England > Antepost > Northern Prem 2013/2014

[Shipsupstreets]

England Northern Premier League Premier Winner 2013-14 FC United of Manchester 3.50 Afc Fylde 6.50 Chorley Fc 11.00 Skelmersdale United 11.00 Witton Albion 13.00 Barwell Fc 13.00 Worksop Town 17.00 Kings Lynn Town 17.00 Ilkeston Fc 21.00 Stamford 26.00 Droylsden Fc 26.00 Rushall Olympic 26.00 Ashton United 26.00 Buxton Fc 29.00 Nantwich Town 34.00 Marine Fc 34.00 Stafford Rangers 34.00 Whitby Town 34.00 Blyth Spartans 41.00 Matlock Town 41.00 Trafford 51.00 Stocksbridge Park Steels 67.00 Grantham Town 101.00 Frickley Athletic 101.00

[Shipsupstreets]

Re: England > Antepost > Northern Prem 2013/2014 Straight from Betway's site. Given that it's Betway, I'm not even trying to get on...

[Shipsupstreets]

Re: England > Antepost > Northern Prem 2013/2014 BetVics list has the same top three as Betway's. I can't really argue with the teams, although I have them in a different order.

[bromsgrovegreen]

Re: England > Antepost > Northern Prem 2013/2014 cant see fylde messing up this season with their rich owner, I would make them favourites over fcum all day long

[Shipsupstreets]

Re: England > Antepost > Northern Prem 2013/2014 Only a friendly, but AFC Fylde's wing play ripped apart Vauxhall Motors last night for a 5-2 win - a very slick performance by all accounts on the ground of a team from a section higher.

[Shipsupstreets]

Re: England > Antepost > Northern Prem 2013/2014 AFC Fylde were my major pick last season and they left an Eastleigh-style hole in my antepost business. They failed partly due to a fixture pile-up, but there were structural issues with the side that was by far and away the best team in the section in the opposition half, but often inept in their own. They need to be a touch more circumspect this season, and the loss of Adam Farrell and Sean Cooke is huge, though Matty Blinkhorn’s permanent arrival and Danny Lloyd’s signing is a reminder of their financial muscle. At the back they still need work - pre-season has started well but they have been a touch tentative defensively - though Andy Russell is a key signing from Chorley (someone who could probably have gone to a club higher up). As things stand, they are not outstanding favourites but I think they’ll be able to strengthen to an extent that other clubs can’t. I am happy to follow once again, but Bet365's 7/2 is skinny - I'm in acca territory here. I really admire the work Garry Flitcroft has done in reshaping Chorley over the past 18 months. They are now a committed and coherent outfit who can challenge, especially with Jake Cottrell making them tick. Even without Andy Russell, they’ve a decent spine to the team, with captain Andy Teague keeping things organised. Carlos Roca brings some creativity to a very solid-looking midfield and Josh Hine – prolific for Skem – should easily make the step up and notch regularly. If I were building a side down at this level, I wouldn't mind Garry Flitcroft in charge, and though there is a danger he could be poached, they look set for a very good season. 12s EW is a live play. FC United of Manchester seem to have a season ticket to the playoffs but always come up a little short. Perhaps what they need to take them to the next level is to see the ground proposals advancing with a bit more speed, which would give the club a bit more direction; at the moment I see another good but not great season. With Jake Cottrell and Kyle Wilson gone, there are some big boots to fill, though they’ve done okay to bring in Chris Worsley in the middle. Liam Brownhill is another good arrival, and if Karl Marginson can show a bit more tactical shrewdness they’ll certainly be up there, though there's nothing in the prices for me that warrants any coverage at this stage. Not far behind is the reborn King’s Lynn. Gary Setchell has brought in the excellent Andy Hall from Stafford and Ryan Clarke from Worksop, both of whom will offer width to a side that has few chinks in its armour. They’ve a solid defence and a decent strike force (though not as decent as it might have been had Ryan Robbins stayed). If they were playing in the Southern Prem, they’d be my favourites, but the travelling to midweek games – particularly if they end up on a cup run or the winter is naff – will affect them as it has affected Lowestoft in the Ryman. The play-offs are the best they can do, I feel. There are certainly worse EW punts than the 20s offered by BetVics, though it's not one for me. I hear really good things about Danny Johnson and the work he did with painfully thin resources at Ashton. I reckon he can make an impact at Nantwich Town, who are having one of their periodic periods of budget easing. He’s cherry-picked the Ashton squad for its best bits, and overall they look capable of making a concerted push for a top five slot. There have been major squad changes so I think it might take a little time to hook it up, but they'll be a force once up to speed. I was tempted by the 25s offered by Bet365. Elsewhere, I expect Mark Shaw’s Worksop Town to scalp a few of the big guns – he’s working on a skinny budget but he’s persuaded some of the high-earners to stay and added a bit of quality from lower down. One for the season after, I think. Skelmersdale United should do best of the promoted sides, while Trafford and Stamford look capable of surviving. But for real improvement, I expect much better seasons from Ilkeston Town – one of my favoured plays towards the end of last season – as their young squad develops, and from Grantham Town, who looked dead in the water at times last season. Gary Sucharewycz and Ian Robinson have turned things round and made some fine signings, including Michael Towey from Buxton and Massiah McDonald from Matlock. A surprise challenge from Ilkeston or Grantham isn’t out of the question but as things stand, I’ve a top five of: AFC Fylde, Chorley, FCUM, King’s Lynn and Nantwich Town, with Chorley EW as a play and Fylde included in league accas.