The Non - League thread

[Old Man Andrews]

They're bookies favourites but I don't understand how? They've just been promoted. There's way better teams in the league in my view; Wrexham, for example.

Because they have a far greater budget than anyone else in the division. They will probably have the strongest squad on paper come the start of the season.

Evidence of that budget is that they’ve now signed a forward, Adam Rooney, from Aberdeen!

Cracking signing for them. They should be walking that league, can have no excuses for not winning it.

Says a lot about the SPL though!

[John Smith]

Because they have a far greater budget than anyone else in the division. They will probably have the strongest squad on paper come the start of the season.

Evidence of that budget is that they’ve now signed a forward, Adam Rooney, from Aberdeen!

Cracking signing for them. They should be walking that league, can have no excuses for not winning it.

Says a lot about the SPL though!

Game's gone.

Is there any FFP in National League and below?

[Old Man Andrews]

Evidence of that budget is that they’ve now signed a forward, Adam Rooney, from Aberdeen!

Cracking signing for them. They should be walking that league, can have no excuses for not winning it.

Says a lot about the SPL though!

Game's gone.

Is there any FFP in National League and below?

No I don't think so. I think the Conference is a good leage to experiment with salary/spending caps tbh.

[John Smith]

Cracking signing for them. They should be walking that league, can have no excuses for not winning it.

Says a lot about the SPL though!

Game's gone.

Is there any FFP in National League and below?

No I don't think so. I think the Conference is a good leage to experiment with salary/spending caps tbh.

Would it be wise to violate the big money sound? No. i don't think so.

[Sutekh]

So how do Salford fit into the scene around Manchester, seem to have taken the impetus that was F.C. United are they picking up fans from them? Are F.C. United perhaps a little annoyed about their presence?

Can Neville and co really bankroll a league club or will Salford implode spectacularly if/when they hit the league?

[stealthpapes]

FCUM have plateaued out somewhat at midtable National League North level, having got promoted there in 2015. That said, after the cup run of 2010ish, they hovered around the play offs of the league below for a few seasons, and its (famously) tough to get promoted from that level.

If I have it right, this hiatus in their progress coincides near exactly with Salford City getting money and promoted three times in rapid succession.

[stealthpapes]

I was thinking off and on that Birmingham doesn't appear to have a central non-league side. Perhaps due to the four league clubs in the area, but I tell you what, a proper little club in the Jewellery Quarter would be lovely.

[Royalist]

I believe FCUnited don't just throw cash on the playing budget so haven't risen any higher at a level where a few sides do.

Is what Salford are doing any different to the Burton's or Fleetwood's of the world? But with far more flack.

That said I wonder what the old school Salford fans make of it all.

[Royal Rother]

Windsor seem to have picked up a couple of Bracknell’s players on season-long dual registrations.

Namely Dan Roberts (young winger who scores lots) and Dan Read (striker), previously of Slough Town, Godalming and Egham.

Windsor sent an U18s team to the Gothia Youth World Cup in Sweden. They acquitted themselves well, finishing runners up in the Plate. 6 of the squad had appeared in Windsor’s 1st team last season.

[stealthpapes]

I believe FCUnited don't just throw cash on the playing budget so haven't risen any higher at a level where a few sides do.

Is what Salford are doing any different to the Burton's or Fleetwood's of the world? But with far more flack.

That said I wonder what the old school Salford fans make of it all.

There's only about a hundred of them.

[Old Man Andrews]

I was thinking about the Salford project the other day and wondered if I would want that to happen to my local club, they are unrecognisable in every single way to how they were 10 years ago. Part of the fun of non-league is the scaping and clawing to get by and those great days when you have an FA Cup run or a big cup final win. The magic must have disappeared a bit for the Salford supporters.

[Stranded]

I was thinking about the Salford project the other day and wondered if I would want that to happen to my local club, they are unrecognisable in every single way to how they were 10 years ago. Part of the fun of non-league is the scaping and clawing to get by and those great days when you have an FA Cup run or a big cup final win. The magic must have disappeared a bit for the Salford supporters.

Guess it depends on why they supported Salford. If it was just their local club, then I am sure they will find the whole thing quite exciting, their very small club moving through the divisions - signing players from the SPL - must be quite surreal.

If they only support Salford as they have become disillusioned with the money in football, then yep, they probably aren't going and shifted to watch Altrincham or someone else local.

[Hoop Blah]

I was thinking about the Salford project the other day and wondered if I would want that to happen to my local club, they are unrecognisable in every single way to how they were 10 years ago. Part of the fun of non-league is the scaping and clawing to get by and those great days when you have an FA Cup run or a big cup final win. The magic must have disappeared a bit for the Salford supporters.

At what level of investment does it become that change things though? Bracknell, for example, have had a reasonable level of investment thrown at them over the last year or so but I guess that's not taking away the fun of it at the moment right?

[Old Man Andrews]

I was thinking about the Salford project the other day and wondered if I would want that to happen to my local club, they are unrecognisable in every single way to how they were 10 years ago. Part of the fun of non-league is the scaping and clawing to get by and those great days when you have an FA Cup run or a big cup final win. The magic must have disappeared a bit for the Salford supporters.

