National League

[Captain Jack Sparrow]

Since we got ourselves out of it at the first time of asking, I do have a bit of an interest in that league. I like to have a look to see whats going on down there.

When we dropped to that level, Torquay were the side who dropped with us. They are currently 2nd bottom on just 27 points. Remember, 4 get relegated and the team 5th bottom side are on 36 points with games in hand. With just 11 games left, Torquay look certain to drop out of the National League!

When we got promoted back to League 2, Cheltenham and Tranmere dropped down to the National League. Since then, Cheltenham regained promotion back to League 2 but Tranmere however, failed in the play offs last season and continue to be stuck in the National Leagu. They are though, currently in the new system promotion race.

We then got promoted again to League 1 but York and Dag & Red dropped down to the National League. Since then, York have got relegated again out of the National League. Dag & Red are currently 9 points outside the play offs. They were going guns blazing but have severely dropped off the pace since they lost their star man Mensah who we signed in Jan. They look set to remain in the National League for next season.

And then you got the 2 teams who were relegated last season from the football league, who were Hartlepool and Leyton Orient. Both are struggling too. Hartlepool are 6th bottom but the 2 teams below have games in hand, which if they win them, Hartlepool will join Torquay in the bottom 4 relegation positions. Orient are struggling but look safe from the relegation dogfight in 16th place, although only just safe, just 8 points away from the relegation zone.


When we were relegated to the National League, no team at that point went immediately back up in over 10 years. So we did brilliant to do it. But when you consider the other 7 sides who went down with us and since we went down (Torquay, Cheltenham, Tranmere, York, Dag & Red, Hartlepool and Orient), 1 been relegated again, 1 looks certain to be relegated again, another is in deep danger of being relegated again, 1 is struggling in bottom half of the table, 1 is just outside the play offs but look set to miss out on them, 1 is in the promotion race and the last have regained their Football League status.... That penalty by Mansell was very crucial to our survival. Had we missed out at Wembley vs Grimsby, just where would we be now?? Its very scary just thinking about it. Just ask York fans and Torquay fans. And if rumours were true that we would have fell into administration, we may not even be in existence right now. Shocking to even think this could have happened to us!

Considering the rest of that league, Eastleigh and Gateshead were good strong sides before we dropped down to their level and they were strong while we down there too for that 1 season. However, both are sitting in 13th and 14th respectively and 15 or more points away from the play offs. Whats happened to them??

Also, the National League have revamped the play offs. 6 teams will now be in the play offs instead of your usual 4 teams.

1st: Automatic promotion.
2nd & 3rd: Guaranteed play off semi final place but not against each other.
4th vs 7th: Winner gets a semi final place vs 3rd or 4th.
5th vs 6th: Winner gets a semi final place vs 3rd or 4th.

Currently, the table for the top 7 places are as follows....

Pos.. Team...................... Pl..... Po
1.... Macclesfield.............. 35..... 68
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2... Sutton....................... 36..... 66
3... Aldershot.................. 36..... 63
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4... Tranmere.................. 36..... 61
5... Boreham Wood......... 35..... 60
6... Dover........................ 37..... 60
7... Wrexham.................. 36..... 60
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8... Fylde......................... 36..... 55
9... Ebbsfleet................... 36..... 55


Its all pretty close!!!


Anyway, I know some of you aint interested in this league but for those of you that are, what do you think?

 

[old timer]

Interesting post CJS I to look at the tables to see where some of the teams are. When you look at some of the players DC signed from some of the teams you have mentioned I think that we have dented their promotion hopes with those signings

Lee Mansell Torquay
Joe Partington Eastleigh
Mensah Aldershot?

Hartlepool are on the brink of going out of business unless things have improved recently I read that Middlesborough supporters were raising money for them because the Pool supporters did that for them in 1990s and I think I read that Torquay and Orient also are struggling financially, Which makes the support we had from our previous board of directors even more important

 

[Gasheadseamge79]

Wrexham have been down years now and haven't even come close to getting back into the league. IMO I think 3 teams should be promoted.

 

[old timer]

I have often wondered why the National hasn't become Division 5 it would also help teams at the bottom to know they have a chance of getting back in the league with 4 up 4 down the same as league 2

 

[Captain Jack Sparrow]

Wrexham have been down years now and haven't even come close to getting back into the league. IMO I think 3 teams should be promoted.

This is their 10th season in this league now. They've been in the play offs 3 times. Lost twice in the the semi's and once in the final. The harshest season for them was 2011/12 season. They came 2nd on 98 points with a +52 goal difference. That season Fleetwood won it with 103 points. Wrexham had to settle with runners up spot with 98 points facing 5th place Luton in the semi finals of the play offs. Luton finished on 81 points - 17 points behind Wrexham. Luton went on to beat Wrexham to reach the final and lost to York. But to finish with 98 points and still fail to win promotion is just wrong!

 

[GreatWesternGas]

VERY INTERESTING READ AND ONLY GOES TO CONFIRM WHAT I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN SO GRATEFUL FOR - WINNING THAT MATCH AGAINST GRIMSBY WAS THE MOST IMPORTANT WIN IN THE HISTORY OF OUR CLUB, AND TO BE HONEST, I FELT WE WERE QUITE FORTUNATE THAT DAY AND RODE OUR LUCK, IF THEIR FINISHING HAD BEEN A LITTLE BETTER IN THE FIRST HALF, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A TOTALLY DIFFERENT OUTCOME, AND LORD KNOWS WHERE WE WOULD BE NOW! JUST GOES TO SHOW HOW A SINGLE GAME CAN HAVE SUCH LONG LASTING CONSEQUENCES SOMETIMES. BY THE WAY, LIKE GHS, I ALSO FEEL THAT 3 SHOULD BE PROMOTED FROM THAT LEAGUE, WOULD GIVE CLUBS MUCH MORE INCENTIVE AND WOULD ADD TO THE EXCITEMENT, PLUS IF YOU'RE NEAR THE BOTTOM OF DIV 2, IT WOULD SHRED THE NERVES THAT BIT MORE!

 

[Delsy]

We were probably the 'biggest' club to have ever dropped down in to that league, it should never have happened.

 

[Gastronomic]

It's amazing how many teams have moved a long way up and down the pyramid. Stockport and Darlington are down there somewhere too. DC did a magnificent job getting us out of there and as you say it was the exception rather than the rule.

 

[A Matter Of Time]

It is a very interesting division this season, because unlike most National League seasons the promotion race is wide open and there isn't just one or two teams running away with it.

Macclesfield are very solid and look a good bet to go up, although it is a very good achievement for the likes of Boreham Wood to be in with a chance. As for Hartlepool and Leyton Orient, they are clubs with massive instability and hampered by a lack of direction - that is probably the main reason why they are struggling.