The Vanarama National League 2022/23 Preview

Last year's blog really took off in a way I didn't expect with 7000 views. Thank you to each and every one of you. I hope this year's version lives up to the same comprehensive detail from before. Please share this on twitter and your club's forum - word of mouth and social media traffic are the only form of marketing I have.   

First of all, a look back at my prediction from last season. As always with predictions, there are some shockers but as far as predictions go, it wasn't actually too bad.   

Last year's effort: The 2021/22 attempt

1) Chesterfield FC (Looked good until Tshimanga's injury and Rowe's dismissal)

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2) Wrexham (Spot on!)

3) Stockport County (On the right track)

4) Bromley FC (Faded badly)

5) Torquay United (Late burst but an overestimate from me)

6) Notts County (About right)

7) Solihull Moors (Made the Play Offs but exceeded my expectations)

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8) Dagenham & Redbridge (As ever, predictable. Spot on!)

9) Eastleigh FC (Very, very wrong!)

10) Grimsby Town (Looked right for two thirds. Great final third saw this prediction squashed)

11) Boreham Wood (Looked off for two thirds. Bad final third saw this prediction about right)

12) Woking (Not far away)

13) Barnet (Were worse than expected)

14) FC Halifax (.....)

15) Southend United (Pretty accurate)

16) Yeovil Town (A few places too far down here)

17) Maidenhead United (Spot on!)

18) Altrincham (A great start saw them not plummet quite as far down)

19) Kings Lynn (An overestimate)

20) Aldershot (Spot on!)

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21) Dover (Silly boy!)

22) Wealdstone (Fair play to them - a decent season)

23) Weymouth (About right).

Further predictions 2021/22

Managers to depart

Simon Rusk (Stockport) CORRECT

Paul Hurst (Grimsby) INCORRECT

Harry Kewell (Barnet) CORRECT

Phil Brown (Southend) CORRECT

Darren Sarll (Yeovil) CORRECT

Stuart Maynard (Wealdstone) INCORRECT

Brian Stock (Weymouth) CORRECT

National League Top Goalscorer

1st: Michael Cheek (Bromley) FINISHED 9TH

2nd: Paddy Madden (Stockport County) FINISHED 3RD

3rd: Kabongo Tshimanga (Chesterfield) FINISHED 2ND

Play Off Winners

Torquay United INCORRECT

I'm pretty happy with that. I'd say about two thirds were in the right ballpark with four spot on predictions. We just won't mention Halifax. Manager wise: 5/7 isn't bad although I missed out on Searle, Culverhouse, Strevens, Dowson and an unexpected one in Rowe. Top goalscorer wasn't a million miles away. I incorrectly thought Paul Mullin would flop. Nevertheless, Madden and Tshimanga were solid, if not obvious, picks. 

Anyway, let's get to this year's version now. 

If you like what you read, follow me on twitter https://twitter.com/leewilsonDRFC for regular non-league content. 

Fighting relegation

Aldershot Town

Ins

Joe Partington (Bromley)

Ollie Harfield (Weymouth)

Justin Amaluzor (Motherwell)

Josh McQuoid (Weymouth)

Francis Amartey (Hayes & Yeading)

Archie Davies (Crawley)

Inih Effiong (Woking)

Tyler Cordner (Weymouth)

Luca Ashby-Hammond (Fulham - loan)

Michael Klass (Lewes)

Outs
Kevin Lokko

Mitch Walker

Alfy Whittingham

Mo Bettamer

Lewis Kinsilla

Josh Fawole

Reece Miller

Elis Watts

George Sheridan

Joe Rabbetts

Brad Webb

Mikael Ndjoli

Jayden Harris

Potential Line up

Squad brief: For the first time in a fair old while, it feels like all change at Aldershot this summer. Many of the mainstays from the club's struggles of years gone by have departed as Mark Molesley looks to rejuvenate the club. Amongst the departees, few will be mourned although Lewis Kinsilla choosing to not sign a new contract could be seen as a loss. Nevertheless, the Shots moved quickly to replace him with attacking left back Ollie Harfield. Molesley has tapped into his knowledge web of the Bournemouth youth system and ex Weymouth players a few times over the summer with centre back Tyler Cordner and experienced midfielder Josh McQuoid also signing. Cordner will likely start alongside one of Kodi Lyons-Foster or Giles Phillips whilst McQuoid will likely pair fellow new signing Michael Klass after Jayden Harris' departure. Elsewhere, flying full back Archie Davies joins from Crawley whilst Joe Partington's experience in front of the back four could prove to be a shrewd acquisition. Furthermore, Luca Ashby-Hammond has joined on-loan from Fulham for a year and will likely take the spot as the number one goalkeeper following Mitch Walker's departure. The forward positions also appear to have undergone a complete reinvention with right winger Justin Amaluzor alongside strikers Francis Amartey and the well travelled Inih Effiong adding a more athletic look to the Shot's strikeforce. That being said, Molesley will have high hopes for left winger Tommy Willard who graduated through the club's academy and featured over 20 times last season. 

Manager: Mark Molesley joined Aldershot last September after an awful start to the season saw the team languishing in 21st place. The former Shots player had successfully led Weymouth to back to back promotions before jumping at the chance to manage in the Football League with crisis club Southend. However, the move did not go as planned with Molesley's hands tied to an extent and Southend struggling in the relegation zone for most of the season before his sacking. With many years of working with Bournemouth U21s, Molesley's contacts in the South West will be key to recruiting well for Aldershot going forward. 

Unheralded Gem: Francis Amartey - With 45 goals in 74 appearances for Hayes & Yeading over the past few seasons, the Ghanian striker was well sought after before Aldershot secured his signature. As with many before him, will he be able to make the transition to full-time football?

Top Goal-scorer Prediction: Inih Effiong

Overall Prediction: For years now, Aldershot have been sleepwalking to relegation and only financial issues for other clubs has saved them in recent times. Mark Molesley looks to be an upgrade on Danny Searle in terms of the players he has been able to attract to the club. The Shot's incomings were mostly sorted early and contain largely players who have played a lot of games at this level. It looks as if Molesley will be encouraging his full backs to get forward with the emphasis being to play on the front foot. Question marks will still remain over the team's strength in midfield along with their defensive solidity what with new signing Tyler Cordner imposing but prone to being spun by those fleet of foot. Nevertheless, with a full quota of 24 sides in the division and not a points deduction in sight, it will be a tough ask for Aldershot to finish above four other sides looking at the strength of the league. Molesley's men will likely need Inih Effiong to hit his best form for them to have a chance at survival this season. 

Altrincham FC

Ins

Jake Cooper (Rotherham)

Ross Barrows (Kings Lynn)

Josh Lundstrom (Crewe)

Lewis Baines (Chorley)

Aidan Roxburgh (Trafford FC)

Chris-Conn Clarke (Fleetwood - loan)

James Jones (Barrow)

Liam Brockbank (Lancaster)

Alex Samizadeh (Leatherhead)

Aaron Bennett (Preston - Loan)

Outs

Jake Moult

Shaun Densmore

Josh Hancock

Tony Thompson

Connor Hampson 

Ton Hannigan

Andy White

Dan Mooney

Kennedy Digie

Kyle Ferguson

Kole Hall

Potential line up 

Squad brief: Another year and another season of Altrincham upsetting some of the bigger names at this level. A strong start last season saw them with 19 points after 10 games. Nevertheless, just like the season before, Altrincham's strong start faded as they only managed to take 14 points from the next 20 matches. Survival was comfortable though as the club finished in 14th place. The hope will be that a move to becoming a full time club may iron out such inconsistencies this coming season. Hopes will once again rest with the talented left winger Ryan Colclough with the hope that Marcus Dinanga and new club captain Jordan Hulme can support with the goals. Nevertheless, last season's top goal-scorer won't be adding to his tally for Altrincham as right winger Dan Mooney secured a summer move to Southend United. Promising centre back Kyle Ferguson also left, albeit for a Football League club in Harrogate Town. With a spate of long-term servants leaving the club over the summer, manager Phil Parkinson has moved to reduce the average age of his squad with some talented young players coming through the doors of Moss Lane. One that caught the eye was centre back Lewis Baines - Chorley's player of the year - who was recently capped by the England C team. He will have to compete with the returning James Jones who returns to the J Davidson stadium after spending two years at League Two Barrow.  Former King's Lynn favourite Ross Barrows has also joined and will likely replace Shaun Densmore who has retired following 14 years at Altrincham. However, the club will be disappointed to have lost both maverick winger Matty Kosylo and central midfielder Isaac Marriott in pre-season to an ACL injury which will rule them out for much of the season. As a result, Parkinson has delved into the loan market with Aaron Bennett and the returning Chris Conn-Clarke joining temporarily to most likely fill these vacancies. 

Manager: Phil Parkinson is a name that is beginning to gain traction at non-league level. The former PE teacher and Nantwich Town manager oversaw two promotions in three seasons which saw the club promoted to the National League three seasons ago. With the Robins' noticeable bursts of form in the National League over the past few years, Parkinson has started to receive offers from other clubs with Notts County rumoured to be the latest to have offered him the manager's job over the summer. Yet, the manager remains committed to his project at Altrincham where he is the club's first ever full time manager. With Altrincham now a full time club, it remains to be seen just how far Parkinson can take them. 

Unheralded Gem: Lewis Baines - A rock at the heart of the Chorley defence. After the club failed to gain promotion to the top tier of non-league football, Parkinson pounced to recruit one of the most promising defenders outside of the National League

Top Goal-scorer Prediction: Ryan Colclough

Overall prediction: With their transition to a full-time club complete, Altrincham should be well placed to push on from two seasons of consolidation. Recruitment looks promising with younger yet experienced players replacing some of the ageing stalwarts who have departed. However, a concern may be the lack of prolific striker at this level and the loss of Dan Mooney's goals. A heavy reliance is going to fall upon Ryan Colclough to work his magic in most games. Nevertheless, retaining centre back Toby Mullarkey after strong rumours of a move to Chesterfield is a real boost to Altrincham going into the season. A major factor in Altrincham gaining success this season will be keeping hold of manager Phil Parkinson. It is not a stretch to say that any of the northern ex Football League clubs who perform below expectations may look to Parkinson as a leading candidate for a vacant manager's role. It may be that Parkinson once again defies the odds with the Robins but a mid-season departure could well see Altrincham plummet. 

Barnet

Ins

Michael Phillips (Maidstone)

Moussa Diarra (Woking)

Danny Collinge (Dover)

Jerome Okimo (Wealdstone)

Laurie Walker (Stevenage)

Nicke Kabamba (Northampton)

Harry Pritchard (Eastleigh)

Jamar Loza (Woking)

Sean Shields (Weymouth)

Ben Wynter (Torquay)

Dale Gorman (Yeovil)

Connor Smith (Boreham Wood)

Outs
Jake Askew

Joe Widdowson

Teddy Howe

Harry Taylor

Adam Marriott

Ben Richards-Everton

Jamie Turley

Wes Fonguck 

Potential line up: 

Squad brief: With the Harry Kewell experiment a distant memory, Barnet's 21/22 season petered to a 50 point finish - clear of relegation but a long way away from their halcyon days of the past. Not for the first time recently, the club have looked to clear out the dross and have signed in excess of 10 players. One of Dean Brennan's main jobs was to replace the goals of Adam Marriott who scored 3 times as many as the second highest goal-scorer last season. Nicke Kabamba is the apparent chosen one although his goal record raises questions as to whether he will be able to emerge from Marriott's shadow. One area that the Bees are not light in is on the wing. Pre-contracted players Ephron Mason-Clark, Daniel Powell and Rob Hall will be aiming to fight off competition from newly bought Sean Shields, Jamar Loza and Harry Pritchard. Elsewhere, Michael Phillips and Dale Gorman have been added to what was a threadbare central midfield area whilst the towering Moussa Diarra will look to add a commanding presence to what was the 2nd leakiest defence in the entire National League last season. Fellow new signing Danny Collinge will likely partner him after arriving from Dover. The club also managed to bring in right back Ben Wynter from Torquay in what is seen as quite a coup whilst Laurie Walker also joins as the side's first choice goalkeeper.  Brennan appears keen to surround himself with numerous players that he has worked with before with the experienced player/coaches Jerome Okimo and Connor Smith joining from Wealdstone and Boreham Wood respectively. 

