Supporters Predictions 22-23: The Final Outcome- North Division

During the past month, supporters answering questions for the Pitching In Isthmian Supporters Predictions feature have also been asked to predict the finishing positions of every club in the Division containing their team. We’ve already published their views on just about everything you can think of, and now we have the moment that causes the most pre-season controversy- the final predicted tables. You can be sure that these will be pinned on many a dressing room wall this weekend, particularly at those clubs predicted to struggle!

Next up, the Pitching In North Division.

The departure of Aveley and Canvey Island seems- on paper at least- to have left us with a fairly large collection of sides who might be expected to challenge for promotion. That said, in your view it will still be a one-horse race for the title, as you’ve placed Brentwood Town significantly above the rest, to the extent that fifty percent of the voters saw them as title winners.

There is a close battle, in your view, for second and third- and it is led by AFC Sudbury, who you place narrowly ahead of Grays Athletic. The rest of the play off spots are made up of Felixstowe & Walton United, who you expect to have another fine campaign, and Stowmarket Town, ditto. You predict that Maldon & Tiptree will just miss out on the top six, a fair distance ahead of Hashtag United in seventh and Heybridge Swifts in eighth.

You expect that the relegated sides will need a period of transition, predicting East Thurrock United and Lowestoft Town to finish in mid table.

At the other end of the table, you predict misery for Witham Town and New Salamis. Town’s proposed placing is unsurprising- after all, they did face a relegation Play Off last season- so they will be working hard to prove you wrong. New Salamis are something of an unknown- although you predicted much better things for the other newcomers, with Gorleston and Wroxham expected to steer clear of trouble. The two sides in seventeenth and eighteenth, who will have to face a relegation Play Off against a second place Step Five side, you believe will be Great Wakering Rovers and Basildon United.

So there you have it! Now, time for our sides to get out there are prove our predictors right- or, as is most likely, wrong!

We’d just like to say a big thank you to all those who participated- a record number this year. This has been the sixth pre-season we have run these features, and they have never been more popular- either for participants or for those who enjoy reading them. Football is, more than anything, about supporters- and our league is lucky enough to be blessed with some of the very best. Have a marvellous season, which we hope brings you everything you wanted for your club.

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