Liam Blaney hopes for greater consistency from a revamped squad

A goalkeeper jumping next to another player in the direction of a ball in the air — Wingate & Finchley in action against Dulwich Hamlet – (Credit – Martin Addison)

Last season was a textbook Isthmian Premier League rollercoaster for Wingate & Finchley. At one point, flying high in second place and looking at a second consecutive season in the play-off places.

Then a bleak spell without a win in ten league games between mid-November and mid-January ensured it wasn’t a Happy Christmas and saw the Blues tumbling down the league table and looking over their shoulder. In the end a positive end to the season meant that it was a mid-table finish with plenty of positives to take.

If that was a textbook rollercoaster season, then the off-season was straight from a different page of the non-league textbook. Player of the season Toby Byron was snapped up by National League South side Worthing for an undisclosed fee, top goalscorer Ogo Obi moved to Farnham Town and reliable centre back Ben Frempah, who was approaching 100 games for the Blues, moved to Dartford.

On top of this a number of others departed for pastures new, leaving a small but strong core of players for manager Ahmet Rifat to build around. That core includes the spine of the team with the likes of skipper Billy Cracknell, talented midfielder Ryan Lowe and goalkeeper Charlie Grainger all committing for 2025/26.

In recent weeks, the squad-building process has come to a conclusion, with the recruitment focused on motivated and high-performing individuals from the level below. Two of those being Hadley’s star players of recent years in Isaac Stones and Caoilan McGettigan who have made the move from EN5 to N12, while we have also seen the return of Blues players from recent years in Alkeo Bani and 2022/23 player of the year Sam Cornish who rejoins after a spell at Welling United last season.

Looking ahead the new season is, as ever, a difficult one to predict. Coming down into this league are some big names including St Albans City and Welling United, neither of whom have not been at this level in a long time, while promoted sides include Ramsgate, the Kent coast side who had an excellent FA Cup run in 2023/24 which took them to AFC Wimbledon in the Second Round live on the BBC.

The season started with a tough trip to the early season favourites Billericay, where Wingate lost 2-1. This was followed by a home clash against Dulwich Hamlet, a side who will be looking to improve on last season’s disappointing campaign, and won 1-0 at Summers Lane. These results won’t define the season ahead, but certainly show the strength of the division and the challenges which will be faced.

The club itself continues to go from strength to strength. Attendances are growing, with nearly 400 through the gate on against Dulwich. There’s an ever-strengthening partnership with London Brewing Company at the Bohemia, and now a food tie-up with Rack City Ribs. There’s never been a better time to come down and see what non-league football is about. Come on you Blues!

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