2024/2025: The National League Beckons

It might not have exactly enamoured ourselves to Notts County fans pleading “it’s just pre-season” on Tuesday night, but it was hard not to watch Jacob Hazel marauding around a pristine JCS pitch as if a Magpie had insulted his family without feeling a sense of chest-swelling pride. Not since the days of Mickey Nuttell have we had someone so keen to unnecessarily annoy the opposition, except perhaps Jake Wright.

Boston won the game 2-1 with a lovely goal at the end, and they played some excellent football at times as they have throughout pre-season. But you sense it’s exactly the kind of feisty, scrappy, “us vs the world” underdog spirit espoused by Hazel that could ultimately mean the difference between the Pilgrims surviving their promotion to the National League, or not.

Yes, after fourteen years marooned in regional football and an increasing sense this day would never come, Boston are – to the delight of Dagenham fans everywhere – BACK in non-league’s big time.

At times it felt like we were condemned to never escape the bloody thing – a feeling not exactly helped by a video games blogger simulating the next 100 years of football on his copy of Football Manager and Boston United – somewhat implausibly – remaining in the same league for an entire century.


Boston fans contemplate promotion at Brackley

But we made it – just – and as pre-season gears up and fans prepare for Rochdale, it seems slightly weird to be saying that the Pilgrims will be competing in the National League – or Conference, for those of us of a certain vintage – for the first time since 2002. The last time Boston kicked a ball at this level, Gareth Gates was top of the charts with his cover of Unchained Melody, Cold Feet was the nation’s favourite TV drama, I was able to fit into size small t-shirts, and Sadie Sink – star of Stranger Things – was exactly twelve days old. And that last fact is actually more terrifying than the TV show itself.

Now Boston are back, the question is: can we stay there? The National League is considered by many to be our true “natural level”, and the club may have been founder members of the original Alliance Premier, but to claim it as our “natural level” is a bit of a stretch since a) the division has changed considerably in the 22 years we’ve been absent and, b) we’ve only actually played two seasons in the league since the early 1990s.

A swift return to Step 2 is not what any of us want, and yet the struggles of York, Chorley, Fylde and Kidderminster in particular suggests the 2024/2025 season is going to be one in which fans may need to recalibrate expectations. For the first time since our foray into the Football League, Boston will be routinely viewed as underdogs and, instead of play-offs or even titles, supporters will likely have far more modest ambitions. Certainly, the amount of money now sloshing around the National League is off the charts compared to the days when Steve Evans had to resort to a PAYE scam to win the bloody thing. We are, thankfully, now in the care of a chairman who will not put the club at risk with the bank manager. By the club’s own admission, this has hindered recruitment and, you’d assume, our chances.

But might this new role as unfancied minnows actually play into the hands of a young, tight-knit squad who seem to get on as much as – if not more – than Dennis Greene’s exciting sides? And are all Boston fans going to be happy merely surviving – or are they demanding more?

Well, let’s ask some Boston fans and find out. For the first time in ages (over two years, actually), ToD has cranked back into life and put the question to some familiar names – and a whole host of ToD debutants.

And remember folks: regardless of what happens over the next ten months, promotion marks something of a watershed moment in the story of the club’s rebirth under David Newton and Neil Kempster. After so many “what-ifs”, near-misses and other assorted heart-breaking moments, we no longer need to be haunted by memories of overhead kicks or horrifying baseball-score defeats. We’re back, so let’s just bloody enjoy it.

Right – let’s go…. (this should be a fun one to look back on in ten months, I reckon.)


Thrive, survive, or die: how will we do in the National League?

Drew Huskisson: Heart says survive but head says die. Looking at previous seasons the step up is huge for full time teams such as York, Fylde and Kiddy. They have many more resources and we arguably better prepared for the National League than we were and yet they have struggled. However my hope is that there are four worse teams than us, which is more than possible especially if we can have a good home record and maximise the difficult journeys for teams to get to Boston. If you offered me 20th now then I’d snap your hand off. Either way it’s great to be back at National League level and will enjoy the season.

