The 2017–18 National League season, known as the Vanarama National League for sponsorship reasons, was the third season under English football's new title of National League, 14th season consisting of three divisions and the 39th season overall.
The National League covers the top two levels of non-League football in England. The National League is the fifth highest level of the overall pyramid, while the National League North and National League South exist at the sixth level. The top team and the winner of the play-off of the Premier division will be promoted to English Football League Two, while the bottom four are relegated to the North or South divisions. The champions of the North and South divisions will be promoted to the Premier division, alongside the play-off winners from each division. The bottom three in each of the North and South divisions are relegated to the premier divisions of the Northern Premier League, Isthmian League or Southern League.
This is the first season to include six teams in the play-offs for each division, with the 4th-7th placed teams participating in the qualifying round and the 2nd and 3rd placed teams qualifying for the semi-finals.
National League
The National League consisted of 24 clubs.
Promotion and Relegation The following teams changed divisions after the 2016–17 season:
AFC Fylde were the first team to be promoted after a 3–0 win against Boston United on 22 April 2017 clinched them the National League North title. Maidenhead United were promoted on 29 April 2017 after a 3–0 win over Margate, competing in the top tier of non-league for the first time. Ebbsfleet United were promoted on 13 May 2017 after beating Chelmsford City 2–1 in the National League South Playoff Final, returning to the league after a four-year absence. On the same day, FC Halifax Town were also promoted after beating Chorley 2–1 in the National League North playoff final, securing them an immediate return to the league.
Leyton Orient were relegated from League Two on 22 April 2017 after their 3–0 loss to Crewe Alexandra ending their 112-year stay in the English Football League. On 6 May 2017, despite a 2–1 victory over Doncaster Rovers on the same day, Hartlepool United became the second team to be relegated from League Two following Newport County's 2–1 victory over Notts County, ending their 96-year stay in the EFL.
The six teams replace Lincoln City, Forest Green Rovers, York City, Braintree Town, Southport and North Ferriby United. Lincoln City were promoted to League Two after beating Macclesfield Town 2–1 on 22 April 2017. Forest Green Rovers were promoted after beating Tranmere Rovers 3–1 in the 2016–17 National League Playoff Final on 14 May 2017. They were the league's longest serving club, completing nineteen seasons in the top-flight. This is a mantle that has now been passed to Wrexham, who enter their tenth season in the league.
Southport were the first team to be relegated on 21 April 2017 after a 3–0 loss to Dover Athletic, ending their seven-year stay in the league despite surviving several relegation battles over their tenure. North Ferriby United were the second team to be relegated on 24 April 2017 after a 3–1 defeat at Barrow, suffering an immediate return to the National League North. On the final day of the season, Braintree Town were relegated after losing 2–0 to Aldershot, ending their six-year stay in the league, which also confirmed the club's first relegation in their history. York City's 2–2 draw against Forest Green Rovers was also not enough to save them after Guiseley's last minute equalizer against Solihull Moors which confirmed back to back relegations for the Yorkshire club.
