Conference National 2006/07 – A preview
The last few seasons have seen talented teams pick up the baton and disappear over the horizon with the championship.
The heavyweights of non-league football battle it out for the ultimate price – a place in Coca Cola League Division 2.
The last few seasons have seen talented teams pick up the baton and disappear over the horizon with the championship. 3 out of the last 4 seasons have seen Yeovil, Barnet and Accrington Stanley win the league with a double figure gap from their nearest rivals.
But what of 06/07? Who has the talent and tenacity to win the ultimate prize in Non-League football? Lets take a look.
Aldershot
Arrivals
Jason Lee (Boston), Louie Soares (Barnet), Mark Molesley (Camb City), Sean Ridgway (Rushden), Louis Wells (Hayes), Dean Smith (Chelsea), Marcus Gayle (Brentford), John Grant (Halifax), Rhys Day (Mansfield), Andy Edwards (Southend), Mark Pritchard (Swansea),Phil Anderson (Southend), Kirk Hudson (AFC Bournemouth), Ricky Newman (Brentford)
Departures
Nick Crittenden (Weymouth)Steve Watson (AFC Wimbledon),
Lewis Hamilton (Lewes)Dan Weait, Hassan Sulaiman,
Tobi Jinadu,Greg Heald (Thurrock),Jason Lee (Notts County),
Matt Somner (Notts County), Gary Holloway (Lewes)
As you can see The Shots have been extremely active in the transfer market with many players joining from the leagues above. After two previous top 5 finishes they got off to an absolute stinker last season. A talented squad decimated by injuries plumbed the depths of the league until a mid-season turn around saw them finish 13 th.
They have lost the infamous Jason Lee to Notts County but replaced him with 35 year old veteran Marcus Gayle, a player suited to the Conferences hustle and bustle. A player there sorely missed last season through injury was free kick specialist and ex Chelsea Youth Darren Barnard.
Both Barnard and Gayle have scored in an impressive pre-season campaign that has seen them beat a strong Wycombe team 1-0 and draw with an also strong Bournemouth 2-2. Midfielder Mark Mossley is also seen as a great capture from Cambridge City.
AMP’s Analysis:
The optimism seems to be back at the Rec Ground but with Terry Brown intimating that no more signings are arriving I foresee that the Shot’s won’t win the league but will be serious play-off contenders.
Altrincham
Arrivals
Robbie Lawton (Vauxhall), Joe O’Neill ( York), Peter Thomson (Stafford),
Steve Bushell ( Halifax), Justin Bowler ( Halifax),Lee Mannion ( Crewe),
Steve Savage (Mond Rangers)
Departures
Mark Maddox (Leigh RMI), Ged Murphy
Following their promotion Altrincham did well to finish a couple of places above relegation on merit (without the Conference meddling) alone. However, the fact of the matter is that they lost over 50% of their total games and saw out the season loosing 7 of their last 9 games.
Pre-season hasn’t been the best with Altrincham loosing to a youthfull Man City team and Conference North strugglers Leigh RMI. Alty fans think that the defense is a cause for concern due to its lack of pace.
AMP’s Analysis: Alty seem to be in the exact position they were in last year. They haven’t strengthened by much and will again be happy with finishing a few points of the drop. I don’t think they’ll go down but it’ll be a close run thing.
Burton Albion
Arrivals
Lee Fowler (Scarboro), Stuart Tomlinson (Crewe)(Loan)Karl Bermingham ( Man City), Daryl Clare ( Crawley), Danny Holmes (Port Vale)
Departures
Eric Graves (Gainsboro), Saul Deeney ( Notts County), Dale Anderson (Moor Green),
Christian Moore (Hucknall)
Burton Albion finished last season with a flourish, finishing in 9 th position after loosing just once in their last 10 games. Their big signing of the summer is the capture of ex-conference golden boot winner Clare from Crawley. The prospect of Clare and ex-Shef Weds striker Shaw up front is a good one.
AMP’s Analysis: Still not really enough strength in depth to compete with the big boys. An outside chance of grabbing that last play-off position.
Cambridge Utd
Arrivals
Danny Carey-Bertram (Hereford), Michael Gash (Camb City), Josh Simpson (Camb City),Robbie Simpson (Camb City), Paul Chricton (Gillingham),
Matt Bloomer (Lincoln), Tommy Jazczun (Rochdale), Shane Herbert (Norwich)
Departures
Max Porter (Bishops Stortford). Craig Westcarr (Kettering),
Fola Onibuje (Swindon), Scott Howie (Retired), Dave Daniels (Mildenhall),
Adam Weston (Falmouth), Dan Gleeson (Notts County), Danny Bunce (Woking),
Gavin Heeroo
United found the transition from league football to the Conference a tough one last season and after finding their feet finished mid-table.
As you can see manager Rob Newman has added a lot of depth to his squad in the close season. New striker Carey-Betram has bagged a couple of goals in pre-season. Still, it’s difficult to see where a golden boot winning type striker would come from the squad they have assembled. A clutch of Cambridge City players have arrived but I feel they missed out on players of the caliber of Binns, Booth and Canvey’s Bolan.
AMP’s Analysis : A few points shy of the play-offs.
Crawley Town
Arrivals - Transfer embargo in place. No signings allowed.
Departures
Danny Ekoku (Gravesend), Ian Simpemba (Lewes), Paul Armstrong (Eastbourne),
Steve Burton (Tamworth), Jamie Cade (Lewes), Sacha Opinel (Gravesend),
Leonel Mendy, Chris Giles (Forest Green), Neil Jenkins (Eastbourne),
Phil Smith (Swindon), Omari Coleman
It probably doesn’t need me to tell you, but Crawley are in a load of trouble. Due to the gross mis-management of the club by a couple of dodgy brothers they’re up for sale, 1.4 million in debt and start the season with a 10 point penalty.
As they are in a breach of contract they had to sign on 11 teen-agers just to met Conference regulations. Only 5 or six of the players from last year are currently training with the club and they are free to leave whenever they want.
AMP’s Analysis: It’d take a footballing miracle for Crawley not to finish bottom this season. If a buyer is not found soon and manager Hollin’s (who did fantastically last season keeping them up against all odds) decides that he’s had enough they could be broken hearted by valentines day.
Dagenham & Redbridge
Arrivals
Dave Rainford (Bishops Stortford), Sam Sloma ( Thurrock)
Departures
Chris Moore (Brentford), Ashley Vickers ( Weymouth), Kenny Clark ( Thurrock)
The Daggers finished just outside the play-offs last term but they never really found any consistency. Loosing 8 games out of ten near the start of the season put paid to any upward aspirations they may have had.
Some supporters feel that they can improve upon last seasons finish, but after loosing top score Chris Moore to Brentford a lot of pressure is on the quick Mackiel-Smith to add to his tally of 11 last season. Questions are also raised whether the current 3-5-2 favoured by manager John Stills can adapt to a flat back four in the cut and thrust of the Conference when needs demand.
AMP’s Analysis: The Daggers are another team lacking the strength-in-depth to really push on from last season’s position. I predict they’ll finish around 9 th place.
Exeter
Arrivals
Adam Stansfield ( Hereford), Jon Richardson (Forest Green),
Bertrand Cozic (Team Bath), Patrick Ada ( St Albans)
Departures
Steve Flack (Tiverton), Chris Vinnicombe (Tiverton),
Craig Farrell ( York), Jake Edwards, Scott Hiley, Barry McConnell,
Les Afful (Forest Green), Rytis Leliuga, Glen Cronin ( Chester),
Santos Gaia ( Stevenage),Danny Clay (Lewes), Wayne Carlisle
After finishing just outside the play-offs last season, manager Alex Ingelthorpe has been replaced by ex-player and Team Bath manager Paul Tisdale. Tisdale has yet to make any “major” signings.
Exeter lost 7 times at home lost season and surely expect to do better this time round. They do have the services of Lee Phillips, who bagged 13 goals last season. However, free scoring Midfielder Jon Challinor (12 last season) is being preferred on the left wing at the moment, much to some fans chagrin. The wings are cause for concern with the right not having anybody staking a claim. Tisdale has also revealed that he’s been thwarted in his attempts to buy a big defensive type player. There is cash to strengthen though apparently.
AMP’s Analysis: Probably a season too soon for the Grecians to mount a serious championship challenge. The final play-off place is not all together out of the question but it looks like they could well fall a little bit short again.
Forest Green
Arrivals
Simon Clist (Barnet), Kevin Nicholson (Scarboro), Jamie Pitman (Hereford),Les Afful (Exeter), Michael McEntagart (Newport), Chris Giles (Crawley),
Tony Butler (Bristol City),Charlie Griffin (Wycombe - Year long loan),
Christian Edwards (Bristol Rovers)
Departures
Sekani Simpson, Zema Abbey (Kettering),
Damon Searle (Newport),Luke Graham (Kettering),
Adam Garner (Chippenham), Matt Gadsby (Hinckley), Abdou Sall (St Pauli),
Guy Madjo, Jon Richardson (Exeter), Chris Giles (injured) ,Julian Alsop (Newport)
FGR finished on the same points as the team that finished second bottom, Tamworth. They struggled for the majority of last season. Their end to the season was pretty abysmal, just one win in their last 14.
I was quite surprised to see that Guy Madjo has left as he had a purple patch after joining last season and they got some good results around Christmas time.
Manager Gary Owers has made some excellent signings to strengthen for this campaign. He’s overhauled the defense and in Tony Butler he’s got a back line commander with bags of experience at CC Div 1 level. Christian Roberts has been capped by Wales abd he provides more league experience at the back as well. The arrival of midfielder Simon Clist from Barnet is another great signing as he can comfortably play at the next level.
