Embracing the national league

[Napster]

Thanks for the reply.I'm not quite sure what you'd define as "bonkers" though I think it'd be a pity if it's anything you disagree with strongly.

Ive put about six people on ignore. Mainly because they if they had half a brain they'd be dangerous.

 

[Joolz]

You boys are in for a big shock when you drop into the National League. After a double relegation we (Chesterfield) thought there is no way it could get any worse and it would be a doddle getting back into the EFL..couldnt of been more wrong. When your so used to losing like you are it’s extremely hard to turn around. Our first two seasons we only just survived getting relegated to the NLN...terrible start this season aswell until we got new ownership and took a chance on a Young manager and backed him with the right players which has turned out very well. Contrary to what you may believe you won’t be able to get any player you want like Michael Cheek for example because some of the tinpot clubs at this level (Solihull for example) are spending an absolute ton on players which is why its so hard to get out of this league. Adam Rooney on over 2k playing for Solihull,Cheek on a fair whack at Bromley. When you get passed the small money driven clubs then you have to take on the ex-league clubs who for example (Stockport & Wrexham) have extremely rich owners. Then the likes of us,Notts,Hartlepool,Yeovil who dont have a ton of money but more than enough to compete.

You may think because you get 4/5/6k at home you will attract the best players but you won’t as there are several clubs that pull in the same numbers that have tried and failed (Us,Notts,Stockport,Wrexham). The referees at this level are abysmal,the away followings minus the above mentioned aswell as Hartlepool are shocking. You will get beaten on a Tuesday night at home by Maidenhead and they will only bring 20 odd fans (fond memories of getting beaten 3-1 on a tuesday night by them...bringing 17 fans and singing ‘Your f***ing sh*t’ as everyone left the ground). Your players will get smashed about away at Boreham Wood by a team of 7ft giants for 90 mins. You may wonder at times how you yourself are not a National League football player with some of the quality on show.

If you can clear out all your deadwood (they won’t do a job in the National League we thought that aswell) and get off to a good start you never know...but with 1 automatic and 1 playoff it will be very tough. I wish you luck and hopefully see you next season.

Chesterfield fan coming in peace!

Thanks for that - just what I needed to hear first thing this morning.

 

[Leigh_Seasider]

I echo tp21, that reads much like Orient's experiences in NL. Losing 1-6 at Bromley early in our first season - in the 11-game run without a win that did for Steve Davis - was a particular low. Many away matches where the available tickets were far fewer than the demand. Oh god, the referees.

I can imagine the fans and players of teams like Bromley and Eastleigh love getting one over on an ex league team as well. One thing I have heard is that it has brought fans closer together and created a kind of siege mentality. Does that ring true from your experience? Did you find people came back once you started doing well, or were they there from the start?

 

[Stuart W]

I know this is absolutely no consolation at this sad time, but take a look at who our opponents are in our last five league games, Exeter, Colchester, Leyton Orient, Barrow and Newport County.
For whatever reasons, their fans have all experienced what we are now going through. And importantly, they have all returned to League 2 after spells of varying length in non-league.
I try and look at it as if it is "our turn". No club has a divine right to League football, and we just have to roll our sleeves up and get on with it.
The other recurring thought I have is that I feel I have just witnessed a season watching the worst team in the worst standard of bottom division football I have ever seen, in an artificial environment in front of a poxy screen.
Would I wish a repeat next season? No chance.
If it means I can now watch my team live at different places such as Kings Lynn, Maidenhead and Altrincham, then bring it on.

 

[LennySUFC]

At least all of the fans who moan we don't sign players from non league will get their wish!

 

[getintoem]

You boys are in for a big shock when you drop into the National League. After a double relegation we (Chesterfield) thought there is no way it could get any worse and it would be a doddle getting back into the EFL..couldnt of been more wrong. When your so used to losing like you are it’s extremely hard to turn around. Our first two seasons we only just survived getting relegated to the NLN...terrible start this season aswell until we got new ownership and took a chance on a Young manager and backed him with the right players which has turned out very well. Contrary to what you may believe you won’t be able to get any player you want like Michael Cheek for example because some of the tinpot clubs at this level (Solihull for example) are spending an absolute ton on players which is why its so hard to get out of this league. Adam Rooney on over 2k playing for Solihull,Cheek on a fair whack at Bromley. When you get passed the small money driven clubs then you have to take on the ex-league clubs who for example (Stockport & Wrexham) have extremely rich owners. Then the likes of us,Notts,Hartlepool,Yeovil who dont have a ton of money but more than enough to compete.

