Programme 25 26 Nantwich Town 300825

And just like that, the 25/26 season is already a month old. Well, at Steps 5 and 6 at least, whose seasons started in July, while Steps 1-4 are only a couple of weeks in.  

So, who has exceeded expectations so far, and who has underwhelmed? I’ll have to base this purely on results in a lot of cases, rather than an intricate knowledge; covering 31 teams as I do, I just can’t keep track of which players have moved where, which teams strengthened in summer, or anything like that. I wouldn’t have any semblance of a life if I did! And I’ll openly admit I’m still a bit of a novice when it comes to non-league, it being only 2 years since I started getting into it properly and since I started my page on X.  

But enough of my shortcomings, let me talk about what’s happened so far, and give you my take on what I do know.  

Who are the standout performers then? Well, FC United haven’t dropped points at the time of writing and sit atop the NPL. Rochdale and Ashton United hadn’t lost when I started writing this, but that run didn’t last. That’s the problem with writing only being a hobby for me; life gets in the way and then my content is quickly outdated. Let’s just hope that by the time you read this, those clubs are still in a strong position and that this piece has some semblance of accuracy. Or not, depending on who you support!  

I can speak with a little authority on Rochdale, as they’re my second team. Being from there, I follow them more closely than all other teams I cover. Last season they seemed to find form when it mattered most, to keep them in the playoff hunt, and they finished the normal season strongly. But their inability to close out games was their downfall in the end, as it has been for what seems like more than a decade now. They were 60 seconds from a final and a trip to Wembley in the FA Trophy. But they conceded an equaliser and then lost on penalties (to a lower league side no less), and they threw away a 2 goal lead to Southend in the Playoff Eliminator, then lost in extra time.   

Dale manager Jim McNulty has always tried to play good football, and this season seems to be no different, but it’s obviously clicking. My dad, a Dale season ticket holder, said after their 4th straight win in all competitions that they seem to be a bit quicker and have a bit more urgency, winning the ball back quicker and keeping hold of it.  

Without the financial issues hanging over their heads which have plagued them for the last few years, the consensus is that they’ve made some decent transfers. Hopefully their stay in non-league will only be a 3 year one, as was the case for Oldham, because let’s face it, Dale are a league club and should be back in the Football League.  

FC United are another side who a lot would argue should be playing higher than they are, based on attendances and the backing they have. They too have had financial issues in recent years, but I won’t pretend to know the specifics there. They are celebrating their 20th anniversary this year, and with Adam Le Fondre still scoring regularly, they will hope to make it a special season. I contemplated calling Le Fondre a journeyman here, but that has negative connotations. ‘Alfie’ has made over 600 professional appearances, and FC need to take full advantage of having such a player on their books. Hopefully this is the time for them to get back up to the National League North and have a better go at staying there.  

I don’t know a great deal about Ashton United, apart from the fact that they’ve flirted with a promotion push in both the seasons I’ve been running my page, before coming up short. They’re one of the remaining GM clubs I’m still to visit, but I intend to remedy that in the next few months. And apropos of nothing, I’d highly recommend United co-owner Jonathan Sayer’s book, Nowhere to Run. A very funny tale of the travails of buying and running a non-league club.   

The FA Cup has already begun of course, and we’re through two rounds as I write this. For those Step 4 clubs who started in the Extra Preliminary Round, it was their first competitive game of the season. It’s been said many times before, but I can’t believe this is the case year after year. A bit of a cup run can go a long way to helping a club financially, and I firmly believe that these sides are at a massive disadvantage when compared to Step 5 sides. That was certainly the case at the match I went to, as Atherton LR upset the odds, beating an Ossett United who looked sluggish. But that might just have been the slope at Crilly Park! And who’s to say the result wouldn’t have been the same had Ossett played competitively already.  

Wythenshawe Town fell into that same FA Cup trap against a Prestwich Heys side who are yet to win in the league. They’re another side who have stabled themselves off the field, so hopefully they won’t have the same struggles they had last year, where they staved off relegation on the penultimate weekend, against all odds. But they need to get wins on the board, and fast, otherwise the pressure is going to mount.  

Unfortunately GM has quite a few strugglers in NPL Division 1 West at the minute, with Mossley, Trafford, Atherton Collieries and the aforementioned Wythy Town all going without a league win through their first 3 games.  

Colls, who got a win in their 4th game, struggled in the early part of last season, until they brought back manager Michael Clegg, who had done very well there in his first spell. He again worked his magic and steered them to survival. What happens now though, after a poor start under Clegg? Hopefully they’ll turn it round quickly, along with the others who have started slowly. I would like to think that Clegg is given plenty of time before there is consideration given to replacing him, because above everything else, he is held in extremely high regard in the non-league game.  

The rest of our sides at Step 4 are barely troubling the top half of the table, and in fact none have more than one league win. Bury haven’t started as well as many people thought, with the consensus online seeming to be that some of the players haven’t upped their game enough for their new surroundings, and that some aren’t up to it all together. But it’s very early days still, and I’d be very surprised if they’re not in and around the playoffs come springtime.   

Avro are another side who will be hoping to be up there. This is their third season at Step 4, and they’ve come a long way since I saw their first game after promotion, a 1-0 win over Nantwich two years ago. Many thought their stay in NPL Div 1 West would be short lived, but they most definitely exceeded expectation then, and then ensured they didn’t fall into ‘difficult second season’ territory last year. Is this the season they can make a proper push for promotion up to Step 3?  

In the North West Counties Premier, our stronger sides from last year have started well again, namely Ramsbottom and Chadderton, with the former unbeaten and sitting pretty at the top. Rammy have been a Step 4 club in recent years, so they will see their current stint at Step 5 as already being far too long. Chadderton scored an abundance of goals early last year but couldn’t maintain their form – maybe understandable given they weren’t playing at home. But they’re back at Andrew Street now, on their new 4G pitch, and the goals are coming thick and fast again. I’d tip both these sides to be fighting for promotion this season.  

Droylsden are another side who will feel they’ve outstayed their welcome. They’ve been in NWC Div 1 since their return to the non-league pyramid after financial issues, but let’s face it, they’re far bigger than Step 6. The Bloods are nicely placed in the playoff spots at the moment, but with a couple of losses already, they need to find a bit of consistency if they’re going to start moving back up.  

There’s some early concern at the other end of the Div 1 North table, as Daisy Hill are winless in their first 5 games, despite some financial backing from social media stars Aaron Hunt and ‘Angry Ginge’. But crowds have increased since the influencers’ influence, and so I’m sure they’ll be absolutely fine.  

There’s a lot of football still to play of course, so here’s to plenty of success for our sides. Keep enjoying and supporting the local game, I certainly will, and I’ll keep doing all I can to promote it!  

Written By: Jordan Wilcock