Adam Upsall: First month is huge. We could build on the momentum of promotion and get a jump on the points tally we need. We could also see the usual ’need time to gel’ and give ourselves too big a hill to climb. Ultimately I can see a similar pattern to previous seasons: patches of good and poor form, general lack of consistency, which come May will see us just fall back down. But putting up a fight all the way. For anyone thinking that’s a bit negative, remember, as good as we were in the playoffs we finished sixth (on goal difference) last season and a point away from ninth, not first or second. Support the lads, but be realistic in expectations.

Richard O. Smith: I feel that I should opt for a prediction obligingly rhyming with ‘thrive’ and ‘survive’. So I’ll go for strive – as I think Boston’s National League team will have to show hardworking, industrious football to nullify some bigger-budgeted teams and their predictably superior passing game. So Boston will have to strive. That’s a better rhyme than ‘nosedive’.

Duncan Browne: I’ll hold my hands up and admit I didn’t think Boston had a hope in hell of winning promotion last season, at least up until Dylan Hill’s effort found the net at Banbury and the assistant’s flag generously remained pointing downwards. Then, and only then, did I think the footballing gods were close to realising this club even existed. Credit where it’s due, the coaching staff and squad surpassed all expectations by reaching the National League, getting it right at the right time. However, I fear they’ll need to pull off something way more miraculous if United are to beat the drop. Yes, there are some very experienced campaigners around the place, but there’s really not a lot of step one experience about and we’re not really too many knocks to a few injury prone players away from fielding a very young and inexperienced side at this level. If United are to beat the drop I’d expect there may need to be a heck of a lot more performances like the three play-off games, where pretty passing football was sacrificed for gritty, defensive displays, with just one goal conceded (and two scored) in 320 minutes. But saying that, Ian Culverhouse has been in a similar boat before and, although National League life didn’t end well for him at King’s Lynn, I expect a lot of lessons have been learned from that campaign. And let’s not forget the board have had 14 years to plan for this. Those league meetings, cup matches and knees up at Welsh golf resorts will have been huge opportunities to hobnob with the NL bigwigs and ask what is a must to survive. They’ll know what’s needed, even if history hasn’t been kind on the play-off winners. I may sound a bit of a doom-monger here but believe me, I’d be delighted to be proved wrong once again.

Johnny Chapman: If we stay up at Maidenhead with a fluke own goal scored in injury time I will see that as a great season. I’m not confident!

James Smith: I think it’ll be bloody tough – heart says we will stay up but given we finished sixth in a not-magnificent Connie North my head foresees a long battle against relegation. We’ll get a good impression after the first eight games IMO. Also – depends how many more Wokings are out there…


Will Boston fans be cheering their team to National league survival? Or something even better? [Pic: Oliver Atkin]

Chris Bishop: I’ll take 20th now! Realistically we’ll know by the end of September how its going to go. I’ll be optimistic and say we’ll finish 17th.

Kane Deakin: I’ve been a strong believer that in recent years the National League is dominated by teams from the northern leagues while those from the south often fill the bottom half of the table. While I think we are as strong (if not stronger) than our southern counterparts joining the league this season the gulf in class between those established clubs in the league and those joining is widening and something I think we’ll struggle with. Ultimately I think relegation looms but if we can turn the Jakemans into a fortress we stand a chance of survival.

Oliver Atkin: You know what? I think we’ll be just fine. I’ve heard a fair bit of doom and gloom about our chances already, but I genuinely think we’ll shock a few. A lot will rely on the home form, which isn’t anything unusual. Remember too, we may be out on a limb in terms of travelling, but 23 other sides have to make that trip to us too. We have to use that, we have to make the JCS a fortress and a horrible one to visit at that. I do feel a lot of the pessimism comes from what happened to Kidderminster last season, but remember, teams like Altrincham and Solihull Moors have thrived at National League level, so why can’t we? I just really hope we do ourselves justice. We’ve waited long enough for this moment, for the love of god we just need to stay there now. Wrexham, Notts. County and Chesterfield all getting promoted has opened the league up somewhat and I think we’ll benefit from quietly going about our business in the rat race we’re about to enter. I’m going a plucky 17th placed finish.