Manager(s): After the Harry Kewell and Dean Brennan partnership did not work, Barnet start the season with Brennan as the main man and Kewell no longer employed by the club. The former Wealdstone manager made his name initially as manager of Hemel Hempstead following promotion to the National League South. A short stint in the limelight as Billericay Town manager under controversial chairman Glenn Tamplin followed before another brief experience as manager of Kingstonian left Brennan's career at a crossroads. Nevertheless, it was Wealdstone who gave him an opportunity which he repaid by leading them to promotion to the National League. Rumours surfaced pretty quickly into the new season that Brennan was to take over as Barnet boss. Although this was turned down at the time, Brennan did resign as Wealdstone manager a few months later before joining the Bees last summer. 

Unheralded Gem: Ephron Mason-Clark - Still only 22, the winger has been in and out of the Barnet side for 4 seasons now without really ever quite taking that next step. Full of trickery, pace and goal-scoring potential, there is every chance that this could be the season that Mason-Clark establishes himself. 

Top Goal-scorer Prediction: Nicke Kabamba

Overall prediction: Barnet's heavy turnover of players once again leaves their supporters wondering quite what a settled side will look like a few months into the season. On the surface, it appears as if the club have once again signed numerous journeymen who have struggled in parts at other lower mid-table clubs. A concern for the Bees will be their lack of clinical number 9 following the departure of Adam Marriott, whose goals were a large reason as to why Barnet were not in greater relegation danger last season. With four relegation spaces available, it will be a real challenge for Dean Brennan to find the correct formula from within this bloated squad. Nevertheless, with the likes of Rob Hall, there does look to be just enough quality throughout the squad to keep Barnet in the National League for another year. 

Dorking Wanderers

In
Jack Jebb (Dartford)

Adam Mekki (Ebbsfleet)

Ryan Seager (Hungerford)

Joe Rabbetts (Aldershot)

Cameron Black (Leatherhead)

Outs

Wes Fogden

Kane Wills

Darren Oldaker

David Ray

Jason Prior

Potential line up 

Squad brief: The rise of Dorking Wanderers has been unique to say the least what with the club forming only 23 years ago in the local men's league. The Wanderers may have reached the National League even sooner had COVID not stopped the 2020/21 season when Dorking were top of the National League South. Nevertheless, the club licked their wounds and gained promotion last season the hard way by beating Ebbsfleet 3-2 in a pulsating play off final. Manager Marc White has been at the club since its formation and will be counting on star striker Alfie Rutherford to continue his blistering form next season. Last season's 32 goal man was denied a youth scholarship at Portsmouth in 2014 due to a heart condition. However, prolific strike partner Jason Prior - scorer of 68 goals in 120 games for the Wanderers - has left the club due to not being able to commit to full time football. With that in mind, the club moved quickly to secure Hungerford forward Ryan Seager, whose goal record at National League South level is also very impressive. White will be relying on the vast majority of his squad from last season to upset the odds and survive in their favoured 3-5-2 formation which sees two of Bobby Joe Taylor, Nick Wheeler, Jimmy Muitt and currently injured star Matt Briggs bombing forward down the flanks. Veteran defender Barry Fuller leads the back three whilst former AFC Wimbledon attacking midfielder Luke Moore competes for a position in midfield alongside the likes of James McShane, Josh Taylor and new signing Jack Jebb. 

Manager: Marc White is never short of an opinion or two making him one of the more unconventional characters in the non-league. White is the owner and chairman of the club alongside being the longest serving manager in the division. Having bankrolled the club for the past 20 years, the former player turned manager has led the club to 12 promotions in 23 years from the Crawley & District league to the National League itself last season. 

Unheralded Gem: Matt Briggs - An ACL rupture at the beginning of March cut the winger's season short. Although he won't be fit to start the season, expect him to be one of the leading right wingers in the division when he does return around Christmas.  

Top Goal-scorer Prediction: Alfie Rutherford

Overall prediction: Newly promoted clubs to the National League rarely get an easy ride such is the strength of many of the full time clubs at this level. It would be a surprise to see Dorking in anything other than a battle near the relegation zone considering they have largely chosen to rely on the players who got them here rather than investing in National League experience. However, the club has never known anything other than a winning mentality and may shock a few, especially on the tight Meadowbank pitch. Nevertheless, an away record which saw 7 losses last season brings concern as to how Dorking may fare with some long journeys on the road. A lot will depend on how the likes of Alfie Rutherford and Ryan Seager perform in this division but with White driving a no fear approach and having the funds to invest in new players throughout the season, I would personally bet on Dorking upsetting the odds and surviving. 

Gateshead FC

In
Kenton Richardson (Sunderland)

Tom Allan (Newcastle)

Lewis Knight (Bradford Park Avenue)

Dan Jarvis (Wrexham)

Dan Langley (Newcastle - loan)

Aaron Martin (Harrogate Town)

Ethan Pye (Stockport - loan)

Will Harris (Sunderland)

Outs

Alex Nicholson

Kieren Aplin

Danny Greenfield

Jack Hunter

Nelson Ogbewe

Cedwyn Scott

Macauley Langstaff

Potential line up 

Squad brief: Following a tumultuous few years, Gateshead are back in the National League after a storming season which saw them win the National League North with 94 points. Player/Manager Mike Williamson was the mastermind behind the team's title charge with an offensive brand of football that saw 99 goals scored in just 42 games. Nevertheless, the two main sources of Gateshead's goals have been poached this summer by title hopefuls Notts County with Macualey Langstaff and Cedwyn Scott, scorers of 28 and 24 goals respectively, leaving the North East for the Midlands. This is not to say that Gateshead have lost all of their star players necessarily. Offensive midfielder Greg Olley remains after his ludicrous 28 assists last season whilst former Newcastle striker Adam Campbell also produced a healthy return of 14 goals and 12 assists. Williamson has looked to replenish his firepower in the transfer window with the signings of Harrogate Town striker Aaron Martin; former Notts County forward Lewis Knight; 22-year-old Tom Allen and loanee Will Harris. Long serving Paul Blackett will also hope to win a starting spot after often impressing as a substitute. Elsewhere, full back Kenton Richardson, Stockport loanee Ethan Pye and goalkeeper Dan Langley have been brought in with the hope of beginning to plug a defence that conceded 47 goals in the league. Pye will likely start at left back with Robbie Tinkler on the opposite flank. Although traditionally a right back, it may be that Richardson moves inside to partner one of the experienced Carl Magnay or Louis Storey. 

Manager: Mike Williamson is the unlikely name who has lead Gateshead since their previous demotion from the National League. It was back in 2019 when the Heed were suspended and relegated from the top tier of non-league football due to financial difficulties. Williamson set about steadying the ship and registered an impressive 7th place finish in their first season back in the National League North. The subsequent play off campaign ended early but proved to be a benchmark for Williamson to build from. Following the uncompleted COVID season, Gateshead shocked many more fancied sides in 2021/22 by romping to promotion to gain the first league title of the Williamson reign. 

Unheralded Gem: Greg Olley - Whilst the fiercesome trio of Langstaff, Scott and Campbell took many of the plaudits last season, Olley's 28 assists highlighted just how effective the midfielder was at splitting defences with his passes into the final third. A greater challenge awaits now in the league above with a new strikeforce ahead of him. 

Top Goal-scorer Prediction: Adam Campbell

Overall prediction: Towards the end of last season, I was viewing Gateshead as potentially another side from the North who could threaten the status quo in the National League this season. The departures of Langstaff and Scott up front has tempered that slightly with consolidation at this level a sensible first target. Williamson has recruited forwards with pace who can run in behind to suit the way in which he wishes to play but whether any of them can find the back of the net consistently at this level remains to be seen. Ultimately, it may be Gateshead's defence that needs the most work this season with their expressive style of play potentially leaving them vulnerable to a pacey attack and strikers who are less forgiving than those in the division below. With the Heed perhaps not able to simply just outscore the opposition at will this season, results may be harder to come by meaning a battle against relegation looms. 

Maidenhead United

In
Temi Eweka (Bracknell Town)

Cole Kpekawa (Hemel Hempsted Town)

Koby Arthur (Dover Athletic)

Zico Asare (Oxford City)

Sam Beckwith (Luton)

Adrian Clifton (Boreham Wood)

Alexis Andre (Dover)

Outs

Dylan Asonganyi

George Wells

Harry Palmer

Josh Smile

Manny Parry

Nathan Blissett

Ryheem Sheckleford

Shaun Donnellan

Josh Kelly

Potential line up 

Squad brief: Last season was a tough one for Maidenhead with periods of poor defensive performances leading to heavy losses. Thankfully, Alan Devonshire is a master of a 'giant killing' and Maidenhead's ability to grind out results when you least expect it saw them comfortably safe in the end. The side have shipped out a fair few fringe players over the summer whilst adding mostly lower league players to the squad. Centre backs Temi Eweka and Cole Kpekawa had excellent seasons further down the football pyramid and will look to push the experienced Alan Massey and Will de Havilland for a starting spot this season. Another player looking to claim the number 1 spot is goalkeeper Alexis Andre - one of the shining lights for Dover last season. Yet, he will find it hard to dislodge Hungarian Dan Gyollai, who joined midway through the previous campaign and ended up as the Supporter's Player of the Season. Elsewhere, it will likely be Dan Sparkes and Sam Barratt from the wings - the latter of whom is capable of double figures in goals and assists if kept fit for the entirety of the season. With Nathan Blissett's departure, the club were searching for a new target man to spearhead the attack. Devonshire has managed to secure the return of Adrian Clifton, who formally hit his career best figures at the club four years ago. Nevertheless, the loss of the exciting, young forward Josh Kelly to Solihull Moors may hit the Magpies hard with the talented 23-year-old the top-scorer in the side by a long way last season. 

Manager: Since finishing an impressive playing career, Alan Devonshire has carved out an almost equally as impressive managerial career at non-league level. The former West Ham and England midfielder has only managed three clubs over a 25 year managerial career highlighting his nous and longevity. Multiple promotions with Hampton and Richmond in the early noughties saw Devonshire move to manage Braintree where he achieved three top half finishes across four seasons in the National League. Upon moving to Maidenhead to become manager there for the second time in his career, Devonshire won instant promotion to the National League where he has maintained Maidenhead's status in the top tier of non-league ever since. 

Unheralded Gem: Sam Barratt - 22 goals from the wing for the ex Southend man in his last two National League seasons for the Magpies. The wide man is a constant menace for defenders down the right side and is perfectly capable of scoring from a set piece also. 

