Top National League contenders look to pull in big crowds on Non-League Day

Non-League Day takes place on Saturday, October 7, and represents a great opportunity for smaller clubs across the land to increase their supporter numbers.
The top tiers have all broken for international football and that gives the Non-League bunch a chance to shine. The most popular division of the lot is the Vanarama National League and it has developed into a fascinating battle this season.
Just three points separates the top 10 teams in this extremely competitive league and the betting is wide open. Here we analyse some of the leading contenders, teams that will be at the forefront of efforts to capitalise on the hundreds of thousands of football fans that have nowhere to go during the international break.
Dagenham & Redbridge
Dagenham are sitting comfortably in the top three in the National League and if you check out a trusted list of betting sites and see which one offers competitive odds, you can get 4/1 on them winning it. That looks a decent option as star striker Corey Whitely is on fire, leading the league’s goal scoring charts.
He forms a strong attacking triumvirate with Morgan Ferrier and Michael Cheek and they have helped Dag & Red easily outscore all rivals in this league. They started the season at 9/1 and have gone all the way in to 3/1 with some bookies as a result of their superb form.
This is a team playing attacking football and could attract a bigger crowd on Non-League Day, while an impending FA Cup fourth qualifying round tie versus Leyton Orient is the pick of the round.
Sutton United
Sutton went on a fairytale FA Cup run last season and ended up hosting Premier League heavyweights Arsenal at Gander Green Lane – one of the most high-profile fixtures a Non-League team has contested in recent years.
Their magnificent success in reaching the fifth round was excellent PR for the league, and they even acquitted themselves well against the mighty Gunners before eventually succumbing 2-0 to Alexis Sanchez and co.
Their success has inspired them and they are second favourites to win the title this season after enjoying a strong start to the campaign, although a leaky defence is a cause for concern.
Tranmere
Arguably the biggest club in the league started the season as heavy favourites but the price on them has since drifted way out after a poor start saw them win just four of 13 games.
It is a long old season, however, and in a league this congested there is plenty of time for Tranmere to emerge resurgent. They have a long and illustrious history and played league football for 91 years before dropping down in 2015.
After a season of rebuilding they emerged looking stronger for this campaign, with Darren Stephenson and Jeff Hughes both looking like exciting signings, but they have as of yet failed to live up to their promise.
Other Contenders
Where do you start in such an open and competitive division? Dover, Macclesfield, Maistone, Woking, Wrexham, Aldershot, Maidenhead and Halifax have all started in excellent form and little separates them.
It provides a great geographic spread and there are plenty of opportunities for more people to get into non-league football by watching these games, soaking up a better atmosphere at cheaper prices and feeling closer to the action.
Of that bunch, Aldershot and Wrexham both stand out as real contenders, while Dover simply refuse to go away and maintain their strong form at home. For a longer shot, Ebbsfleet are on a roll and the newly promoted club has still only suffered one defeat in all of 2017.
The beauty of the league is that it is so open and unpredictable. You cannot exactly say that about the Premier League, can you?