Cameron Gregory is a huge bonus for the season ahead. Really important to have kept him and Bozzy.


Pete Brooksbank: Well, if the bookmakers are to be believed, not to mention the recent history of promoted NLN teams struggling to make the step up, Boston are already dead. I’m not giving up that easily, but after fourteen years of high expectations it’s admittedly quite weird talking about “finishing fifth bottom” being a successful outcome. But we have to set realistic expectations and the omens aren’t great. We didn’t exactly set the NLN on fire for large parts of last season and in terms of improving a group that finished sixth, we’ve had a pretty low-key summer (which is why the bookmakers are writing us off, no doubt). I was expecting a flock of experienced NL players to arrive but Dan Mooney aside we haven’t really seen it, which is a concern – but as Joe Simpson often says, I’m willing to trust the process. We’ve retained the core of last year’s best players and I’m sure Cully will want to do much better than his last crack at the division with King’s Lynn. I will take survival; anything else will be a delightful bonus.

Mark Mitchell: I’m going for survive. There’s some big clubs in this league. I think it’s going to be tough but I’m confident we will be good enough to stay up.

Michael Beefy Burgess: We need to get off to a good start, get the confidence building, if not it could well be a struggle. Still need 3-4 players imo. Plenty of options in midfield, slightly short in the full back positions, need some cover there. Biggest shortfall could well be up front, still think we will need a powerhouse forward up there to compete, we will be up against big uncompromising sides. So I’m going to go for a tidy 17th if we solve these shortfalls – which I’d be more than satisfied with.

Christian James: I’d love to say (especially with the series of home games up early) we’ll make a fast start and coast towards mid-table; but realistically I think it could be a difficult first month or so as we adjust to the new standard. While Culverhouse, his staff and some of the squad have experienced the National League much more recently than BUFC; it would be natural to take some time to get our bearings. Longer term, I am hopeful that we’ll have enough for survival. It is rare to get through a full season without a crisis club emerging, but even if there are four relegation spots in serious contention come the Spring you must be optimistic and say United will make it. My main concern is the need to adjust our expectations after aiming for promotion every season; there will be periods where patience is needed and things don’t go our way. We don’t need 80 points to have a successful 2024/25!

David Whittle: Despite what David Newton has said in the most recent Non-League Paper about always aiming high, I think most of us will be delighted to survive this season (I’d also be happy to have a tedious end of season for once after recent nerve-jangling relegation/play-off ones). We’re told that these days the step from NLN to NL is bigger than from NL to League 2, and we’ll soon find out if that’s true. The NL is an entirely different league to when we were last at that level, with mostly full-time teams, so we must hope under our hybrid system that Cully can work on the young players that he’s signed as he did last season.

Scotty Walds: I think it’s going to be tough, but if Cully can bring through the same team togetherness that got us through the play-offs last year, I can see us surviving – but it’ll be close.

Josh Butler: As long as four teams are either worse than us or fold, that’ll do! Now we’re in the NL, we cannot go back to regional football

Andy Pickwell: It’s going to be really tough I think. We’ve come up from the edge of the playoffs with a team that were good enough, but we’ve probably lost the better half of that squad. I think bottom six, hopefully the right side of the bottom four.


Which summer signing got your pulse racing?

OA: I actually think we’ve recruited really well on the whole. If I was being really picky I’d like to see just a little more National League experience added over the coming weeks, but on the whole I think we’re in a strong position. We were never going to cherry pick top National League talent, but we have done as such by scooping up some of the top National League North talent which in itself remains a novelty. I’m happy we’ve kept Jordan Richards. He was immense last season and made things tick really well. We could easily have lost him in the same vein as Jai Rowe for example, so I think he must go down as one of our most influential retained players. In terms of the new signings I think Sam Osbourne is a really decent capture. Someone who knows how to win with AFC Fylde and comes to Boston with a point to prove. He’s looked really sharp in pre-season and could be really influential for us.