Top Goal-scorer Prediction: Sam Barratt

Overall prediction: Alan Devonshire probably doesn't quite get the credit he deserves for keeping part time Maidenhead in the National League since 2017. Last season's initial recruitment did not turn out to be a success and a few of the better players moving on this summer, the squad does look weak for this level. One day Alan Devonshire will leave Maidenhead United and it will be then that their adventure with the National League will most likely be in jeopardy. With him at the helm though, you can count on a gritty style of play with moments of magic from Clifton, Barratt et al that turn into wins when you least expect it. This season may well be the Magpies' closest brush with relegation yet though and it could well be just a point or two on either side of that relegation line for Devonshire's men this season.

Maidstone United

Ins
Sol Wanjau-Smith (Hungerford Town)

Hady Ghandour (Charlton Athletic)

Jack Cawley (Bromley)

Henry Woods (Gillingham)

James Alabi (Bromley)

Outs
George Elokobi

Alfie Pavey

Taylor Curran

Billy Johnson

Max Sutton

Michael Phillips

Reece Grant

Potential line up 

Squad brief: After a three year absence, Maidstone are back in the National League following a stellar season that saw them finish on 87 points and concede less than 1 goal a game on average. Much of this was down to a rock solid defence involving the likes of ex-football league players such as Gavin Hoyte, George Elokobi and Player's Player of the season Jerome Binnom-Williams. With the experienced Elokobi retiring over the summer, manager Hakan Hayrettin has acted quickly to bring in experienced centre back Jack Cawley from Bromley and he will probably partner former Aldershot man George Fowler. Another issue for the manager is that 20-goal wide forward Joan Luque is likely to be missing with injury until around Christmas time meaning that another option in the forward positions was a must. The well-travelled James Alabi has been signed most likely as the number 9 in the Stones' 4-3-3 formation, which could well see Jack Barham, scorer of a career best 18 goals last season, moved out to the wide areas as a result. Roarie Deacon, well-known from Sutton's FA Cup run of a few years ago, and Charlton loanee Hady Ghandour will battle for the other wide role in the starting eleven. Elsewhere, Michael Phillips' departure to Barnet has seen a vacancy emerge in the middle of the pitch. Hayrettin has moved quickly to snap up Dover midfielder Henry Woods who will hope to slot in with Regan Booty and Sam Corne in the central areas. 

Manager: Hakan Hayrettin is a well known name in non-league circles around the South-East of England. Having managed Essex clubs Waltham Forest, Thurrock, Grays and Braintree, the 52-year-old stepped up to the highest level in his coaching career as a part of John Still's staff at Luton Town in 2013. Nevertheless, Hayrettin's biggest success on an individual level has come from his move to Kent and Maidstone United in 2019. A period of rebuilding, where Hayrettin actually took over initially from Still, was undergone before the manager saw his side grind their way to the National League South title last season. 

Unheralded Gem: Regan Booty - Injuries have previously thwarted the midfielder's progress up the footballing ladder. When fit, Booty is an excellent distributer in the centre of the pitch and one of the Stones' main creators. 

Top Goal-scorer Prediction: James Alabi

Overall prediction: It can not be underestimated how impressive Maidstone were last season in holding off strong Dorking and Ebbsfleet sides to win the National League South. The side's team ethic shone through and allowed them to capitalise as others around them faltered. Nevertheless, a quick look at Maidstone's likely starting XI reminds you that many of these players have previously struggled to assert themselves at National League level. I do worry that the team's 4-3-3 formation may be exposed by the stronger wingers in the division if Maidstone's high wingers do not drop back to support the full backs. With talisman Joan Luque injured until December, it is currently also hard to see where that moment of creative magic will come from. Sadly, I think this could be a tough season for the Stones which will end in relegation back to the National League South. 

Scunthorpe United

In
Andrew Boyce (Eastleigh)

Elliott Whitehouse (Forest Green Rovers)

Kgosi Nithe (Barrow)

Marcus Dewhurst (Sheffield United - loan)

Colin Daniel (Exeter)

Jacob Butterfield (St Johnstone)

Reagan Ogle (Hartlepool)

Marcus Carver (Hartlepool)

Outs

Rory Watson

Tom Collins

Harry Jessup

Lewis Thompson

Harry Bunn

Aaron Jarvis

Tom Pugh

Kenan Dunnwald-Turan

Harry Baker

Anthony Grant

Alex Perry

Ross Millen

Tyrone O'Neill

Potential line up 

Squad brief: Scunthorpe's sinking ship finally plunged to new depths last season with 26 points securing a dismal drop into non-league football. Owner Peter Swann resigned as Chairman when relegation was as good as confirmed. Yet, Swann is still to sell the club with an apparent takeover taking its time to materialise. Manager Keith Hill has been busy pre-season with the release of many who struggled last season and several experienced incomings. The most notable of these is former Championship midfielder Jacob Butterfield who returns to England after stints playing in Australia and Scotland. Joining him in midfield is Elliott Whitehouse who shone for Lincoln during their National League promotion season several years ago. Experienced centre back Andrew Boyce also makes a return to the club following five strong seasons at this level with Eastleigh. Elsewhere, goalkeeper Marcus Dewhurst joins on loan from Sheffield United whilst the versatile Colin Daniel will likely play somewhere down the left side of the pitch. Despite last season's pain, a few of the more secure performers remain including attacker midfielder Alfie Beestin and veteran winger Liam Feeney. With Joe Nuttall as the club's only remaining striker following relegation, Marcus Carver has been signed from Hartlepool. The 28-year-old enjoyed his best success at National League North level with Southport and Chorley. Irons fans will hope he is able to step up a level this season. 

Manager: Most known for his successful spells in charge of Rochdale, Keith Hill is a veteran of the Football League's lower levels. Two promotions at the Dale helped land Hill positions at clubs such as Barnsley and Tranmere but results never followed in the same manner with the manager lasting barely a season elsewhere in his managerial career. Hill's appointment at Scunthorpe last season was like jumping straight into the fire. Only two wins from his thirty three league games so far sees the former League Two Manager of the Year under pressure to hit the ground running straight away in the National League. 

Unheralded Gem: Jai Rowe - A 20-year-old right back who has initially signed for the Iron's U23 side but forced his way into the first team picture. Also adept in midfield, the roaming full back was one of the few positive points of what was an awful season for Scunthorpe. 

Top Goal-scorer Prediction: Alfie Beestin

Overall prediction: The National League is incredibly unforgiving for crisis clubs who have been relegated from the Football League and it is hard to see Scunthorpe making much of an impact this season. I would envisage that Scunthorpe will dip into the market throughout the campaign to strengthen areas of their side that underperform. In particular, the club's striking options look threadbare with Joe Nuttall and Marcus Carver not notably prolific and the team only managing to score 29 goals in the whole of last season. After years of pain, this season doesn't look like becoming any easier for Iron fans with the club's ownership situation still to be sorted. My gut instinct is that Keith Hill's track record of struggling anywhere other than at Rochdale will not change either. Nevertheless, if the club can secure a sale, I believe they will add to the squad over the season which will give them hope of avoiding a place in the bottom four. Without this though, it is fair to say that Scunthorpe's hopes for the season look worrying at best. 

Mid-table 

Eastleigh

Ins
Brennan Camp (AFC Bournemouth)

George Langston (Watford)

Christian Maghoma (Gillingham)

Tristan Abrahams (Carlisle)

Ousseynou Cisse (Oldham)

Charlie Carter (Stevenage)

Aaron Martin (Port Vale)

Corey Painter (Luton)

JJ McKiernan (Watford - Loan)

Nigel Atangana (Exeter)

Outs
Andrew Boyce

Alex Wynter

Tom Broadbent

Jack Torniainen

Danny Hollands

Cavaghn Miley

Sam Smart

Harry Pritchard

Dan Bradshaw

Tyrone Barnett 

Dan Smith

Potential line up

Squad brief: A torrid season for Eastleigh saw manager Ben Strevens depart and the team stumble to only 46 points and 20th place. It appears that the club very quickly came to the view that they were not going to be relegated thus the selling of assets began with Joe Tomlinson, Josh Hare, Ben House and Tom Whelan moving on to pastures new. This is an important summer for manager Lee Bradbury as he was powerless to reverse the huge decline in form after taking over in February. With this, many long serving players have left such as Andrew Boyce, Cav Miley, Alex Wynter, Sam Smart and Tyrone Barnett as the slate is wiped clean for a new chapter. Familiarity was the first step in recruitment with defenders Brennan Camp and Christian Maghoma returning to the club after successful loan spells last season. Ex Spitfire Aaron Martin also returns to the club where his career started 13 years ago as another option at centre back. Elsewhere, Bradbury has chosen to focus his attention on players who are dropping out of the Football League with midfielders Ousse Cisse, Nigel Atangana and Charlie Carter expected to compete for the midfield positions. Atangana, in particular, played under Bradbury eight years ago at Havant and Waterlooville and has had successful spells since at numerous League Two clubs. In attack, Tristan Abrahams and Danny Whitehall looks set to compete for the lead striker role with young talent Vincent Harper and Ryan Hall either side. 

Manager: Lee Bradbury is best known for his time at Bournemouth as a player. Following Eddie Howe's first departure from the club back in 2011, Bradbury stepped into the managerial hotseat and guided the Cherries into the play offs where they lost in the semi finals. The following season was a chastening experience for the manager who couldn't keep the club's upward trajectory going. Following this, Bradbury dropped down the divisions to manage Havant and Waterlooville where he led the club to multiple promotions culminating in a season in the National League. Relegation followed however also resulting in the end of the manager's 7 year stint in charge. Bradbury's profile has been lower in recent years following an unsuccessful stint in charge of Eastbourne Borough before moving into an Assistant Manager role at Crawley Town. 

Unheralded Gem: Vincent Harper - A 21 year old left sided player who signed from Chippenham Town last summer. Harper featured more towards the back end of last season putting in several impressive performances for the Spitfires. With an eye for getting forward, expect him to feature more predominately in the first team this season, potentially as part of a front three. 

Top Goal-scorer Prediction: Danny Whitehall

Prediction: Eastleigh's fortunes have steadily been declining in recent years with the club slowly slipping from the tag of play off contenders to lower mid table underachievers. The manager himself has also encountered a tricky start at the club and struggled during his previous stint in the division. However, Eastleigh have recruited better than many would have expected and there is football league experience now throughout the squad. The spine of the team now looks stronger with Maghoma, Martin, Atangana and Cisse giving the Spitfires the solidity that they perhaps lacked last season. What may hold the side back is a lack of goals from around the team. The likes of Jake Hesketh, Charlie Carter, Ryan Hall and Vincent Harper are going to have to chip in and support the front man if a play off position is to become a reality. Whilst Bradbury's men will likely be solid at the back, it is hard to see them being one of the division's leading scorers and therefore a comfortable mid-table finish with moments of promise is most likely. 

