Conference Preview

I watched more Conference Football last season than from any other league and I can assure you it's one of the most exciting and competitive leagues in the country. I watched the fortunes of Aldershot Town and Torquay United as they both battled away at gaining promotion. Aldershot took the spoils, confirming it by beating the Gulls 2-1 at Plainmoor, a performance that underlined there Football League credentials.

Torquay went on to loose to Exeter in the play-offs before seeing there rivals overcome Cambridge United in a dull play off final. Torquay then will be looking to avenge last season's disastrous finish by being promoted as Champions. I always say with teams who get relegated from any division your best chance of promotion is first time around. And I see it being no different this time round. Having lost Chris Zebrowski and Lee Phillips a bit of fire power has been lost an although the addition of Lee Hodges and Wayne Carlisle imparticular will help sure you an impressive looking midfield. However I think the loss of Phillips and Zebrowski will be to much. They might have to be content with a play-off finish at best.

Now to the two relegated sides Mansfield and Wrexham. Neither went down in very good shape and both have had to struggle through pre-season re-building for a difficult new season. With 16 players being released or sold Wrexham look the best equipped to re-gain there league status. Brian Little has recruited lots of non-league experience. I'm a fan of new signing Jefferson Louis and I think with Michael Proctor also in attack a strong partnership could be made there. Wrexham fans wouldn't mind some cohesive football for a season or so and i don't many of there fans would mind a season for re-building after a disastrous campaign last season. I honestly think however they are in a position to compete for honours and expect to see them there of there abouts come May.

Mansfield have lost a lot of there better players from last season. The loss of both Jake Buxton and Michael Bolding won't have been a surprise but I'm sure they would have liked to have kept hold of one of them. I'm not sure that what they have bought in is of the same quality as what they have lost but for the division they are playing in, it will do. Michael Blackwood and Adie Moses look like the pick of the new bunch. For there chances well we'll have to wait and see. Like Wrexham there fans won't be expecting miracles. I do expect one of the relegated clubs to be promoted and of the two I'd have to go for Wrexham but don't be surprised to see Billy McEwan's men climbing the table and pushing for the playoffs.

Along with those clubs there are a whole host of others who will want to join the promotion race and a lot of old faces from last season will be around. Both Burton Albion and Cambridge United will want to overcome there play-off night mear of last season. Both met at the semi-final stage, with Cambridge eventually making it there before being ousted by Exeter. I think Burton are in a stronger position than last season I think anything less than a play-off finish will be disappointing. Lee Morris looks like a god signing as he tries to re-gain some fitness after missing most of last season. Nigel Clough has taken his side a long way and taking them to the football league might seem like a big jump but definitely a possible one.

I don't expect the same from Cambridge and teams who loose play-off finals never have good seasons the year after. I can't see the same impact being made.

If your looking for any other promotion candidates look no-further than bookies favourite's Stevenage. Plenty of new signings, and the recruitment of a lot of the player that helped them through last season. A poor last quarter to the season saw them miss out of the play-offs which they really should have made. If they sort out that complacency then there shouldn't be a problem for them this season.

Elsewhere Ebsfleet will want to build on last season's FA Trophy win and it will be interesting to see how Forest Green get on without Stuart Fleetwood. They were midtable with him, my worries are that they could slip a little further without him.

At the other end of the table Altincham will be wanting to dispel the memory of last season where they nearly feel out of the league. This season will again be difficult for them and I can't see them surviving this time around. Newly promoted side Lewes will be interesting to see as well. They stormed through last season and even thought they died away after they had won the title they will make a good fight of it this season. As will Eastbourne Borough although seeing both survive this season would be a huge achievement and would show that the quality coming up from the lower divisions can compete with the conference sides, something that would be refreshing to see. I think Woking may well end up in a relegation battle along with Northwich.

So there's my brief overview of how i see this league panning this i who I think the winners and looser will be:

Champions: Wrexham
Promoted via playoffs: Stevenage
Play-offs: Burton Albion, Torquay United, Stevenage, Ebsfleet United
Relegated: Eastbourne Bough, Northwich Victoria, Altincham, Weymouth