Much for us to look ahead to

IT’S that time of year again when we all get just a touch twitchy with the new season’s fixtures just days away from publication.

County will be looking forward to another tilt at attaining EFL status again, and hopefully the County manager will get a whole season to do the job!

There’s much to look forward to, and season ticket sales at County indicate that there is a buzz about and a desire to see the job done this time around.

Hopefully this will be sorted via automatic promotion rather than the lottery of the play offs, which brings me around to one of my obsessions, namely the need in my view for there to be 2 automatic promotion places from National League to EFL. I am by no means alone in this viewpoint, but is there a realistic likelihood of this ever coming to pass in the near future?

I would say not, but who knows, there has been an organisational re-shuffle at the top in the National League of recent days as Chair Brian Barwick was replaced by FA Vice Chair Jack Pearce.

Pearce opened his tenure stating it to be ‘ an honour to accept the opportunity to lead the Board and National League in addressing the challenges ahead’ . Fine words, but too often clubs have found themselves at odds with the suits at Waterloo House, particularly those in North and South Divisions, who have largely performed miracles in staying afloat in these most challenging of times.

Government has helped clubs through this, but financial issues will not disappear automatically with any significant lessening of the Covid threat, and whilst National League clubs will be wishing Mr Pearce well in his new post, they will also be looking for action not words going forward.