base, would expect them to make the play-offs. York will have more adapting to do, particularly with a manager unfamiliar with this league.

Of the promoted quartet,the fact that Solihull won the NL North so comfortably suggests they're capable of an upper mid-table finish at least. North Ferriby were up for sale in March, due to the owners ill-health, so unsure they'll get the funding to be competitive at this level. Don't know enough to pass judgement on Sutton and Maidstone atm.

 

[Ryan]

Our ground will be limited to just over 2000 for 4-5 months of the season.

So away fans be prepared for low ticket allocations, no cover and no terracing

Hopefully the fixture list should reflect this with smaller teams visiting you first. However with how little thought they put into it normally I doubt it.

 

[Master D]

Taken from FB.

Let's have a North & South National league for 16-17. Those 11 Northerns and we will take Solihull too to balance it out. 12 v 12 then.

Winners of the 2 leagues get promoted. But if anyone other than Torquay wins the South, the top 2 from the North get promoted. Unless of course it's some of the tinpotters stinking it out with their cash, in which case the highest placed proper clubs takes their places.

 

[veggieeater]

Is there a reason why our "local" match next season will be 70+ miles away in Solihull

 

[Silver Stone]

Hopefully the fixture list should reflect this with smaller teams visiting you first. However with how little thought they put into it normally I doubt it.

Last year we were finishing off the main stand extension and requested local games later in the season because of that, and guess what? First up - Ebbsfleet at home!

Don't hold your breath on Conference scheduling.

 

[Silver Stone]

Also I'm not sure in what way either ourselves or Sutton are weaker than Welling, and we averaged higher crowds than any relegated side

 

[GTFCfish]

Feels surreal seeing our name on that list, still can't believe it!

Feeling surreal for me seeing us NOT on that list!

 

[yellow]

Let's have a North & South National league for 16-17. Those 11 Northerns and we will take Solihull too to balance it out. 12 v 12 then.

Winners of the 2 leagues get promoted. But if anyone other than Torquay wins the South, the top 2 from the North get promoted. Unless of course it's some of the tinpotters stinking it out with their cash, in which case the highest placed proper clubs takes their places.

Amen to this.

 

[The_Boss]

Taken from FB.

We're gonna get you lot for Xmas/NY aren't we?

 

[Master D]

Amen to this.

As the only proper club in the South you are going to need to win the league outright I'm afraid, seeing as there's a queue of proper clubs in the North waiting to get back where they should be.

 

[Luke Imp]

We're gonna get you lot for Xmas/NY aren't we?

Not sure.

We'll be pushing for York at home to be on a Saturday, non-Xmas, I imagine, so possibly. That said, we'll probably want to look for York/NFU away on Boxing Day/NYD.