Football Season Guide

Boreham Wood enjoyed a wonderful campaign last season in which they were in the race for promotion throughout and eventually secured it in dramatic style in the play-off final. The Hertfordshire club were not expected to challenge for the top places but found great chemistry and momentum from the word go. They did slow down a bit in the spring and lost out to Bromley in the face for the automatic promotion. However, the Wood managed to compose themselves in the key play-off games, seeing off Havant & Waterlooville in the semi-finals and then dramatically defeating Whitehawk in the final, courtesy of an extra-time 2:1 win. It was a due reward for the hard work put in by Ian Allinson and the players over the last 12 months and they will be relishing the challenge of competing in the top level of non-league football. It will be the first time in the club’s history that they are so high up the football pyramid and they definitely start the season as relegation favourites. Allinson managed to bring lots of experience and quality over the summer and the best signing is definitely that of Scott Doe. He rejected a contract renewed at Dagenham & Redbridge in order to join the Wood and definitely represents a coup for the newcomers. Luke Howell, Danny Woodards and Billy Clifford are all excellent additions with Football League experience as well. Charlie MacDonald will offer experience and nous in attack as well. That said, the team lost their best player from last season over the summer as Lee Angol is no longer around. The on-loan striker enjoyed an absolutely brilliant campaign, getting 25 goals and being named best player in the Conference South. The fact that he was signed by Peterborough over the summer signifies his progress and he will be certainly very hard to replace. Scott Thomas and Ben Herd are important departures as well but the manager will be confident that his men can put up a good fight. Boreham Wood will be definitely up against it but one should not bet against them actually surviving as they have momentum behind them along with a clever and astute manager.