You may think because you get 4/5/6k at home you will attract the best players but you won’t as there are several clubs that pull in the same numbers that have tried and failed (Us,Notts,Stockport,Wrexham). The referees at this level are abysmal,the away followings minus the above mentioned aswell as Hartlepool are shocking. You will get beaten on a Tuesday night at home by Maidenhead and they will only bring 20 odd fans (fond memories of getting beaten 3-1 on a tuesday night by them...bringing 17 fans and singing ‘Your f***ing sh*t’ as everyone left the ground). Your players will get smashed about away at Boreham Wood by a team of 7ft giants for 90 mins. You may wonder at times how you yourself are not a National League football player with some of the quality on show.

If you can clear out all your deadwood (they won’t do a job in the National League we thought that aswell) and get off to a good start you never know...but with 1 automatic and 1 playoff it will be very tough. I wish you luck and hopefully see you next season.

Chesterfield fan coming in peace!

Thank you tp21 for this brief but graphic description of your experiences in the NL which are exactly what some, if not most, of us on here have been fearing. I think it would be a good idea for someone to forward this first-hand account to Ron Martin as, by his own admission, he knows nothing about the National League and it’s high time he started to educate himself.

 

[joffonon]

I can imagine the fans and players of teams like Bromley and Eastleigh love getting one over on an ex league team as well. One thing I have heard is that it has brought fans closer together and created a kind of siege mentality. Does that ring true from your experience? Did you find people came back once you started doing well, or were they there from the start?

We were in the position of our club being saved from the brink, the emotion of that definitely led to a "we've got our club back" mentality. Our season ticket sales were higher in non-league than previously in League Two.

 

[Medway Blue]

We were in the position of our club being saved from the brink, the emotion of that definitely led to a "we've got our club back" mentality. Our season ticket sales were higher in non-league than previously in League Two.

Yeah this definitely happens. Look what happened to Lincoln's attendances once they turned things around in non-league. Their average attendance in the season we beat them in the playoff final was 5,000 and it barely got above that before they dropped out of the EFL in 2010/11......their first season back in the EFL saw an average attendance of 8,800.

This is where risk comes into it. We could go into freefall. Or do a Wrexham and get stuck down there for nearly 20 years. But IF we can turn it around down there, become a stable club again and build some momentum then it could be transformative. Just like it was for similar clubs like Lincoln, Oxford and Luton.

 

[ChesterfieldFan]

I can imagine the fans and players of teams like Bromley and Eastleigh love getting one over on an ex league team as well. One thing I have heard is that it has brought fans closer together and created a kind of siege mentality. Does that ring true from your experience? Did you find people came back once you started doing well, or were they there from the start?

We (Chesterfield) were still averaging 4-4.5k in them 2 seasons fighting to stay up in the National League under previous ownership. Since the Community Trust took over just before this season we haven’t actually been aloud to see a single game live because obviously of Covid. In a normal world where everything wasn’t as it is now and with the way this season has gone under new owners/manager and squad i’m certain we would be averaging about 5.5k in this division (thats taking into account the extremely low away attendances majority wise).

In terms of the siege mentality that really started when we hit rock bottom in the NL. I remember when we got relegated from the EFL our supporters from the Kop specifically tried to do demonstrations on the pitch but our fans at the time were so fickle they thought we would make a quick return to the EFL and were against it...its only when we continued to sink lower and lower in the National League and it all came to boiling point when we were 4-0 down at home in the first half to Solihull on Boxing Day 2018 everyone finally just thought ‘f*ck it enough is enough’ and stormed the pitch attempting to get it abandoned to show the owners this had gone too far.

(video of that day)

Yes the small clubs in the league love it when they are above you its like some incredible achievement to them,they all mock and laugh and don’t care how bad a state your club is in. It’s when you start hammering these clubs when you finally turn a corner and eventually get back to the EFL while they stay in non-league where they have always been when you get the last laugh!

 

[Stevestreet71]

Embracing next season - quite possibly,with plenty of close journeys away (and some longer ones) from home!

