The Far North and the Deep South - National League second tier 2023-24

[Sean of the Shed]

This title looks safer.
Thanks to the relegation of three Southern clubs and Oxford City winning the play-offs, the dividing line between North and South at this level is being drawn from mid-Gloucestershire to mid-Essex, with Bishop's Stortford likely to be forced to take the high road every other week to places as far away as South Shields and Blyth.
There are 12 former league clubs, or new versions of, playing in the sixth tier this coming season, with eight of those in the Northern section.
Tamworth are back at this level after winning the central division of the Southern League, and hopefully will not be out of their depth. There was never any danger of them being placed in the South and never has been.

[Viktor Boskovic]

Conference North increasing reminds of what the national division was like 20 years ago, you have some ex-football league clubs with average attendances over 1,500 up against some clubs who have made their way up the leagues with very low attendances by comparison (Scunthorpe's average last season was 3,259, whilst Rushall's was 335) and the away followings are similar with some clubs travelling in numbers and some don't - seeing Peterborough Sports celeberate their win at the Deva Stadium in front of 9 away fans being the prime example of the contrast.

It will be interesting to see how Scunthorpe get on, they are presumably already spending on players, given the amount they have signed already, however, the ground issues there seem to be increasingly fraught, I suspect we might seem them groundsharing at Ilkeston at some point and it looks like it might be Chorley's turn for a bit of new ownership turmoil.

I'm hoping we can go improve on our crushing play-off defeat last season, if we can sort out our home form I'm hopeful we'll make the play-offs again at least.

[Ray de Galles]

I have an 'Ant Rap' earworm now.

Also, it's still the bloody Conference North and South.

[Satchmo Distel]

As always I'll be interested in Darlington due to my best mate at university supporting them. They seem to be getting stuck in perpetual mid-table as their new "natural" level, based on resources despite their fan base being big enough for the Conference 1st tier.

[Discordant Resonance]

Almost a Basho/Richard Flanagan vibe to the thread title, Sean.

[Sean of the Shed]

Which was my absolute intention, DR.

*turns to rest of OTF and shrugs*

[Sean of the Shed]

Apparently, despite the incredulity regarding Bishop's Stortford being placed in the Nprth section, the longest journey in the sixth tier is still in the South according to The Stats Zone, the 288 mile trip from Dover to Truro. And bear in mind that this journey is only to Plymouth where Truro play, the additional mileage to Truro would add another 50.
Also the longest journey in the North is not from Bishop's Stortford to Blyth but from Hereford to Blyth, 278 miles compared to 269.

[Sean of the Shed]

As for total miles covered, again it is Truro who have to travel furthest, and both Blyth Spartans in the North and Torquay in the South will be covering more distance than Bishop's Stortford next season.
Of course Bishop's main beef would be that if they were placed in the South then they would only have to travel about 2,500 miles rather than 3,800, but that's the way the cookie crumbles if you intend to play at this level.

[jwdd27]

Scunthorpe kick off away at Tamworth, before welcoming Peterborough Sports and then our old friends Darlington. Then a tough away double header at Rushall and Curzon, tough because I'd struggle to confidently place either place on a map, other than a vague "Manchester/Cheshire/Derbyshire way isn't it?".
Then Scarborough at home. I know where that is.

The festive double header is Farsley, which is agreeably close for me, although I'll probably be in the wrong place for both games depending on festive arrangements.

[Sean of the Shed]

Do you think Scunny will take many to Tamworth jwdd27?
I'd have maybe been there had I still lived down there, and I think first game back at that level would have drawn a few wavering supporters, especially given the opposition.
Four or five seasons ago that would have been a glamorous FA Cup tie.

[Botswana Meat Commission]

On Stortford (not Bishop’s, by the way, I’ve never heard them referred to as that), their longest ever journey was not to Workington or Blyth but was a Conference South game to Truro when they got moved back to the South.

[Janik]

And that would have involved going a long way around the M25, whereas going to Blyth is M11, A14* and then most of the way up the A1. And Warrington is M11, A14*, M6 (OK, the bit past Birmingham ain't great for this one).

