Hello and welcome to the Football Ground-Low, the blog dedicated to providing you with in-depth reviews of my match day experiences from football grounds across the country; big or small.
This Saturday I will be bringing you my first match report, the FA Trophy Preliminary Round tie between Berkhamsted FC and South Park, which coincides with Non-League Day 2018 (13th October 2018).
The Football Ground-Low aims to showcase football at all levels, and therefore, to celebrate this special day in the football calendar, I will dedicate my first post on the blog highlighting the differences between the professional and grassroots game, why non-league football is so great and why and how you can get involved in getting behind your local semi-professional team, no matter who you support.
Non-League day, which started in 2010 and has occurred on the October international break every year since, is backed by the Premier League and Football League, MPs and celebrities with the aim to encourage people to check out their local side and see the unique things non-league football has to offer.
Non-league clubs are mainly run by volunteers who have a passion for football and the community and the extra match revenue made by clubs on Non-League day can help them stay afloat financially.
It is played by people who balance a normal life while training a few times a week and playing a match on a Saturday, which allows them to make a little bit of money on the side, nothing like the six-figure pay checks some premier league stars bring home at the end of the week.
The matches are enjoyed by fans that are passionate, friendly and often with a good story to tell, who are drawn in by the good prices and sense of community and keep coming back for more. 3PM on a Saturday allows these people to escape the harsh realities of life and enjoy a football match with good food, drink and company, often only a stroll away from their house.
Dogs are also welcome at many non-league grounds around the country, with twitter account @nonleaguedogs showing them off to more than 7000 followers. That’s something you don’t see at the Emirates!
Non-league football is also packed full of goals and excitement. I have personally seen a 7-4 (equal to the premier league record) and 5-5 all in the same season while Halesowen Town beat Nuneaton Borough 8-9 just last week in an FA Youth Cup tie, even though Nuneaton were leading 7-2 after sixty minutes!
Although you may not see world class players’ week in week out at the lower depths of English football, the passion, sense of community and quality of the British non-league scene is unrivalled anywhere in the world and making a trip to your local team this weekend will be well worth your time.
You can find a local match for this Saturday by following this link and entering your location: