Vanarama Ding Dong – National League 2023/24

[Jobi1]

Fixture release day today, so I reckon it's about time to fire up a thread for this league. I was going to go for 'From 'head to Dale' for the thread title, but the former featured in the league thread title last season so they're not getting two in a row.

And I think it could be a bit of a ding dong at the top end this season. With the Hollywood wagon train heading for the hills, leaving the rest of us to get on and enjoy The Football with I'd imagine zero outside attention, there doesn't seem to be a clear favourite. You'd fancy Chesterfield will be right in amongst it again, Oldham seem to be recruiting well, and no doubt the usual London periphery outfits will be up there too. Hartlepool fans aren't overly optimistic of an immediate bounce-back from what I can gather, not sure about Dale. Will Ebbsfleet fire straight through the division and on to greater things perhaps?

At the less-desirable end of the table, are Oxford and Dorking going to be strong enough to stay above the line? WIll we even have 24 teams given the depressing goings on at Southend?

[Gangster Octopus]

Are Wealdstone the only part-timers?

[Jobi1]

As Alty went full-time last year I think they might be, unless Oxford or Maidenhead are? They'd be the only others I'd think might be. I want to say Halifax still have a couple of part-time players too but I'm not sure on that.

[Sean of the Shed]

I imagine we've passed the point of no return regarding Southend should they be kicked out and the division will play out with just 23 teams and three relegation places.

[My Name Is Ian]

We'll have a better idea on Southend in a week's time, when their latest winding up petition returns to the High Court. I'm sticking my finger in the air by saying this, but I'd not be that surprised if they didn't or couldn't start next season and we ended up with a Bury-esque end of August expulsion (they've also been under a transfer embargo since, I think, last September and can only bring in new players if they have under 16 in their first team squad, or so I read), though having said that it could all be rapidly fading memories if anything comes of the takeover that people were getting very aerated about three weeks ago.

But with Southend being Southend, it would not be in the slightest bit surprising if due diligence had thrown up all sorts of nasty surprises. Administration would only be an option of last resort, as I don't think the National League lets teams start a season in administration (though I'm hazy on the specifics of that). And HMRC has preferred creditor status these days, so while it would end the winding up petition, they'd still have to be paid in full, as well as football creditors (ie, players). The alternative there would be to release all the players, but this would mean an entirely new squad built on whatever money the IP could scrabble together as a playing budget. And Ron Martin would likely be the biggest creditor through his companies, so he'd likely get the deciding say on agreeing any CVA. He's already had the ground, so it's hardly as though they've got any saleable assets. Doesn't look like a goer, to me.

My Oldham-supporting friend seems fairly sanguine about the new season, but I don't know that her optimism would extend to thinking they can win the league. Rochdale have had a hell of a time, they need to settle. Hartlepool or Chesterfield to win it for me from this remove, but trying to predict this league feels like a bit of a fool's errand. And there's always someone who comes from out of nowhere, who makes you think, "what on earth are *they* doing there?", when you're watching the playoffs. Didn't Barnet improve towards the end of last season? Solihull seem to go up and down, and they've finished second and third in the last five years. Maybe they could do something. Nothing much would surprise me in this division, even Southend winning it, if new owners came in and quickly propped the club back up.

[Jobi1]

Barnet were indeed good in the second half of the season, but I think ultimately suffered from a bit of fixture overload after getting to the FA Trophy semi-final. I'd definitely expect them to be up there again. Solihull have just changed manager, bringing in Andy Whing from Banbury, so they could indeed really finish anywhere, very hard to say at present. Ditto my lot – this big flurry of transfer activity over the last week since the takeover is apparently targeted mostly at building up a reserve/development squad, and our first team recruitment will mostly happen over the next fortnight. Those in the know are quietly optimistic, but who knows – right now it genuinely feels like we could finish anywhere between 1st and 24th.

On Oldham I'll be particularly interested to see how Kurt Willoughby does up front for them. Letting him go last summer was not quite at the same level of obvious facepalm decision-making as the release of Macauley Langstaff a couple of seasons before, but I was still quite surprised and disappointed we didn't keep him on.

[Simon G]

Oldham have signed Charlie Raglan as well - I was disappointed that we let him go from League 1, so he's a hell of a signing in the National League.

[cantagalo]

Just dropped in to say that's a great thread title.

