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Michelle Dorling: No such thing as the summer

Essex Senior League secretary Michelle Dorling explains why there is no such thing as a ‘closed season’ in Non-League football – and reveals the countless hours of work that go on behind the scenes before a ball is even kicked.
A lot goes in over the summer months to ensure clubs like Benfleet, pictured, enjoy the benefits of an organised campaign

Ask anyone outside Non-League football what a league gets up to over the summer and they’ll paint you a lovely picture.

A few emails. A couple of meetings. A polite little nudge about registrations. A peaceful lull before the season kicks off.
Anyone inside Non-League football is already laughing.
Because here’s the truth about the closed season: it isn’t closed. Not even slightly.
Meeting after meeting
For the Essex Senior League it simply means we swap pitchside for the meeting room, and late kick-offs for late nights, staring down a document until the clock hits midnight, when the words st...

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