The non-league football season has come to an end, but the real business has now begun as attention for Marine and Vauxhall Motors has switched to the “never-ending cycle” of the summer transfer window.
Those are the words of Marine vice-chairman and head of media Dave McMillan and Vauxhall Motors chairman Jon Waring, whose sides finished their respective seasons on Saturday.
For non-league clubs, planning for next season is a constant cycle, with transfer windows not as strict in time frames as in the Football League.
Marine finished their National League North season was a 1-1 draw at Spennymoor Town, finishing their year in 12th place but with an FA Trophy semi-final appearance, where they lost in the 94th minute to National League Wealdstone.
Marine looking to fulfil Wembley dream before FA Trophy semi-final
For Vauxhall Motors, it was a contrast as their Northern Premier League West season saw them narrowly miss out on the playoffs in seventh place, three points behind Lower Breck in the eight tier’s final playoff position in fifth.
The Motormen concluded their season with a 2-0 home win over Stafford Rangers.
With both sides preparing for another season in the same division next season, the challenge now switches to focusing on building a squad for the new season come August.
The cycle is constant however, which Waring is all to aware of for the Motormen, saying: “Things are already on-going now for next season.
“It never stops, it is a constant cycle.”
The squad assembly challenge
Being in the lower divisions, challenges persist on tying key players down for the foreseeable future and planning their assault on the league in the new season.
However, both sides are aware it is not possible to ensure continuity in the lower depths of English football.
Waring was wary Vauxhall Motors may not be able to ensure such continuity saying: “The summer is key in terms of looking at your targets and being resigned to losing a player or two at some point.
“There is always a turnover of players for one reason or another.”
McMillan resonated with such statements, highlighting the combative nature of the summer period in the sixth tier, with Marine having faced the challenges the Motormen have faced in the eighth tier in the past.
McMillan said: ““It is a double-edge sword, you can pick up players as easily as you can potentially lose them.”
This leaves non-league clubs in a predicament, with the volatile nature of constant squad turnover and long-term squad planning a prominent issue as players look to push themselves further up the footballing pyramid.
McMillan added: “Since Bosman and freedom of contract, the power is really in the hands of players and agents.
“In terms of continuity, it makes life difficult.
“Inevitably, you have to realise where you are in the food chain and players start doing well, there is a chance they are going to get picked off.”
This is commonplace for Marine as in the National League North level, contracts typically run between one-two years as clubs often wait for key targets to become out-of-contract.
Marine have lost key players in the past in this manner.
One such is Sol Solomon, who left in 2024 on a free transfer to move to League 2 Tranmere Rovers, an opportunity McMillan said the club “couldn’t stand in the way of” for the player.
Solomon came off the back of a 24-goal season as the Mariners earnt promotion to the National League North, now having spent two seasons in the division after his departure.
The proactive approach
There is a flip side to this free movement in the lower tiers, with both sides aware of the importance on jumping on key targets when available.
For Vauxhall Motors, two tiers below Marine, Waring emphasised this nature, particularly to combat losses of players saying: “It is about being proactive and spotting opportunities to push the squad on.”
McMillan share this sentiment saying: “The summer is key in terms of looking at your targets and being resigned to losing a player or two at some point.”
This proactive nature continues across the summer, with McMillan showing the reality of the summer being constant and looking right up until the start of the season.
He said: “You tend to get players becoming available in the last couple weeks of pre-season, when deals they thought they were going to get don’t transpire and they are looking for a club.
“You see what shakes out of further up the pyramid.”
He added: “We have signed a few gems right before the start of the season.”
For Vauxhall Motors, locally based players are a huge point of importance, due to the quality available in the region as well as players in the lower tiers.
Waring said: “We are fortunate that this North-West area is such a hotbed for players. A lot of players come through each year that will keep the talent pool quite high.
“In various stages or locations, you will have a greater availability of players.
“You have to look at players above and below in the local area.
“You are looking for players in the lower divisions who are doing really well, both young players doing really well and experienced heads as mentors and characters. It is that blend what makes successful teams.”
McMillan suggested Marine shared a similar mentality when looking at market opportunities, adding: “Typically you are looking at younger players who have come out of academies or potentially from lower leagues that you can develop.”
The contract dilemma
Contracts for both sides are a complete contrast.
Marine currently have a focus on full-time and part-time contracts with McMillan saying” 75-80%” of their squad are on contracts.
