TAYLOR WINS LEAGUE TWO MANAGER OF THE YEAR PRIZE

In recognition of his success in leading Exeter City to promotion from League Two, Grecians boss Matt Taylor has been named as the division's manager of the year for 2021-22. 

After missing out in the play-offs in three of their previous five seasons, City finally made the leap to reach League One via automatic promotion by finishing in second place behind eventual champions Forest Green Rovers. 

With Forest Green manager Rob Edwards recently being appointed as the successor of former England manager Roy Hodgson at Watford, Taylor's achievements help to showcase the managerial and coaching talent in the lower divisions. Therefore, it was probably without surprise that Taylor is currently being linked with the vacant position as manager of one of his former clubs, Charlton Athletic. 

Should Taylor succeed in keeping the Grecians in League One in the 2022-23 campaign, then it is likely that he will not be short of potential suitors. 

HOW THREE UP, THREE DOWN COULD BECOME A REALITY

As Stockport County prepare for their return to the Football League after winning the National League title, and with the play-offs due to get underway, the debate for an extra promotion/relegation between League Two and non league's top tier has predictably gathered momentum 

With Scunthorpe United being relegated from League Two and Maidstone United winning National League South, not to mention the possibility of York City successfully navigating their way through the National League play-offs, the National League could have a distinct late-1980s/early 1990s 'old' Division Four feel to it in 2022-23. 

In addition to Scunny being relegated from the EFL, Oldham Athletic have also become the first ever team to go from the Premier League to non-league since the Premier League's inception in 1992. 

So, with that in mind, now certainly seems to be a good time to re-examine whether the number of promotion spots available between League Two and the National League should be increased or not. 

Automatic promotion between the 'old' Division Four - now League Two - and the GM Vauxhall Conference, now the Vanarama National League, was first introduced in the 1986-87 season and the number of promotion and relegation places increased to two in the 2002-03 campaign - 16 years later. 

However, two decades on from the introduction of that extra promotion spot, could it finally be time for three up, three down between League Two and the National League to come into being? 

As a league, the National League is almost fully professional, and contained clubs such as Stockport County, Wrexham, Notts County and Grimsby Town in the 2021-22 season. In fact, you could say that the only club in League Two who can arguably be described as being bigger than any in League Two in terms of size and support is Bradford City. 

Nevertheless, asking League Two clubs to agree to an extra relegation spot is akin to asking turkeys to vote for Christmas. For all clubs involved, relegation from the EFL means a loss of TV revenue and solidarity payments from the Premier League as well as the loss of funding for their youth development programme. 

With this in mind in order to get the EFL to agree to a third relegation spot it is likely that you would need to offer them something in return. 

One way of doing this would be to introduce a second automatic promotion spot for the National League and invite the team who finishes third from bottom in League Two to compete in the present National League play-off system. This plan would the team in 22nd in League Two facing the winner of the eliminator between whoever finishes 5th and 6th in the National League. Should the 22nd placed side in League Two progress they would then reach the final where they would have the opportunity to preserve their Football League status by winning at Wembley.

Under these proposals, not only would they receive the gate money from a home play-off semi-final, they would also have the chance to earn further revenue from appearing in the National League play-off final. One potential criticism of this plan could be that it might be seen as a way of rewarding failure, but equally it could be argued that winning a play-off final this way could potentially help to reinvigorate a club who have experienced many years of struggle.

Another factor that this takes into account is that in recent years a couple of teams - Wycombe Wanderers (2013-14) and Morecambe (2019-20) - have finished 22nd in League Two before bouncing back to reach the League Two play-offs in the following season. Morecambe even managed to win the 2020-21 League Two play-offs under Derek Adams after finishing 22nd in the previous season. 

In the original incarnation of the Football League play-offs in the mid-1980s, the highest place team in the relegation zone of the league above had the chance to earn a reprieve at the end of the season. A similar system also currently exists in the Scottish Football League. 

Whether the Football League would agree to implement it remains to be seen, but give and take might be needed to make an extra promotion place from the National League a reality.

 

GRECIANS SET TO PACK OUT ST JAMES PARK IN 2022-23

As well as facing a number of the 'fallen giants' who have dropped down from the Premier League in recent years, Exeter City's League One fixture list will also have a decidely local flavour to it. 

Wayne Rooney's Derby County, Ipswich Town, Bolton Wanderers, Charlton Athletic, Portsmouth and possibly one or both of Sheffield Wednesday or Sunderland will be visiting St James Park next season. In addition to these names, there will also be a number of Westcountry derbies for the Grecians' faithful to look forward. 

Prior to their final day fixture with Port Vale, which saw the Grecians narrowly miss out on the title, it was already known that they would locking thorns with arch rivals Plymouth Argyle. Now, following the end of their League Two campaign, they will be joined by Bristol Rovers who clinched the division's third and final promotion spot with a shock 7-0 win over already relegated Scunthorpe United. The Grecians will, of course, be facing Nailsworth-based Forest Green Rovers, who pipped them to the League Two title on goal difference. 

They could yet also be joined by Swindon Town, who reached the League Two play-offs where they are due to face Port Vale.

SIX TALKING POINTS FROM TORQUAY UNITED VERSUS CHESTERFIELD

 1. The Gulls show professional as well as personal pride. 

In his post-match interview, Torquay United manager Gary Johnson hailed the professionalism of his side - as they defeated play-off hopefuls Chesterfield. United went into the match as a mid-table team with nothing to play for, the Spireites needed a win to cement their position in the league's top seven. However, you could have quite easily have thought that it was the Gulls who were the team pushing for the play-offs and Chesterfield were the side with the close season on their minds. 

