What a season! :cool:
The 16 game unbeaten run from the end of December to mid-March saw us show our title credentials and despite some hairy moments towards the end; once we had hit top spot we stayed there.
I had thought we were going to bottle it, when with six games left we got beaten by Gainsborough Trinity and the penultimate home game was against our nearest threat of Hinckley. However a stunning performance saw us thrash them 6-1. The final home league game of the season saw us destroy Leigh RMI 4-0, and we were on course to win the title in the next game as long as other results went for us.
Three away matches concluded the season and a lacklustre display against Stalybridge where we were beaten 2-0 left the door slightly ajar for Hinckley to fightback. I needn't have worried as despite a 1-0 deficit against Nuneaton Boro threatened to see us slip back into the play-off places, a "do it for the fans" style half-time team talk saw us win 5-1 and the title was ours.
To think the bookies had made us 5000/1 at the start of the season to take the title!!!
No chance to relax for the final game as, for a lot of the loan signings this would be their last game for F.C. Cheadle Heath and we went out in a blaze of glory with a 4-0 win at Boston, and in the process scuppered their chance of a play-off place.
On the final day we scored enough goals to see us finish as the leading scorers in the division coupled with having the best defensive record too, meant we finished with a goal difference of +46 and 80 points from the 42 league fixtures.
I finished winning the BSN Manager of the Season award and the Manager of the Month award on no less than 4 occasions.
Loan players made up the main star performers, Adam Thomas from Blackburn at right back had been solid from the start of the season. Jamie Clarke also came from Blackburn and as a lone striker did particularly well bagging 23 goals in 30 games. Once into January and the affiliation with Man Utd announced, the three players who came on loan; Michael Barnes, Michael Lea and in particular Sam Hewson made a huge difference. Hewson finished the season with an average rating of 8.07.
The affiliation with Man Utd has undoubtedly been the main reason for some stunning perfomances, whether we will have a squad as comfortable with each other as this one for the step up into the Blue Square Premier remains to be seen. Fierce rivals Altrincham were relegated from the BSP so no chance of a couple of feisty fixtures in the league with them next season. Stockport County also suffered relegation from Coca Cola League 2, so the rivalry with the bitter neighbours can begin in earnest in the BSP in the coming months.
I'll be interested to see what expectations the board have after this season, and what transfer budget will be made available to see us cope with the BSP. As it stands there is only one player coming in so far for next season, so my scout is going to be busy hunting down cheap talent during the close season. I had been getting the reserves to play friendlies against Spanish La Liga teams reserves to keep a steady flow of income to the club and I hope the board will free some of this cash for the new campaign.
Blue Square North - End of season table Results Blue Square North - Average player ratings Squad Stats Board confidence summary Finance summary League Summary BSN Manager of the Season Boards delight at promotion Transfer History - slightly more ins than outs! Transfer Centre 
... Superbad.!
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