TT BLOG

Thomas Kelly – @tommyktufc

Thomas looks ahead to the NLS season

The new season is almost here and the Gulls start their third campaign in the National League South with renewed faith, a new consortium, a new manager and a new team!

Despite having finished towards the bottom of the TorquayTalk predictions league last season, Dom has put his faith in me to predict what I believe will be the pecking order for promotion, play offs, mid table and the dreaded drop!

I’d love to hear your predictions about the upcoming season. This is one I feel will go all the way to the final day.

Shall we do it?

FIGHTING FOR TOP HONOURS

Maidstone, Dorking Wanderers, Chelmsford, Boreham Wood

This season promises to be one of the most competitive NLS campaigns in living memory, with plenty of clubs harbouring ambitions of promotion to the National League.

Looking at those who were relegated from the National League last season, Dorking Wanderers and Boreham Wood are two you would expect to challenge for the title with Marc White eying a minimum expectation of a home semi final play off. Meanwhile the Wood will surely be looking to bounce back at the first attempt following a surprising relegation after a plethora of top half finishes in recent seasons.

Chelmsford are another who you’d expect to challenge, with added financial backing behind them, and Maidstone also profited from their run to the FA Cup 5th Round last season. Both with excellent home records in recent times, they could well be in the mix and I expect a very competitive battle for the title.

PLAY-OFF CONTENDERS

Torquay, Worthing, Farnborough, AFC Hornchurch, Eastbourne, St Alban’s City

As much as I’d love Torquay to be challenging right at the very top, it’s easy to forget that we have a brand new squad and it’s very rare for teams to click immediately, especially with such the rebuild at Torquay United over the summer. I’d like to think we will be capable of a play off finish and regardless of how we do should we finish in that position, that would represent a good foundation for the club going into next season.

Worthing may have lost the goals of Ollie Pearce but I expect them to still be around the top end of the division. After a disappointing season for the full time outfit, Eastbourne have also spent the cash and should be in the play off picture with the levels of investment they’ve put into this seasons campaign. St Alban’s usually are predicted to finish around the play off picture and will want to improve on an 11th place finish last time out.

AFC Hornchurch look to have splashed the cash and I think will surprise a few like Aveley did last season. Home advantage will be key to their success this year and Farnborough have impressed me with their additions and after a chat with the All Things Boro Podcast, have managed to keep most of their squad after just falling short in their quest for the play offs in the last game of the season.

Many will be disappointed this season, let’s hope Torquay aren’t one of those teams!

MID-TABLE

Aveley, Bath City, Chesham United, Hemel Hempstead Town, Tonbridge Angels, Welling United, Weston-super-Mare, Weymouth

Aveley excelled last season and full credit to them finishing 7th in their debut season at this level. I’m led to believe a lot of their squad has moved on over the summer and I think they’ll struggle to match what they did last season.

Bath are another side I think will have a bit of a quiet season. They deservedly finished in the play-offs last season but I’ve just got that feeling they’ll struggle to reach the levels required to challenge for promotion.

Chesham I think will do fine and will cause a few surprises along the way.

Hemel seem to always finish in the lower third of the table and I think anything around the top end of the bottom of the table would be viewed as progress for them.

Tonbridge will have aspirations to join the play off contenders but it wouldn’t surprise me to see them finish in the 12th-15th range this time out.

I expect Welling to have a really good season and I’d be surprised to see them start slow under Rod Stringer. They really turned on the form towards the end of 23-24 to keep them safe and I think a midtable finish would signal good progress for the Wings.

The seaside towns of Weston Super Mare & Weymouth round off my midtable predictions. With those sides finishing 13th & 15th respectively, it wouldn’t surprise me to see a similar finishing position for both. Two cracking away days although can it not piss it down again when we visit Weston please?!

FIGHTING RELEGATION

Hampton & Richmond, Enfield Town, Salisbury City, Slough Town, Chippenham Town, Truro City

Chippenham Town finished 11th last season which was an outstanding effort and generally in the last few seasons have done well, with them finishing 7th in the 21/22 season. I just have a feeling this season will be one of struggle for the Bluebirds. I have no intellectual basis for this. That’s just my gut feeling. There’s a lot of quality in this division now and I think they’ll struggle to match it.

Enfield Town have had a tough pre-season and I know you shouldn’t rely on pre season performances but heavy defeats at home to step 3 opposition will not do well for confidence going into the new season. With injury issues and a late influx of new signings, anything other than safety will be the goal for Enfield supporters. Have a nice weekend on the Riviera but don’t take the points home with you!

Hampton & Richmond appear to have drastically cut the wage bill and after failing to secure a play-off finish last time out, I expect a season of struggle for the Beavers. With many of their best players gone, their approach appears to be signing promising talent from step 4/5 of the non league game, which is a risky strategy and new manager Alan Julian, also former goalkeeper at the club, I think just staying in the division will be considered success for the village club.

Good news for Gulls fan is a trip to Salisbury City this season and I expect Salisbury fans will be in the same boat as Enfield in that finishing 20th will represent success after their promotion from the Southern League.

Slough are another hunch of mine to struggle this season after finishing a very respectable 10th place last time out. They’ve lost a lot of their key players and time will tell to tell how their recruitment goes but I think they are in for a season of struggle. Out of the other teams I’ve predicted to be fighting for relegation, I think they’ll have enough should this come to pass, but only just.

Last but not least are Truro City. They’ll be hoping for comforts to tide them well going into the new season, after years of “home games” at the likes of Plymouth Parkway, Gloucester City and of course Plainmoor where Torquay fans hold the record for the largest recorded away attendance at NLS level. Massive club!

On a more serious note, home advantage for the Tinners will be key to their success this season and under John Askey, they have the foundations there to progress for the Cornish outfit, however I think this could be a season where Truro will teeter between the mid-table pack and those fighting relegation. I’m sure they’ll be up for getting one over on us for our slight raid of their club over the summer but I’m glad for the fans that they finally have a ground to call home and I wish them well this season.