Team changes
To National League Promoted from 2016–17 National League North AFC Fylde FC Halifax Town
Promoted from 2016–17 National League South Maidenhead United Ebbsfleet United
Relegated from 2016–17 League Two Hartlepool United Leyton Orient
From National League Relegated to 2017–18 National League North York City Southport North Ferriby United
Relegated to 2017–18 National League South Braintree Town
Promoted to 2017–18 League Two Lincoln City Forest Green Rovers
Stadia and locations
Team Location Stadium Capacity AFC Fylde Wesham Mill Farm Sports Village 6,000 Aldershot Town Aldershot Recreation Ground 7,200 Barrow Barrow-in-Furness Holker Street 5,045 Boreham Wood Borehamwood Meadow Park 4,502 Bromley London Hayes Lane 5,300 Chester Chester Deva Stadium 6,500 Dagenham & Redbridge London (Dagenham) Victoria Road 6,078 Dover Athletic Dover Crabble Athletic Ground 5,745 Eastleigh Eastleigh Ten Acres 5,250 Ebbsfleet United Northfleet Stonebridge Road 4,500 FC Halifax TownHalifax The Shay 14,061 Gateshead Gateshead Gateshead International Stadium 11,800 Guiseley Guiseley Nethermoor Park 4,200 Hartlepool United Hartlepool Victoria Park 7,856 Leyton Orient London Brisbane Road 9,271 Macclesfield Town Macclesfield Moss Rose 6,355 Maidenhead United Maidenhead York Road 3,377 Maidstone United Maidstone Gallagher Stadium 4,200 Solihull Moors Solihull Damson Park 4,313 Sutton United London (Sutton) Gander Green Lane 5,013 Torquay United Torquay Plainmoor 6,200 Tranmere Rovers Birkenhead Prenton Park 16,789 Woking Woking Kingfield Stadium 6,036 Wrexham Wrexham Racecourse Ground 10,771
League table
Play-offs
Qualifying round
Semi-finals
Final
Results table
Top scorers RankPlayerClubGoals1 Andy CookTranmere Rovers262 Danny RoweAFC Fylde243 Macauley BonneLeyton Orient224 Bruno AndradeBoreham Wood20 James NorwoodTranmere Rovers6 Danny KedwellEbbsfleet United187 Josh ReesBromley16 Ryan BirdDover Athletic9 Morgan FerrierDagenham / Boreham Wood1510 Scott WilsonMacclesfield14
Monthly Awards
Each month the Vanarama National League announces their official Player of the Month and Manager of the Month.
MonthPlayer of the MonthClubManager of the MonthClubAugust 2017 Nathan VaughanSolihull Moors John StillDagenham & RedbridgeSeptember 2017 Scott WilsonMacclesfield Town Jay SaundersMaidstone UnitedOctober 2017 Josh ReesBromley Craig HarrisonHartlepool UnitedNovember 2017 Danny RoweAFC Fylde Luke GarrardBoreham WoodDecember 2017 Connor JenningsTranmere Rovers John AskeyMacclesfield TownJanuary 2018 Sam WoodEastleigh Mark YatesSolihull MoorsFebruary 2018 Elliott DurrellMacclesfield Town Daryl McMahonEbbsfleet UnitedMarch 2018 Mitch WalkerDover Athletic Matthew Bates Hartlepool UnitedApril 2018 Andy CookTranmere Rovers Alan DevonshireMaidenhead United
Team of the Season
At the end of the season, the National League announced its official team of the season.
PositionPlayerClubGoalkeeper Shwan JalalMacclesfield TownDefender Shaun PearsonWrexhamDefender Steve McNultyTranmere RoversDefender Manny SmithWrexhamMidfielder Elliott DurrellMacclesfield TownMidfielder Danny WhitakerMacclesfield TownMidfielder Craig EastmondSutton UnitedMidfielder Louis DennisBromleyForward Andy CookTranmere RoversForward Danny RoweAFC FyldeForward Bruno AndradeBoreham Wood
National League North
Team changes
To National League North Promoted from 2016–17 Northern Premier League Premier Division Blyth Spartans Spennymoor Town
Promoted from 2016–17 Southern League Premier Division Leamington
Relegated from 2016–17 National League York City Southport North Ferriby United
From National League North Relegated to 2017–18 Northern Premier League Premier Division Altrincham Stalybridge Celtic
Relegated and voluntarily demoted to 2017–18 Midland League Premier Division Worcester City
