PREMIER SOUTH
THE promotion race looks wide open with a host of big names gunning for top spot – but can Truro City replicate their form?
The White Tigers were a point clear in the 2019-20 season after 31 matches, only for the pandemic to prevent a return to National League South.
Truro have also temporarily relocated to Devon to play at Plymouth Parkway's Bolitho Park while they wait to move into the new Stadium for Cornwall.
South coast rivals Poole Town will fancy a promotion push after leading the division last term, unbeaten in seven games. The Dolphins had been well placed the previous year to reach the play-offs too.
Tiverton Town and Salisbury were in second and third when the latest season came to an early end having both been in the mix previously. Tivvy, though, will be without legendary boss Martyn Rogers, who stepped down from his role as joint-manager after more than 1,000 games in charge.
The two curtailed seasons, on the whole, saw the same teams having success.
Hayes & Yeading did drop off at the start of the 2020-21 campaign but they have a strong squad, boosted by the signing of striker Moses Emmanuel from Wealdstone.
There's also Swindon Supermarine, Met Police and Chesham United to consider in the promotion picture while Havant & Waterlooville legend Shaun Gale will be hoping for more from his Gosport Borough this time.
Merthyr Town can't wait to be back playing after being forced to make the decision to mothball their football operations last September.
The Welsh outfit were uncertain over whether they would have even been able to cross the border into England to play their fixtures and the likelihood of playing home matches behind closed doors.
King's Langley's successful application to shift to the South means the division will still run with 22 teams despite the resignation of Blackfield & Langley in June last year due to high travel costs and changes to their infrastructure.
