Conference North Preview

Those lucky people at the Conference North must have been popping open the champagne corks at the news this summer.

No, I'm not referring to the fact Boston failed to win promotion, but the fact they've been picked as Soccer AM/MW's featured league of the season.

Over the course of the next nine months we'll be doing our best to keep you firmly in the know on the events of this regionalised second tier of Non-League's finest.

We'll keep tabs on how the runners and riders are faring and find a way of making even the most mundane events from Redditch to Workington sound almost interesting.

Why? Because we know you want it. That, and we had to pick some league to cover.

For this year's Conference North the FA, in their infinite wisdom, have decided to extend the teams competing in the division all the way from Blyth in the North East to Gloucester in the Westcountry. Don't ask us why - although we think it's because FA is exactly what The FA know about Non League football.

Gloucester fans hear the news Nobes is a native of their city

Gloucester are one of four promoted sides new to the league for 2009/10. They're joined by Corby, Ilkeston, and Eastwood. Just one club - Northwich were relegated to the division, and will start the season on -10 points due to financial problems.

Amongst the favourites to be fighting it out at the top of the table are AFC Telford United, who were beaten in last season's play-off final. Southport and Alfreton, also losers in the play-offs, are again fancied to challenge.

Big-spending Gainsborough have been busy recruiting some big names to Lincolnshire, and will hope to challenge for the top five alongside Fleetwood and Stalybridge, who have also have invested during the summer.

Harrogate are under new management, and alongside Droylsden, Hinckley, and Vauxhall Motors will look to build on solid mid-table campaigns last term.

And, after struggles last season, Stafford, Solihull, Hyde, and debt ridden Farsley will hope for better things this time around when the season kicks off tomorrow.

And of course, we'll be there almost every step of the way, with monthly updates on the latest from the Conference North. Soccer AM/MW - we're your obscure Non League division site.

Nobes.