He added: “Previously, when we were in the lower leagues, we tended to have three or four players on a contract, and they tend to be your star striker and captain as a bit of a reward and security alongside a couple of up-and-coming young players who may move on for financial security.”
For the Motormen, this is the opposite, with no contract players unless the club believes it was the “right decision for the club to try and retain people’s services.”
While in the eighth tier, Waring believes contracting players is a difficult challenge as they try to rise up the leagues.
He said: “At this moment in time, we don’t believe that it is in our best interest to affordably put players on contracts.
“It is unsustainable for us.”
However, he has not ruled out the chances of this changing, saying: “As we go higher up the pyramid, it may be prudent for us to put players on contracts to make sure we secure a squad for a given period.”
The greenlight for contract in these tiers for Waring sits with the financial rewards.
He said: “Sell-on potential is the governing factor for us [putting players on contracts].
“If we were bringing a player into the squad that could potentially go onto play at higher levels up the pyramid so they are times when we would consider putting a play on a contract or trying to retain their services.”
Marine have faced similar challenges in the past as with non-contract players, there is often a seven-day notice period which can be activated, allowing a player to move on freely if they sit fit to.
McMillan said: “It is more of a merry-go-round at lower levels where players can move more freely with the seven-day notice period.
“The player doesn’t have to agree and may choose to stay on non-contract because he thinks he may be able to move on.
“When you are in the lower league and your income streams are significantly less and some clubs lower down the pyramid have to operate solely on non-contract.”
This can lead to wider challenges for clubs, with morale a key component of this.
Waring believes these losses are pivotal for the squad, saying: “It can affect morale and the team’s performance when you lose key players.”
“But you rely upon your management team having good relationships with players and having a squad capable of being able to cope with player losses.”
Waring stressed the importance of squad depth to ensure when issues with non-contracts and injuries arise, the proactive nature of non-league transfers persists.
He said: “You need a squad capable to balance out those periods where players aren’t available.
“You always have an eye on somebody who can improve the squad and try to bring them in. It may affect your style of play but ultimately you have to play with the players you’ve got available.”
Local importance and exploiting the loan market
With the semi-professional nature of non-league from the sixth tier down, locality is a key component for clubs on signing targets and for players when choosing where to move to.
McMillan emphasised this, saying: ““When you sign a player, one of the factors you are looking at is location as this is important for players.
“Logistically you are not signing those players as chances are they are not going to sign in the first place.
“Even if they did, demands for travel for matches and training is significant.
“We have had players who have become not available for midweek games due to job changes.
“That is an issue because you can’t have a scenario where you have to draft somebody else in to keep a place warm.”
He added locality is amongst the many factors considered by both the players and the clubs, saying: “There is a million and one factors for who players sign for and who your targets are.”
As previously mentioned, local opportunities are key for both Marine and Vaxuhall Motors, with this not restricted to free agents and transfers, with the loan market key to this.
Marine have had Fraser Bardsley on loan from Everton, with the youngster’s impact helping their run to the FA Trophy semi-finals.
McMillan highlighted the importance of relationships with clubs up the pyramid, with goalkeepers from the Premier League opportunities Marine have taken advantage of when looking to improve the squad in the short-term, with top clubs reluctant to loan out outfielder academy players to non-league.
He said: “If you have good relations with clubs, such as Everton, opportunities can arise as Premier League clubs tend to be reluctant to loan outfielders out to non-league clubs due to the physicality.”
The key part of loan signing is minutes as it is pivotal for the player and the loanee’s club.
McMillan said: “The secret to that is if you take a player on loan, you have to look after them, making sure he gets minutes.
“You have to make sure they are playing and getting minutes. If you are looking after loan players, that is where you can potentially get them back on loan or permanently.”
Marine have used this method in the past, with midfielder Jack Hazlehurst spending part of the 2024/25 season on loan from League 1 Burton Albion before returning on a permanent this season.
The summer ahead
With these considerations, planning for Marine and Vauxhall Motors has already started.
Although the early stages are “quiet”, it does not mean plans are not in motion.
Both clubs will be preparing retained lists following the conclusion of the league campaigns and will have already drew up a list of targets to plan their assault on their respective divisions come August.
McMillan believes this planning can leave the squad in good stead for when pre-season resumes, as in non-league, clubs always look to get the “core of your business done as early as possible.”
The challenge begins immediately for both clubs and the question now shifts to if the quality of business over the summer can leave the Mariners and Motormen prepared to improve on last season’s finishes in the new season.
(Featured image by Kevin Bannon, former LJMU student)
