Originally Posted by
pravda_plc
My father was a big fan of non-league football and so i'd been to a lot of games at this level, before Notts finally succumbed to it. This league has metamorphosed from the Alliance Premier, to the Conference, to its current name the National League. The big change is now the vast majority of the clubs are full time professional outfits. This season only 5 clubs were part-time: Woking, Altrincham, Kings Lynn, Wealdstone and Weymouth. When I first started watching football at this level, the vast majority were part-time clubs.
Mansfield fans call this a 'mickey mouse' league, a 'joke league' but they have conveniently forgotten that when they played at this level, there were many more part-time clubs than there are now.
The biggest problem for Notts is the 2 up promotion ruling. With only 1 automtic promotion place you have to win the league, or take part in the playoff lottery. In my time as a fan, Notts have only won a league 3 times: Jimmy Sirrel Div 4, Sam Allardyce Div 4 and of course the 'Munto Con' Div 4 (aka Coca-cola league 2). Unfortunately I still see and hear some Notts fans in complete denial, claiming we should easily smash our way out of this 'Tin pot League'. Sorry but it's a really tough league to get out of.
Last but not least: I prefer being in the promotion picture, playing entertaining & attacking football, than hanging on for grim death, playing turgid, defensive hoofball, just to hang onto a place near the bottom of Coca cola League 2...