2024/25 Season Preview - The Opposition (Part 4)

Here’s the final part of our look at this season’s National League North opposition. A somewhat-less-than-forensic analysis of our own chances this season will be coming to this space very soon, followed by a preview of the opening game of the season, a really juicy one at home to South Shields. Can't wait.

Scunthorpe United

In this space last pre-season I suggested that anyone finishing above Scunthorpe would probably be the champions, and that may be the case again. What I wouldn’t have considered in a million years was that one-dimensional long-throwers Tamworth would be that club.

Manager James Dean was off-loaded in the summer along with a big chunk of the side that fell short last time. Andy Butler comes in as manager having been an Iron player and coach previously – this is his first taste of management though so it’s quite a big challenge.

Wholesale squad changes this time last year didn’t result in promotion, and more chopping and changing ahead of this season won’t do much for continuity. Several of the players brought in are proven performers at this level and above, although they do look more ‘affordable’ than some of those shipped out. The club really should be getting out of this division, but it can rot your soul and suck out your momentum if you spend too long in it.

The Iron were very, very good in both games against Hereford last season, so the Bulls will be looking for a bit of revenge this time.

Striker Carlton Ubaezuonu has been signed from Chorley, for whom he scored 15 goals last season, and links up again with Butler having played with him at Farsley.

Influential ex-Bull Will Evans will once again bring an intimidatingly solid presence to the centre of the Iron defence.

 

Southport 

A very quiet season in 2023/24 for Southport as they flirted with the drop. This followed losing their last eight matches and avoiding relegation by a point in 2022/23. Fallow times indeed then at Haig Avenue recently.

They’re generally the sort of outfit that celebrates goals and good results in front of the Meadow End just to cause bother, but even the deeply unpleasant side of their game seems to have gone missing lately.

Nathaniel Knight-Percival has been signed at centre back. The ex-Sloppie finished the 2023-24 season on loan at Tamworth from Kidderminster, following the latter’s promotion in 2022-23. He’ll turn 38 this season, which may mean he’ll be exposed by pacier and younger attackers. Andy Williams, for instance…ah no, hang on, scrub that bit.

Defender Sam Minihan was at Buxton last season and picked up the supporters' player of the year award. He’s signed a two-year deal at Haig Avenue, and if his availability came about as a result of the Bucks going full-time it was a shrewd move to pick up one of their better performers. He also played nearly 200 games for Stockport County.

Fan favourite and main goal getter Marcus Carver has finally actually properly signed for the club, having been on loan from Scunthorpe for most of the last two seasons. He got 12 goals in a poor season for his club last time, so now that he’s formally become a fully-fledged Sandgrounder he should be well motivated to comfortably surpass that total.

 

South Shields

Along with Scunthorpe, the Mariners should be right in the mix as full-timers with decent backing on the terraces and from the boardroom.

They outplayed Hereford at Edgar Street last season, and following that win it was baffling that they didn’t then go on to be right up in the top three by the end of the season. Instead they finished a point outside the play-offs.

Striker Paul Blackett knows where the goal is at this level, but previously also knew where the treatment table was. 44 appearances and 30 goals last season suggests that his bad luck with injuries could be behind him. Blackett’s on a four-year contract, which contrasts quite starkly with Hereford seeming to have to push the boat out to offer four-month contracts.

The club’s purchasing power has resulted over the last season or two in them pinching the better players from Blyth, Darlo and Spennymoor.

Should be a cracking opening game of the season at Edgar Street on Saturday against this lot, and a win for the hosts would send a tidal wave of optimism through the Bulls faithful in terms of how the season might pan out.

Spennymoor Town

Glen Taylor yet again finished as one of the top scorers in the NLN last season, and is contracted to the Moors for another two years. At 34, he may be slowing down a bit, having ‘only’ scored 14 last time.

Graeme Lee took over as manager in January, and oversaw a very strong Moors finish to the season, ultimately resulting in them missing out on a play-off place by one point. Given that he’s now had a few months in the job, a pre-season with the players, and the chance to bring his own new recruits in, he’ll be looking both to hit the ground running in August and still have that strong finish.

Sam Fielding and Danny Greenfield have both departed for Farsley, and ex-Bull Jamie Pollock left the Brewery Field to join Chester. Olly Dyson will be hoovering up in midfield for them having signed on loan from York, and ex-FGR and Motherwell defender Nathan McGinley comes in to add his experience from higher up the pyramid, and the McPyramid, at the back.

Having to compete with South Shields financially seems to be beyond them (see above), which could prove troublesome in terms of being competitive at the top of the table, and is interesting given that Moors haven’t been short of a few bob themselves historically.

Warrington Town

Thoroughly respectable first season in the NLN for Warrington last time, finishing a place and five points behind Hereford.

Their manager is ex-Bull Mark Beesley, and he seems to be a shrewd cookie in operating effectively with one of the few playing budgets in the division that apparently doesn’t dwarf Hereford’s. Ollie Southern, with Hereford last season, joins his local club and his versatility should prove useful to the Yellows if he can stay fit. Retaining the depth of tan he’s used to in rainy Greater Manchester could be a tough ask though.

Youngsters Josh Miles and Murphy Bennett come in from Blackpool and FGR respectively, and join fellow youngster Peter Clarke at the club. Peter’s now 42 and was more or less ever-present last season.