Tag Archives: non-league

Mar 18 2018
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Daily Post, Sport

Scene from the Campaign for Real Football

Saturday 17th March 2018, 2.05pm (day 2,396)

Real football, 17/3/18

There’s been a lot of football on here lately, I know that. There’s also been a lot of snow. I tried to avoid them both becoming themes again today, but…. not easy. Remarkably, thanks to there being a 3G artificial pitch beneath the snow, this game was played… perhaps appropriately, it was the team in white who ran out the winners (4-1). Traditionalists will admire the fact that today even saw the use of an orange ball (just visible here being carried out by the black-clad officials). But I am doubtless not the only one who is now fed up with winter 2018 and its sheer persistence.

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Mar 11 2018
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Daily Post, Sport

The ball comes my way

Saturday 10th March 2018, 3.15pm (day 2,389)

Stockton v Newton Aycliffe, 10/3/18

How often do football photographers, concentrating on their shot, fail then to pay enough attention to the shots of the players and get a ball in the face? A split second after taking this, the missile to top right smacked into the fencing a foot from my head. No wonder I seem to be the centre of attention….

Ah well, no harm done. The guys in yellow and blue were my hosts today, Stockton Town of the Northern League. Expect to see more of them on 24th March.

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Feb 04 2018
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Daily Post, Sport

Beneath the windmills (more non-league)

Saturday 3rd February 2018, 3.25pm (day 2,354)

Hassocks FC, 3/2/18

Those of you who don’t see the point of football may be getting a little tired of seeing it depicted on here, but there’ll be more to come this season yet; in fact this was my ninth consecutive weekend of going to some game or other (2nd/3rd December was the last footie-free Saturday and Sunday). I’m not apologising — I’m enjoying the groundhopping. Today I got up at 6am and travelled 300 miles before lunchtime to see a game in the ninth tier of English football, specifically the Sussex County league, so I do mean it, I’m ‘keeping it real’. Hassocks, in red, were the hosts but lost an important relegation battle 2-1 to visitors Eastbourne United. Above the pitch, the famous twin windmills known as “Jack and Jill” look down from the rim of the South Downs.

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Nov 12 2017
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Daily Post, Sport

Substitution

Saturday 11th November 2017, 4.10pm (day 2,270)

Pickering Town, 11/11/17

Down at the ninth tier of English football, there are many leagues, this particular one the Northern Counties East League which encompasses teams from a slew of small towns across north and east Yorkshire. I have been actively watching football for more than 40 years now (blimey) but since school, not played it competitively, so I can’t quite get into the mindset of those who do, and wonder what it must feel like to put oneself through the physical paces week in week out for the satisfaction of a couple of hundred spectators at places like Pickering Town, which is where we were today (my 10th competition of the season). Visitors Barton Town are the ones making the substitution here, 1o minutes into the second half. The score was 1-1 at the time, but Pickering eventually won the game 2-1. Next weekend… somewhere else for these guys.

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Oct 08 2017
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Daily Post, Sport

End of the food queue, half time

Saturday 7th October 2017, 4.00pm (day 2,235)

Bamber Bridge, half time, 7/10/17

The tour of English football competitions continues: number 8, the FA Trophy, at Bamber Bridge FC v Brighouse Town FC, Bamber Bridge lying just south of Preston in Lancashire. A grim day of weather, which this picture encapsulates — but, I must also add, an excellent day out, entertaining game of almost wholly non-cynical football, welcoming stadium… a fine cocktail to celebrate Non-League Day and all the roots that keep the sport I love going in this country.  4-2 to Bamber Bridge in the end. Maybe some of these fans got their food before the second half, too.

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Jul 16 2017
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Daily Post, Sport, Urban scene

Catering facilities, Salford City FC

Saturday 15th July 2017, 1.50pm (day 2,151)

Silcocks cafe, 15/7/17

My 2017-18 football season opened at Salford City FC and a pre-season warm-up game against local rivals FC United of Manchester. The hosts won 2-1. You can read what I thought about the game, and see photographs of the day taken by someone much better at that kind of thing than me, if you purchase the next issue of When Saturday Comes (advt.). Salford City have big plans but their stadium, for all its recent renovations, is still pleasingly non-league in many ways. I like this catering van, its garish and gratuitously sexist decoration, and the worshipful posture of the customer.

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Apr 23 2017
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Daily Post, Sport

The non-league crowd

Saturday 22nd April 2017, 3.35pm (day 2,067)

King/s Lynn Town, 22/4/17

In my own way I am a collector, mainly of places, and this football season have made more of an effort to get around some of the nooks and crannies of the game around England and (once) Scotland. Today saw a visit to King’s Lynn Town FC of the Evo-Stik Premier League, the seventh tier of English football. The thirteenth game of my season sees its seventh different competition, which is a decent return, though one I can better next year with some effort. The thing worth noticing about English football is just how deep down it goes. 554 people came along today to this game: in almost any other country this level of the game would hardly exist. I like this shot of the home fans behind the goal their team were attacking in the first half — after half-time they go to the other end. The last game of their season ended well for King’s Lynn as they beat Chesham 3-1.

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Jan 28 2017
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Daily Post, Sport

Old Spotted Dog stadium (Clapton FC)

Saturday 28th January 2017, 3.25pm (day 1,983)

Clapton FC, 28/1/17

With nothing else much to do while Clare was on her course today I took myself on the latest stop on my recent tour of obscure football stadia and took in a game from the Essex Senior League, Clapton v Barking. Clapton are notable for having a big ‘Ultra’ fan group, but they are a club with a history, having been founded in 1878 and still playing at the same ground they always have done, the marvellously named Old Spotted Dog stadium. The result — Clapton (here in red, white and black) 4, Barking 2. Better than my lot managed today anyway.

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