The Vanarama Conference Premier Division – A Half-Term Impression
We're approaching the half-way point in this year's football season, and the Christmas and New Year rush may even make the pictures at the top and bottom of various league tables a little clearer than they are at the moment. One division, however, might already be considered to be one division divided into two. So here's David Binder with a look at what has been going on the in the *sigh* Vanarama Conference National so far this season.
It's hard to believe, but Christmas day is almost upon us. I can't be the only one asking 'Where did 2025 go?' Yet time rests for no man, and no doubt many football fans will now see this time of year as an apt time to assess their club's stock thus far this season. The Conference Premier is no exception. Some fans will be rejoicing, some will not. Followers of Barnet will surely be sipping their port counting down the days until their seemingly inevitable promotion back to the Football League. They may be counting their chickens, and stranger things have happened, but I find it hard to believe that any side below them will overhaul their seven point lead at the top of the table. We shall see.
Other clubs meanwhile will hardly be able to believe their eyes at their standing in the table, both in the good and bad sense. Take Surrey side Woking for instance. Who would have believed that come the half way point of the season The Cards would be sitting pretty in fifth place? Not me that's for sure. A great deal of credit must go to Gary Hill and his side for a job well done so far.
On the other side of the coin you arguably have four sides who for different reasons have cause for concern. The first pair, Forest Green and Eastleigh, despite having millions at their disposal (and thus able to attract considerable talent such as James Norwood and James Constable respectively) are not sitting pretty as you might expect. Forest Green despite trying for a number of seasons to throw money at the title, find themselves toiling in 11th, whilst Eastleigh are just one point better off more in 9th, 3 points off the playoffs, albeit with two or three games in hand and this being their first crack in the division. Thus, whilst things certainly aren't desperate for these two, it does a least show that having millions doesn't make promotion out of this league a foregone conclusion.
If Forest Green and Eastleigh might expect to be doing better, fans of Dartford and Nuneaton might consider themselves lucky to even be playing at this level this term. Had it not been for
