History Corner: Looking Back on the 1990/91 season

Wycombe Wanderers and Yeovil Town begin the campaign on new grounds, and Macclesfield Town have Chester City groundsharing with them at Moss Rose.

Welling United pay a club record fee of £30,000 for their former striker Gary Abbott and Cheltenham Town sign another prolific non-League striker in Kim Casey from Kidderminster Harriers for £20,000.

Another well-known striker, Kettering Town`s Ernie Moss, announces his retirement at the age of 40.

The two title favourites, Barnet and Colchester, have a disappointing start to the new season – the U`s losing away and the Bees sharing a 3-3 draw at Macclesfield, despite leading three times.

Barnet sell goalkeeper Peter Guthrie to Bournemouth for £15,000 and he becomes the fifth ex-Conference player with the Cherries.

Yeovil`s new Huish Park is proving popular with fans as season ticket sales top 700 and a crowd of 4,169 watch the first competitive game in a 2-0 win over Colchester – indeed, opening day aggregate attendances (15,678) is the second highest in the history of the Conference to date.

Kettering lead the early table after picking up 10 points from the opening four games.

A further five clubs remain undefeated with Yeovil boasting the only 100% record, while at the other end of the table, promoted Gateshead and Stafford Rangers are still without a point.

Media coverage of the Conference continues to grow with BBC Radio 5 broadcasting results on a Saturday and midweek.

Barnet striker Gary Bull nets four times in a 6-1 win over new boys Slough Town, and just under 3,000 watch Wycombe`s first competitive game at Adams Park – a 4-1 win against Welling.

Former Celtic striker Jim Melrose joins Macclesfield and ex-Everton player Mickey Walsh becomes coach at Slough.

Yeovil`s 100% record goes after a 1-1 draw with Boston United, and Stafford and Gateshead earn their first points of the campaign.

In an effort to attract more females to the game, Kidderminster adopt a womens` team and Welling announce free admission at selected matches for female supporters.

Barnet`s in-demand striker Andrew Clarke becomes the subject of a 65-minute video showing all 37 of his goals scored last season – Manchester United had shown interest in him in the summer.

Colchester bolster their squad by signing striker Mario Walsh from Southend and goalkeeper Scott Barrett from Stoke for £25,00 each, while Wycombe boss Martin O`Neill pays his first fee with forward Simon Hutchinson joining from Eastwood Town for £7,000.

Leaders Kettering strengthen their midfield by acquiring the services of Kidderminster`s England semi-professional international Paul Bancroft for a five-figure fee and he becomes the second most expensive recruit by the Poppies, who open up a five-point lead at the top of the table with a 3-0 victory over Runcorn – their sixth consecutive win and a points` tally of 19 which is the largest recorded at this stage of any Conference campaign.

One of the Poppies victims in this run, Barnet, establish as seasonal attendance record to date as 4,261 watch a 1-0 win for the Northamptonshire side.

That game saw the debut of midfielder Kevin Durham, signed by Barnet boss Barry Fry from Wycombe for £15,000.

Yeovil turn full-time with 13 players agreeing terms, while former Aston Villa European Cup winner Des Bremner joins Stafford.

Bath City`s grandstand is destroyed by an arson attack.

Kettering`s run of successive wins comes to an end after being held to a 0-0 draw by Welling. However, the Poppies lose defender Richard Brown to Blackburn Rovers for £25,000.

Yeovil break their club record by signing midfielder Joe Jackson from Worcester City for £15,000, and former Manchester City and England winger Peter Barnes joins Northwich Victoria.

Barnet sell midfielder Phil Gridelet to Barnsley for a new Pyramid record of £175,000 and the Bees collect another seasonal record when 4,579 watch their 3-2 win over Wycombe.

Kettering extend their unbeaten run to 10 games with a 3-2 win against Fisher Athletic, although the Poppies concede their first goal in 570 minutes, ending the best Conference run since 1985.

At the bottom of the table, Bath head out of September still looking for a first win, while Gateshead`s Dave Parnaby becomes the first managerial casualty of the season, resigning due to work commitments.

Shortly afterwards, the Heed slump to a 9-0 defeat by Sutton United – the worst home reversal in the league`s history to date.

Barnet increase income from the sale of players to £260,000 in a week with an £85,000 combined fee taking Paul Harding and David Regis to Notts County.

