Wrexham (title odds 12/1)
The Welsh side start their tenth season as a non-league side since relegation from the football league in 2008. Their highest finish since then came in 2012 when they were runner's up to Fleetwood Town and lost to Luton Town in the play-off semi-final which was the second time in a row they lost to The Hatters at that stage of the season. In 2013 they made it through to the play-off final, after a fifth placed finish, where they lost to Newport County.
Since then they have ended up in 17th, 11th, 8th and 13th positions. Dean Keates has been boss since October 2016 - he has a win ratio of 29.4%. It is his first managerial post having played for numerous football league sides as well as making 150+ appearances for Wrexham between 2011 and 2015. I'm sure he would of learnt many things during last season and will be prepared for the forthcoming season which will be his first full one in charge of the club.
Keates has brought in a raft of new signings to The Racecourse Ground as they look to push on and finish towards or compete for the play-off zone places or beyond.
Striker Ntumba Massana, 20, has joined on an initial six month loan from Premier League Burnley. He made 18 appearances for Wrexham last season where he scored four times including an incredible over-head kick versus Guiseley which secured him the club's goal of the season award. Midfielder Marcus Kelly has moved from 2017 play-off winner's Forest Green Rovers. He is 31 years old and has played for Oxford United, Kettering Town, Tamworth and Rushden & Diamonds previously. Central defender Manny Smith has returned to the club after spending last season with Gateshead - he made 90 appearances for the Welsh club between 2014 and 2016. He played over 100 times for football league side Walsall where he started his career. Winger Jack Mackreth has joined after spending last season with Macclesfield Town and Bury. Another player to join from The Silkmen is Chris Holroyd who made 143 appearances for them from 2013 to 2017 - the 30 year old is well travelled having played for 8 clubs prior to his spell at The Moss Rose. Sam Wedgbury has joined from Forest Green Rovers having played 76 times for them from 2014 to 2017. He started his career with Worcester City and then moved on to Sheffield United where he was unable to break into the first team - he went on to play for Macclesfield Town, Mansfield Town, Stevenage, Altrincham and Ferencvaros in Hungary. James Jennings, a 29 year old left-back, has signed from Cheltenham Town - he was on loan at The Racecourse Ground last season. He is another player to have represented FGR and Macclesfield Town - he came through the Manchester City youth system. Centre-Back Shaun Pearson was with Grimsby Town from 2011 up to the end of last season and helped the club to promotion to the football league in 2016 - he made 38 appearances for The Mariners during the 2017/18 campaign. James Hurst is well travelled at the age of 25 with Wrexham the seventeenth club the defender has represented. He was with AFC Telford United and Dover Athletic last season.
COLD END PREDICTION - LOT'S OF EXPERIENCED SIGNINGS MADE FOR THE CLUB WHO FINISHED 13th LAST SEASON. IT MAY TAKE TIME FOR ALL THE NEW PLAYERS TO GEL TOGETHER BUT I PREDICT THEY MAY FINISH TOWARDS THE PLAY-OFF PLACES.
Hartlepool United (title odds 12/1)
United ended their long association with the football league with relegation at the end of the 2016/17 season. They had been members since 1921 but over the previous three season flirted with relegation finishing in 19th, 22nd and 16th positions.
Craig Harrison, 39, is the new boss at Victoria Park. He joins after a successful spell in charge of Welsh club "The New Saints" where he was from 2011 - prior to that he was in charge of Airbus UK Broughton from 2008.
He has made a number of signings to re-build the squad. Defender Blair Adams, aged 25 and born locally in the North East in South Shields, has joined after spending the end of the last season with Scottish Premier League side Hamilton Academicals. He was with Cambridge United prior to that and has played for Coventry City, Notts County and Northampton Town amongst other clubs in his career. Ryan Donaldson has signed from Plymouth Argyle where signed from Cambridge United in the summer of 2016 - he made 26 appearances for Devon club last season but suffered a broken jaw in a training ground collision in December. He is famous for scoring two goals for Cambridge United in their FA Trophy Final against Gosport Borough and then the winner in the Conference play-off final against one of his former teams Gateshead in 2014. 24 year old striker Jake Cassidy joins from Guiseley where he scored 8 times in 30 gams last season. Midfielder Luke George is an experienced Vanarama National player having joined from Chester FC and also represented Southport. Midfielder Jack Munns helped Cheltenham to promotion to the football league in 2016 and has also played for Tottenham Hotspur, Aldershot Town and Charlton Athletic. Goalkeeper Scott Loach is another player to be well travelled having represented over 10 clubs during his career - he is most well known for his time with Watford from 2006 to 2012 where he made over 150 appearances for The Hornets.
COLD END PREDICTION - AFTER RELEGATION FROM THE FOOTBALL LEAGUE HARTLEPOOL UNITED WILL FINISH AROUND A MID-TABLE POSITION IN THE VANARAMA NATIONAL.
Aldershot Town (title odds 12/1)
The Shots finished fifth last season and then lost to Tranmere Rovers in the play-off semi-final which was their best finish since relegation from the football league in 2013. The 2016/17 campaign was Gary Waddock's first since returning to the club in May last year - he also had a spell in charge between 2007 to 2009.
Waddock has recruited midfielder Bobby-Joe Taylor (from Maidstone United) and also given 21 year old striker Shaun Okojie a chance signing him from Corinthian Casuals where he scored 39 goals last season and helped his club to the Ryman Division One (South) play-off final.
One player to look out for is Idris Kanu whose performances have been been catching the eye of many a Premier League club. The 17 year old attacking player made over 30 appearances for The Shots last season and is now under contract at The Rec until 2019. He came through the ranks at West Ham United where he played for the u21 side as a 15 year old - he has also had a trial with Manchester United in 2016 and at 16 years and 308 days is the youngest player ever to play for the club.
COLD END PREDICTION - THE SHOTS WILL FINISH IN THE TOP EIGHT AND IF THEY CAN KEEP HOLD OF KANU WHO WILL ONLY IMPROVE THEY HAVE A REAL CHANCE OF QUALIFYING FOR THE PLAY-OFFS.
AFC Fylde (title odds 14/1)
There is no doubt AFC Fylde are a club on the up. They scored 109 goals and only lost six times on their way to the Vanarama North title last season which was their first in their new Mill Farm stadium. They were members of the North West Counties League Premier Division as recently as 2009 - Manager Dave Challinor has been boss since 2011 and has guided them from the Northern Premier League Division One (North).
One of their most important pieces of business over the summer was Danny Rowe signing a contract extension. He joined The Coasters in 2014 and has scored over 30 goals in each season since including over 50 in league and cup games last season. They have also picked up forward Jack Muldoon who has spent the last two years with Lincoln City where he helped The Imps to the Vanarama National title and their famous FA Cup run last season.
COLD END PREDICITION - THE MOVE UP FROM STEP TWO FOOTBALL TO STEP ONE IS A BIG ONE BUT THE NORTH DIVISION IS STRONG AND THE COASTERS HAVE A GOOD SQUAD WITH ROWE CONTINUING TO SCORE GOALS. NO TEAM WILL RELISH VISITING MILL FARM - I PREDICT THEY WILL BE PLAY-OFF CHALLENGERS.
Coming tomorrow Leyton Orient, Ebbsfleet and Gateshead.
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