DB: I could sit here and tap out the virtues of Dan Mooney’s NL knowhow or Tony Weston’s pre-season prowess, but the truth is that I know about as much as every ‘Brad Nicholson is destined for the EFL’ Twitter wannabe and each bloke who replies to club news with ‘great signing that (clap emoji, clap emoji)’ – which is next to nothing. Warm-up games are no indicator of real-match ability, the players we’ve signed from the NLN I’ve never seen play more than twice a year and others even less. Plus, with step one being unchartered waters for many, you really can’t tell who sinks and who swims. The best player at your primary school doesn’t always walk into the year seven first XI at big school does he? To put it simply, Cameron Gregory is very good at stopping shots, and I think that’s going to be vital.

JC: Due to me never ever having heard of any players we sign (this is not new thing, I just never pay that much attention to the opposition) I am going to say re-signing Cameron Gregory and Jai Rowe. Gregory kept us up two seasons ago and got us through the play-offs last season and Rowe was key to the promotion too. I’m surprised they are still with us to be honest.

AP: Less a signing and more a re-signing, Cameron Gregory is a huge bonus for the season ahead. Really important to have kept him and Bozzy.

CB: I’ve got no idea who any of them are! And that’s the way I like signings. How often do you sign a big player with a big reputation who does nothing at all? Two or three of the new players will be great. Two of three will be OK. And a couple will be Ilkeston or Basford before the clocks go back.


Cam Gregory: back for 2024/25, and United fans are delighted [Pic: Oliver Atkin]

DH: Jai Rowe. Shocked he wasn’t picked up straight away like Mooney and Knowles and that he had to trial but couldn’t be happier for him to be back. Unlike some on Facebook, I’ve no issue with him trying to get back to a full time EFL player but as that didn’t work out then he’s back with us in plenty of time for the start of the season. He was the catalyst last year that turned us from fighting mid table mediocrity (along with getting Hazel as a focal point up top) to going up. So yes, am delighted he’s back.

DW: None as such on paper, but having seen the pre-season friendly v Grimsby there have been some very encouraging performances from the likes of Green, Maguire, Mooney and Osborne. I don’t understand supporters who say they’re waiting for a ‘wow’ signing. Who on earth are they expecting? This time last year I don’t remember anyone being overwhelmed by the signings, but they didn’t do too badly. As Derby County has always been my ‘other’ team, I’m looking forward to seeing how Tony Weston gets on.

CJ: Retaining Jordan Richards and Cameron Gregory was at the top of my wish list; amongst the new faces I’d say the arrival of Dan Mooney caught me by (pleasant) surprise. A proven talent at National League level; his experience of post-promotion life with Altrincham – who I’d argue are a comparable club for BUFC to look at heading into the National League – will be valuable. Alty did well before going full-time in the National League, hopefully Mooney can help Boston do the same.

AU: Does re-signing Gregory count? I think he is key, alongside Bostwick and Richards they are three quarters of the crucial spine. Marriott has too many caveats for me, I hope he comes good rather than expect it. I suppose the honest answer is nobody, hopefully a Jai Rowe style capture is made and that becomes it.

MM: Cameron Gregory re-signing was the big deal for me. Fantastic keeper, I personally think he could play at higher level. So lucky to have him back.

MBB: Not knowing an awful lot about our signings apart from a Google search it’s difficult to answer. But visually, from what I have seen so far I like the look of Mooney, essential he stays fit and get a full season out of him. Cameron green looks useful and I think Mitch Roberts will cement his place next to Bostwick. Tony Weston is quick. It remains to be seen if he’s the finisher we will need.

KD: Tony Weston. Upon his signing a dig into his background shows we have signed a natural goal scorer (certainly backed up by his recent performances in the friendly games). Youth football is a different game but if Rangers were willing to spend £250k on him there is clearly something there. Honourable mention to Jai Rowe, we know what he provides from right back and we are going to need it this year.

JS: It was great to keep a good chunk of the core intact – probably Cam Gregory the best bit of business for me. I was going to say that that Dan Mooney was the signing I was most excited about – but then we signed Jai Rowe again – and I think that’s massive..

