In this new series at Everything Orient, Andrew Hodge will be taking a look at the new sides that will be joining Orient in the National League this season. First up, the relegated teams from League 2.
The Relegated Teams
As O’s fans know, the culture shock from dropping from the Football League into the National League is intense. It’s like falling out of a lifeboat into an ice cold sea, if you don’t get back in the boat quickly, you could get stuck treading water...or worse yet, sink into the murky depths below! Next season, Derbyshire club Chesterfield and North London side Barnet will be adjusting to life in the fifth tier alongside Orient, whilst also trying to fight their way back into League Two.
Chesterfield
In April at the end of last season, after 97 years in the Football League, Chesterfield were relegated with three games to go. As long term Football League clubs Orient and Hartlepool demonstrated last season, bouncing back immediately isn’t easy.
However, their manager, Martin Allen, has first hand experience of taking a club back up from the National League at the first time of asking, doing so with Barnet in 2014-15. He is highly experienced and very well connected in football having managed at Gillingham, Brentford and Leicester City. He’s brought in some players who know this league well, including former Orient loan goalkeeper Shawn Jalal. Ex-Orient midfielder Robbie Weir, and now captain of Chesterfield, was ever present last season and will feature again heavily for the Derbyshire club. Chesterfield could be one to watch this season in the battle for promotion.
Last season’s top scorer Kristian Dennis (20 goals in League 2) has been snapped up by Notts County. It may be that Gozie Ugwu, who scored 20 for Woking in the National League two years ago, will lead the line for Chesterfield next season.
Orient last met the Spireites in February 2015. David Mooney scored a brace and Dean Cox snatched a late winner in a 3-2 win away at Chesterfield.
Barnet
Barnet came so close to avoiding the drop on the final day of last season, despite a 3-0 win over Chesterfield, a point for Morecambe sent the Bees down on goal difference. They suffered some poor mismanagement last season and despite a decent squad and good run of form during the run-in, couldn’t manage to stay in the league.
After seeing the club relegated in his fifth spell at the helm, manager Martin Allen was poached by Chesterfield. Barnet have now turned to veteran National League promotion specialist John Still, who returns for a third spell with the Bees. The former Daggers manager has won promotion with Luton and Maidstone, as well as Dagenham. Like Allen, he has a lot of good relationships with his past clubs as evidenced by the haul of Daggers players he has added to the squad over the summer.
Star striker John Akinde has departed the Hive for Lincoln City, but if they can hold onto 23-year-old Shaq Coulthirst, who scored 10 last term, then the Bees will be a force to be reckoned with. Shaq played two games for Orient as a 19-year-old on loan from Spurs, scoring against Carlisle in a 4-0 win. There have been a lot of new faces at the Hive this summer, they appear to be spending big and assembling a strong squad for a promotion charge.
Orient last met Barnet in January 2017 when the Bees won 3-1 at Brisbane Road. Orient last beat Barnet in 2015 with goals from Paul McCallum and Jay Simpson.
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