Football Manager 2022: National League North Guide
When it comes to a league guide in Football Manager 2022, the National League North and South is a popular starting place. Whether it’s a “Road to Glory” or “Journeyman” save, starting in the lower leagues of England is common among players.
Whether you have started in one of these leagues, or are considering doing so, a look around this lower league slice of England can give you an advantage. We will look around the league itself and its rules, before focusing in on a choice of four clubs further below for inspiration.
This article will focus on the National League North in Football Manager 2022, with National League South in Part 2 coming soon.
The League
Sitting in Tier 6 of the English Leagues, National League North is the lowest division available in Football Manager 2022. 22 teams (24 teams from season 2) compete to try and escape…. I mean win promotion to the National League above, with the aim of becoming a Football League club. Bear in mind, most (if not all) teams in this division are Semi-Professional clubs, so their training time and ability will be lower compared to higher divisions.
Only one team (The Champions) can be promoted automatically, so you will need to win the division if you wish to avoid the dreaded playoffs. For the playoff format, this requires a small explanation:
- Teams finishing in 4th to 7th places face off in a single match Quarter Final;
- The winners of the Quarter Final matches play the 2nd and 3rd placed teams in a single match Semi-Final;
- The Final then determines who takes the second promotion spot to the National League.
Got all that? Now you see why the playoffs at this level are dreaded!
The other end of the table is dodgier if you find yourself in a relegation battle. As the lowest division available in the game, if you are relegated this is an automatic sacking (even if the Board say you are doing a good job) and you will need to find a new club. This is because your club is effectively booted from the game, as the division below is not playable. But you’re not about to be relegated right? Of course not, you are here for the glory!
League Rules
We have already covered promotion and relegation above, but there are a couple more rules in this division to be aware of.
Firstly, the traditional transfer window does not affect non-league football in the same way. For top divisions in Europe, the window closes on 31st August. For National League North, you can continue to sign players until the end of March the following year. This gives greater flexibility in refreshing your squad, especially if you suddenly have an injury crisis at any point.
As much as no one wants to mention it, Brexit rules do affect this league, but realistically you are not signing foreign players too often anyway. Mainly because your Board is unlikely to allow scouting outside UK and Ireland due to no money at this level. As a side note, there is no prize money for this league, regardless of where you finish the season.
So now the league rules are covered and the relevant information safely lodged in your brain, but which club do you start at? This is up to you of course, but I picked out four clubs below for a closer look at in this league.
Club 1: Boston United
Club Nickname: The Pilgrims
Board Expectations: Finish in the Playoffs (minimum)
Media Prediction: 2nd
Best Player: Paul Green (Midfielder – 38 years old)
A club who rose to the Football League in the early 2000’s, only to fall back down to non-league in the late 2000’s, Boston United are by default the biggest club in the National League North. After many years of financial issues, Boston are setting their sights on promotion, after stagnating in this league since 2010.
The Board give you the task of finishing in the playoffs in your first season, so you will need to hit the ground running. A quick look at your squad shows your top players are over 30 years old, so you will need to freshen your squad up for the season ahead.
But will you have the budgets to do this straight away? Amazingly for this level, yes! The Board give you a £5,000 transfer budget and over £1,000 in spare wage budget, so you have room to bring in new faces as needed. Give me those free trials!
Club 2: Darlington FC
Club Nickname: The Quakers
Board Expectations: Finish in the Playoffs (minimum)
Media Prediction: 6th
Best Player: Andrew Nelson (Striker – 23 years old)
Another former Football League club, although Darlington have had a more turbulent last 20 years compared to Boston United. A club that for some reason decided to relocate to a 20,000 all-seater stadium whilst still in EFL League Two (Tier 4), they faced financial difficulties straight away by not filling the stadium regularly. I wonder why.
Slipping into administration in 2004 and relegation to non-league in 2010, the club shut down in 2012 after the money ran out. A new phoenix club was instantly formed, called Darlington 1883 (before being renamed Darlington FC in 2017), who have worked their way back up from Tier 9 to the National League North. Can you take them back to their old days of being in the Football League?
Similar to Boston, the Board require a playoff finish in your first season, so promotion is not impossible with your current squad. Speaking of your squad, your best players are WAY younger, with striker Andrew Nelson standing out as your best player. At 23 years old, he may be someone you want to build the squad around.
Much like Boston United (noticing a theme here?), the Board also grant you £5k in transfer budget, but only £450 spare wage budget is available. You can adjust the transfer budget to your wages to allow you to bring in free players. In addition, it is a good idea to see which players you can release/sell off to create some more wage space for new players.
Club 3: Hereford FC
Club Nickname: The Bulls
Board Expectations: Top Half Finish
Media Prediction: 10th
Best Player: Miles Storey (Winger/Striker – 27 years old)
If you have ever heard of Hereford, it might under their former name of Hereford United and THAT FA Cup shock over Newcastle United in 1972 that is still talked about to this day. Yes, this is another phoenix club as Hereford has fought their way back up from Tier 9 to the National League North in recent years.
A former Football League club, Hereford already had financial issues and were in non-league before the club were shut down. Reformed as Hereford FC and keeping their famed Edgar Street ground, they won three straight promotions back to Tier 6 before establishing themselves in this league. And that is where you step in.
This may be a tougher challenge for you compared to other clubs, as you will have zero transfer budget or spare wage budget to improve your squad. Luckily the Board only require a Top Half finish in your first season, but this requires having a squad capable of this.
Your current squad is pretty decent, with Miles Storey standing out as your best player. A 27 year old winger with Football League experience, he is a player you will want to get the best out of, especially with his 16 Pace being lethal at this level.
Club 4: Kettering Town
Club Nickname: The Poppies
Board Expectations: Top Half Finish
Media Prediction: 11th
Best Player: Luke O’Neill (Defender – 29 years old)
The only club on this list that is not a former Football League club, Kettering Town are a club rising back through the divisions to where they once were. Formerly of the Football Conference (now the National League), they also had financial issues which saw them fall into Tier 8 of the English leagues. Now back in the National League North, this could be the start of something wonderful for the club.
The Board require a Top Half finish but with only £250 spare wage budget, you have some tough decisions regarding who to sell from your squad. Considering there are only two squad players under the age of 21, you might want to bring in younger players for some injection of energy.
What is not a tough decision is playing Luke O’Neill, your team’s best player by a country mile. A 29 year old right back, he has dropped three divisions to play for Kettering on a NON-CONTRACT BASIS! I emphasise this, because he needs a proper contract. Urgently!
Overall
The National League North is a popular league among Football Manager 2022 players for a number of reasons. They may play as their local club, or use the league as a way to start their virtual career from the bottom. Or they may wish to see the ultimate underdog achieve domestic and European success against the giants of the game. Whatever the reason, I hope this article gave you an insight into this league and even some ideas of which club to choose.
————————————————————————————————————————
Follow me @Craig_FM1 for more FM22 content or find us on Twitter @DictateTheGame for more Football Manager news and content.
Check out these articles below for more on FM22:
- Your New Save: Day One on Football Manager 2022
- Canadian Premier League in Football Manager
- How to Manage in MLS | FM22 Guide
