ZERO - GATESHEAD are the only side left unbeaten with an impressive four wins and two draws form their six games played. The Heed finished sixth last season but were barred from competing in the play-offs for failing to meet the entry criteria for the football league due to not obtaining a "10 year security of tenure" for their stadium. It's been an up and down few years for the North East club as they were suspended from the league at the end of the 18/19 season and relegated to the National North Division but won promotion back to the top tier of non-league football at the North Division champions of the 21/22 season. After reaching the Semi-Final of The FA Trophy in 17/18 and then the final in 2023 they won the competition in 2024 beating Solihull Moors on penalty kicks after a 2-2 draw at Wembley.
It's the game of the day at The International Stadium on Saturday as third placed BARNET visit.
The original Gateshead AFC, who folded in 1973, played in The Football League from 1930 to 1960 - Could the Town have a team returning to the league for the 25/26 campaign?
ZERO - At the opposite end of the table it's EBBSFLEET UNITED who are the only side left without a win. They have drawn one and lost five of their six games played. Their only point gained came in a recent 0-0 draw at Braintree Town.
FOURTEEN - EBBSFLEET UNITED and TAMWORTH have let in the most goals so far with fourteen conceded in their six game played.
FIFTEEN - ALDERSHOT TOWN are the entertainers of the division as they are top scorers on fifteen goals scored but have also conceded twelve.
FIVE - Christian Doidge (Forest Green Rovers), Nick Haughton (AFC Fylde) and James Henry (Aldershot Town) are the current top scorers in the league.
IS THE GAP BETWEEN STEP ONE AND TWO GETTING BIGGER?
The gap between Step One and Two of the football pyramid seems to be widening with the majority of teams in the top tier of the non-league game now working on a full time basis with a number of teams in Step Two also on a fully professional basis. Of the eight teams that were promoted for the 22/23 and 23/24 seasons Dorking Wanders (2 seasons), Maidstone United (1 season), Kidderminster Harriers (1 season) and Oxford City (1 season) have all been relegated.
Boston United, Tamworth and Braintree Town who were promoted for the current campaign have all only won one game each so far.
THE PROMOTED TEAMS RECORDS AFTER SIX GAMES
22/23
| POS | TEAM | P | W | D | L | GF-GA | GD | PTS | FP |
|---|
| 10th | MAIDSTONE UNITED | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 9-12 | -3 | 10 | 24th R |
| 13th | YORK CITY | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 8-7 | +1 | 8 | 19th |
| 16th | DORKING WANDERERS | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 11-15 | -4 | 7 | 16th |
| 22nd | GATESHEAD | 6 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 7-11 | -4 | 3 | 14th |
23/24
| POS |
TEAM |
P |
W |
D |
L |
GF-GA |
GD |
PTS |
FP |
| 9th |
EBBSFLEET UNITED |
6 |
3 |
0 |
3 |
10-9 |
+1 |
9 |
19th |
| 19th |
KIDDERMISNTER HARRIERS |
6 |
1 |
3 |
2 |
2-5 |
-3 |
6 |
22nd R |
| 20th |
OXFORD CITY |
6 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
8-9 |
-1 |
5 |
24th R |
| 22nd |
AFC FYLDE |
6 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
12-16 |
-4 |
5 |
18th |
24/25
| POS |
TEAM |
P |
W |
D |
L |
GF-GA |
GD |
PTS |
FP |
| 11th |
YEOVIL TOWN |
6 |
3 |
0 |
3 |
7-8 |
-1 |
9 |
??? |
| 18th |
BRAINTREE TOWN |
6 |
1 |
3 |
2 |
3-6 |
-3 |
6 |
??? |
| 21st |
TAMWORTH |
6 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
5-14 |
-9 |
5 |
??? |
| 23rd |
BOSTON UNITED |
6 |
1 |
1 |
4 |
4-13 |
-9 |
4 |
??? |
SOUTHEND UNITED have the biggest average crowd (7,794) so far with 8.495 seeing their Bank Holiday Monday game against Dagenham & Redbridge!
TWELVE of the TWENTY-FOUR teams have played in the football league. Some could include FC Halifax Town in that list who were form formed when Halifax Town were dissolved in 2008.
If we compare this to the 01/02 season which was the last with only one up/one down from the football league there was eight clubs - Doncaster Rovers, Barnet, Scarborough, Chester City, Northwich Victoria, Southport, Hereford United and Stalybridge Celtic were former football league members.
EASTLEIGH, who finished 13th last season, are the surprise team so far sitting in second place. The Spitfires, under the management of Kelvin Davis, have won four, drawn one and lost one of their six games so far. The only defeat being a narrow 2-1 at league leader's Gateshead who scored the winner on 90 minutes. It's the former Southampton and Wimbledon goalkeepers first job as Manager - He had been a Senior Coach as Southampton between 2017 to 2022 where he had a brief stint as Caretaker boss after Mark Hughes left the club. They face Tamworth at home on Saturday before a trip to Southend United on Tuesday evening.
FORTHCOMING FIXTURES
SATURDAY 7th SEPTEMBER
AFC Fylde v Yeovil Town
Aldershot Town v Rochdale - 5.30pm
Altrincham v Ebbsfleet United
Braintree Town v Woking
Eastleigh v Tamworth
Gateshead v Barnet
Hartlepool United v FC Halifax Town
Maidenhead United v Dagenham & Redbridge
Oldham Athletic v Southend United
Solihull Moors v Forest Green Rovers
Sutton United v Boston United
Wealdstone v York City
TUESDAY 10th SEPTEMBER
Barnet v Altrincham
Boston United v Hartlepool United
Dagenham & Redbridge v Sutton United
Ebbsfleet United v Aldershot Town
FC Halifax Town v Oldham Athletic
Forest Green Rovers v AFC Fylde
Rochdale v Maidenhead United
Southend United v Eastleigh
Woking v Wealdstone
Yeovil Town v Solihull Moors
York City v Braintree Town
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