National League North: Five things to watch

The Minstermen moved out of the iconic Bootham Crescent in February and into the shiny 8,500-capacity ground that they share with rugby league club York City Knights.

There was no fairytale opening, though, with the first fixture played behind closed doors and saw AFC Fylde come out 3-1 winners.

That was the final league game York played last season, which left them eighth with 22 points from 13 games.

When they kick-off on Saturday against Kidderminster they will, at least, have their long-suffering supporters in attendance.

Overcoming any new-ground hoo-doo will be pivotal in their title charge. Their new home has been breached once – they can’t afford it to happen many times this season.

However, the same also applies to their title rivals Boston United as they get settled into life at the Jakemans Community Stadium.

■ LIFE at AFC Fylde for Jim Bentley hasn’t got off to the best of starts – but now he’ll be firing on all cylinders.

Even the former Morecambe boss has described his time at the club, since being appointed in October 2019, as a waking nightmare.

Just four months into his reign, the 45-year-old was diagnosed with a heart condition that required double bypass surgery, but almost immediately the Covid-19 pandemic erupted.

All but essential surgery was cancelled and it would be December before Bentley finally went under the knife.

Meanwhile, the Coasters, the 2019 play-off runners-up, were relegated from the National League on pointsper-game.

They were second when last season came to an end, but now with a fighting fit Bentley and the quality of new signing Stephen Dobbie, watch out for Fylde in the promotion race.

■ TALKING of promotions, is it time Anthony Johnson and Bernard Morley added another one to their collection – no pressure!

The Chester joint-bosses had chalked up five in ten seasons, with Ramsbottom United and Salford City, by the time the pandemic struck.

They had the Blues in third after 17 games when the 2020-21 campaign ended in February having taken them into the play-offs the previous year, where they lost to eventual winners Altrincham.

The club doesn’t have the spending power of their promotion rivals, the likes of York, Boston and Fylde, but they arguably have the two best managers in the league.

They’ve made some shrewd additions this summer in Curzon Ashton duo Dan Cowan and Darren Stephenson, attacking midfielder James Hardy and centre-back Matty Williams while retaining their key players.

Chester fans have raised more than £100,000 towards their playing budget for the second consecutive season.They can be sure it is in the right hands.

■ BLYTH Spartans will be nailed on for relegation if they continue in the same vein as their last two seasons.

Spartans won just three of their 25 league games last year and were bottom of the division with six points. It followed on from a miserable spell under Lee Clark where they were spared relegation in the 2019-20 campaign sitting second from bottom with 23 points from 33 games.

Michael Nelson took over from Clark as player-manager in March last year, but hasn’t been fairing much better.

This has all come in the two seasons since Alun Armstrong led them to the play-offs where they lost at the Eliminator stage.

The squad has had an overhaul this summer with Nicky Deverdics and JJ O’Donnell two good signings. Robbie Dale coming out of his brief retirement will also be a boost.

Something needs to change.

■ KIDDERMINSTER announced last week its longstanding partnership with Quality Fayre Caterers had come to an end.

The partnership, which lasted for over 50 years, helped put Harriers on the map for their legendary pies supplied by the late Brian Murdoch and his wife Joan, and more recently, his daughter Helen.

The parties were unable to agree terms for the forthcoming season.

Harriers understood that terms had been agreed verbally in May, but when the contract was drawn up for signing, it was apparent that there were unresolved issues that could not be agreed upon.

The club had hoped that a deal could still be agreed with the Murdoch family, but received confirmation that they would not be seeking to continue the partnership.