Best non league team.

[Dipdodah]

I have just read Ken's excellent piece on York Street.  The stats are impressive.  It got me thinking.  Where do we come in the all time table of THE BEST non league clubs?  Taking into consideration overall achievements, standard of ground and average gate etc.  I think Yeovil must be up there, they always seemed to have a good cup run.  Gates were always good, and I think the ground was better than non league standard.  I know they are in the league, but for purpose of this thread, it's non league achievements only.  Spurs were the only non league team to win the FA cup ( my mate says last time they ever won anything.)

I would put us in the top 10 easy.

[joshb]

Yeovil are a bit bigger than us
We're probably on a par with Kidderminster and Altrincham and before their promotion back up, barrow.
The first 2 have mad Cup runs and won the conference more than once but I reckon historically we've had better support (although kiddy get bigger home crowds than us now)
Then just below us I'd put Kettering, Macclesfield and Woking
A bit below them you have clubs Like Worcester, Stafford, barnet, Dagenham, corby perhaps
Phoenix clubs mke it difficult to fit in like Halifax, Telford Scarborough, Chester, Darlington etc so I'll leave them out

[noughtyforties]

Depends how you term historical

some of the big amateur London clubs dwarfed the midlands club, Tooting & Mitcham, Walthamstow, Dulwich etc

then there were the powerful north east clubs like Bishop Auckland and Crook Town

Looking at the midland League it was a mix of FL reserve clubs and smaller non league sides like Grantham, Gainsborough, Kings Lynn, Goole etc, Boston were a bit unique really being a big non league club in that league.
   

[Dipdodah]

In the early 70's I would put us top of the pile.  Our records against Wigan and Wimbledon ( spit ) was very nearly 100%. Due to old pals act they got in the league.

[green hats mate]

Over their short life span Rushden and Diamonds must be up there .  gates , stadium superior to many league clubs ,  , promotions , all that plus non-leagues best looking footballer ,  Micky Nuttall .

[leicester pilgrim]

Barnet have been top flight of non league football, or higher, since the mid 1970s. They've got to be there or thereabouts.

[Ken Fox]

When I was at University doing my Maths degree I remember having a job interview in my final year (1979). The usual "What are your hobbies?" question came up and I bragged about supporting Boston United - "arguably the best non-league side in the country" I said. The interviewer disputed that and said the side he supported had a better claim - Leatherhead! They had beaten a few League sides in the FA Cup in 1974/5 - Colchester and Brighton to reach the 4th round where they had a televised match at Leicester City that they lost 3-2 and they'd reached the FA Trophy Final in 1978 but lost it to Altrincham. Turned out they couldn't sustain the successes though. I've just checked and they now play in the Isthmian League Premier Division.

The bit I've started putting together on Boston United's York Street statistics is here: http://www.bufc.drfox.org.uk/AtTheEndOfTheLane.html

I'm trying to get all the information I've got on the website on results and team sheets and attendances into a massive spreadsheet so I can analyse it properly. I've already got a lot of data in - hence the statistics in the piece above. I'll hopefully add some more stuff in over the next few weeks.

[Pete Brooksbank]

The problem is that the introduction of two up-two down essentially made the Conference a de facto Division 4 and really blurred the boundaries between League and non-league!

[joshb]

I don't think the football league and non league have been things since the mid 80s
They used to be cordoned off being the old pals act
Now there's promotion and relegation and many teams are fully professional at levels 5 and 6 so we may as well be division 6 north