Who deserves to be top team?
EVERY club, at one point or another, can enjoy a few seasons that are recorded as monumental moments in their history.
It could be a spectacular cup run, an against-the-odds title victory or even a gritty battle to avoid relegation.
These are the kind of seasons that live long in the memory of players and fans alike and help to define the very fabric of a club.
It is due to this that we decided to create a Team of the Year award, which commemorates one special group of players, who have gone out of their way to achieve a truly spectacular feat during the season.
The award will be handed out at our annual Buildbase National Game Awards at AFC Wimbledon’s Plough Lane Stadium on June 14 – our first ceremony since 2019 due to the Covid hiatus - and we need your help in deciding who should walk away with the accolade!
Last year, Sutton United clinched our Virtual award after securing a historic promotion into the Football League after a storming season under Matt Gray. They have since gone from strength to strength and are now challenging for a play-off place in League Two.
Now, after Steps 2 and below were finally able to complete a season, we once again have the privilege of being able to choose from a plethora of teams – and top collective performances from across the entire pyramid.
Stockport County will be the name on the tip of many voters’ tongues after closing in on a famous promotion back to the Football League after 11 years in the wilderness.
Under serial winner Dave Challinor – who also led Hartlepool United back to the promised land 12 months ago – the Hatters have stormed to the top of the National League table, thanks largely to a titanic run of 52 points from a possible 54 at the turn of the year.
At Step 2, Gateshead and Brackley Town have produced a thrilling finish in National League North, while Maidstone United have upped the ante in the South, under Hakan Hayrettin.
Elsewhere, how about Banbury United, who raced to the Southern Premier Central title by 23 clear points, or Worthing, who took the Isthmian Premier by storm with 100 goals and 97 points?
And this is also the year for the first-timer with new clubs Bury AFC, Macclesfield FC and FC Isle of Man also winning promotion in their first full seasons. They must be in the equation too.
These are just a few suggestions and are there are plenty more, equally credible options out there.
That is why we need your help! If you have a team in mind, please contact us and cast your vote so we can honour another worthy winner of this special award.