Conference Call

After months of Vanarama National League chat without any actual football – barring the play-offs of course – the 2020/21 season finally got under way last weekend.

We look back on perfect starts for Eastleigh, Sutton United, Hartlepool United and Woking, while reflecting on less than impressive results for the likes of Aldershot Town and Dagenham & Redbridge.

Which of our predictions were on point and which missed the mark? What are the fixtures to look out for this coming Saturday? Find out on the latest episode of Conference Call, brought to you by Twenty3, in association with Vanarama.

You can get in touch with Will and Tom on Twitter at @willgevans1 and @TBBodell. Make sure you follow @ConferenceCPod too, for all the latest news from across the National League.

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Buoyed by the news that government funding will see the Vanarama National League get under way this weekend, we do our best to predict who will be the winners and losers of the 2020/21 season.

We're putting our necks on the line by ranking every side from 1-23... please direct the inevitable comments and criticism to @ConferenceCPod!

This episode of Conference Call is brought to you by Twenty3 in association with Vanarama. You can also get in touch with Will and Tom on Twitter at @willgevans1 and @TBBodell. 

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The Vanarama National League's plans to kick-off the season in front of supporters were thrown into disarray this week, with the UK government announcing that fans wouldn't be returning to stadiums for the foreseeable future.

Will the 2020/21 campaign start behind closed doors on October 3rd? Is a government support package on the horizon and can clubs survive the season without matchday income? We endeavour to answer all the big questions on the latest edition of Conference Call – brought to you by Twenty3, in association with Vanarama.

You can get in touch with Will and Tom on Twitter at @willgevans1 and @TBBodell. Make sure you follow @ConferenceCPod too, for all the latest news from across the National League.

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We wanted to find out more about Aldershot Town's targets and aspirations for the 2020/21 Vanarama National League season, so dialled up Shots' left-back Lewis Kinsella to get the lowdown on their preparations for the coming campaign.

How badly will the club be hit by the departure of Ethan Chislett to AFC Wimbledon? Which new signings have impressed in pre-season? Lewis fills us in on all the details in this week's episode of Conference Call from Twenty3, in association with Vanarama.

You can get in touch with Will and Tom on Twitter at @willgevans1 and @TBBodell. Make sure you follow @ConferenceCPod too, for all the latest news from across the National League.

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Have you ever wondered how Vanarama National League clubs use data in recruitment, assess their own performances and analyse their opponents?

We were keen to find out more about the statistical side of the game in non-league football's premier competition, so dialled up Barnet's Head of Performance Analysis Dan Hutchings to get the lowdown on what his role at The Hive involves.

This episode of Conference Call is brought to you by Twenty3 in association with Vanarama. You can get in touch with Will and Tom on Twitter at @willgevans1 and @TBBodell. Make sure you follow @ConferenceCPod too, for all the latest news from across the National League.

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Eastleigh manager Ben Strevens joins us on this week's episode of Conference Call, as we take a look at how the Spitfires are shaping up ahead of the 2020/21 Vanarama National League campaign.

We discuss new arrivals and departures, reflect on last season and consider what the aspirations and expectations should be for the South Coast side over the coming months.

This episode of Conference Call is brought to you by Twenty3 in association with Vanarama. You can get in touch with Will and Tom on Twitter at @willgevans1 and @TBBodell. Make sure you follow @ConferenceCPod too, for all the latest news from across the National League.

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Solihull Moors are our team under the microscope this week, so we dialled up their Media and Communications Manager Luke Turner to find out how Jimmy Shan's men are shaping up ahead of next season.

We spoke to Luke about their 2019/20 campaign, signings and departures, off the pitch developments and Moors' hopes for the coming year.

This episode of Conference Call is brought to you by Twenty3 in association with Vanarama. You can get in touch with Will and Tom on Twitter at @willgevans1 and @TBBodell. Make sure you follow @ConferenceCPod too, for all the latest news from across the National League.

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week we're joined by special guest Kieran Maguire; author of 'The Price of Football' and a football finance expert from the University of Liverpool.

We chat with Kieran about why some National League clubs are spending big while others are cutting back, discuss the general state of football finances in the fifth tier and reflect on how the coronavirus has changed the economic landscape of non-league football. We also take a closer look at the financial picture at Barnet, Stockport County, Dover Athletic and Dagenham & Redbridge.

You can follow Kieran at @KieranMaguire and his excellent Price of Football podcast is well worth a listen.

This episode of Conference Call is brought to you by Twenty3 in association with Vanarama. You can get in touch with Will and Tom on Twitter at @willgevans1 and @TBBodell. Make sure you follow @ConferenceCPod too, for all the latest news from across the National League.

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

It's a bumper edition of Conference Call this week, after a busy few days of National League news. We chat about Macclesfield Town's points deduction and subsequent relegation, Stevenage's reprieve and some impressive recruitment at Dagenham & Redbridge.

Then there's Dover Athletic's financial issues, Darren Currie's departure from Barnet and a takeover at Chesterfield too. Plus, we round up the latest transfers, take a look at a potential salary cap in the National League and consider the merits of the #LetFansIn campaign.

This episode of Conference Call is brought to you by Twenty3 in association with Vanarama. You can get in touch with Will and Tom on Twitter at @willgevans1 and @TBBodell. Make sure you follow @ConferenceCPod too, for all the latest news from across the National League.

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Sunday's play-off final at Wembley brought the curtain down on the Vanarama National League season, 364 days after the campaign kicked off in 2019. The competition's showpiece event didn't disappoint, as runners-up Harrogate Town beat Notts County 3-1 to seal promotion to the EFL for the first time in their history. 

How will Simon Weaver's side deal with life in League Two? Will Notts County be among the promotion challengers in 2020/21? We discuss all the major talking to points in the latest episode of Conference Call – brought to you by Twenty3 in association with Vanarama.

You can get in touch with Will and Tom on Twitter at @willgevans1 and @TBBodell. Make sure you follow @ConferenceCPod too, for all the latest news from across the National League.

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.