Stephen Cleeve: Momentum can go both ways

League Two is the basement of the football league pyramid and if you fall through its trap door you find yourself in the somewhat surreal surroundings of the National League where, although you receive a parachute payment for two seasons you discover that your new competitors are bankrolled by Hollywood stars, many of the clubs have budgets which are far in excess of the league that you have just left and long-established rules that you have lived under such as protection over your manager being 'tapped up' and financial fair play are simply jettisoned. 

In short, you are in for a rude awakening, and it is momentum (in this case a negative one) that usually wins the day.

The facts do seem to back up my theory, and they are worth looking at. Last season, Oldham and Scunthorpe were relegated - this season Oldham sit in 16th place and Scunthorpe are 23rd and will be relegated at the end of this  season to the National League North. 

In 20/21, Southend and Grimsby were relegated - Grimsby have broken the trend and have returned to the Football League, but Southend, whilst being in a respectable ninth place, are still very much non-league. 

In 18/19, Yeovil and Notts County were relegated – both have had different fortunes since then and currently Notts County, whilst having 100 points to their name this season, are still not guaranteed a place back into the old boys' network. That’s because there is only one automatic promotion place, which is currently occupied by Wrexham with a whopping 103 points, and the other slot is given to the winner of the play-offs, which in itself is an enormous lottery. Yeovil have not fared so well and are 22nd in the league and are very likely to be relegated again (and for all intents and purposes will be if they lose to Solihull today and Aldershot beat Scunthorpe).

The season before saw Chesterfield and Barnet relegated, and both teams have failed to return to League Two. 

Season 2016/17 was an exception as both Leyton Orient and Hartlepool have since returned to the top flight. Hartlepool were rumoured to be the club that Ryan Reynolds initially wanted to buy but, after failing to agree a price, he switched targets, and Hartlepool today sit just a point above the relegation places. 

In 2015/16, Dagenham & Redbridge and York City were relegated and both clubs remain in the National League, although York fell one division further before returning to the National League.

Putting it into round numbers, out of the 12 relegated clubs only three have made it back up.

Last season, King’s Lynn Town were relegated from the National League along with Dover and Weymouth. Currently Dover are 18th in the National League South and Weymouth are 22nd in the same league – only King’s Lynn have bucked the momentum wheel as we secured last weekend a minimum of third place, and with a win today we can’t finish lower than second.

It's all smiles at The Walks (Image: Ian Burt)

Promotion is still not in our hands though and AFC Fylde, who travel to Boston today, have a game in hand and money to burn - their latest signing, the ex-Aston Villa striker Nathan Delfouneso, is rumoured to be earning a mere £3,000 a week and their total wage bill is estimated to be north of a million a season.

The Beatles worked out that money can’t buy you love and by splashing the cash it almost puts a dartboard on your back with many teams raising their game when they play Fylde. The added bonus for opposing players is that if they impress during the match a call and a big pay cheque might be coming their way next.

We meet Southport at The Walks today at 3pm as we start the first of our final three league matches of the season. I am as proud as punch how our players have performed and risen to the task in hand.

When Tommy Widdrington jumped ship for relegation-threatened Aldershot and Fylde fans tweeted to the National League 'give us the trophy now', I planned and promoted Mark Hughes into the hot seat. At the time we were five points behind the league leaders, and they had a game in hand. Fast forward a couple of weeks and we are a point in front, although they still have that game over us. Mark won both his games in a very steady but unassuming manner and picked up the manager of the week award in his first week in charge. Not a bad return for the first few days at the office. 

It would have been very easy to fold when Tommy walked out on the club and the players could have lost their mojo, but as they say, 'what does not kill you makes you stronger' and whilst we will have to see how the season plays out, I know for sure that the momentum is with us - and that is something that is very hard to stop.

I can’t wait for 3pm!