Oldham Athletic

Ins
Liam Hogan (Stockport) 

Chris Porter (Crewe) 

Jordan Windass (Bradford Park Avenue) 

Luke Burgess (Salford City) 

Nathan Sheron (Harrogate)

Magnus Norman (Carlisle)

Zaine Francis-Angol (Hartlepool)

Lois Maynard (Stockport)

Ben Tollitt (AFC Fylde)

Dan Gardner (Doncaster)

Outs
Dylan Bahamboula

Kane Badby

Ousseynou Cisse

Raphael Diarra

Dylan Fage

Jamie Hopcutt

Kyle Jameson

Davis Keillor-Dunn

Christopher Missilou

Tope Obadeyi

Carl Piergianni

Danny Rogers

Callum Whelan

Sam Hart

Nicky Adams

Potential line up

Squad brief: Becoming the first former Premier League club to ever be relegated to the non-league was not the accolade that Oldham were aiming to achieve last season. Yet a disastrous relegation campaign saw a transfer embargo limiting them to free transfers and loans along with protests against owner Abdallah Lemsagam over his running of the club. However, the sale of the club during pre-season to Frank Rothwell and family has filled supporters with much needed relief as this sorry chapter in the club's history can now hopefully be put behind them. Club icon John Sheridan oversaw the drop to the National League during his 4th spell in charge of the club and has set about rebuilding. The squad has lost most of its better players with towering defender Carl Piergianni, prolific striker Davis Keillor-Dunn and midfielders Callum Whelan and Dylan Bahamboula finding other clubs. With a big rebuilding task on his hands, Sheridan has largely plumped for experience with Liam Hogan, Lois Maynard and Zaine Francis-Angol all with many years of experience in the division. Midfielder Dan Gardner returns to the Lactics after two years away in League One with Wigan and Doncaster whilst veteran striker Chris Porter also rejoins the club after 15 years away at the age of 38. Supporters will hope Porter's guile and cleverness in and around the box will get the best out of those around him - in particular Jack Stobbs, Hallan Hope and new signing Ben Tollitt who all have the ability to run at defenders but are often plague by inconsistency. Elsewhere, goalkeeper (not Swedish tennis star) Magnus Norman has joined from Carlisle and Nathan Sheron's arrival from Harrogate will likely see him take one of the two midfield spots. With acquisitions needed in the attacking positions, Sheridan has also brought in Luke Burgess from Salford with the intention of playing him on the wing or behind the striker. To date though, Porter aside, no other new striker has been recruited with National League regular Mike Fondop the senior alternative up front. 

Manager: John Sheridan has embarked on a 20-year career managing in the lower regions of the Football League. With four spells in charge of Oldham, his first remains his most successful back in 2006-2009 where he led the club consistently to the upper regions of League One including a play off campaign in 2007. Sheridan has also managed Chesterfield on two occasions with his sole league title gained in 2011 as the side were crowned champions of League Two. The former Republic of Ireland international has also developed a reputation as a relegation firefighter where he has successfully rescued Newport County, Plymouth Argyle, Fleetwood Town and Oldham themselves from perilous looking positions in the league. 

Unheralded Gem: Zaine-Francis Angol - One of the most consistent left backs in the National League over the past few years. Capable going forward and solid in defence, Francis-Angol will add some much needed stability to Lactics' defensive unit. 

Top Goal-scorer Prediction: Chris Porter

Prediction: Oldham's summer retained list mirrors so many other relegated League Two clubs before them. An exodus of players albeit several of whom would have been useful assets in the National League and too many remaining who will probably struggle at this level. John Sheridan has made some sensible signings with Liam Hogan and Zaine Francis-Angol amongst those adding valuable experience at this level. Oldham will certainly look to Grimsby's instant promotion as inspiration yet there is a substantial difference between the calibre of squads and managers. With new ownership in place, it has to be asked how long Rothwell and co will persist with Sheridan if the trend of his recent failings in charge of clubs continues. On the whole, especially considering they look light of firepower beyond 38-year-old Chris Porter, it would be a successful season for Oldham to obtain a comfortable mid-table finish with the building blocks in place for a promotion assault the following season.  

Torquay United

Ins

Ryan Hanson (Dover)

Dylan Crowe (Ipswich)

Kieron Evans (Cardiff - loan)

Aaron Jarvis (Scunthorpe)

Brett McGavin (Ipswich)

Ross Marshall (Stevenage)

Corie Andrews (AFC Wimbledon)

Ollie Tomlinson (Plymouth)

Rhys Lovatt (Billericay)

Shaun Donnellan (Maidenhead)

Will Goodwin (Stoke)

Outs
Klaidi Lolos

Louie Slough

Scott Piper

Chiori Johnson

Joe Felix

Dan Holman

Martin Brzozowski

Jake Andrews

Danny Wright

Joe Lewis

Armani Little

Shaun McDonald

Ben Wynter

Keelan O'Connell

Potential line up

Squad brief: Last season very much consisted of two halves for Torquay United. With a very inexperienced squad following the exodus in the wake of their play off final defeat, an inconsistent start to the season saw the Gulls struggling in lower mid-table around Christmas time. The second half to the season saw Gary Johnson's men high in the points per game charts but they left themselves just too much to do to secure a 2nd successive play off appearance. Once again, that burst of form has almost haunted Torquay with many of their better players poached in the off season. Both Connor Lemonhaigh-Evans and Joe Lewis moved up a division to Stockport whilst Armani Little went one division higher to newly promoted Forest Green Rovers. Losing impressive right back Ben Wynter to divisional rivals Barnet was also a blow. It ensures that once again, Gary Johnson has had to spend pre-season signing largely raw gems in the hope that they turn out to be bargains come the season's end. Kieron Evans looks to be one of these. The 20-year-old has been long touted as one of Cardiff's bright prospects and there was an element of surprise that a loan to an EFL club was not secure. Evans will likely play off the striker as will fellow new signing Corie Andrews who had a successful loan spell at Aldershot last season. Following veteran Danny Wright's departure, Johnson has signed former Scunthorpe target man Aaron Jarvis to lead the line. Elsewhere, Ross Marshall has been signed from Stevenage in a bid to replace the outgoing Lewis at centre back whilst the exciting Dylan Crowe looks to be another raw talent who will excite at right wing back. In central midfield, the experienced Asa Hall will hope to put an injury hit season behind him as new signings Ryan Hanson and Brett McGavin look to challenge him and Tom Lapslie for the starting spots. 

Manager: You won't find a manager more experienced in the division than Gary Johnson. The veteran 65-year-old has won 4 league titles during his career at Yeovil (twice), Cheltenham Town and at current club Torquay. Added to this Johnson has six promotions on his C.V with the aforementioned titles added to with a league runners up medal with Bristol City and a Play Off final victory with Yeovil in his second spell at the club. Just for good measure, Johnson has even managed at international level with Latvia! At Torquay, Johnson led the side to the National League South title four seasons ago before going almightily close to a Football League return two seasons back. 

Unheralded Gem: Kieron Evans - Potentially one of the signings of the summer. A winger or second striker who possesses trickery, pace and an eye for goal. Expect him to be in and amongst the goals and assists this season. 

Top Goal-scorer Prediction: Corie Andrews

Overall prediction: Going into this season, Torquay United are not in many people's promotion conversation. Yet it's very hard to write them off entirely with Gary Johnson as manager. The 66-year-old has a knack for taking unfancied sides far and the early signs are that he may have signed some real underrated gems this summer. If the Gulls can get off to a quick start with their rampaging wing back system, Johnson has the nous and experience to carry them through the gruelling 46 game marathon. A lot depends on whether the front three of Evans, Andrews and Jarvis can replace the goals of those who have moved on. It is also worth pointing out that all of Gary Johnson's 11 signings are aged under 25 which shows the type of market that he is having to work in. In what looks like a very competitive division, Torquay might have to settle for a year of consolidation where young players are blooded and hopefully kept before a more serious look at the play off spots next season.

Wealdstone

Ins

Sam Howes (Horsham)

Tarryn Allarakhia (Woking)

Matt Young (Leyton Orient)

Dom Hutchinson (Watford)

Lewis Kinsilla (Aldershot)

Max Kretzschmar (Woking)

Sam Habergham (Peninsula Power)

Malachi Napa (Maldon & Tiptree)

Jordy Mongoy (Hemel Hempsted)

Olufela Olomola (Hartlepool)

Deji Elerewe (Charlton - Loan)

Mason Barrett (Watford)

Outs

Dan Wishart

Andrew Eleftheriou

Alfie Marigliani

Ira Jackson

Charlie Cooper

Jamie Mascoll

Jerome Okimo

Nikola Tavares

Josh Umerah

Medy Elito

Potential line up

Squad brief:  As one of the fancied sides to get relegated last season, finishing 19 points clear of the relegation zone must count as a great success for Wealdstone. Indeed, Stuart Maynard's side improved dramatically from the season before with 65 goals conceded compared to the 99 the season before and a general improvement in performance level. Even so, the challenges of being a part time club at this level never end with top-scorer Josh Umerah departing in pre-season. Maynard has moved quickly to bring in Olufela Olomola from Hartlepool. The striker has never been prolific although the majority of his football career has been played at League Two level. Elsewhere, the Stones have enhanced their squad with some impressive signings on paper such as Max Kretzschmar joining from Woking. The attacking midfielder may take some burden off the lone striker with regular double digit hauls across the seasons for the Cards. Lewis Kinsilla and Sam Habergham also look to be impressive signings on paper with the defensive duo bringing a wealth of experience to the club. Importantly, Wealdstone kept hold of centre back and captain Jack Cook after an excellent season saw him win the Supporter's Player of the Year award. Importantly, Stuart Maynard is not afraid to use the loan market and has managed to secure Charlton 18-year-old Deji Elewere in what is seen to be a coup with the centre back tipped for a starting spot in the League One this season. Elsewhere, young central midfielder Matt Young also joins on loan after appearing 14 times for Leyton Orient last season whilst winger Tarryn Allarakhia will be hoping to live up to his vast potential on the right wing that has never quite been fulfilled at other clubs. 

Manager: Stuart Maynard is a new name in the managerial world after being appointed Wealdstone boss in March 2021. The Stones' new gaffer was Assistant Manager to previous boss Dean Brennan, who he had previously assisted at Billericay Town and Kingstonian. Maynard impressed enough during his caretaker spell to be offered the job permanently with former Fulham and Dagenham & Redbridge midfielder Matt Saunders as his assistant. In his first full season as manager, Maynard led the Stones to a 16th place finish in the National League. 

Unheralded Gem: Jack Cook - The club captain had an excellent debut season for the Stones. Commanding and able to play out from the back, Cook is an essential part of Stuart Maynard's quest to continuously improve the Stones' defence. 

Top Goal-scorer Prediction: Olufela Olomola

Overall prediction: Stuart Maynard has done an excellent job so far of overcoming the odds at Wealdstone but there is no respite from what is becoming a more difficult division to survive in year on year. A large part of whether the Stones will replicate last season's comfortable mid table finish will be if the club can replace the goals of Josh Umerah. Maynard's squad looks to be a little thin on the surface and the club will have to use the loan market wisely over the course of the season to fill the gaps. Nevertheless, the club appear to be attracting a greater calibre of player in the transfer market this summer and providing that Wealdstone can keep their best players fit, they should look forward to another season punching above their weight at this level. 

Yeovil Town FC

Ins
Ollie Hulbert (Bristol Rovers)

Malachi Linton (Wycombe Wanderers)

Jamie Reckord (Boreham Wood)

Sam Perry (Walsall)

Alex Fisher (Newport County)

Chiori Johnson (Torquay)

Sam Pearson (Bristol City - Loan)

Ben Richards-Everton (Barnet)

Finlay Craske (Plymouth - Loan)

Outs
Luke Wilkinson

Charlie Lee

Reuben Reid

Mark Little

Adi Yussuf

Alex Bradley

Jordan Barnett

Dale Gorman

Potential line up 

Squad brief: With questions about their ownership still lingering in the background, Yeovil come into this season once again with uncertainty. Owner Scott Priestnall has recently sold the club's ground, Huish Park, to South Somerset District Council in a controversial move to raise funds to help finance the club. On the football side, Chris Hargreaves is now the man in charge following Darren Sarll's departure to Woking. Hargreaves' immediate job will be to add more firepower to a side that only scored 43 goals last season. He has looked to address this with the signings of strikers Malachi Linton from Wycombe, Ollie Hulbert from Bristol Rovers and veteran Alex Fisher from Newport. The latter has played for numerous clubs in League Two but has not yet hit double figures during a Football League season despite his tenacity and endless running. 21-year-old Linton had a fruitful spell at Kings Lynn last season where he scored 8 goals in 21 matches for a struggling team whilst fellow youngster Hulbert scored 9 goals across loan spells in the National League North. Elsewhere, experienced defender Luke Wilkinson has followed Sarll to Woking meaning that Josh Staunton will likely drop back into the defence at times this season alongside Max Hunt, Morgan Williams and others such as new signing Ben Richards-Everton with Hargreaves likely aiming for a 3-5-2 formation. New wing back Chiori Johnson joins following his release from Torquay although Charlie Wakefield may well be deployed there despite his success in a more attacking wing position last season. Jamie Reckord will likely take up a position on the left in this formation. Central midfielder Sam Perry also joins from Walsall and will be competing with Matty Worthington, Lawson D'Ath and captain Staunton for a starting spot in the middle of the park. 