Jim Pearson steps down as caretaker-manager at Gateshead to make way for the new permanent incumbent.

Former Norwich City and Arsenal defender Steve Walford joins Wycombe, initially as a player, teaming-up with Martin O`Neill.

He became O`Neill`s assistant soon afterwards and has since worked with the Irishman at Norwich, Leicester, Celtic, Aston Villa, Sunderland and the Republic of Ireland.

Northwich sell winger Neil Morton to Third Division neighbours Chester City for £50,000.

Gateshead appoint former Leicester midfielder Tony Lee as their new manager.

Bath end their barren run with a 3-0 success against Fisher and move off the bottom of the table for the first time in five weeks.

Stafford winger Changez Khan captures the public`s imagination with an unorthodox somersault throw-in!

The technique which allows Khan to hoist the ball over 60 yards is referred to FIFA by the FA.

Kettering equal the Conference record for an unbeaten start to a season with a 1-0 win against Barrow which extends the run to 14 matches.

Yeovil sack manager Brian Hall after four years in charge and former Exeter player-coach Clive Whitehead is named as his successor.

Wealdstone`s Tony Lynch moves to Barnet for £15,000 and Bath receive a welcome windfall of £20,000 after former full-back Jason Dodd makes his England under-21 debut.

Changez Khan`s throw is deemed legitimate by FIFA.

October continues its image for being the `sacking month` as Cheltenham part company with Jim Barron.

Sky (or BSB as they were known then) announce they are to cover FA Cup First and Second Round matches live for the first time.

Barnet record the biggest win of the season to date, hammering Fisher 8-1.

Slough record a record gate with 3,394 attending the 3-3 draw with neighbours Wycombe.

Eleven Conference clubs secure places in the FA Cup First Round, with seven facing replays, but Yeovil guarantee a record 42nd appearance after a 3-1 win against Marlow.

October bows out with Colchester being Barnet`s main title challengers and still possess a 100% home record.

Fifteen Conference clubs enter the FA Cup First Round – equalling the record set in 1984/85.

Altrincham`s tie with Huddersfield at Moss Lane chosen to be screened as the first-ever live FA Cup match by BSB.

Kettering slump to a 5-1 defeat at Wycombe, ending their unbeaten start to the season at the 15th attempt.

Runcorn part company with manager Barry Whitbread and they are hammered 6-1 at Bath in their following game.

Former Crystal Palace and Arsenal keeper Paul Barron returns to Welling where he began his career 23 years previously – as a striker!

Kettering extend their lead at the top of the table to seven points after a 1-0 win over Colchester in front of a seasonal best crowd to date of 5,020 at the sadly now disappeared Rockingham Road.

John Murphy returns to Cheltenham`s helm after a two-year absence.

Former Wolves star and Brighton boss Mike Bailey extends his Fisher contract and immediately brings in six new players, including ex-Chelsea and Palace midfielder Jerry Murphy and former Everton and Cambridge striker Alan Biley.

Runcorn appoint leading scorer Mark Carter as their caretaker-manager.

Barrow reach the FA Cup Second Round for the first time in 21 years with a 1-0 win over Northern Leaguers Bishop Auckland, while Colchester beat Third Division Reading and Barnet, Merthyr and Wycombe make progress after replays.

In the title race, Kettering open up a ten-point lead, despite being held to a 0-0 draw at lowly Fisher, but then beat Northwich 1-0 to move further clear.

Yeovil recruit former Arsenal winger Brian McDermott as player/assistant-manager, paying Exeter £10,000 for his services (McDermott of course went on to manage Reading and Leeds).

Runcorn appoint Hyde United boss Peter O`Brien as their new boss and he sees his new charges beat Merthyr 2-1 in his first game.

Barry Fry`s Barnet become the first team in Britain to reach the 50-goal mark as they beat Yeovil 4-1 heading into December.

John Murphy resigns at Cheltenham less than a month after re-joining the Robins, citing pressure from outside influences as the reason for his departure, leaving Dave Lewis in caretaker charge.

Snow brings a temporary halt to most games, although Barnet manage to stage their FA Cup tie against Fourth Division leaders Northampton which ends 0-0, although the Bees win the replay 1-0 at the County Ground to reach the Third Round.

Barrow are also in the hat after beating Whitley Bay, as are Wycombe, whose 1-1 draw with Peterborough at Adams Park attracts a record 5,695 crowd.

