Vanarama National League 2019-20 Season Review

But the birthday was of course brilliant for Barrow and despite the early ending it was a campaign with plenty of highlights and tons of tension.

August finally arrived and many were split about the race for the title.

A good summer of dealings had Chesterfield and AFC Fylde spoken about - and what would new arrivals Notts County, Torquay United and Yeovil Town bring?

Who knew a side on few people's lips would come through and shock the division?

But the big opening day stories came from two of the other outsiders, promoted Woking winning at Dagenham & Redbridge while Sutton United humbled Hartlepool United.

In the first month FC Halifax Town really showed their summer of discontent wouldn’t knock them off their stride.

A first day 4-1 win at Ebbsfleet United made a mockery of Pete Wild’s last minute arrival, and he had a great first month winning five from seven.

But it was Alan Dowson who took August’s Manager of the Month crown.

Woking secured big victories over Dagenham, Harrogate Town, Chesterfield, AFC Fylde, Solihull Moors, Dover Athletic and Barrow were the best way to ensure derby defeat to Aldershot barely registered.

The sudden death of Leyton Orient manager Justin Edinburgh stunned football in July.
So in early September a cheque for £15,000 was presented to the Justin Edinburgh Foundation ahead of Dagenham’s live BT Sport game with Bromley.

Neil Smith’s Ravens scored a late leveller to keep their unbeaten start going but it was ultimately to be a season of frustration as the south east Londoners missed the top seven.

A slow start for Wrexham meant Bryan Hughes was out of work seven weeks in.

After throwing away the points against AFC Fylde, the Racecourse decision makers said it was time for change.

An incredible 9,090 fans packed into Notts County to see their game with the Coasters with tickets costing only £3 as a thank you to fans. Two clubs were rewarded for a brilliant month.

Yeovil, relegated from League Two in May, settled in nicely and Darren Sarll was the Manager of the Month.

Six games in September, and six wins. Sutton United, FC Halifax, AFC Fylde, Solihull Moors, Aldershot Town and Bromley all swatted away.

Barrow were suddenly starting to come into focus.

Captain John Rooney starred as the Bluebirds saw off Aldershot, Solihull, Ebbsfleet United, Chorley and Maidenhead United to end the month on a five-game win streak – a winning run they haven’t seen this good since 1968.

But by the end of October, it was Bromley everyone was looking up at. It was tight, with Halifax and Yeovil all within touching distance.

Just two four points off were Simon Weaver’s Harrogate - there was no sign of second season syndrome in that part of Yorkshire.

Wins over title rivals Yeovil, Ebbsfleet, Barnet, Aldershot in the National League were supplemented by FA Cup success at FC Halifax that month, which saw him crowned top boss.
But that month the on-field action wasn’t the main talking point.

It was a managerial bloodbath with Garry Hill leaving Ebbsfleet, Craig Hignett’s time up at Hartlepool and Dave Challinor leaving AFC Fylde.

Wrexham had a new boss - well, an old one. Dean Keates returned to the Racecourse to try and repair their sorry start to the campaign having left to take the Walsall job in March 2018.

Things moved quickly for the other clubs without managers.

In November, Fylde opted to make long-serving Morecambe manager Jim Bentley their new boss.

“This is a huge challenge but I’m at a club with great ambition,” he said with the Coasters in the middle of a relegation battle.

Kevin Watson was rewarded for Ebbsfleet's recent fine form by being given the job on a permanent basis.

Challinor wasn’t out of the game for long - he got the Hartlepool job as the club looked to push towards the play-offs.

Barrow ended November in top spot, and they ultimately weren’t going to be moved.

They made a statement of intent, winning 3-0 at Notts County weeks after a 4-0 victory at Maidenhead.

At the wrong end it was Wrexham, returning Keates had a vision of what was ahead as they ended season’s fourth month bottom of the pile.

Things weren’t much better for Chesterfield, in the relegation zone alongside Chorley and Ebbsfleet.

There was no Christmas cheer at Dagenham - they parted company with Peter Taylor with the club’s new owners clearly unhappy with their 18th place position.

It’s fair to say 2019 wasn’t a year to remember at Notts County. But they signed off in style, and with real hints there were better things ahead.

Neal Ardley was December’s Manager of the Month. Wins over FC Halifax Town, Maidenhead and at Solihull saw the New Year in with a bang. They also beat rivals Chesterfield in the FA Trophy.

It was Barrow on top of the tree as the world welcomed in 2020 but what a title race we had in store with Yeovil, Bromley and Harrogate all within a win of the leaders.

The Glovers gutted the Gulls, Yeovil thrashing Torquay 6-2 with Courtney Duffus helping himself to a hat-trick - and the December Player of the Month award a week or so later.

Wrexham improved but remained in trouble, Chorley to team to see in the new year bottom of the table.

It was a good New Year’s Day for the sides at the top of the National League as all the title chasers won.

But a 3-0 defeat to Solihull Moors was the final straw for the Chesterfield board - John Sheridan sacked with club third from bottom.

Daryl McMahon was the man charged with turning Dagenham’s season around, the Irishman back in the game after quitting as Macclesfield manager in League Two.

Peterborough United say they just had to write a big cheque to lure Jack Taylor from Barnet.
They paid the Bees an initial fee of £500,000 for the talented midfielder.

It was also time to say goodbye to a National League goalscoring great in January.

Danny Rowe has completed his transfer to the EFL with Oldham Athletic adding a player who had scored 192 goals in 293 appearances for AFC Fylde.

Barrow stretched their legs at the top of the table that month - five points the advantage for Ian Evatt’s side.

They won 7-0 twice, thrashing Ebbsfleet at Holker Street and FC United in the FA Trophy just a week earlier. They also beat title rivals Bromley in front of the BT Sport cameras.

There was a managerial casualty to come, Tim Flowers falling at Solihull Moors and less than two weeks later Jimmy Shan was given his job

A storm was brewing - Dennis caused chaos across the country, but that was nothing compared to what was ahead for the world.

By the end of February Barrow’s message was quite clear: catch us if you can!
Despite losing to Dover late on, they won another three as their title rivals started to fall.

The Bluebirds were eight points ahead of the rest, but Harrogate remained ones to watch.
But as March arrived, football took a back seat.

The Covid-19 outbreak paused the game as sport was put on the backburner, the global pandemic ultimately cutting the National League season short.

Eventually after a vote by member clubs it was to be decided the season 2019-20 will be concluded with final league tables compiled on an “Unweighted Points Per Game” basis.

That meant Barrow were the winners - with Harrogate, Notts County, Yeovil, Boreham Wood, Halifax and Barnet all fighting it out in July’s play-offs.

Chorley, AFC Fylde and Ebbsfleet United fell in an end-of-season scenario nobody wanted.

It was to be celebrations for Hattogate though, winners at Wembley after they defeated Notts County 3-1

It came after their semi victory over Boreham Wood and manager Simon Weaver said: “This is such a proud day - after 11 years to take the club into the EFL is just incredible.”