Non-League Paper Programme: The unsung volunteers keeping Non-League alive through wind and rain

I can’t have been the only one to notice a distinct change in the temperature over the last few weeks as the summer months passed and autumn set in.

With t-shirts and shorts now long packed away in the bottom of the wardrobe, woolly jumpers and thick coats are now the order of the day for bracing a cold afternoon or evening on the terraces.

The autumn and winter months can be difficult periods for Non-League clubs up and down the country.

Storm Amy battered our shores and played havoc with the fixture scheduled a fortnight ago, while the likes of Bram, Chandra, Dave and Eddie brewing for the next instalment.

Business as usual

Indeed, echoes of past storms and multiple postponements that wiped out week-after-week of fixtures sprung to mind as I ventured to a Friday night fixture between Northern League Division One rivals Newcastle Blue Star and Horden Community Welfare a couple of weeks back.

Now, I can’t have been the only one expected to arrive at Blue Star’s KD Stadium to be told the fixture had fallen foul of the strong winds and heavy rainfall that had battered the north-east and beyond for large parts of the previous 24 hours.

Yet, to my surprise, it was very much business as usual as the two sides made their way out onto a playing surface which looked in pristine condition despite being battered in the hours leading up to the game.

Somehow, amidst howling wind and driving rain, an intriguing contest ensued with the points shared in a 1-1 draw.

Indeed, on reflection, a share of the spoils was quite fitting on a day where the real winners were the team of Blue Star volunteers who worked tirelessly, without any individual reward, to get the game on in testing conditions.

But it wasn’t just the ground staff at Scotswood who deserve credit.

Fortunate

Off the pitch, turnstiles were in use, pints were being pulled in the clubhouse, bins were being emptied, half-time draw tickets sold and the club shop manned.

Then, once the full-time whistle had been blown, the clean-up operation began, both in and outside of the stadium – tasks that the 243 in attendance wouldn’t have given a second thought to.

This, of course, is indicative of everyday life at a Non-League club, whatever the level, and got me thinking just how invaluable volunteers are to the day-to-day running of our clubs and how they provide the foundations of their very existence.

Without them, there would be no football clubs, or if we did, they would be unrecognisable from what we can consider ourselves fortunate to have.

From the tea lady to the kitman, the bar staff, to those manning the turnstiles and sweeping up post-match – all are as essential as each other and deserve our utmost respect and appreciation.

Their work may go unnoticed, and they may well toil away with unseen hours of graft, but they remain as essential as those representing our clubs on the pitch and the management teams that guide them.

The winter months, as always, will be significant challenges as the bad weather descends – and that is when our volunteers come to the fore and go beyond the call of duty.

Their work is invaluable, whatever the weather.

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