I’ve been asked numerous times (well, three) over the past couple of weeks who I think will win the Southern Combination Football League Premier Division this season.
So, on the eve of the 2019/20 campaign, I thought I’d write a little blog post giving my league predictions for the coming campaign.
Now, before I do this, I need to point out two things.
Firstly, I have absolutely no bias towards any team. These predictions are based solely on what I saw with my own two eyes last season and from what I’ve managed to garner with regards to new signings/departures through the wonders of Twitter and Instagram over the summer. Bearing in mind some clubs are far more active on these streams than others, the picture I have may not be a wholly accurate one.
Secondly, I’m hopeless at making predictions. Honestly, I’m terrible. Before the last World Cup, me, my wife and our two kids all put a pound on who we thought would win the tournament (hey big spender…). Between them, they plumped for France (the eventual winners), Belgium and England (both semi-finalists). Me? The (supposedly) knowledgeable one when it comes to football in our household? I went for Germany… who were knocked out in the group stage (not that I was overly saddened by this, obviously).
Therefore, if I have tipped you for a season of struggle, I apologise wholeheartedly but, rest assured, one of those teams will probably end up winning the league. Likewise, if I’ve tipped you for a tilt at the tile, I apologise wholeheartedly if my words prove to be the kiss of death.
Main contenders (probably)
Sorry to be boring, but I can’t see past the division’s three remaining teams who finished in the top four last season, to be duking it out for the title again this time out. Horsham YMCA impressed me each time I saw them play last season, and have been consistently strong over the past few seasons. They have a decent blend of youth and experience, are dangerous going forward and also boasted the league’s third best defensive record in 2018/19. They’ll be there or there abouts. Newhaven Town may have lost a few key players to higher levels during the summer but, importantly, goal machine Lee Robinson remains at Fort Road. With him in the team, goals are pretty much guaranteed, and there is still enough quality around him to suggest that the Dockers will once again be a threat. However, my tip for the title has to be Eastbourne Town. Had it not been for a bad start last time out, they would certainly have finished much closer to eventual champions, Chichester, than they eventually did. I don’t expect such a lethargic start this time. Having watched them brush aside Whitehawk in a pre-season friendly last month, this could well be the season Town make their return to the Isthmian League.
Dark horses (probably)
While they may have escaped relegation by the skin of their teeth with mere minutes of last season remaining, Eastbourne United have made no secret of their ambitions for the future. A squad overhaul has led to some astute signings and, if they gel quickly and buy into the ethos that ambitious chairman Billy Wood clearly has for the team, they may just find themselves in a battle at the right end of the table come April 2020. Like Newhaven, Saltdean United have lost a few key players over the close season but, also like Newhaven, have recruited well and in the pacey Jack Langford they have a potential match winner. Spurred on by their success in the Peter Bentley Cup last season, the Tigers will be hungry for more silverware. Peacehaven and Telscombe were inconsistent at times in 2018/19, but did end up lifting the RUR Cup with a hugely impressive 3-0 demolition job of higher division Haywards Heath. If they can discover this form on a more regular basis, they could surprise a few over the coming months.
Top eight battlers (probably)
Newcomers to the division Alfold took Division One by storm last season and will be riding the crest of a wave heading into the new campaign. While a title challenge perhaps seems unlikely, they do possess quality throughout the team and their slightly out the way location may just leave some of the more fancied sides fearing an unrewarding away day. The management of another team that struggled last season, Loxwood, have been fairly vocal about their desire to improve this season, even going so far as to mention a title challenge. While I don’t know enough about their new signings to label them among my ‘dark horses’, I see no reason why they can’t be challenging for a top eight finish in eight months’ time. AFC Uckfield are another solid team who are likely to finish again in the higher echelons. While they have forged a reputation for being combative, they can also play a bit too and the fact that every team they face will have to (quite literally at times) scrap for each and every point they earn, makes the Uckers one of those teams the big guns won’t relish facing. After months of waiting and numerous false dawns, Broadbridge Heath will finally be playing in their new stadium this season. After a highly commendable sixth-place finish last season, the Bears will be hoping the bounce they receive from being in their new home may help them replicate, or even exceed that achievement this season. I must admit that I don’t know too much about Horley Town, who have moved across from the Combined Counties Combination League, but judging by their consistent performances in that division, and their pre-season results, I would expect them to be aiming for a spot at the higher end of the table come April.
Comfortable mid-table (probably)
Lancing endured a fairly disappointing season on the whole last season, but do look to have strengthened over the summer. With the players they have at their disposal they should have enough about them to improve on last year’s thirteenth. Both Lingfield and Crawley Down Gatwick had decent seasons last year and, while final positions of eighth and ninth respectively are certainly not beyond the realms of either team this season, I think a couple of places lower for both are more likely (and would still represent decent seasons given the burgeoning strength of the league). Newly promoted Steyning Town proved with their FA Vase heroics last year that they can be a match for anyone, and their 3G home pitch at the Shooting Field is likely to work to their advantage. I expect a comfortable season of consolidation for them. Hassocks are probably one of the hardest teams to predict as last season they picked up some really good results against the front-runners, only to drop points against teams towards the bottom reaches of the table. They were consistently inconsistent. Nevertheless, I can’t see them being dragged into a relegation battle and would predict a finish anywhere between tenth and fifthteenth.
A season of struggle (probably)
And so to the teams, who I think will be battling for survival over the coming months. Please don’t take offence to this. As mentioned earlier, my predictions are more often than not rubbish, and you’ll probably end up winning the league. If this happens, feel free to shove these predictions down my throat come the end of the season. I’ll be more than happy to eat a huge slice of humble pie. Purely for the way both East Preston and Pagham finished last season (both team’s form was awful), I’m predicting they could struggle if they don’t get off to a fast start. Elsewhere, both Little Common and Langney Wanderers did really well to finish out of the drop zone during their first season in the Premier Division last year, but it’s likely to be another tough season ahead for those two teams. However, with only one team currently scheduled to go down due to the restructuring of step five of the Non-League Pyramid, the battle to avoid the basement spot is likely to go right down to the wire (and more likely than not won’t end up featuring any of these four teams).
So there you have it. I’ve undoubtedly set myself up from the highest of falls from the tallest of buildings by committing these words to screen. You may agree, you probably won’t (I wouldn’t blame you), but I would love to hear your own predictions for the season… should you be brave enough.
Remember, you can relive last season’s SCFL (and a few other leagues, by downloading my book, Diary of a Groundhopping Virgin, for just 99p on Kindle. Take a look…
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