Manager: Following a long playing career in the Football League, Chris Hargreaves made his managerial debut in 2014 where he took charge of Torquay United - the same club he had earned promotion with as a player just seven years earlier. On this occasion, Hargreaves did not enjoy the same success as he could not prevent Torquay from dropping into the National League South. From that moment on, the former midfielder stepped out of the limelight preferring to work as an U21 coach at Bristol Rovers where several of his developmental squad found a passageway through to the first team. Rather out of the blue this summer, Hargreaves was appointed as Yeovil Town's new manager replacing interim boss Charlie Lee. 

Unheralded Gem: Tom Knowles - Following a breakthrough campaign in 2020, the attacking midfielder performed even better last season with double figures in all competitions. Capable of scoring stunners from range, Knowles has also started arriving late into the box as well. Certainly clubs higher up the footballing pyramid will be keeping an eye on his progress this season. 

Top Goal-scorer Prediction: Tom Knowles

Overall prediction: Yeovil have been treading water for what feels like a couple of seasons now. Languishing in mid-table, something needs to change if they want to launch a serious bid at becoming a Football League club again. The market that the club appear to be operating in seems of a lesser quality than other sides aiming for promotion with incomings largely of young promising players rather than established names at this level. The Glovers look strongest in defence and no doubt will be a tough nut to crack as they were last year where only 46 goals were conceded. Chris Hargreaves seemingly deciding to move away from wingers is an intriguing decision too with arguably the Glovers' best players last season being Tom Knowles and Charlie Wakefield from the wide areas. If the defence does start to creak, expect Hargreaves to come under pressure as Yeovil will not want to be looking over their shoulders at the relegation zone. 

EDIT: After publishing, Yeovil rudely went and sold Tom Knowles to Walsall rather out of the blue. Whilst I don't think the Glovers will be relegated, this certainly puts paid to any loftier ambitions and it would not be a shock to see them embroiled in a relegation battle this season with their main creative and goal outlet gone. It is likely that Lawson D'Ath, should he remain fit, will come into the team as the most advanced man behind the front two. 

Play off contenders

Boreham Wood

Ins
Alfie Egan (Ebbsfleet)

Dion Kelly-Evans (Notts County)

Danny Newton (Solihull Moors)

Lee Ndlovu (Brackley Town)

Danny Elliott (Boston United)

George Williams (Barrow)

Zak Brunt (Sheffield United)

Erico Sousa (Grimsby Town)

Jack Payne (Crawley)

Outs
James Comley

Adrian Clifton

Gus Mafuta

Scott Boden

Kane Smith

Jamie Reckord

Frankie Raymond

Connor Smith

Jacob Mendy-Mendy

Potential line up

Squad brief: At one point last season, it seemed possible that Boreham Wood may even have been contenders to win the National League. Yet, the exerts of an exhausting FA Cup run put paid to the Wood's form with only 11 points coming from their final 19 matches thus resulting in them falling out of the play off positions entirely. It is not hard to see where Luke Garrard's side struggled as the side scored only 49 goals in the league. 40 goals conceded was an excellent record but ultimately when the clean sheets stopped, Wood struggled to hit back from going behind as the season drew onwards. Garrard has looked to add more strikers to his team following the summer departure of Scott Boden with Danny Newton, Danny Elliott and Lee Ndlovu arriving. Newton's arrives in the wake of Solihull's failure to win the play off final with the hard working striker contributing five goals to the cause last season. Elliott and Ndlovu both starred in the National League North with the former hitting 30+ goals in all competitions and the latter providing a useful outlet as a target man alongside a 15 goal contribution. The core of the side largely remains the same with the physical trio of Stephens, Fyfield and Evans providing a sizeable barrier for the opposition to get past. Losing flying wing backs Kane Smith and Jacob Mendy-Mendy over the summer was an inevitability although the club acted quickly to bring in Notts County's Dion Kelly Evans as a like-for-like replacement whilst Erico Sousa, signed from Grimsby, may be a more attacking wing-back or wide forward option. With the release of Gus Mafuta and Frankie Raymond, the vacancy in central midfield looks likely to be filled by Alfie Egan who had an excellent season at Ebbsfleet and experienced defensive midfielder Jack Payne. Supporters will hope Josh Rees can hit double figures this season after hitting 8 goals from attacking midfield during the previous campaign.

Manager: After a long playing career in non-league football that culminated in 2015, Luke Garrard became manager of his final club - Boreham Wood. Garrard had been player/assistant to Ian Allinson at the club since 2013 and upon accepting the position became the youngest manager in all of England's top five divisions. Garrard has experienced success with the club over the past seven seasons with the play offs being reached on two occasions. In particular, the 2017/18 season saw Boreham Wood reach the play off final where they lost narrowly to Tranmere Rovers. With a new three year contract signed in the summer, Garrard will be hoping to realise his and chairman Danny Hunter's dream of taking the club into the football league. 

Unheralded Gem: Tyrone Marsh - For all of the firepower signed over the summer, Tyrone Marsh has been a dependable National League striker for a number of years now. Not one to head the scoring charts himself, Marsh's all round game largely benefits those around him whilst he chips in over the season regularly finishing on around 10 goals thus providing useful support to a strike partner. 

Top Goal-scorer Prediction: Tyrone Marsh

Overall prediction: It is a case of what might have been last season for Boreham Wood. Would they have finished within the play offs had they not embarked on that FA Cup run? We'll never know. The permanent issue that Boreham Wood face is their inability to score goals. The last three seasons have seen the Wood score 55, 52 and 49 times. Considering two of these seasons saw Kabongo Tshimanga up front, it shows just how reliant on the individual brilliance of their forwards that Boreham Wood are. Luke Garrard's pragmatic approach will always see them incredibly tight at the back but nevertheless it only takes a dip in form for the side to be chasing in games. Although they have signed proven goal-scorers over the summer, it does appear that the system outweighs the personnel with Boreham Wood and therefore I predict much of the same - a play off push that will ultimately end in a near miss once again. 

Bromley

In

Adam Marriott (Barnet)

Callum Reynolds (Dagenham & Redbridge)

James Vennings (Charlton)

David Smith (Folkestone Invicta)

Reece Hannam (Crystal Palace - loan)

Outs
James Alabi

Luke Coulson

Mark Cousins

Joe Partingdon

Liam Trotter

Toby Stevenson

Scott Wagstaff

Kory Roberts

Archie Burnett

Ben Margetson

Jack Cawley

Sam Skeffington

Potential line up

Squad brief: For a period of time last season, Bromley were right in the race for the title. Nevertheless, just 17 points from their final 19 games following Andy Woodman being linked with the Gillingham hotseat derailed their promotion bid. The club did sign off the season on a positive note with FA Trophy final success but the lasting feeling was that the season was a missed opportunity for Bromley. Andy Woodman has rung the changes over the summer with several first team regulars leaving such as Luke Coulson, Liam Trotter, Joe Partingdon and Mark Cousins. With a 3-5-2 formation employed last season, signings this summer are those who can slot straight in. Callum Reynolds from Dagenham & Redbridge is one who will be comfortable in a back three and is a strong distributor from the back. He will likely compete with Chris Bush for a starting spot in the side. With Harry Forster and Corey Whitely often in the wing back roles, Reece Hallam has signed to add competition and also to potentially free up one of Forster and Whitely to be deployed further forward where they can hurt the opposition. So far, the club's marquee signing of the summer if Adam Marriott from Barnet. Michael Cheek has long led the line for Bromley but with Marriott alongside him, there is potential for a real prolific partnership to develop if both can hit the ground running. Elsewhere, James Vennings returns on a permanent deal after a successful loan spell last season where he will likely play alongside Billy Bingham. At the time of writing, somewhat surprisingly, Bromley do not have a contracted goalkeeper although expect this to be rectified in the next two days before the season begins. 

Manager: Andy Woodman left a lot of people asking 'who?' when he was unveiled as the new Bromley manager in 2021. As a goalkeeper, Woodman's playing career saw him represent numerous sides in the Football League with his stint at Northampton Town perhaps the most memorable. After retiring, he spent a lot of time following Alan Pardew from club to club as goalkeeper coach before embarking on a managerial role himself at Whitehawk in 2017. Woodman saved the club from relegation and left shortly afterwards before becoming the Head of Goalkeeping at Arsenal - a role in which he held until Bromley came calling. Woodman's first full season in charge of the club saw them narrowly miss out on the play offs but acquire silverware through an FA Trophy final triumph over Wrexham. 

Unheralded Gem: Billy Bingham - The hub of Bromley's midfield. When Bingham doesn't play, they do not distribute nearly as well. The 32-year-old possesses an excellent range of passing and is often the architect of the effective moves that the team puts together. 

Top Goal-scorer Prediction: Michael Cheek

Overall prediction: It feels as if Bromley have been dark horses for promotion for what must be three or four seasons now. Under Andy Woodman, the club have shown signs of taking that next step but their direct style of play can sometimes inhibit the more creative players in the side. Michael Cheek has always carried the goal-scoring burden but the signing of Adam Marriott should relieve that somewhat. What Bromley require are more goal contributions from the other areas of the pitch, especially from the likes of Louis Dennis and Corey Whitely. Overall, the Ravens are likely to be competing for that final play off position with several other sides who have recruited well. One area that Andy Woodman is often criticised for is his lack of plan B for when the team is not winning. Whether the Ravens have enough variety in their play when the going gets tough over the course of a 46 game season remains to be seen however and it may just be that they fall slightly short again. 

Dagenham & Redbridge

In
Nikola Tavares (Wealdstone)

Omar Mussa (Weymouth)

David Longe-King (Grimsby)

Outs

Ibby Akanbi

Kenny Clark

Joey Jones

Darren McQueen

Scott Wilson

Callum Reynolds

Will Wright

Brandon Comley

Potential line up

Squad brief: Progress was made but still Dagenham & Redbridge found themselves on the edge of the play offs last season. 1 point away from a top seven finish will frustrate the side who for much of the season led the goalscoring charts. After finding themselves top of the league in the early months, a mid-season slump saw the team fall out of the play off positions and despite a late surge, Darryl McMahon's men could not make up the ground to those above. Like last summer, McMahon has not made too many tweaks to the squad with several players signing within the season such as Yoan Zouma, Junior Morias, Manny Onariase and Josh Hare. It will perhaps frustrate McMahon though that he was not able to secure a new contract with another mid-season signing - midfielder Brandon Comley - after the player's impressive end to the season. Nevertheless, the talented Omar Mussa joins as his replacement and the club will hope that the 21-year-old box to box midfielder's transition to full-time football is smooth with limited injuries. The Daggers' defence was often a cause for concern last season with Will Wright and Callum Reynolds both excellent distributors but sometimes vulnerable to balls in from wide areas. Both have left over the summer for pastures new and McMahon has sought to replace both with Nikola Tavares and David Longe-King. Again, both are known for their ability to play out from the back although both have a reputation as strong defenders in their own right. Tavares may well yet be deployed as a holding midfielder at times during the campaign whilst Longe-King's height will be an asset for a side that found themselves often on the wrong end of a set piece goal. Elsewhere, Matt Robinson and Mo Sagaf will likely be given a license to get forward from the middle of the pitch to support Paul McCallum and one of Josh Walker or Junior Morias. 

