In the latest in our series, we pick the brains of serial promotion winner Rob Smith, the man who guided Willenhall Town, AFC Telford United and Hednesford Town to higher levels, alongside trusty assistant Larry Chambers
Bower is looking forward to a line being drawn under the whole saga ahead of the new season after the club, like many others, opted to stop playing last season because of finances and player welfare concerns.
Postponements, Covid-19 outbreaks and a protracted wrangle over the termination of the football at Step 2 meant Penn’s side had played just 15 matches by the time the National North campaign was finally voided in February.
The 24-year-old former Wealdstone and Maidenhead United left back has signed for joint-bosses Neil Baker and Jon Underwood after moving on from Bath City because of the travelling.
The Torquay manager spent nearly five seasons in charge of the Robins taking them from League Two to the 2008 Championship play-off final, where they lost at Wembley to Hull City.
The former Concord Rangers and Stevenage striker has re-signed for the National League South outfit after a spell at Cressing Road last season before the campaign was cancelled.
Formed in 2014 by current chairman Kevin Oakes and a group of friends as a Sunday club, they entered Saturday football two years later and began climbing the pyramid from the Kent Country League’s Division Three West.
What their form did, however, was earn Stockport a third-place finish and give Simon Rusk’s charges a valuable extra week’s break heading into the semi-final phase where they meet Dave Challinor’s Hartlepool United this afternoon at Edgeley Park.
The Railwaymen, who were rock bottom of the South West Peninsula Premier East with no points from their opening 18 games, conceding 207 goals and scoring just seven when the season was curtailed, have amalgamated with local grassroots side Torbay Police FC.
Mark Ellis played a main part, raiding the Spireites box to end a Notts County onslaught with a last-minute winner only after their visitors had stung them with a first-half double.
The Magpies have their sights set for the south coast and a play-off semi-final clash with the Gulls on Saturday following an epic tie with Chesterfield.