Transferred to 2017–18 National League South Gloucester City
Promoted to 2017–18 National League AFC Fylde FC Halifax Town
Stadia and locations
Team Location Stadium Capacity AFC Telford United Telford New Bucks Head 6,300 Alfreton Town Alfreton North Street 3,600 Blyth Spartans Blyth Croft Park 4,435 Boston United Boston York Street 6,643 Brackley Town Brackley St. James Park 3,500 Bradford Park Avenue Bradford Horsfall Stadium 3,500 Chorley Chorley Victory Park 4,100 Curzon Ashton Ashton-under-Lyne Tameside Stadium 4,000 Darlington Darlington Blackwell Meadows 3,300 F.C. United of Manchester Manchester Broadhurst Park 4,400 Gainsborough Trinity Gainsborough The Northolme 4,304 Harrogate Town Harrogate Wetherby Road 3,800 Kidderminster Harriers Kidderminster Aggborough Stadium 6,238 Leamington Leamington New Windmill Ground 3,000 North Ferriby United North Ferriby Grange Lane 2,200 Nuneaton Town Nuneaton Liberty Way 4,614 Salford City Salford Moor Lane 5,106 Southport Southport Haig Avenue 6,008 Spennymoor Town Spennymoor The Brewery Field 2,900 Stockport County Stockport Edgeley Park 10,852 Tamworth Tamworth The Lamb Ground 4,000 York City York Bootham Crescent 8,256
League table
Play-offs
Qualifying round
Semi-finals
Final
Results table
Top scorers
RankPlayerClubGoals1 Jason GilchristSouthport262 Jason OswellStockport County243 Aaron WilliamsBrackley Town224 Reece StycheDarlington215 Adam BoyesBradford Park Avenue20 Jon ParkinYork City7 Ashley ChambersNuneaton Town19 Joe IronsideKidderminster Harriers Glen TaylorSpennymoor Town10 Marcus DinangaAFC Telford United17 Jack RedshawSalford City12 Dan MaguireBlyth Spartans16
National League South
The National League South consisted of 22 clubs.
Team changes
To National League South Promoted from 2016–17 Southern League Premier Division Chippenham Town
Promoted from 2016–17 Isthmian League Premier Division Havant & Waterlooville Bognor Regis Town
Relegated from 2016–17 National League Braintree Town
Transferred from 2016–17 National League North Gloucester City
From National League South Relegated to 2017–18 Isthmian League Premier Division Margate
Relegated to 2017–18 Southern League Premier Division Gosport Borough Bishop's Stortford
Promoted to 2017–18 National League Maidenhead United Ebbsfleet United
Stadia and locations
Team Location Stadium Capacity Bath City Bath Twerton Park 8,840 Bognor Regis Town Bognor Regis Nyewood Lane 4,500 Braintree Town Braintree Cressing Road 4,222 Chelmsford City Chelmsford Melbourne Stadium 3,019 Chippenham Town Chippenham Hardenhuish Park 3,000 Concord Rangers Canvey Island Thames Road 3,300 Dartford Dartford Princes Park 4,100 East Thurrock United Corringham Rookery Hill 4,000 Eastbourne Borough Eastbourne Priory Lane 4,151 Gloucester City Evesham Jubilee Stadium (groundshare with Evesham United) 3,000 Hampton & Richmond Borough London Beveree Stadium 3,500Havant & WaterloovilleHavant Westleigh Park 5,300 Hemel Hempstead Town Hemel Hempstead Vauxhall Road 3,152 Hungerford Town Hungerford Bulpit Lane 2,500 Oxford City Oxford Court Place Farm 2,000 Poole Town Poole The BlackGold Stadium 2,500 St Albans City St Albans Clarence Park 4,500 Truro CityTruro Treyew Road 3,857 Wealdstone London Grosvenor Vale 3,607 Welling United London Park View Road 4,000 Weston-super-Mare Weston-super-Mare Woodspring Stadium 3,500 Whitehawk Brighton The TerraPura Ground 3,126
League table
Play-offs
Qualifying round
Semi-finals
Final
Results table
Top scorers
RankPlayerClubGoals1 Sam HigginsEast Thurrock United252 Alfie PaveyDartford22 Jason PriorHavant & Waterlooville4 Sam MersonSt Albans City20 Matt PatersonOxford City6 Gethyn HillWeston-super-Mare197 Philip RobertsBraintree Town188 Warren BentleyPoole Town179 Dayle GrubbWeston-super-Mare16
References