FGR are still short of Strikers. Charlie Griffin is one of their only options but he’s only on loan. Fan’s are also unsure of the goalkeeper position and feel that some experience is required to back up / replace 21 year old Ryan Harrison following Ryan Clarke’s move into league football.
AMP’s Analysis: A complete overhaul by Gary Owers should ensure that FGR won’t be looking over their shoulders all season. I predict a mid-table finish, but they could well be ones to look out for on the match coupon if they sign some strikers and a GK soon.
Gravesend
Arrivals
Peter Hawkins (Rushden), Danny Ekoku (Crawley), Rob Quinn (Stevenage),
Jon Keeling (Canvey),Sacha Opinel (Crawley),Stacy Long (Notts County), Mark DeBolla (Grays)
Departures
Aaron Kerr (Tonbridge), Danny Glozier (AFC Hornchurch),Andy Drury (Lewes),
Jay Saunders (Lewes), Steve McKimm (Margate),Justin Skinner (Margate), Lee Protheroe (Margate), Scott Gooding (Tonbridge), Bobby Bowry (Bromley),
Jimmy Jackson (Margate),Ashley Fuller (Bishops Stortford)
Looking at last season’s results will provide dismal reading for Fleet fan’s. If you take the last 9 games of last season they lost 7 and scored just 5 goals.
It seems that Daish has made some astute signings to compliment top goal scorer and ex-Charlton Charlie MacDonlad. In Mark DeBolla the Daggers have a striker / midfielder who gained league experience with Chesterfield and play maker Stacy Long who played for Notts County in CC Div 2 last season. John Keeling is an attacking mid-fielder and Ekoku is a young striker from Crawley who is said to be developing a good understanding with Macdonald, a player who made a handful of appearances in the Premiership.
AMP’s Analysis: The Fleet should improve on last season but perhaps haven’t got the squad to cope with too many injuries. A mid-table position beckons.
Grays Athletic
Arrivals
Ashley Sestanovic (Farnborough), Jay Smith (Farnborough), Scott Canham (Farnborough), Adam Green (Fulham), Lee Boylan (Canvey)
Departures
John Nutter (Stevenage), Mark DeBolla (Gravesend),
Joe Bruce (Basingstoke), Christian Hanson, Ade Olayinka ( Basingstoke),
Gary Hooper, Ashley Sestanovich , Nicky Eyre
The big news for Grays this post-season was manager Mark Stimson leaving to manage Conference rivals Stevenage. Frank Gray has become the new manager from Conference South Farnborough.
There’s been Good, Bad and Ugly news in Gray’s strengthening attempts. The “Good” being the signing of prolific Lee Boylan from Canvey. Boylan has scored an amazing 164 goals in just 4 seasons at Canvey.
The “Bad news” for the squad was the broken leg suffered by captain and midfield rock Stuart Thurgood, whose expected to be out for a few months. Highly rated Dennis Oli looks like he wants away from the club to try and play at a higher level also.
The “Ugly” news is that after signing Farnborough’s Setanovich (a player voted the Conference South’s player of the year by fans) he’s now in Wandsworth for allegedly glassing a player before he joined Grays. Grays have cancelled his contract.
New boss Gray has intimated that he will be adding to the squad in the very near future, targeting the defense in particular. There’s no news at present but the transfer window shuts at the end of August.
AMP’s Analysis: To repeat last season’s feats will be difficult given the upheaval around the squad and the management team. I think they’ll just about sneak into the play-offs.
Halifax
Arrivals
Danny Forrest (Bradford), Craig Mawson ( Hereford), Jake Wright (Bradford),
Michael Taylor (Cheltenham), Shane Smeltz (AFC Wimbledon)
Departures
John Grant (Aldershot), Steve Bushell (Altrincham), Craig Midgley (Farsley Celtic),
Justin Bowler (Altrincham), Jon Kennedy (Lancaster), Brenton Leister,
Lee Tuck, Steve Yates, Michael Taylor,
The home “bankers” of the division last season and narrowly beaten play-off finalists. Their fans will be expecting another good showing this season.
Town now boast 5 strikers, the latest a highly rated prospect in Shane Smeltz from AFC Wimbledon. They’ll be hoping that this boasts their goals scored colum as they had the least returned out of the top 8 last season.
Town have had a good pre-season, and put up a good showing in going down 1-0 to Barnsley. They’ve strengthened from last season and boss Chris Wilder says there’ll be more new arrivals soon. Ex-Middlesbrough is currently having trials and his addition could be a boost for the Shaymen in front of goal.
AMP’s Analysis: Town should be there or thereabouts this season. They’ve strengthened but IMO not to the degree that other clubs have. They should still secure a play-off place with a bit to spare.
Preview continues with Kidderminster to York
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