Stafford sell 19-year-old striker Stan Collymore to Crystal Palace for an initial £100,000 fee.

Merthyr decline an invitation from the FA of Wales to become one of the founder members of the proposed new League of Wales.

Barnet`s title challenge suffers a set-back over Christmas with a 3-1 defeat against Colchester, watched by 5,105 – a new seasonal best to date.

Kettering re-sign veteran striker Ernie Moss from Shepshed Charterhouse.

Cheltenham enjoy the festive season, picking up nine points to lift them off the foot of the table, although they also sell striker Simon Brain to Hereford for £10,000.

Yeovil`s run of seven successive defeats ends with a 2-2 draw with Wycombe.

Gateshead set a football `first`, signing a major sponsorship deal with the GMB Trade Union.

Barnet and Barrow both exit the FA Cup, losing to Portsmouth and Bolton respectively, with the Bees` consolation being a gate of 6,109 – the highest at Underhill since 1973 and setting record gate receipts.

Fisher part company with manager Mike Bailey following a takeover at the bottom-of-the-table side.

Kettering maintain a ten-point lead at the top after a 4-1 win over Kidderminster, although Colchester stay in touch with a 2-1 success against Slough.

The New Year starts with an FA Trophy exit for Barnet, while Kettering attract a crowd of 4,421 for the 2-0 win against Woking in the First Round.

However, a few days later, then Poppies lose 2-1 late on at Runcorn to suffer only their second league defeat of the season to date.

Barnet improve their squad by re-signing former Kettering favourite Nicky Evans from Wycombe for £25,000.

And there were celebrations at Slough after they were awarded their first penalty in 48 games!

Barry Fry`s at it again as he equals the transfer record by signing Barrow`s elegant midfielder Kenny Lowe for £40,000, while Kettering striker Andy Hunt attracts a £150,000 bid from Newcastle United, and former Spurs midfielder Garry Brooke joins Colchester.

Another late goal sees Kettering lose at Altrincham, who extend their unbeaten run to 15 games, while Runcorn register their first away win of the campaign to date with a 4-1 success at Cheshire rivals Northwich.

Andy Hunt completes his £150,000 move to St James` Park – the second biggest fee for a Conference player.

Barrow`s defence of the FA Trophy ends at Kettering, while the Poppies bolster their squad with the signing of experienced former York striker [/b]Keith Walwyn[/b] from Carlisle.

Kidderminster field seven players under the age of 20 as they reach the Bob Lord Trophy semi-final by beating Runcorn.

Altrincham set a new seasonal record by extending their unbeaten run to 16 matches with a 9-2 hammering of Merthyr, with Ken McKenna and Nicky Daws both netting hat-tricks.

Dave Lewis` efforts in lifting Cheltenham off the bottom of the table is rewarded by being made manager until the end of the season.

Barnet sell in-demand forward Andrew Clarke to Wimbledon for a record £250,000 and raises Barry Fry`s sales to £1.2 million since 1988.

Fry is quick to replace Clarke by signing the experienced Mark Carter from Runcorn for £40,000.

Boston United fail in an audacious bid to sign former Nottingham Forest and Norwich striker Justin Fashanu.

Colchester sell their Layer Road ground to the local council for £1million.

Yeovil part company with record signing Joe Jackson, who joins Dover.

Kettering`s 28-week tenure at the top of the table ends with Barnet taking over as leaders following a 2-0 win against Runcorn, and now only four points separate the top four clubs at the end of February.

Altrincham`s Ken McKenna completes a hat-trick of hat-tricks at Boston as the Robins take their unbeaten run to 18 games – four short of Scarborough`s record.

Boston sign ex-Scottish international Asa Hartford from Shrewsbury – the now 40-year-old having won 50 caps for his country and playing in two World Cups.

George Rooney becomes the seventh managerial casualty by parting company with Bath following a 1-0 home defeat to Stafford. Long-serving defender Tony Ricketts is appointed as caretaker-manager until the end of the season.

Lyn Jones announces he is to step down as manager of Merthyr, with assistant Wyn Hopkins taking caretaker charge.

Cheltenham midfielder Chris Burns is sold to Portsmouth for an initial £25,000 fee – the same amount as Barnet shell out for Welling defender Duncan Horton.

