As the final whistle sounded at the County Ground on May 4th, many Notts County players sunk to their knees in despair. The Magpies had been staring relegation in the face for a number of months, but a late rally had given their long-suffering fans some semblance of hope. Neal Ardley’s men dropped out of the Football League for the first time in their illustrious 157-year history, and the oldest professional football club faced the reality of playing non-league football for at least the next twelve months. The majority of neutrals will be expecting Notts County to bounce back at the first time of asking, but the National League is hugely competitive, and it certainly won’t be easy for a club who also have a number off-the-field issues to deal with. Yeovil also returned to non-league football for the first time in sixteen years, and with the Glovers releasing nine players and seeing their five loanees return to their parent clubs, the Somerset side must undergo a significant rebuild this summer.
How Easy is it to Bounce Back?
There are a number of big clubs currently residing in the National League, with the likes of Wrexham, Hartlepool and Barnet all falling short of expectations in recent seasons. Over the past fifteen years, the majority of relegated sides have spent more than a single campaign competing at this level. Cambridge United spent nine seasons in the fifth tier before eventually squeezing past Gateshead in 2014, although the U’s only just avoided dropping back into the National League this season. Oxford United, who were relegated just twelve months later spent four seasons battling to return to the Football League, finishing second, ninth and seventh before eventually beating York City at Wembley. A number of sides have even dropped further down the pyramid with the aforementioned Minstermen and Torquay United being two recent examples of sides who found themselves competing in the National League North and South. The Gulls spent just a single season in the sixth tier and recently secured their return to the National League under former Yeovil boss Gary Johnson.
Luton took five seasons to return to League Two, and that momentum has recently helped carry them to the Championship. Mickey Mellon’s Tranmere may have recently booked their place in League One, but the men from the Wirral spent three seasons in the National League, finishing as runners-up on two consecutive occasions.
Although Bristol Rovers and Cheltenham recently bucked the trend, very few sides are able to bounce back at the first time of asking. Leyton Orient needed two seasons in order to secure their return to the EFL, and, as of 31st May, the East Londoners have already been priced up at 14/1 to secure back-to-back promotions with Betway. Justin Edinburgh’s men will be aiming to follow in the footsteps of Tranmere and use their recent promotion as a springboard. Notts County fans can take some heart from Orient’s relatively short stay in the fifth tier, although it will be far from straightforward for either of the relegated outfits. With the likes of Chesterfield and FA Trophy winners AFC Fylde all vying for those much-coveted promotion places, there should be plenty of competition once again.
How Can Notts County and Yeovil Increase Their Chances of Success?
Although not every promoted side will follow the same formula, there are a number of common traits shared by those teams at the top. The majority of promoted sides appoint their management team early in the summer, and many others tend to stick with their staff, which offers them time to shape their squad accordingly. Justin Edinburgh had already been in charge eight months prior to his summer clear-out, whilst Darrell Clarke had overseen Bristol Rovers’ relegation but was given time to assemble his promotion-winning squad. Cheltenham also extended Gary Johnson’s contract despite the former Bristol City boss being unable to turn their fortunes around at the bottom of League Two. As of May 31st, Yeovil are still yet to appoint a full-time boss, and this has caused frustrations amongst supporters. Promotion from the National League requires long-term planning, and the relegated duo must ensure their chosen men are given a suitable amount of time and money to turn things around.
Signing players from the Football League is a perfectly reasonable way to go about your summer business; however, the clubs must ensure they appoint the right characters. Notts County are a big fish in a small pond, and every single team will be desperate to take points off the Magpies this season. They cannot afford passengers at this level, and sensible recruitment is absolutely essential. Players who believe they should be competing at a higher level should largely be avoided, as every single match in the National League will be a tough, full-blooded encounter. A mixture of experienced pros and up-and-coming young players appears to be ideal for a promotion push.
As statistics prove, bouncing back at the first time of asking is an extremely tough task, and Notts County and Yeovil cannot afford to underestimate the quality of the National League. With a number of former Football League players dropping down to this level, coupled with a large number of sides becoming full-time operations, the division can be unforgiving at times, and both the Magpies and the Glovers could be in for a significant reality check this August.