Club	Miles from Roots Hall (one way)
Dagenham & Redbridge	27
Bromley	43
Boreham Wood	50
Barnet	53
Wealdstone	62
Sutton United	65
Woking	77
Maidenhead United	82
Dover Athletic	87
Aldershot Town	88
King's Lynn Town	117
Eastleigh	131
Solihull Moors	145
Notts County	157
Chesterfield	183
Yeovil Town	185
Weymouth	189
Grimsby Town	210
Altrincham	223
Wrexham	225
Stockport County	231
Halifax Town	243
Torquay United	245
Hartlepool United	293

 

[Gridelet's contact lens]

Whilst prepaying for non league, how many teams will there be in the Conference for next season? Currently 23 with no promotion up? Will it start with 23?

 

[Gridelet's contact lens]

When teams like the big league clubs (Newport) swoop for your better youngsters.....oh the joy to come

 

[ItsMichaelBlack]

At least all of the fans who moan we don't sign players from non league will get their wish!

Spot on.

 

[Floval Flyer]

Embracing next season - quite possibly,with plenty of close journeys away (and some longer ones) from home!

Club	Miles from Roots Hall (one way)
Dagenham & Redbridge	27
Bromley	43
Boreham Wood	50
Barnet	53
Wealdstone	62
Sutton United	65
Woking	77
Maidenhead United	82
Dover Athletic	87
Aldershot Town	88
King's Lynn Town	117
Eastleigh	131
Solihull Moors	145
Notts County	157
Chesterfield	183
Yeovil Town	185
Weymouth	189
Grimsby Town	210
Altrincham	223
Wrexham	225
Stockport County	231
Halifax Town	243
Torquay United	245
Hartlepool United	293

10 away trips less than 100 miles away. You don’t get that in L1 & 2 !

 

[Gridelet's contact lens]

Will not have to worry about being knocked out of the FA Cup at the first round proper in future..... will we be in the Football League Cup draw?

 

[joffonon]

10 away trips less than 100 miles away. You don’t get that in L1 & 2 !

Indeed. In our first NL season, the fixture list meant that Orient didn't have to venture outside the M25 for the first couple of months!

Also, prepare for playing the nearest local team on Boxing Day and New Year's Day.

Will not have to worry about being knocked out of the FA Cup at the first round proper in future..... will we be in the Football League Cup draw?

No Carabao Cup, no Papa John's Trophy. Just the FA Trophy (and the FA Cup qualifying round to get to R1).

 

[Tommy2holes]

We have to embrace it. We have no choice.

We don't like it and I'm sure there is more bad days to come but this is our club and get behind the club we must.

That doesn't mean we should continually voice our distain at Ron Martin.

 

[Kevin Hogg]

Bromley, Barnet, Dagenham, Wealdstone, Boreham, Woking, Maidenhead Utd, Aldershot, maybe Sutton (unless they don’t blow their chances) are the trip I am looking forward to, shame that Dartford/Dorking cannot go up, as it’s local side for away game.

We probably face the like of Concord, Billericay, Chelmsford, Hornchurch, Aveley, Basildon Utd etc if they play us in FA Trophy, plus we have FA Cup 4th qualification round for first time ever.

We need to get PB in for next season, if not, get an new manager straight away by May, so he can plan full Pre Season and get us into shape.

As for the squad, we have to get rid of 10 of them, keep 14 who want to be here, we are 6 players short from making an swift promotion challenge, 3 new strikers is an must!!

If we do well, we probably bring 2k at like of Boreham/Barnet/Wealdstone etc, plus we wouldn’t have trouble attracting best talents in conference as most of best non league talents come from Essex, it’s about time we explore it.

I would not keep 14 of the most useless squad ever assembled. If we keep 14 completely hopeless players? we will go down again. FOURTEEN? Is like a nightmare. Who are these players worth keeping? Do not dare say John White! My God he hid at Col U - was horrendous and embarassing. They all were. An utter disgrace.
Keep Oxley...at a push. Get the rest of those non-triers, non-passionate, no-spirit, work-shy loafers out of our club!!!

 

[MisterStubbs]

Who remembers when Bradford rocked up to the Hall this year and their lad up front Danny Rowe was the difference between the two teams.. we all said at the time we should have been looking to sign someone like that in January to make a difference for us.. anyway, he’s today signed for Chesterfield on a permanent deal.. next season should be fun.

 

[Shrimpet steve]

I watched non league, our first 14 players in our squad can do well in there, we just need 8 new players who can get us firing and go straight back up (especially 3 new strikers in).

No! we need to get rid of every single one who's at the club right now and start from scratch