NL Full Time Podcast column: Non-League has so many good stories worth telling

“Considering everything, are Wrexham the best story in worldwide sport right now? Hard to argue against. What magic.”

@arielhelwani on Twitter – 29th January 2023

What’s this? Another column about Wrexham? 

Well, yes, and no.

Put out into the ether in the afterglow of the Red Dragons’ televised 3-3 draw with Sheffield United in the Emirates FA Cup, the above tweet drew plenty of views, likes and responses.

With it being Twitter, a middle ground was hard to find in the responses; these were split broadly into agreement, or vehement opposition.

So, is Wrexham the best story in worldwide sport? It’s hard to argue that there’s a massive feel-good factor, and who doesn’t want to feel good? For newer Wrexham fans, especially those from the other side of the Atlantic, the idea of the team with a rich history going through hard times before being raised from their knees by Hollywood film star owners is an intoxicating one. 

Whether this truly fits the repeated use of the ‘underdog’ tag is a moot point; just because someone tells you they are an underdog doesn’t make it so, and as Vanarama National League fans now, Wrexham certainly aren’t underdogs in their current division. They are the big dogs, and everyone enjoys seeing a big dog get chased off by a yapping Jack Russell or two.

Anyway, I digress. I said this column wouldn’t be about Wrexham, as heaven knows they don’t need the coverage.

My response to this tweet was to make others aware of Dorking Wanderers, whose rise to the same level as Wrexham, having started in parks football, has taken only a little over 20 years. Why, they even have their documentary series on YouTube, ‘A Bunch of Amateurs’. It has fewer scriptwriters than its Disney+ counterpart too, being a little less polished but perhaps a little grittier.

Both series have their merits, but although ‘Amateurs’ is an interesting counterpoint to the high production values of ‘Welcome’, the main point here is that it shouldn’t have to be a choice of one or the other.

Throughout football, whether above, within or below the Vanarama National League, lie a vast array of stories reflecting the same events and emotions as you would find in either documentary.

Wrexham’s story understandably gains much attention. A female work colleague of mine even stopped me last week to say “Aren’t Wrexham doing well?”, having seen the live 4th round tie on the BBC a few days earlier. Of course, I couldn’t help but agree – it would be churlish not to have done so, because whether you like it or not, Wrexham are flourishing.

Their story is somewhat unique, with a unique ‘cast’ of characters, but should you get to know any club you’ll find characters and storylines aplenty – the only difference is the absence of cameras. Nonetheless, they are worthy of investigation, which is something we at the NL Full Time podcast strive to do, along with our friends at the Non League Paper.

You could, perhaps, investigate some of them for yourself by visiting your local non-league club, or ideally do all three!

The NL Full Time podcast is available weekly throughout the season, sometimes we even throw in a midweek special edition too, and all podcast episodes are available should you fancy a delve into our archive. 

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