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The Conference season starts today with a surprisingly full complement of teams.
The will-they won't-they saga that is Crawley Town has made it to opening day, awaiting the result of a creditors vote after the Administrators casting vote allowed the only, late, bid on the table to be presented to all creditors. Unable to officially sign players, they have assembled a squad of non-contract and loan signings and feature several Conference veterans including former Exeter pair Scott Hiley and Jake Edwards.
Stevenage are favourites with just about every bookmaker, and with former Grays boss Mark Stimson at the helm are likely to come closer than the Westley years. Grays themselves are amongst the favourites but few know how they'll react to losing Stimson. The signing of Lee Boylan from Canvey could prove a masterstroke.
Relegated Oxford and Rushden have both tightened their belts following the drop but both have kept the core of their sides and will both be dangers. Promoted Weymouth, of ...will be next fame, have a huge squad and are openly eyeing the Football League, however it's anyone's guess whether the money runs out before the matches do. The other promoted sides, St Albans and Stafford, are looking for consolidation as neither have played at this level for some time.
Aldershot boss Terry Brown expects success this season, and has completely remodelled his side. A string of new forwards to replace the loan signings that played up front for the bulk of last season and younger and quicker defenders suggest the Shots could be a force but most people expect half the division to be in contention this time round.
Burton will be one of those eager to build on a mid table mediocrity last season. Bouyed by the Man Utd cup money they've not been shy in the transfer market, bringing in a string of useful signings. Cambridge may not be too far away either. Goals were the problem last season, but a trio of new strikers including ex-Bull Danny Carey-Bertram it should not be a problem this time.
Exeter, still of the Conference, lost their manager and still have financial constraints but the goals of Adam Stansfield and Lee Phillips may be enough to finally bag the elusive play-off place. Halifax will be looking for at least a repeat of last season, with the decidedly iffy John Grant replaced with former England u-21 international Andy Campbell things could be very positive this season. York are also expected to do well. Billy McEwan has run a tight ship and will keep his barebones squad near the major prizes.
Down the bottom Altrincham's survival, after a string of votes for and against them, leave them as one of the likely strugglers with only Colin Little's goals likely to salvage them. They are one of only three wholly part-time clubs, and all are expected to struggle. New full time clubs, Gravesend and Southport, will need to collect wins early to keep the support that pays the bills but neither are likely to stake a claim near the play-offs.
Tamworth and Forest Green are also expected to struggle. Neither has the gates to seriously challenge though both will hope for better than dragging along the bottom of the league like last season. Kidderminster's vastly reshaped squad sees two experienced pro's, Dean Sturridge and Jeff Kenna, mixed with a slew of non-league regulars. Money problems suggest this season will be an excercise in treading water, but injuries to their small squad could leave them drowning.
Odds: Stevenage, Oxford 6/1, Morecambe, Grays 12/1, Rushden, Halifax, Exeter 14/1.
