So who done good and who done not so good?

[tomogull]

Well the 2015/16 is done and dusted. Well done Cheltenham & Grimsby. Commiserations to Halifax, Altruncham, Welling and Kidderminster. So who did well and who did not so well? Maybe unsurprisingly, most teams did more or less as expected. Cheltenham did much better than I thought they'd do, although I do recall someone on here posting at the beginning of the season that Gary Johnson was a canny manager. All four of the newly promoted teams survived - Barrow & Bromley consolidated mid-table places whilst Boreham Wood and Guiseley just scraped through. Dover and Braintree had great seasons - few would have predicted either of them finishing even in the top half of the league. Southport did slightly better than expected as many had them as odds on for relegation.

Those who didn't do so well. It was generally felt that Altrincham, Welling and Kidderminster woud struggle, but not Halifax. It was expected that Tranmere would at least be comfortably in the play-offs but they didn't make it. Many thought that Wrexham and Gateshead would be in the play offs or thereabouts but they never really threatened. And Chester, who Dave Thomas (Herald Express) actually predicted would be dark horses for promotion, failed miserably. Others like Aldershot, Macclesfield, Woking and Lincoln finished as predicted. Mid table.

And Torquay? Well, some of us were rather optimistic by hoping for an uneventful mid-table season - ho, ho. I read a league prediction on the Aldershot website where the Gulls were predicted to finish 18th 'becuase of on-going financial difficulties'. We finished 18th. Just.

[Plainmoor78]

I was surprised that Cheltenham got back at the first time of asking, Grimsby were my pre season favourites but it was a tough campaign. Didn't expect Tranmere to go up but thought they would have made play offs. Biggest over achievers I would say Dover and biggest under achiever Wrexham. Barrow did well but I think that is down to wealthy owner, expect to them challenge for play offs next season. Gateshead finished were I expected them to; I cannot see a club that attracts home crowds of around 700 ever being able to sustain league football no matter how wealthy the owner.
Although all four promoted clubs did well to survive I think guisley and boreham wood would do well to repeat that performance, the threat from the this years promotion will be lead by Maidstone who are on upward trajectory.
As for Torquay; we knew it was going to be tough but I did not expect us to hit rock bottom 12 points adrift from safety at one stage, so the recovery was remarkable achieving safety with two games to spare. But I think it is going to hard again, reaching 12th place will be an achievement.

[Oh Fer Christ Sake]

What's the difference between 700 and 2100 (I'm doing this live, I genuinely have no idea).

Entry is an average of £15 (that allows for some ST holders getting in for a-tenner-a-game and some saps paying £20 on the day). Average matchday spend is £3 (accounting for those who have 6 pints in the bar and those who refuse to buy so much as a programme).

700 fans a week for 24 home games is £302,400 a year at an average of £18/person/match. Clearly, 2100 fans is three times that, so £907,200. Could someone worth, say, £100,000,000 (a Geordie Euromillions winner?) really afford to spunk £600,000 up the wall to make up the shortfall? Clearly yes, but then it's a question of desire.

What position are Gateshead in? How do they afford their massive ground and not-at-all-cheap squad at present?