[Botswana Meat Commission]

Bishop’s Stortford’s fixtures actually don’t look horrific though once postponements kick in, I am sure that will look different.

Depending on the FA Cup draw on Friday, I may go to their home game with Chester.

[Simon G]

They actually head south in their first away game of the season.

[Jobi1]

Bishop’s Stortford’s fixtures actually don’t look horrific though once postponements kick in, I am sure that will look different.

Depending on the FA Cup draw on Friday, I may go to their home game with Chester.

Keep your regional nonsense out of our rarefied, elite level of beautiful, nation-encompassing sporting excellence... [smiley winky thing]

https://www.onetouchfootball.com/for...24#post2793023

[Jobi1]

TV games for August confirmed:

Saturday, August 5 – Rochdale v Ebbsfleet United (5.30pm)
Saturday, August 12 – Dagenham & Redbridge v Southend United (5.30pm)
Saturday, August 19 – Chesterfield v Oldham Athletic (12.30pm)
Saturday, August 26 – Hartlepool United v AFC Fylde (5.30pm)
Monday, August 28 – Eastleigh v Aldershot Town (3pm)

[My Name Is Ian]

Five games, ten different teams. Quite a contrast with the end of last season.

[Jobi1]

I presume they must have an agreement to show every team a certain number of times? To be honest though, now you-know-who have moved on to bigger and better things, they could probably pick any game at random each week and it wouldn't make a significant difference to the viewing figures.

[My Name Is Ian]

I'd be surprised if they didn't have a minimum of some sort, and I guess it makes sense to get them all out of the way early in the season so you can focus on title/playoff/relegation/Hollywood megastars or whatever at the end of the season. Mind you, I wouldn't necessarily be betting that their second game even takes place.

[Botswana Meat Commission]

Showing Southend is either going to be a bit of a party atmosphere, a funeral or won’t happen and they’ll have to have a plan B.

[Via Newbury Park]

Plan B has already been put into place, as D&R-Southend has been swapped for Bromley-Barnet due to 'league operation reasons', which is an interesting way of phrasing it.

Next batch of live games is out as well. A nice early kick-off for York at local rivals Woking and a second home live game for Bromley, someone's clearly expecting big things of them this year.

Saturday, September 2 – Gateshead v Oldham Athletic (5.30pm)
Saturday, September 9 – Bromley v Maidenhead United (3pm)
Saturday, September 16 – Kidderminster Harriers vs Solihull Moors (5.30pm)
Saturday, September 23 – Woking v York City (12.30pm)
Tuesday, September 26 – Rochdale v Chesterfield (7.45pm)
Saturday, September 30 – Oxford City v Altrincham (5.30pm)

[Jobi1]

Wonder if they already had that later Bromley game pencilled in before rearranging that first one?

[Foot of Astaire's]

As impressive as the Barnsley score was yesterday, performance or surprise of the day must surely go to Southend? Who saw that coming?

[Jobi1]

A rush of goals in the last few minutes with Oldham a player down, but nevertheless an extraordinary result, very impressive. Over 5k home fans too, which is also very impressive – was wondering if people might have stayed away in the circumstances.

[Jobi1]

The Stones may have got more goals than us on Saturday, but in the big metrics like opponent half recoveries they simply couldn't touch us...

https://twitter.com/matt_uggla/status/1688200844657717248?s=20

[Janik]

York received infinitely more red cards as well...

[Paul S]

The Southend result is indeed surprising given they only have 15 players. The club only just missed out on the play off last season and they managed to hang onto their manager so there is some consistency despite the problems. However, any player is going to leave at the first opportunity given the ongoing issues so I don't think we'll be keeping the squad for long.

[Jobi1]

Three games into the season and the manager is already publicly complaining about players not buying into his tactics, and apparently two flat-out refused to play last night due to being miffed at his strategy and selection. Viva la revolution!

[Jobi1]

October telly games confirmed:

Saturday October 7 – Dorking Wanderers v Barnet (5.30pm)
Saturday October 21 – Wealdstone v Boreham Wood (5.30pm)
Saturday October 28 – York City v FC Halifax Town (5.30pm)

That last one's a bit of a pain – I'm off to a gig in Leeds that night with a non-matchgoing friend, so was looking forward to a fairly relaxed post-match trundle over with him in good time for a bite to eat and a couple of pints before the show, but now it'll likely have to be a mad dash and straight to the venue.