SW: The most important signatures were keeping a core of last season’s squad. Gregory in goal, Bostwick in defence and Richards in midfield will all be key for us. Of the new recruits, Mooney and Osbourne will hopefully add an exciting attacking edge.

ROS: The recruitment of Mitchell Roberts from Oxford City may be an astute signing. After all he used to play for Birmingham City and yet they let him go – which is exactly the same career trajectory of Jude Bellingham who also can’t have been good enough for Birmingham City or else he wouldn’t currently be playing for some Spanish team.

PB: Dan Mooney seems a solid acquisition and he will surely be a major asset for us. But it was the re-signing of Cameron Gregory that got me fist-pumping the air when I saw the tweet. Absolutely huge to get him back. It was a shock, too – I, like most, was convinced he would be snapped up by a higher team. This is absolutely one area where I think we are probably the envy of the division. Similarly, the return of Jai Lowe was a pleasant – if belated – surprise, but the goalkeeping position is one I think needs locking down if you’re to thrive in the National League – and traditionally we’ve not been great at that in recent years.

JB: Difficult to say at this stage. Although the re-signing of Cam Gregory is massive for us.


Which away match are you most looking forward to?

ROS: It’s good to see Boston playing against a former Premier League outfit in Oldham Athletic. But Maidenhead United is an intriguing destination for football fact fans. Their York Road (that’s Road, not Street) ground is the oldest football ground in the world to have been continuously occupied by the same club.

OA: Tough. I’m somewhat of a traditionalist as some of you may well know. So places like Oldham Athletic and Southend United appeal to me greatly and they are probably the two I’m most looking forward to. I’m also hoping to get to Halifax Town too, one I didn’t get to when we were in National League North together. I’m also looking forward to renewing rivalries with York City, not necessarily for the ground but more for opportunity to visit York. There can’t be many better away days.


Rochdale away. It’s our chance to right the wrongs of five years ago


CB: Oldham Athletic. But that’s on a Tuesday evening in November so I’ve got no chance of getting there. Otherwise anywhere south of Oxford.

SW: It’s gonna be interesting to see how many current Dagenham fans remember the rivalry from 2002… but I’m just delighted we’ll be going to places like Maidenhead as well as Oldham and Southend. It’s a good mixture of grounds in the National League, just a shame none of them are nearby!

JS: The away game I was delirious about was Sutton – given it was a thirteen minute direct train ride away – but given that’s scheduled on the only Saturday of the season I already have fixed plans for that’s just annoying. So with that in mind it’s New Year’s Day with the Wealdstone Ranger for me.

JC: Oldham away. I think I might seen them play in the Premier League, I can’t quite believe we are in the same division.


Away day joy for the Pilgrims at Gloucester. Will there be similar scenes in 24/25?

CJ: There are plenty of new grounds to visit for me this season – Altrincham is one I’d always wanted to go to but it never fell right before their promotion. York on Bank Holiday Monday should be a big occasion. It’s a shame Oldham and Southend are both in midweek and strangely I liked the look of Ebbsfleet but it’s fallen wrong for me to make it this year. More generally, I’m looking forward to heading South for a change.

JB: It was Oldham but seeing as that’s midweek, then it’s Aldershot. The ground is really old school and one I’ve wanted to tick off for some time. Halifax away should be good too – more so if we take enough to warrant getting allocated that huge terrace

PB: I did have big plans for Southend as I have a mate over there – we were going to get friends down from Nottingham and make a weekend of it. Alas, that’s a Tuesday night. Brilliant. With those plans in the bin and the fact I’ve exiled myself to Devon you might think my next big away day would be Yeovil, but actually not. No, actually, I’ve always wanted to go to York Road so once I realised Southend was a bust, Maidenhead away was the next fixture I looked for on release day. Last day of the season, obviously.

MM: I’m looking forward to Dagenham away for obvious reasons.

DW: I don’t get to many away games, yet it’s disappointing that we don’t have anything nearer than the Birmingham area (although living in Rutland that isn’t too bad for me). Yeovil stands out as my first job was near there, and I’ve always had an affinity with the north east so Gateshead and Hartlepool are on the list.