A last-minute goal at Macclesfield sees Kettering re-gain leadership, while Altrincham, Kidderminster and Wycombe reach the FA Trophy semi-finals, but Colchester are knocked out by lower league Witton Albion.

The league sign a £50,000 agreement with TV channel `Sportscast` for live coverage of the title run-in.

Altrincham v Barnet chosen to launch first live football deal outside the First Division, while a crowd of 4,450 see the Bees return to the top of the table with a 3-1 win at Kettering.

Altrincham`s 1-0 win at Bath moves them to within one match of the Conference record for unbeaten matches.

And they set a new record with Easter Bank Holiday wins against Barnet and Kettering to extend their run to 24 matches.

Colchester finally lose their unbeaten home record with a 1-0 defeat by lowly Yeovil.

The U`s bolster their run-in by acquiring Bobby Ferguson as a coach and former West Brom keeper Tony Godden and ex-Spurs striker David Leworthy as players.

Other transfer deadline deals see Wycombe sign striker Keith Scott from Lincoln City for £30,000, while Fisher`s Paul Gorman is sold to Charlton for £45,000.

Wycombe and Kidderminster take single goal advantages into their FA Trophy semi-final second legs against Altrincham and Witton respectively.

A last-gasp penalty by Northwich denied Colchester maximum points in the title race, while Ian Benbow grabs four goals for Telford to hammer Kettering 5-2 on their own Rockingham Road patch, and now only three points separate the top four.

Cliff Roberts` four-year term as manager of Northwich comes to an end, while Clive Whitehead loses his job at Yeovil, but Wyn Hopkins is made permanent boss at Merthyr.

Wycombe win 2-0 in the second leg of the Trophy semi-final, while Kidderminster will be their Wembley opponents after overcoming Witton in a second replay.

Colchester go top of the table after a 2-1 win over Welling and at the other end, Bath make Tony Ricketts their permanent boss following a 1-0 win over Boston to close the gap at the bottom to five points.

Altrincham, Barnet and Colchester each earn midweek wins, with the U`s recovering from being behind to beat title rivals Kettering 3-1 in front of 5,048 and then 7,221 come to Layer Road to see them draw 1-1 with Altrincham.

Only two points now separate the top four, although Altrincham possess games in hand and the momentum of an unbeaten run of 27 matches.

Fisher`s 2-1 defeat to Barrow virtually ensures relegation for the Dockland outfit, but Bath continue to fight after a win against Northwich.

Altrincham move to the top with a 4-1 win over Sutton and displace Colchester, who can only manager a draw at Kidderminster, with Barnet also slipping, sharing a 2-2 draw at Stafford after being 2-0 up.

It`s not all good news for Alty, however, as their 28-match unbeaten run finally comes to an end with a 1-0 defeat at Barrow and they lose top spot to Barnet, whose Gary Bull`s 87th minute penalty earns a 3-2 win over Welling.

Kettering lose 3-0 at Kidderminster and Colchester`s challenge is dented by a 2-0 defeat at Telford.

Fisher are confirmed as being relegated after a 1-1 draw at Welling, while Bath`s remarkable recovery sees them move out of the drop zone with a 3-0 win over Gateshead.

Barnet spoil the party at the official opening of Wycombe`s Adams Park ground, performed by HRH The Duke of Kent, by winning 3-1 to go back to the top of the table.

Colchester assure a drama-filled last day of the season with a 3-0 win over Gateshead, but Altrincham feel the pressure and relinquish a 3-1 lead at Slough.

And the Robins` title hopes are finally ended by Cheshire neighbours Northwich winning 2-0 at Moss Lane.

Sutton United follow Fisher down after losing 5-2 at home to Kettering.

The dramatic final day sees 4,283 attend already-relegated Fisher`s home game with Barnet and the `relaxed` Fish twice take the lead.

With half-an-hour remaining, Colchester face the prospect of a return to the Football League by leading 2-0 against Kidderminster.

Drama at Fisher continues as Barnet equalise and two late goals from Gary Bull guarantees the title and promotion for Barry Fry`s side.

Colchester finish second and Altrincham third, but Kettering, who at one time had such a commanding lead at the top of the table, end up a disappointing fourth.

Wycombe finish the season off by winning the FA Trophy 2-1 in front of a record crowd of 35,000 against Kidderminster.

(Photo top Barnet chairman Stan Flashman with manager Barry Fry and below that, Wycombe celebrate winning the FA Trophy at Wembley)