At what level of investment does it become that change things though? Bracknell, for example, have had a reasonable level of investment thrown at them over the last year or so but I guess that's not taking away the fun of it at the moment right?

I think it's when you see a stadium built in just a few months and players coming in from SPL sides. I'd like to think I'd be uneasy with that sort of thing but I guess you won't know until it happens to your club.

[Hoop Blah]

I think it's when you see a stadium built in just a few months and players coming in from SPL sides. I'd like to think I'd be uneasy with that sort of thing but I guess you won't know until it happens to your club.

I don’t think the stadium was ‘built in just a few months’. They’d already been in charge for a season or two and, I think, had achieved promotion twice. Obviously they had the resources to bankroll those promotion though.

[Old Man Andrews]

I think it's when you see a stadium built in just a few months and players coming in from SPL sides. I'd like to think I'd be uneasy with that sort of thing but I guess you won't know until it happens to your club.

I don’t think the stadium was ‘built in just a few months’. They’d already been in charge for a season or two and, I think, had achieved promotion twice. Obviously they had the resources to bankroll those promotion though.

They genuinely rebuilt their entire stadium in about 6 months I think. It was a cow shed and is now very tidy.

I'm not criticising them I'm saying it goes against everything non-league is. It's about adversity and struggle and how you over come it. There has been very little romance about how Salford have got where they are. Good luck to them but it's not for me.

[Hoop Blah]

I think it's when you see a stadium built in just a few months and players coming in from SPL sides. I'd like to think I'd be uneasy with that sort of thing but I guess you won't know until it happens to your club.

I don’t think the stadium was ‘built in just a few months’. They’d already been in charge for a season or two and, I think, had achieved promotion twice. Obviously they had the resources to bankroll those promotion though.

They genuinely rebuilt their entire stadium in about 6 months I think. It was a cow shed and is now very tidy.

I'm not criticising them I'm saying it goes against everything non-league is. It's about adversity and struggle and how you over come it. There has been very little romance about how Salford have got where they are. Good luck to them but it's not for me.

A quick bit of googling tells me they redeveloped it during the 2016/17 season, with it just about ready for ground grading for the next promotion in October 2017.

That’s more than 3 years after the takeover and there is more work underway to further improve.

I get the point that it’s not quite the ‘romance’ of non-league, but it probably isn’t much different to many other non-league success stories. There’s not a lot of sustainability even at Bracknells level.

[Tony Le Mesmer]

Really don't have a problem with Salford. They are building up a football club from virtually nothing. the ex Man Utd lot certainly don't appear to be in it for the publicity. You hardly ever hear from Butt and Scholes who actually come across as quite camera shy. I genuinely think they are doing it for the sheer fun of it.

They most certainly aren't the northern version of Billericay.

The only way to genuinely stop clubs doing this is to not have automatic promotion to the FL. Make a clear divide between Pro and Amateur. Is that what you really want?

Personally, i think they are just adding a bit of extra spice to next seasons National League.

[Sutekh]

Really don't have a problem with Salford. They are building up a football club from virtually nothing. the ex Man Utd lot certainly don't appear to be in it for the publicity. You hardly ever hear from Butt and Scholes who actually come across as quite camera shy. I genuinely think they are doing it for the sheer fun of it.

They most certainly aren't the northern version of Billericay.

The only way to genuinely stop clubs doing this is to not have automatic promotion to the FL. Make a clear divide between Pro and Amateur. Is that what you really want?

Personally, i think they are just adding a bit of extra spice to next seasons National League.

No problem with them doing it at all. Good luck to them on becoming the Man City of the non league game. Just worry what will happen if the ManU lot ever dropped out.

Certainly going to be worth watching that league what with Fylde also on a more than decent budget plus the likes of Chesterfield who are going to be very well organised and probably the yardstick for the rest of the division with Mr Allen in charge.

Let’s hope too that Maidenhead can survive again.

[Hoop Blah]

Really don't have a problem with Salford. They are building up a football club from virtually nothing. the ex Man Utd lot certainly don't appear to be in it for the publicity. You hardly ever hear from Butt and Scholes who actually come across as quite camera shy. I genuinely think they are doing it for the sheer fun of it.

They most certainly aren't the northern version of Billericay.

The only way to genuinely stop clubs doing this is to not have automatic promotion to the FL. Make a clear divide between Pro and Amateur. Is that what you really want?

Personally, i think they are just adding a bit of extra spice to next seasons National League.

No problem with them doing it at all. Good luck to them on becoming the Man City of the non league game. Just worry what will happen if the ManU lot ever dropped out.

Certainly going to be worth watching that league what with Fylde also on a more than decent budget plus the likes of Chesterfield who are going to be very well organised and probably the yardstick for the rest of the division with Mr Allen in charge.

Let’s hope too that Maidenhead can survive again.

Same can be said about the majority of clubs up and down the country at most levels of the game. Takeaway the benefactors (in time as well as money at the lowest levels) and clubs can really come unstuck.

I do think the Class of 92 are doing it the right way though, and giving something back after all they've got from the game.