AP: Oldham. It’s a ground I’ve done once before in the Ernie Cooksey charity match. To see Boston play in front of such a big crowd in the league isn’t to be missed! I also thing Dagenham and Redbridge will have a bit of an edge to it.

DH: Yeovil. Being based in the south west then it is great to have “local” away games and they’re a proper team at this level. Also looking forward to FGR and Barnet.

DB: In all honesty, I’m just relishing the opportunity to begin the day by not having that old slog to Newark on a few occasions. For me, it’s probably the London area clubs that have me the most excited. There was something different but brilliant about the old EFL games at Orient and Barnet, the old brown boozers and walks down narrow city streets to the ground. I’m very excited to check out the new Barnet ground and extremely gutted that Bromley went up. Apart from that, watching Boston at Oldham was something a young me would never have dreamed of.

MBB: Well with no local derby and our nearest game around two hours away, I’ll go for York, especially with it being a bank holiday. There are a fair few grounds I haven’t done, so quite a few will tick that box. Namely Oldham, Hartlepool, Southend and a few of the London clubs, Barnet, Wealdstone and D&R.

KD: Rochdale away. It’s our chance to right the wrongs of five years ago.

AU: Oldham Athletic – proper club, proper ground, easy to get to (for me!) and anytime we are part of a big crowd it’s always an occasion. Appreciate its midweek, which isn’t great for most, but under the lights makes it even better I think. From the, currently scheduled, Saturday ones I’d go Hartlepool United, for a lot of the same reasons.


Will the South Stand get started this season?

SW: Started, with the aim to be done in a year’s time I expect. It’s going to be the key between just surviving and thriving at Step 1 IMO. The extra income will be needed so we’re not just scrapping for our lives.

MBB: Hmm.. good question. Well, as I understand it, we should receive the levelling up fund very shortly but I think there will still be a shortfall. By receiving this funding the stand HAS to be built.
I don’t see any reason why it can’t be built during the season to be ready for next season.

MM: I would like to the think the South stand will get started. The club are in a great position and heading in the right direction on and off the pitch. It would be a shame now we have got promoted not to have the stadium finished.

CB: Yes!

JB: No- there will be some hold up and with Oldham and Southend both coming midweek, it only leaves possibly York who would warrant more than the 600 we currently allocate. David, it isn’t too late to rip up the plans and build a proper home end down that end!


Will the JCS finally get finished?

AU: No. I can’t see it, plus I don’t expect to hear anything unless we are actually putting steel up. Given Mr Newton’s – completely correct – cautious approach with these things. I do worry the longer it’s left the harder it becomes though. Trust the process?

PB: I set these questions myself and I’m already regretting wasting everyone’s time with this one. I’m sure if you asked David Newton [Rob Makepeace has done – ed.] he’d say he’d like to get it done but I guess he’s as much at the mercy of volatile finances as he has ever been. Between that, trying to keep Boston up and managing the extra crowds we’ll attract this year, I’ll be pleasantly surprised if we make a start – but I certainly won’t expect it.

JC: Who knows – let’s hope so.

AP: I’d love to say yes but probably no.

OA: It probably has to, doesn’t it? We’ve been left three sided for long enough now. It would signal a massive statement of our ambitions were we to get it started over the next year. If we’re serious about stabilising at National League level and hopefully push onwards into the Football League, we need that end built. I think waiting for steel prices to drop etc.. is like waiting for pigs to fly these days. We have to bite the bullet at some stage, get it done and use it to continue riding this wave.

JS: No South Stand this season – we’re going to be like Oxford – but without the Frankie and Bennie’s

CJ: Yes! Why not. I don’t know how long it takes to get Levelling Up money through (or whatever we’re calling it now), but as they seem to have finished faffing about with the new lane on the roundabout up the A16, hopefully someone has time to funnel the cash across. The time to start campaigning for a scoreboard / big screen is now…

ROS: Oxford United also have a three-sided ground. Every year supporters optimistically expect the fourth and final stand will be built. That’s every year since they moved to the Kassam Stadium in, er, 2001.

