New Season Preview - Part Two

Sorry I've put this up a little late, but here is my preview of the various non-league leagues that started last Saturday.

Lancashire has just one side in the national division of the Conference, in the shape of Droylsden, newly promoted as champions of the Conference North. The Bloods will be one of the smaller clubs in the division this season, and for the likes of Oxford fans it may be a bit of a surprise when they go to the Butchers Arms. Droylsden haven't signed a great many players and are likely to be battling against relegation. A good start will be important and a lot will depend on how the clubs strikers, prolific at lower levels, cope with the step up.

Down into Conference North now and there are four Lancashire teams. Relegated last season were Southport, who have stayed full time and are hoping to go back up at the first time of asking. There has been a large turnover of players at the club and they only have a small squad. The first team is probably amongst the best in the league, but injuries and suspensions could harm the Sandgrounders promotion hopes. A playoff finish is perhaps the best they can hope for. The other Lancastrian new comers are NPL champions Burscough. Manager Liam Watson has won the Conference North before, but the Linnets will be looking to avoid relegation this season. Burscough have retained much of last seasons squad and should manage a lower mid-table position. This leaves the two sides that have been at this level for a while. Firstly Barrow will be looking to improve after a couple of poor seasons that have seen them closer to the bottom of the league than the top. Manager Phil Wilson has been retained but needs to do better if he is to keep his job, but I predict another season in the lower reaches of the league. And so to Leigh RMI. The Railwaymen are moving to a new ground in the next couple of years but I fear that they will be playing there at a lower level. They survived two years ago due to restructuring and made a slight improvement last season. However I can't see many weaker teams than them this year.

The NPL starts next weekend so straight on to the North West Counties League. The first division lost a number of its top clubs last season so an open title race can be expected. Amongst the Lancashire sides Trafford, Maine Road and Salford City will all be hoping to be in the leading pack, whilst Atherton Collieries could be up there if they have another good season. At the other end of the table Formby will be battling against relegation, whilst St Helens Town have had off field problems and are also likely to be trying to avoid the drop. That leaves seven Lancashire sides that are likely to be somewhere in the middle, although at this level there are always teams that do better or worse than expected, so who knows, perhaps one of Abbey Hey, Atherton LR, Bacup Borough, Colne, Flixton, Nelson, Ramsbottom United or Squires Gate might challenge this season, and I will predict Flixton to there or thereabouts when the season ends.

Finally Division Two. This league can crudely be split into those clubs that are looking for promotion and those that have been hanging round here for a while. In the first lot Padiham thought they might have had a chance of promotion last season, but the First Division was reduced in size and they will have to try again this year. Kirkham & Wesham are newly promoted from the West Lancashire League and have ambitious talk of the Football League within fifteen years. That goal is unlikely but promotion this year seems a much more reasonable suggestion. Of the other sides Bootle, Chadderton, Oldham Town and maybe one of the Ashton-in-Makerfield clubs might have a good campaign this season, whilst Blackpool Mechanics, Castleton Gabriels, Daisy Hill, Darwen and Holker Old Boys will be more worried about trying to finish out of the wooden spoon position.