Spireites keeper Scott Loach was by far the busier keeper than his United opposite number Shaun MacDonald, and the nearest that they came to scoring was through a free-kick from sub Danny Rowe that hit the upright in the 79th minute. 

2. Duke-McKenna signs off on a high. 

In the last game of his loan spell from Queens Park Rangers at Plainmoor, Stephen Duke-McKenna signed off by scoring his third goal for the club. The Guyanian international, who was playing as right wing-back cut onto his left foot before drilling home from 18-yards, after being teed up by Danny Wright. Like his fellow QPR loanee Sinclair Armstrong before him, the Plainmoor faithful have taken Duke-McKenna to their hearts and they will be certainly be following his future progress with interest. 

3. Ali Omar stakes a claim in defence. 

While United's young player of the year Joe Lewis has received much acclaim for his displays at the heart of the Gulls defence, his defensive partner Ali Omar has stepped up to the plate of late. After a bright display against Dagenham & Redbridge, Omar was voted as the sponsor's man of the match with another impressive display; highlights of his display included an important tackle to deny the Spireites Liam Mandeville on 21 minutes and he was unlucky not to get on the score sheet himself towards the end. Lewis also impressed alongside him as he helped to keep former Gulls' loanee Joe Quigley quiet. 

4.  15 for Armani Little. 

By converting his 81st minute penalty, Armani Little netted his 15th goal of the season. Little has overhauled the goalscoring return of last season's leading scorer Asa Hall who found the back of the net 14 times. There is a question mark over whether Little will remain at Plainmoor, along with a number of other United players including Connor Lemonheigh-Evans, Joe Lewis and Ben Wynter. 

5. Shaun MacDonald wins player of the year. 

After the game it was announced that goalkeeper Shaun MacDonald was voted as Torquay United's player of the year for the 2021-22 season. Winning the prize represents a remarkable turnaround for MacDonald who left Plainmoor in the summer of 2021, but he returned to the club in September 2021 and has been an ever present since making his second debut against Southend United on September 18, 2021. By winning the award, MacDonald becomes the first goalkeeper to win the award since Kevin Dearden in the 2001-02 campaign. Other goalkeepers to have won the award include Andy Donnelly, Mike Mahoney, John Turner, Kenny Allen, Kenny Veysey and Neville Southall - some of the very keepers ever to play for Torquay United. 

6. Three of the class of 2009 in attendance. 

As Gary Johnson sets about building a potential promotion winning side for the 2022-23 campaign, three of the last United side to lead the club back into the Football League were in attendance. Chris Hargreaves, the scorer of United's opening goal at Wembley against Cambridge United in the Blue Square Premier play-off final, was working as a pundit for BT Sport's live television coverage of the match; Tim Sills, who scored United's second on that occasion, was also making a return visit to Plainmoor and Chris Todd was also watching on in his capacity as the Gulls' Under-18's coach. They would all have surely been impressed by what they saw.

SIX TALKING POINTS FROM TORQUAY UNITED VERSUS MAIDENHEAD UNITED

 1. The joy of six for Joe Lewis. 

Joe Lewis picked the perfect moment to score his sixth goal for Torquay United, as his 90th minute equaliser rescued a point for the Gulls against Maidenhead. 

Ben Wynter crossed the ball back into the area, after the Magpies defence had failed to sufficiently clear a corner from Armani Little and Lewis was on hand to nod home the leveller for the Gulls. 

Lewis' effort takes level with Danny Wright and Asa Hall in joint-third place in United's leading scorer's chart. 

2. Ali Omar impressed in the centre of defence. 

With Dean Moxey missed after sustaining a knock against Grimsby Town, Ali Omar was recalled at centre back. Omar produced an assured display and he was unlucky not to get himself on the score sheet - as he fired over from an Armani Little in the 20th minute; it would have been his first goal for the club. 

3. Danny Wright led the forward line well.

Although he didn't get on the score sheet, Danny Wright made a big impression leading United's forward line. He was denied by a deflection in the 34th minute and in the second half, he teed up Tom Lapslie for an effort that was saved by Maidenhead keeper Daniel Gyollai. In addition to this, he also went close with a header deep in injury time. 

4. The Gulls nearly snatched it at the death. 

Despite the below par display, United could still have snatched a late winner in injury time. As well as the previously mentioned headed chance for Wright, which was literally the final action of the half, sub Klaidi Lolos only had the keeper to beat, but tried to square the ball to Connor Lemonheigh-Evans instead of taking a shot himself. 

5. The first draw between the two sides. 

Saturday's was also the first draw in seven attempts behind the Gulls and the Magpies. In their previous six meetings, United had won four while Maidenhead had emerged victorious only the twice. It was also the first time the Gulls had hosted them on a Saturday, all their prior visits to Plainmoor had been in midweek. 

6. Marquee signings in the pipeline. 

While speculation over the future of several members of his squad mount, manager Gary Johnson  urged the fans to stick with the club in his post-match interview, as they have players that the club would class as 'marquee signings' in the pipeline. The late end to the 2020-21 season meant that the Gulls didn't know which the division they would be in until the middle of June 2021. However, it appears they are now looking to conduct their business much earlier this time around as they prepare for the 2022-23 campaign.