DW: I hesitate to criticise the club, but after the announcement that we’d secured a grant it would be nice to know where we stand on this at the moment. I respect David Newton for not announcing anything until it’s cast in stone and appreciate that other monies are involved, but an update would be appreciated. I hope work will start soon.

DH: No but might do after the end of the season. It is really needed especially if we stay up and continue to get larger away followings.

KD: Rome wasn’t built in a day you know.

DB: I’m pretty rubbish at Lego and a billion times worse at real building. You’re better off asking someone who understands the nuances.

[Editor’s note: Since some of these responses were submitted, David Newton has provided an update – and it sounds positive!]


Who will win the National League?

JC: Forest Green Rovers. Owned by my energy supplier!

OA: We’ve all had that dream haven’t we? No? Okay then. It’s a very open league this time around now the big guns have gone. Obvious favourites will be Forest Green Rovers but I don’t think they’ll win it. Oldham have regularly flattered to deceive. Maybe it’s their year? We can’t rule out perennial bridesmaids Solihull Moors either. Barnet. I’ll go with Barnet. Decent season last time out. Pedigree at the level and above and always one to look out for.

DH: The last few years show its teams who have had near misses go up, eg Chesterfield. So will buck that trend and go Oldham.

JS: Forest Green will win it – all that vegan food will see them home

DW: I haven’t the faintest idea! I suppose you have to look at the bigger clubs such as Hartlepool, Oldham and Rochdale, but I expect that Gateshead and Solihull will be up there again.

MM: I think Barnet will win the league. They came quite close last season.

FGR could be up there, but will their vegan food be any better than Banbury’s attempt at a cheeseburger?

PB: Barnet appear to be up there as favourites, but Forest Green Rovers have made a few eye-catching signings so I’ll go with them.

AU: I really need to properly read up on who are the clubs best placed. Usually we get basket cases relegated into this level but I’m not sure that’s the case this time. Hartlepool maybe. Oldham sorted ownership out last season so maybe them. Basically an ex-league club who get thousands more than us through the gate every other week. This really is nothing like the same league we left in 2002, that’s for sure.

CJ: Not Boston, sorry. Prove me wrong, lads! Barnet and Solihull enjoyed good seasons last year; and everyone seems to be tipping Sutton United for big things. I’ll go Barnet.

SW: BUFC! Gotta aim high… but you’re looking at someone from Barnet, Oldham, Hartlepool and Southend. For Barnet it depends on getting all their new signings to play, and Southend need to get their ownership sorted and take advantage of any feel-good factor. Dark horses maybe Solihull, they are always up there around the play-offs.

MBB: I’ll go for Barnet to finish the job and finish top. Other teams I expect to be in and around it are Oldham, FGR Gateshead and Southend if they get their signings right. York and Sutton as outsiders.

JB: Forest Green. I can’t believe they were 11/1 yesterday. Then again, with my record of betting recently, us at 100/1 might end up winning it!

CB: Barnet.

DB: Gateshead or Forest Green. But there’d be something romantic about Tamworth one-nilling their way to another title and annoying all the entitled fanbases.

AP: Barnet will go one step further this year.

KD: I’ve got a feeling Gateshead may well be up there. A strong team with experienced players who finished well at the end of last season and always a difficult place to go. The question was ‘who will win the league’, not ‘who will get promoted?’ Wasn’t it?

ROS: Hopefully not Yeovil – I still haven’t got over Boston selling Paul Wilson to them in 1989 for the hardly transfer-record-breaking sum of £13,000. Really – they sold one of the best strikers Boston ever had for £13,000 to a rival club in the same division. Yeah, admittedly I need to move on. So my answer is: Boston United; well, they’ve done it before!


Agree? Disagree? Entirely ambivalent but convinced every prediction made here is complete nonsense? How do you think Boston will fare in the National League? Join the chat over on Twitter/X NOW

Follow Trail of Dead on Twitter @TrailOfDebt. All content and tweets by Pete Brooksbank (@petebrooksbank)
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