Manager: At the age of 38, Daryl McMahon is still in his managerial infancy yet it feels as if he's been around for a long time. The former Leyton Orient and Stevenage player took over at National League South side Ebbsfleet in 2015 before leading them to promotion via the play offs a year later. His success continued the following season as Ebbsfleet made the National League play offs but this time they were defeated at the semi final stage by Tranmere Rovers. After departing Ebbsfleet the following season, McMahon took over at Macclesfield Town amidst a financial crisis. Five months later, McMahon resigned as the club's troubles worsened before joining the Daggers a day later. With two near misses at finishing in a play off position, McMahon will hope it is third time lucky this season. 

Unheralded Gem: Junior Morias - After not fulfilling his early promise with injuries largely to blame, Morias was at a career crossroads when the Daggers came calling in November. A speedy forward with an incredible work-rate, Morias struck up an excellent partnership with Paul McCallum and found himself returning the best goal to game ratio of his career last season. 

Top Goal-scorer Prediction: Paul McCallum

Prediction: This is a pivotal season for the Daggers and boss Darryl McMahon. The hierarchy and fanbase will expect to finish in a play off position this season considering the firepower they possess and the fact that they have retained all of their key players. Looking at last season, the Daggers simply lost too many matches and were particularly vulnerable at set pieces. Success this campaign will depend on whether the side can learn to win uglier when the free flowing football that they are capable of is not firing. Yet, with a familiarity throughout the squad and some smart tweaks made over the summer, it is time for Dagenham & Redbridge to take that next step and secure a top seven finish this season. 

FC Halifax Town

Ins

Jack Hunter (Gateshead)

Sam Smart (Eastleigh)

Jamie Stott (Stockport)

Mani Dieseruvwe (Tranmere)

Tylor Golden (Salford)

Jordan Keane (Stockport)

Millenic Alli (Stockport)

Angelo Capello (Sheffield United)

Festus Arthur (Hull)

Rob Harker (Burnley)

Sam Minihan (Stockport)

Tom Clarke (Fleetwood)

Outs
Martin Woods

Matty Stenson

Gerry McDonagh

Zak Dearnley

Tom Bradbury

Niall Maher

Billy Waters

Javid Swaby-Neavin

Tyrell Warren

Jay Benn

Sam McLintock

Potential line up

Squad brief: You'd think we'd have all learnt in writing Halifax off by now. Despite losing Neill Byrne, Jeff King, Jake Hyde and Jack Earing last summer, Halifax confounded pundits' views again by being in the mix for promotion. This time though, instead of narrowly missing out on the play offs, they stormed to a 4th place finish with the best defensive record in the division. Sadly, this defence has been pulled apart over the summer with Tom Bradbury, Jay Benn and Niall Maher all moving into the Football League. Manager Pete Wild has also departed with assistant Chris Millington taking the reins and hoping to provide a smooth transition into the new season. Millington's first job has been to recruit for the aforementioned defence and he has done so impressively with Stockport's Sam Minihan, Jordan Keane and Jamie Stott all joining from last season's National League winners. Minihan will likely slot in at right back, Stott into the centre or left of defence whilst Keane can play centre back or defensive midfield. With the potential departure of Jesse Debrah also on the horizon, powerhouse centre back Festus Arthur has joined from Hull City and the experienced Tom Clarke signs after appearing 35 times in League 1 for Fleetwood last season. Throughout the squad, it is a continuous case of replacing those who have departed. Tough tackling midfielder Kieran Green secured a move to newly promoted Grimsby with his position likely being filled by new signing Jack Hunter or potentially Jamie Cooke who may get his chance after impressing out on loan last season. One player who has not departed is attacking midfielder Matty Warburton who will be hoping to replicate or better his 13 goals from last season. Nevertheless, top goal-scorer Billy Waters has left but Millington has acted quickly to bring in the towering Mani Dieseruvwe, who scored numerous goals during the run in for Grimsby last season. The club's wide options have also been replenished with Sam Smart, Angelo Capello and Millenic Alli competing with Love Island's Jamie Allen and wide forward Jordan Slew who saw his goals dry up in the 2nd half of last season.

Manager: Chris Millington is a name not known to many outside of Halifax Town. Like predecessor Pete Wild, the new Town boss does not have a senior playing career to speak of and has instead worked his way up the coaching chain. Millington started out at Altrincham U18s before a short spell abroad in Croatia. Upon returning, he then formed his partnership with Wild for the first time at Oldham Athletic's academy. After a short spell as Oldham Assistant Manager in 2019, he followed the new Barrow manager to Halifax where he has been ever since. Stepping up this season represents Millington's first experience as a senior football manager. 

Unheralded Gem: Sam Minihan - A real coup for Halifax. Minihan probably would have secured more minutes for Stockport last season had Macauley Southam-Hales not been in his way. The fan favourite is as committed as they come with his limitless energy up and down the touchline complimenting his solid defensive work. 

Top Goal-scorer Prediction: Mani Dieseruvwe

Overall prediction: Once again, Halifax enter a season with many of their stars having left for pastures new. In previous years, the side have been written off by many, including yours truly, but this year more so than ever what with the departure of Pete Wild. The club have smartly opted for continuity with Chris Millington stepping up to the manager's hotseat however there is always some trepidation with an assistant taking a step up into unproven territory. As always though, the club's transfer business has been conducted under the radar with some smart additions being made. In particular, striker Mani Dieseruvwe has pedigree after playing in two National League Play Off finals whilst Festus Arthur has enormous potential at centre back. What stands out though, as in previous seasons, is how combative and gritty Halifax look which is a big reason as to why they had the best home record in the division last season. Whilst it may take a lot to match the 84 points set in May, expect the Shaymen to be firmly in the play off reckoning once again providing Millington proves cut out for the job. 

Southend United

Ins

Dan Mooney (Altrincham)

Cavaghn Miley (Eastleigh)

Harry Taylor (Barnet)

Gus Scott-Morriss (Hemel Hempsted)

Louis Lomas (Brackley Town)

Wes Fonguck (Barnet)

Chris Wreh (Banbury United)

Jake Hyde (Wrexham - Loan)

Outs

Rob Howard

Abu Ogogo

Josh Coulson

James Dunne

Harry Phillips

Lewis Gard

Simeon Akinola

Will Atkinson

Leon Davies

John White

Ashley Nathaniel-George

Matt Rush

Reiss Chandler

Terrell Egbri

Eren Kinali

Miles Mitchell-Nelson

Sam Dalby

Potential Line Up

Squad brief: 2021/22 was always going to be a rough ride for Southend United. Phil Brown was a desperation appointment and his non-league contact book was clearly limited going by the signings made last summer. In particular, the engine room of an ageing James Dunne and Abu Ogogo was ruthlessly exposed as were some of the other veterans signed such as Josh Coulson. Ex player Kevin Maher took over as manager part way through last campaign and has overseen a steady improvement on and off the pitch. This summer, recruitment has seen the Shrimpers bring in players who have shone for their clubs at this and the level below. Dan Mooney was the first following a fine season for Altrincham on the wing where he landed double figures in goals alongside multiple assists. This was shortly followed by Eastleigh's Cav Miley and Barnet's Harry Taylor - both workmanlike midfielders in their mid 20s who epitomise the drive and energy that the club were initially looking for when they recruited Ogogo and Dunne a year earlier. Possibly the most notable transfer business of Southend's summer has been the essential swap deal that sees Sam Dalby leave Roots Hall with Jake Hyde coming in on loan from Wrexham. Dalby's technical ability has not been in question although he did at times struggle ploughing a lone furrow up front whereas Hyde is more experienced and akin to leading the line.  Maher has also not been afraid to look at players from the level below with Gus Scott-Morriss joining from Hemel Hempsted, prolific striker Chris Wreh joining from Banbury United after scoring 23 times last season and Louis Lomas from National League North runners up Brackley Town. 21-year-old Lomas, in particular, was an inclusion in the North Team of the Season after an exceptional season at the heart of Brackley's defence. Signings such as this show the direction that the club is beginning to head in and with planning permission finally granted for their new stadium, perhaps the future is starting to look brighter for Southend United. 

Manager: As a player, Kevin Maher is a name that will be well known to supporters of lower league sides. As a manager, Maher's credentials are less documented although he has quietly impressed in coaching roles at several clubs including Bristol Rovers. His appointment as Southend manager last season was unexpected at the time although it has proved to be a good decision to date. More so, the appointment of Darren Currie as Assistant Manager and Mark Bentley as First Team Coach ensures that Southend have a core management team young yet experienced within non-league circles. 

Unheralded Gem: Dan Mooney - The 23-year-old was last season's National League Young Player of the Year after an excellent season at Altrincham. A right winger with an eye for goal who will certainly add a greater end product to the Shrimper's attack. 

Top Goal-scorer Prediction: Rhys Murphy

Overall prediction: Even from afar, it was clear to see that Southend were going to struggle last season. The club have spent the first half of 2022 sorting out key managerial roles and clearing out the deadwood. As a result, the coaching team of Maher, Currie and Bentley looks far more attuned to what is needed at National League level whilst Southend's squad now reflects a better mixture of experience and dynamism. The Shrimpers certainly look like they can be a force in the top half of the table this season as a result. The fitness of Rhys Murphy and Jake Hyde, with their predatory instincts around the box, could well determine if Southend are consistent enough to make the top seven. It does have to be said that the pair's injury record in recent times does give some cause for concern in that sense. Looking at the squad overall, it is in a far better place but there are still some areas within the depth of the squad where the club could strengthen and it may take another summer's turnover for Southend to be in a position to genuinely push for promotion.

Woking FC

Ins
Luke Wilkinson (Yeovil)

Dan Moss (Millwall)

Ricky Korboa (Sutton)

James Daly (Stevenage)

Reece Grego-Cox (Crawley)

Scott Cuthbert (Stevenage)

Padraig Amond (Newport)

Ethan Wady (Chelsea - loan)

Sid Nelson (Northampton)

Jim Kellerman (Chesterfield)

Outs
Mark Smith

Tom Champion

Moussa Diarra

Jamar Loza

Solomon Nwabuokei

George Oakley

Tarryn Allarakhia

Tommy Block

Leo Hamblin

Selim Saied

Max Kretzschmar

Potential line up

Squad brief: Last season proved to be a big disappointment for Woking which resulted in Alan Dowson's departure after four years in charge. Despite several signings that looked good on paper, Woking struggled defensively and ended up with 23 losses which was a joint high for a team not in the relegation zone. New manager Darren Sarll has looked to fix his side's soft centre and has brought in some experience throughout the team's spine. Luke Wilkinson and Scott Cuthbert have over 600 football league appearances combined and will likely make up the club's first choice centre back partnership. Veteran status also applies to the club's new striker in Padraig Amond. The former Newport County man has been a proven goal-scorer throughout his career and will likely lead the line for the Cards next season. Nevertheless, it's not just experience that Sarll is after as the lively Ricky Korboa and Reece-Grego Cox, both in their mid 20s, will add pace and potentially goals from the wide areas. Elsewhere, 26-year-old central midfielder Jim Kellerman will hope to re-find his Aldershot Town form from a few years ago after struggling at promotion hopefuls Chesterfield last season. Sarll has also looked to tap into his contact book with former Yeovil loanee Dan Moss signed after an impressive spell at the Glovers last season. With the club retaining key names such as captain Josh Casey and defensive midfielder Rohan Ince, Woking boast a far deeper squad at this level than they have had for a long time. 

