Non-League football has been through somewhat of a renaissance over recent years. Interest in grassroots, amateur and semi-professional football has seen a revival in interest, and the reason why is clear – it's all thanks to Non-League Day.
Non-League Day has brought much-needed publicity to grassroots football and reminded the public what the heart of the sport is all about at a time where Premier League football experiences have become more and more expensive, corporate, and sterile. As football fans, I believe we all have a duty to support Non-League Day.
What are Non-League Day?
Non-League Day takes place once a year and provide fans and professional clubs with an opportunity to celebrate the 40,000 non-professional clubs in the UK.
The first-ever Non-League Day took place in 2010. It started out as nothing more than a Facebook event, but such was the support for the event that it soon went viral and has taken place once a year during the international break ever since.
The aim of Non-League Day is to support community clubs financially through bigger crowds. And it's not just about the fans, Premier and Football League clubs have also got on board and shown their support for the grassroots game on Non-League Day too.
How Non-League Day Help Clubs
Non-League Day has an incredible financial impact on smaller clubs. As more fans turn up to head through the turnstiles, the flood of extra gate money can provide Non-League clubs with a lot of financial support – often enough to keep them going for the whole season.
This has an incredibly positive impact on these clubs, who often have tiny budgets. And it's not just about money, the extra attendance from fans also provides the kind of publicity and morale boost that Non-League players need to keep going.
Aside from helping the clubs, Non-League games also provide help for other important causes. For the last 6 years, Non-League Day has partnered with Prostate Cancer UK to raise funds for life-saving medical research.
Why Non-League Football is Special
The reason I feel so strongly that it's important for football fans to support their local clubs on Non-League Day is that it's helping to support the real heart and soul of football.
The lack of regulation, simplicity, and pure entertainment value that comes from watching non-league games is something really special. It's less serious and complicated than league football – it's all about fun. For me, watching non-league football gives me the kind of rush you get playing Videoslots.
Non-league football is the bedrock of English football. It's so much more important than a lot of us realise to the health of football as a whole. It nurtures players in youth teams that go on to play in the Premier Leagues, unearths undiscovered gems, and provides invaluable community outreach.
Even professional players like Paul Scholes recognise the important of Non-League football, who says that he gets more enjoyment from watching Non-League games than the premier league.
When is Non-League Day?
The latest Non-League Day took place on Saturday 13th October for the tenth consecutive season. It's usually around the same date each year, with non-league day timed to coincide with the international break. Matches typically kick off at 3 PM.
If you're interested in showing your support for Non-League Day next year, you can use the match-finder tool on the official Non-League Day website to find a game near to you. You can also find a list of fixtures on several League sites.
