Sutton United manager Paul Doswell now writes an exclusive column for Your Local Guardian, and on the eve of the National League kick-off, it is unsurprising where he starts...

On Saturday we embark on a journey that is both exciting and well-deserved when we play Solihull Moors at Gander Green Lane in the opening fixture of the National League.

With Solihull being National League North champions, and us National League South champions, it is an intriguing first game.

But then we go to Forest Green Rovers and Lincoln City in quick succession – and those games are a mark of the challenge we face.

If you look at the National League this season, you have a dozen ex-League clubs, then you have the likes of Forest Green and Eastleigh, who have bigger budgets than the ex-League clubs.

There are seven chairman who have come out so far and said they expect their team to win the league.

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We’ll be facing Barrow, Gateshead, Eastleigh, Forest Green and Tranmere Rovers – then there is Lincoln, Wrexham and Torquay, and all are looking strong.

There is huge strength in the National League now, it might as well be League Five, if you like.

It is a far cry from about 15 years ago when relegation out of the Football League was a disaster, Teams that are relegated out of the Football League have a huge advantage because they get a £700,000 loyalty payment over two years – all in an effort to help them get back up.

It is all to do with the Premier League and the Sky money that is coming into the game, it trickles down slowly, but there is money for just being in League Two and money if you relegated out of it.

Surrey Comet:

Hampton showing: Ross Stearn in action in Sutton United's 2-1 defeat against Hampton & Richmond Borough

It is still miniscule compared to the Premier League and Championship, but it does trickle down to make a difference.

It is good for grass roots football – consider the likes of Hampton in the National League South.

We played them in pre-season and they were excellent because most of their lads’ past could be in around League clubs.

There are very few English players in the Premier League any more, they end up performing in the Championship and it has a domino effect where all the leagues come stronger - the pool talent has to keep coming down.

We are in the highest possible non-League division we can be in, but I am no kidding myself, this is more like division five of the professional Football League.

There are probably only half a dozen of us who are still part-time, but the rest are full-time and they could all go into League Two no problem.

Barrow have a Texan billionaire, Eastleigh and Forest Green have a multi-millionaire benefactor – that’s what we’re competing against.

It does not mean they will be better than us on the day, but over a season they can sign more and more players.

We’re set up very differently, we’re as good as a fans’ owned club.

But Bruce [Elliott, chairman] makes every penny available and every penny is hard fought for, and we do need the people of Sutton to get behind the team.