FA VASE FACTFILE: Yella fly the flag for first-timers

FOR the 49th time in the 49 seasons of the FA Vase, the 2022-23 Final will involve at least one club...

TONY INCENZO: Hammer is only happy to retrace his roots!

Michail Antonio is one of football’s biggest rags to riches success stories – but also one of the game’s most humble....

CHRIS DUNLAVY: Money is the 3-up charter

Paul Cook was right when he called Notts County’s failure to win automatic promotion a ‘sporting disgrace’.

CHRIS DUNLAVY: Play-offs at their finest!

Manchester City’s 1-1 draw with Real Madrid at the Bernabeu was intriguing, but never exciting. First legs rarely are. Like the...

STEVE HILL: Bad to much worse

The universe is ruled by chance and indifference. As to a certain extent are the play-offs, a heady mix of fortune...

DIARY OF A GROUND HOPPER: Haywards Heath Town 2-3 Redbridge

The FA has taken play-offs to a new level this year. Some lowly Step 4 sides are playing runners-up in Step...

EIGHT FANS GIVEN BLUES BANS

Steve HILL EIGHT football fans have been issued with indefinite club bans from Chester FC following the crowd disorder which marred...

Adam Virgo picks his National League Dream Team of 2022/23

Picking a Team of the Season is hard enough at the best of times – this campaign has been another classic...

DIARY OF A GROUND HOPPER: FC St Helens 2-2 Ilkley Town

THE weekend’s football entertainment is chosen very quickly; no prevarication needed this week. FC St. Helens of the North West Counties...

TONY INCENZO: A new giant is re-awakening!

Sleeping giant is a term which can often be overused amidst our everyday football parlance – but it certainly applies to...

JOY OUTSIDE THE COMFORT ZONE

Steve HILL HILLY’S AWAY DAYS Can I just shock you? I like football. Or do I? I numbly watch practically every...

Diary of a Ground Hopper: Heacham 0-0 Harwich & Parkeston

HEACHAM FC have been on my radar for quite some time. This North Norfolk club has rocketed up the Leagues and...

DIARY OF A GROUND HOPPER: Mortimor 2-0 Chinnor

READERS of The NLP will have noted Tony Incenzo espousing the delights of Groundhops in a recent issue. This weekend is...

ADAM VIRGO: Winner takes all as Wrexham and Notts County prepare to meet

The Easter Monday showdown between Wrexham and Notts County has been circled on the calendar for a while now.

GROUND HOPPER: Hayes & Yeading 4-0 Dorchester Town

SatNav does me proud and leads me straight to Beaconsfield Road in Southall and the main gate of Hayes & Yeading...

TONY INCENZO: We are at a whole new level

When one of Non-League football’s biggest success stories champions the standard of the English game below the Football League, you tend...

LET’S CREATE A FOUR NATIONS!

Matt BADCOCK AN INFORMED AND ENTERTAINING READ LOOK at his face, just look at his face! Barry Davies’ iconic line is...

DIARY OF A GROUND HOPPER: Hadley 3-2 Kempston Rovers

It's not often I have a concrete plan in mind for a Saturday but this one falls nicely into place. Edgware...

I’m lacing up the boots again!

JEFF STELLING I’ll be honest, I didn’t think I’d ever be lacing up my walking boots again. However, the chance to...

Sorry, I hope there is no big reunion

It took my beloved Hartlepool United four years to get out of the National League so you can understand why I’m...

GAFFER’S GREATEST GAFFER: Tempo was the trick for Steve

In the latest in our series we pick the brains of ex-Northern Ireland international playmaker Jamie Ward whose first shot at...

DIARY OF A GROUND HOPPER: AFC Totton 1-0 Bashley

Many fans recall in great detail every ground they’ve been to. I am not one of those people! Football is a...

MATT BADCOCK: A night of pure TV gold…and so much warmer!

Non-League football is best enjoyed in the flesh. The sights, the sounds, and the smells that waft from the food bars.

STEVE HILL: I’m so in love with loanees

“Neither a borrower nor a lender be,” wrote Shakespeare. Easily said, but Shakespeare didn’t have to find 11 fit bodies for...

DIARY OF A GROUND HOPPER: Gillingham Town 1-4 Oldland Abbotonians

A few seasons ago, Gillingham Town of the Western League had the genius idea of kicking off early and inviting fans...