Manager: Darren Sarll is surprisingly only 39-years-old. A short non-league playing career was cut short in 2006 when the route into youth coaching presented itself. With many years of experience gained, Sarll stepped up to manage Stevenage after they disposed of Teddy Sheringham. An inconsistent spell saw the club lurch in and out of form during his two years in charge. Nevertheless, this was enough to see Yeovil Town appoint him as manager in 2019 following their relegation to the National League. Sarll impressed during his time at the Glovers and managed to take them into the play offs during his first season despite difficulties with the club's ownership behind the scenes. With key assets sold, Sarll was able to stabilise the following seasons until moving to Woking in March where he has received more funds to strengthen the club this summer. 

Unheralded Gem: Kyran Lofthouse - Mostly used as a full-back, Lofthouse has real potential as a winger with a natural tendency to take on and beat opposing players. Whilst eyes will be on a lot of the new signings, if he can establish a starting spot, there is no reason why one of Woking's already contracted players could be their star of the season. 

Top Goal-scorer Prediction: Padraig Amond

Overall prediction: With more and more money coming into the National League in recent years, it is easy to automatically write a club like Woking into mid-table during a pre-season prediction. But with money of their own through Chairman John Katz and a more progressive manager in Darren Sarll, Woking will have their eyes on the top-half of the table this season. The Cards have recruited excellently over the summer and have prioritised fixing the mentality of a side that was leaky last season. In Padraig Amond, for the first time in quite a while, Woking have a natural goal-scorer and if they can get the service right to him, they could find themselves in an unlikely battle for a play-off position. 

York City

Ins
Scott Boden (Boreham Wood)

Alex Hurst (Port Vale)

Sam Sanders (Nottingham Forest)

Ryan Fallowfield (Harrogate Town)

Scott Burgess (Grimsby Town)

Adam Crookes (Grimsby Town)

Fraser Kerr (Chesterfield)

Lenell John-Lewis (Grimsby)

Gus Mafuta (Boreham Wood)

AJ Greaves (Doncaster)

Ethan Ross (Stockport)

Alex Whittle (York)

Luke James (Barrow)

Manny Duku (Havant and Waterlooville)

Michael Duckworth (Resigned)

Dan Pybus (Dunfermline)

Outs
Matty Brown

Maison Campbell

Lewis Cunningham

Clayton Donaldson

Jack Degruchy

Mackenzie Heaney

Luke Jones

Josh King

Remy Longdon

Jack McKay

Sean Newton

Reon Potts

Archie Whitfield

Kurt Willoughby

Pete Jameson

Akil Wright

Potential line up

Squad brief: Another season in the National League North looked likely until John Askey took charge at York City last season. One of the best at grinding out victories and putting a resolute side together at this level, Askey navigated a path to the FA Trophy semi final and most importantly a route through three rounds of play offs against Chorley, Brackley Town and Boston. It is unlikely Askey will divert from his 4-3-3 system and summer signings have been made to reflect that. Several of the incomings are players Askey has previously worked with such as Scott Boden at Macclesfield, Alex Hurst, Scott Burgess and Adam Crookes at Port Vale and Lenell John-Lewis at Shrewsbury. The manager has also signed those with promotion knowhow such as tough tackling Gus Mafuta from Boreham Wood and right back Ryan Fallowfield who succeeded with Harrogate during their promotion to League Two. Crucially, the Minstermen have also retained some of their stand out performers from last season with centre back Sam Sanders joining on a permanent deal from Nottingham Forest whilst winger Maz Kouhyar, who joined in March from Hereford, has signed a new contract amid rumours of Football League clubs sniffing. Nevertheless, the club did lose goalkeeper Pete Jameson to Harrogate Town meaning Stockport number two Ethan Ross has joined to provide competition with academy graduate Ryan Whitley. Elsewhere, experienced centre back Fraser Kerr will provide competition to the established Sanders/Kouogan partnership and former Barrow player Luke James will provide endless running and work rate in one of the wide forward positions. 

Manager: John Askey's accomplishments in charge of Macclesfield Town will forever live in the memory at National League level. With barely a penny to spend, Askey led the club to the National League title in 2018. With the club's financial problems worsening though, Askey moved to Shrewsbury Town at the end of that season. Yet, this rebuilding job proved too much too soon as Askey only lasted a number of months before being sacked. Soon after, Port Vale, who were in relegation trouble, hired Askey and he repaid them by steering them to safety before launching a play off challenge the following season. After leaving Vale following a difficult post-COVID season, Askey returned to Macclesfield as a mentor before taking over from Steve Watson at York where he led the Minstermen to promotion last season. 

Unheralded Gem: Alex Whittle - A fan favourite at Chesterfield, Whittle's release was somewhat surprising albeit he must not feature in new manager Paul Cook's plans. John Askey will be inheriting a full back who is not afraid to get forward but who equally can defend when asked to - a trait that will be key in the manager's tight 4-3-3 formation. 

Top Goal-scorer Prediction: Scott Boden

Overall prediction: With promotion to the National League perhaps a pleasant surprise last season, John Askey has acted quickly to bring in a mass of players ready for the challenge. Signings are those familiar to the Minstermen manager and many come with good pedigree from their former clubs. The acquisition of Scott Boden is key as he can turn a tight game with just one chance falling his way whilst York also look battle hardened in key areas of the pitch. Success will likely depend on how quickly the group can gel but Askey has been here and done this before with Macclesfield. York are not set up to trouble the top of the goalscoring charts and admittingly the football may not always be pretty, but in a similar mould to Boreham Wood they will look to clean sheets and narrow victories to move them up the table. Expect York to start slowly but to gradually climb the table and end up as the best placed of the newly promoted sides and who knows, they may just nick a play off place along the way. 

Title chasers

Chesterfield

Ins
Branden Horton (Doncaster Rovers)

Joe Cook (Bognor Regis)

Bailey Clements (Ipswich)

Darren Oldaker (Dorking Wanderers)

Ryheem Sheckleford (Maidenhead)

Michael Gyasi (Dover)

George Cooper (Plymouth)

Ollie Banks (Barrow)

Armando Dobra (Ipswich)

Lucas Covolan (Port Vale - Loan)

Jesuran Uchegbulum (Matlock)

Mike Jones (Barrow)

Outs
Fraser Kerr

Melvin Minter

Stefan Payne

Joe Rowley

Nathan Tyson

Curtis Weston

Alex Whittle

Jak McCourt

Luke Croll

Jim Kellerman

Tom Denton

Scott Loach

Saidou Khan

George Carline

Potential line up

Squad brief: A season of so much promise ended with a relative whimper last season as Chesterfield exited the play off semi finals after leading the division for so long. Off the field issues blighted the Spireites with James Rowe's sudden departure and a season ending injury for Kabongo Tshimanga. Successful former manager Paul Cook is back at the helm and has been aiming to transform the squad into one that is more akin to his style of football this summer. Gone will be the wing back system of last season as Jeff King settles into a right back role and new signing Brandon Horton or Bailey Clements take up the left back position. At centre back will most likely be Jamie Grimes and former Solihull player of the season Tyrone Williams with new signing Lucas Covolan keeping goal behind them. The midfield area is likely to be all change following Curtis Weston's release and Saidou Khan's departure to a Football League club. Manny Oyeleke remains but an injury ruling him out until after Christmas means an opportunity for a new partnership to be formed. Former player Ollie Banks has rejoined the club after several successful years in League Two and he is joined by Dorking's Darren Oldaker. The club's attacking options need little reinforcement with Tshimanaga, Rowe and Quigley available for the forward role and the attacking midfielder berth looking like a shoot out between Jack Clarke and Liam Mandeville. However, the wide areas were in need of recruitment now that wingers are paramount in the new system. Cook has managed to recruit Albanian U21 international Armando Dobra from his former club Ipswich Town. The speedy, skilful right winger is excellent with ball to feet and will be hoping to have a breakthrough season in terms of his output. Cook has also managed to bring in former Crewe and Peterborough player George Cooper. Although he has just endured a tough season at Plymouth, Cooper has previously excelled at League Two level and could prove to be an inspired signing for the Spireites in the wide areas. 

Manager: Paul Cook is a well known name of those who follow lower league football. Originally making his managerial name in Ireland, it was at Chesterfield where he became better known to English football fans after leading the Spireites to the League 2 title and League 1 play offs. Cook followed this up by taking underachieving Portsmouth to the League 2 title and then helped Wigan to the League 1 title and the quarter finals of the FA Cup. Wigan were well established as a Championship side by the time a 12 point deduction saw them relegated. Cook then moved to Ipswich Town where he encountered the first failure of his career with the side adrift of the play off positions when he was sacked. Surprisingly, Cook chose to drop two divisions last season to take charge of Chesterfield again where he will be hoping to win his 4th English league title this coming season. 

Unheralded Gem: Ollie Banks - A midfielder who should probably be plying his trade at a higher level. Banks was the captain of Barrow last season and previously helped inspire Bristol Rovers to promotion to League One before injuries restricted him. A dominant presence in the middle and capable of scoring 5-10 goals a season. 

Top Goal-scorer Prediction: Kabongo Tshimanga

Overall prediction: Arguably, Chesterfield may well already be a football league club again had James Rowe not been sacked and Kabongo Tshimanga not injured. Despite Paul Cook's rough start, the squad is now much more in his image with a 4-2-3-1 formation and the personnel to suit it. In particular, there is more quality now stationed around the forward position with wide forwards in Armando Dobra and George Cooper taking the emphasis off a wing back system which lost its bite once the source of goals in Tshimanga was absent last year. Talking of the prolific striker, it will be imperative for Chesterfield to retain the Congolese forward as other clubs potentially approach them throughout the season. On the whole, it will be close with other challengers also looking strong but often the difference is in the small detail and with Paul Cook as manager, Chesterfield have a person in charge with a proven identity of winning league titles. 

Notts County

Ins
Tobi Adebayo-Rowling (Ebbsfleet)

Macauley Langstaff (Gateshead)

Cedwyn Scott (Gateshead)

Aden Baldwin (MK Dons)

Sam Austin (Kidderminster)

Gerardo Bajrami (Kidderminster)

Outs

Dion Kelly-Evans

Alex Lacey

Tyreace Palmer

Elisha Sam

Kyle Wootton

Lewis Knight

Cal Roberts

Potential line up

Squad brief: A change in manager last season did little for Notts County's fortunes. Ian Burchnall's Magpies played attractive football but were still plagued by the same inconsistencies that had seen them fail to win promotion under Neil Ardley. As a result, County lost in the quarter finals of the play offs to Grimsby Town. The team's troubles can be pinpointed at the 51 goals they conceded during the season - the most overall within the top seven. As a result, it's no surprise that incoming boss Luke Williams has chosen to strengthen there over the summer with Aden Baldwin signing from MK Dons and Gerardo Bajrami from Kidderminster. Both are comfortable in possession but have proven leadership qualities at their previous clubs. Following right wing back Dion Kelly Evans' departure, Ebbsfleet's Tobi Adebayo-Rowling was brought in and will likely compete with Aaron Nemane for the starting spot. However, it is in the forward positions where Notts County's identity will differ this season. Top goal-scorer Kyle Wootton and creative attacking midfielder Cal Roberts secured moves to the Football League meaning replacements were essential. Roberts leaving strangely potentially suits County as it wasn't always easy to shoehorn him into the preferred 3-5-2 approach. However, with goals needed Williams struck early to secure Gateshead's dynamic pair of Macauley Langstaff and Cedwyn Scott. The duo scored 54 goals between them in the National League North last season and although questions may be asked as to whether the pair can 'step up', supporters will point to the chances County create as reason for optimism that they will be able to. Versatile attacking midfielder Sam Austin has also joined from Kidderminster after several seasons impressing with multiple goals and assists. All in all, County's attacking power looks greater than in previous years and eyes will now be on whether they can keep their other key assets such as key playmaker Ruben Rodrigues and metronomic midfielder Matt Palmer.

Manager: After a short playing career like so many in the managerial world now, Luke Williams has worked his way up the coaching ranks to becoming Notts County manager. An initial three year spell in charge of Brighton U21s was followed by a move to Swindon Town to become the club's Assistant Manager. Following Martin Ling's sudden resignation, Williams stepped in as the club's interim manager until the end of the season and impressed by winning 6 of his 10 games. A permanent contract was given but the club struggled the following season and were relegated to League Two before Williams departed in 2017. Further coaching and Assistant Manager roles followed at Bristol City, MK Dons and Swansea City before County came calling this summer. 

Unheralded Gem: Matt Palmer - Whilst County have other players who are perhaps more eye-catching, there is a reason why Matt Palmer won the club's player of the season just gone. The midfielder topped the charts for the most progressive passes in the National League along with recording the most assists and most interceptions also. Them stats tell a story - Palmer is essential to the way County play and the Magpies will hope that rumours of Football League clubs looking at him are not true.  

Top Goal-scorer Prediction: Macauley Langstaff 

Overall prediction: Notts County are one of the more interesting propositions this season. The club have chosen to shop in a different market from Wrexham and Chesterfield by taking the best talent available to them from the divisions below. As a result, County do look to have a fresh impetus about them. Last season, the side were hampered by their slow build up and brittleness in defence  - especially away from home. With pace in the forward positions now and a more commanding look about them at the back, you would expect the side to be more dangerous on the road. Providing Luke Williams adapts quickly to National League football, it looks on the surface as if the Magpies are more attuned to a title challenge this season. Personally, I think they will surprise a few and go very close. 

Solihull Moors

Ins
Alex Reid (Stockport - Loan)

Louie Moulden (Wolves - Loan)

Joey Jones (Grimsby)

Fiacre Kelleher (Bradford)

Josh Kelly (Maidenhead)

Callum Whelan (Oldham)

Ben Coker (Stevenage)

Outs

Jordan Cranston

Adam Rooney

Niall Clayton

Ben Usher-Shipway

Melis Bushaj

Tom Allsopp

Danny Newton

Kyle Hudlin

Potential line up

Squad brief: So close, yet so far for Solihull last season. An excellent 87 point season, where they only lost 7 times, saw the Moors finish in 3rd but play off heartache ensued with a narrow defeat in the final to Grimsby. With his usual 4-4-2 formation in mind, Neil Ardley has made some small tweaks this summer as he hopes to take Solihull one step further this season. Danny Newton, Adam Rooney and Kyle Hudlin have all departed meaning the prolific Andrew Dallas is in need of a new strike partner. Josh Kelly and Alex Reid have signed from Maidenhead and Stockport. Kelly, in particular, is an eye catching signing after picking up Maidenhead's Player of the Season award and scoring 15 goals. With Joe Sbarra and Ryan Barnett secure in the wide areas, the central of midfield has been Ardley's main target for reinvigorating and he has subsequently signed Callum Whelan from Oldham and Joey Jones from Grimsby. Whelan is an energetic box to box midfielder in the form of Callum Maycock whilst Jones operates more in the mould of Kyle Storer as somebody happy to sit and play out from in front of the defence. One area that Solihull did need to purchase in was at left back. Jordan Cranston has since departed for AFC Fylde after an injury hit season whilst loanee Harry Boyes, who recently was chosen in the National League Team of the Season, is now at Forest Green Rovers. After trialling all summer, the Moors finally signed Ben Coker up just two days before the big kick off. Also, in defence, the club have signed Fiacre Kellerher - once a member of the Macclesfield National League winning side - to provide competition to Callum Howe, Alex Gudger and Matt Preston. 

Manager: Over the past ten years, Neil Ardley has gained a reputation as a shrewd operator at lower league level. His first full time management role in charge of AFC Wimbledon saw him establish the club within League Two over a number of years before promotion to League One via the play offs in 2016. Ardley was then able to keep the club in League One for a couple of seasons before departing in 2018. Soon after, Ardley gambled by joining Notts County who were staring relegation to the National League in the face. Ardley was unable to save the club from the drop but did manage to take the club to the Play Off final at the first time of asking where they were beaten by Harrogate. The following season proved trickier for Ardley and he was sacked midway through with County off the pace from the league leaders. Last summer saw him return as manager of Solihull Moors where he took the club all the way to the play off final before a narrow defeat to Grimsby Town. 

Unheralded Gem: Ryan Barnett - With Joe Sbarra's breakout goalscoring season, Ryan Barnett's performances were somewhat overshadowed at times. Although he doesn't score many himself, Barnett is a constant menace down the right wing and is more than happy to take his man on 1v1 before providing an effective cross into the box. 

Top goal-scorer prediction: Andrew Dallas

Overall prediction: After their near miss last season, Solihull have again been savvy in the transfer market. Josh Kelly represents an excellent signing and he should relieve the goal burden from Andrew Dallas and Joe Sbarra. However, losing loanee Harry Boyes' rampaging runs down the left is a blow but beyond that, Solihull have managed to retain their star players. There is nothing to suggest that Solihull won't be comfortably in a play off position again. In order to mount a sustained title challenge, the Moors will have to cut out some of the frustrating draws that they acquired against teams in the bottom half of the table. As stated last season, Ardley is an expert at leading teams into the play offs but has never yet managed to win a league title and you wouldn't bet against this pattern continuing. 

Wrexham

Ins
Jordan Tunnicliffe (Crawley)

Mark Howard (Carlisle)

Elliot Lee (Luton)

Anthony Forde (Oxford United)

Sam Dalby (Southend United)

Jacob Mendy-Mendy (Boreham Wood)

Outs
Lee Camp

Cameron Green

Dan Jarvis

David Jones

Jordan Ponticelli

Devonte Redmond

Dawid Szczepaniak

Kwame Thomas

Tyler French

Shaun Brisley

Jake Hyde

Potential line up

Squad brief: Armed with a seemingly bottomless budget, nothing less than promotion will do this season for Wrexham. Last season's failure was half-expected with manager Phil Parkinson slowly but surely clearing out the unwanted and adding players during each transfer window. The results were a Wrexham that were slightly inconsistent at times and lacking depth in some areas of the squad once injuries set in. Parkinson's recruitment this summer has targeted these positions. In particular, the wing back areas were an area that could be enhanced and the manager has brought in Anthony Forde from League 1 Oxford and Jacob Mendy-Mendy from Boreham Wood. Mendy-Mendy will compete with the excellent Callum McFadzean for a starting spot whilst Forde will likely be preferred to Reece Hall-Johnson with an impressive career in League 1 and the Championship to fall back on. Centre back Jordan Tunnicliffe, formerly of AFC Fylde, has been recruited after being released from Crawley Town and will compete with Bryce Hosannah, Aaron Hayden, injury-prone Harry Lennon, youngster Max Cleworth and throw-in specialist Ben Tozer for the three starting spots. Elsewhere, the club have also looked to add more depth to their attacking options with Sam Dalby and Elliott Lee joining. The Dalby deal sees Jake Hyde depart in the other direction to Southend on-loan following the former Barnet man's injury problems last season. Lee joins with memories of his ascent up the divisions with Luton still fresh in the mind despite the striker's lack of goals in recent times. Expectation is that he may be competing with Jordan Davies and Liam McAlinden for an attacking midfield berth. Elsewhere, the experienced Mark Howard joins from Carlisle to provide competition to goalkeeper Rob Lainton after a few seasons where injuries have ruled him out for various lengths of time. Central midfield looks largely unchanged with club captain Luke Young competing for the starting spaces with James Jones; mid-season signing Thomas O'Connor who had impressed at Burton; and potentially Jordan Davies if Parkinson chooses to deploy the creative midfielder slightly deeper. 

Manager: After a largely successful career at various clubs in the Football League, Phil Parkinson is still entrusted with the job of taking Wrexham back into the Football League. Aged only 54, it feels as if Parkinson has been around forever with the manager starting out nearly 20 years ago at Colchester United. This proved to be the launchpad for his career with a promotion to the Championship in 2006. Nevertheless, disappointing spells at Hull and Chalrton followed before his standout spell at Bradford City followed. Amazingly, Parkinson led his side to the final of the League Cup and also had a tremendous FA Cup run which involved beating Premier League giants Chelsea in the 4th round. Either side of this, Bradford were promoted from League Two and reached the League One Play Offs before Parkinson left. Further spells at Bolton, where he achieved promotion from League 1, and Sunderland came and went before the call came from Wrexham to join the Hollywood bandwagon. 

Unheralded Gem: Ollie Palmer - It's hard to find a player that's unheralded in the Wrexham squad but Ollie Palmer's contribution last season was perhaps overshadowed by strike partner Paul Mullin. The 6 foot 5 striker managed to score 13 times in the league after signing in January and was a big part of the club's goal output rising with 51 hitting the back of the net in the final 19 league games. 

Top Goal-scorer Prediction: Paul Mullin

Overall prediction:  The strength within Wrexham's squad is simply unmatched throughout the division. A question mark does remain over whether the manager's direct style of play perhaps doesn't see them take a stranglehold on games like the talent within the team could do. Some believe Phil Parkinson might not be the man for the job having not won a league title in his career but it is noticeable that he acquired 49 points from the second half last season once he had added more touches to the squad in his image. This pre-season has further seen Parkinson remove the deadwood and add further depth to key positions. At this stage, predicting whether Wrexham win the league or fall just short is a marginal call but what is for sure is that if Wrexham don't go up this season, then Parkinson will surely be on his way. 

The one that everybody gets wrong

1) Chesterfield FC

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2) Wrexham FC

3) Notts County 

4) Solihull Moors

5) FC Halifax Town

6) Dagenham & Redbridge 

7) York City 

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8) Bromley FC

9) Boreham Wood FC

10) Southend United

11) Woking FC

12) Torquay United

13) Eastleigh FC

14) Oldham Athletic 

15) Wealdstone FC

16) Yeovil Town 

17) Altrincham FC

18) Dorking Wanderers

19) Barnet FC

20) Maidenhead United

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21) Scunthorpe United

22) Gateshead FC

23) Aldershot Town

24) Maidstone United

Further predictions

Managers to depart

Mark Molesley (Aldershot)

Phil Parkinson (Altrincham)

Dean Brennan (Barnet)

Andy Woodman (Bromley)

Lee Bradbury (Eastleigh)

Hakan Hayrettin (Maidstone)

John Sheridan (Oldham Athletic)

Keith Hill (Scunthorpe)

Phil Parkinson (Wrexham)

Chris Hargreaves (Yeovil)

National League Top Goalscorer

1st: Kabongo Tshimanga (Chesterfield)

2nd: Paul Mullin (Wrexham)

3rd: Macauley Langstaff (Notts County)

Play Off Winners

Notts County