* - much, much better now the Cambridge-Huntingdon section upgrade is complete.

[Exiled off Main Street]

Then a tough away double header at Rushall and Curzon, tough because I'd struggle to confidently place either place on a map, other than a vague "Manchester/Cheshire/Derbyshire way isn't it?".
.

Plug in Ikea in Manchester in your sat nav and you will end up across the street from Curzon's ground.

[Sean of the Shed]

And Rushall Olympic are in Daw End, just on the outskirts of Walsall in the West Midlands. Their ground is also the meeting place for the Walsall Astronomical Society.

[jwdd27]

Plug in Ikea in Manchester in your sat nav and you will end up across the street from Curzon's ground.

Yes, I do know that particular IKEA. All too well. <shudder>
I didn't realise it was that Ashton.

And Rushall, it transpires, is Walsall rather than Manchester. I was thinking of Rusholme.

[Southport Zeb]

It would be in everyone's best interests if Southport are awarded the title without having to actually play any games, so that the players can focus on saving lives.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-englan...yside-66114166

[Jobi1]

This possibly at this point deserves its own thread, but there's been an extraordinary post on a Scunny forum it seems from the old owner, claiming the new owner has not been entirely honest about the situation at the club currently and that they are facing imminent eviction from their ground...

https://twitter.com/Ryan_Real_EFL/status/1677011715106435073?t=jfBV-W5ZrkpjJ-3CGx3Zyw&s=19

[Jobi1]

He wasn't bluffing...

https://twitter.com/_derby5hire/status/1679153061229391873?t=WlpMlvx3NPtHYPwnArQ0fA&s=19

[Sean of the Shed]

Tamworth didn't quite have enough against Scunny on the opening day, going down 2-1, but they did at least manage to pull in a crowd of just over 2000.

[jwdd27]

Most of those 2,000 seem to have been in the away end, judging from the rather rustically filmed highlights I saw (a single, rain flecked camera positioned behind a girder). I'm guessing most of the home fans are positioned in the same stand as the camera, because otherwise You could only see about 50 people.

Anyway, we'll piss this league, although we may end up playing at Gainsborough. And there was a clear foul in the build up to Tamworth's goal, which meant the comical own goal equaliser was well deserved.

[Satchmo Distel]

What happens if you lose access to the ground permanently?

[Sean of the Shed]

Most of those 2,000 seem to have been in the away end, judging from the rather rustically filmed highlights I saw (a single, rain flecked camera positioned behind a girder). I'm guessing most of the home fans are positioned in the same stand as the camera, because otherwise You could only see about 50 people.

Anyway, we'll piss this league, although we may end up playing at Gainsborough. And there was a clear foul in the build up to Tamworth's goal, which meant the comical own goal equaliser was well deserved.

The camera at Tamworth is set up above the main stand so the main body of support was directly below and out of shot. On dryer days there is usually more on the open terrace behind the goal.
There were 750 away fans. The game was all ticket and, not surprisingly, segregated. I don't expect many or even any of the remaining games will be as most of the other teams in the league will not be bringing anything like that number.
Sorry about the poor quality of the game highlights and their failure to reach the standard you normally expect. Clubs like Tamworth struggle to provide Sky Sports quality production and the filming is, I believe, done by a volunteer using whatever they can afford. You may as get used to it, this is the level you're at now.

[jwdd27]

Hilton says we're building a new stadium. So in theory we ground share with Gainsborough and then move to the new gaff.

But we're going through what so many other clubs have gone through - there are two separate groups of bullshitters competing for the club, or more accurately for the prime retail and leisure land on which the ground sits.

[Sean of the Shed]

An injury time penalty earned Tamworth a point at Farsley yesterday, their other two away games were a 2-0 win at fourth place Boston and a 4-1 win at current leaders Spennymoor.
Sadly home form has been for shit, losing both matches.

[Paul S]

Somethings gone wrong in the National South to put Aveley top of the league. One of the smallest clubs in the league top of the division tells me there's a lot of money knocking about that club, what with the new ground and everything else. I can't see them being there at the end of the season though.