Non League Day

The tournament will see nearly 20 teams from clubs such as Hitchin Town, Enfield Town, St Albans City, Wealdstone and Camden participate in what is hoped will be the first of many in the area. Although Non-League Day falls once a year, the team are committed to promoting grass roots football for people of all abilities where possible. This disability initiative further demonstrates how critically important non-league clubs are to the fabric of the national game. The tournament is being organised on a volunteer basis by Wingate & Finchley’s Football in the Community team. If anyone is interested in participating in the tournament, assisting with the running costs, or would like further information, please contact Mike Bayly on mike@nonleagueday.co.uk



Photo courtesy of Martin Addison

We want your stories, photos, videos and feedback on what you thought worked well and what could be improved. A big thanks to everyone who helped promote the day and the grass roots game in this country!

The Non-League Day team would like to thank everyone who has helped raise the profile of our grass roots game. Remember to send us your stories, photos and videos of the day and we will try to feature as many as possible. Wherever you are going today, have a great time!

Dulwich Hamlet captain Francis Duku, who has spent over 15 years in the Non-League game with clubs such as Maidenhead United, Gravesend & Northfleet (now Ebbsfleet United) and Fisher Athletic (now Fisher FC) is encouraging fans to get out and try their local non-league club. “As a player I think it’s a brilliant idea. It provides smaller clubs with a much needed revenue boost and will help create a better atmosphere in the ground. Having a few extra supporters cheering the team on can really make a big difference to the players on the pitch”

Duku, who works as an Analyst for a Hedge Fund, is also launching his own online community for semi professional footballers called ‘Our Game’. The scheme aims to provide semi professional footballers with well administered access to support elements and services such as health insurance, training equipment and financial advice.

Dulwich Hamlet are at home to Eastbourne Town on Non-League Day. Further information can be found here.

You can follow Francis and Our Game on Twitter here.

Not only them but all Premier League and Football League season-ticket holders will be offered half-price admission (just £4.50) to see City play Leamington in their Evo-Stik League Southern Premier Division clash on Saturday.

Visit the club's website for more details.

Season ticket holders from Premier League and Football League clubs will be admitted for free. The Herefordshire club will also have additional prizes in their regular matchday raffle. It will be the second game when the Town will have their new pre-match, post match and half-time catering available too.

Following on from similar announcements at Cambridge City and Canvey Island, a further three clubs have announced that they will be allowing all Premier League and Football League season-ticket holders in for free on Non-League Day.

Evo-Stik League Southern Premier Division club Weymouth are operating the scheme for the visit of Evesham United. If they lose the match, they will also offer free entry to their Red Insure Cup match against Sholing Sports at the end of September.

Sutton United, one of the biggest success stories on last year's NLD, are also offering free entry to Premier League and Football League season-ticket holders as they play host to Dorchester Town in the Blue Square Bet South.

Not to be outdone, their near neighbours Tooting & Mitcham United are matching the U's offer to Premier League and Football League season-ticket holders in the hope of boosting their crowd for the visit of Wingate & Finchley who have won all of their matches so far this season.

The Essex club are offering FREE ENTRY to all Premier League and Football League season-ticket holders, armed forces and emergency services personnel and all under-16s.

The deals don't stop there - all other people attending the match will get in at a much-reduced rate of just £5.

Gulls Commercial Director, Chris Sutton said "Non-League Day is an excellent initiative which we are proud to support, this is the second year we have been involved with the national event and we hope that with no Premier League or Championship fixtures fans from these clubs will come along to Park Lane and support their local club."

Also on the day, the club will be running a charity collection in partnership with Canvey Rotary Club to raise funds for local charities.

The FA Cup will be on display from 6pm on Friday 2nd September at the Harry Williams Riverside Stadium, Ramsbottom. The FA Cup match against Salford City kicks-off at 7:45pm. Supporters are advised to arrive early and park away from the ground to ease congestion. What a great way to kick-off the NLD weekend!

Fans attending the match, to be played at Chasetown's Scholars Ground, will receive a raffle ticket on entry and whoever is drawn out will take three shots at an open training goal - if they score all three, they scoop the cash prize.

Boss Richard Evans said "It's a bit of a thank you to our supporters who get themselves over to Chasetown for the tie, and a thank you to anyone from Chasetown who comes along to support us.

"We have a good relationship with Chasetown, and a good gate will not only be a welcome boost to us, but hopefully to their bar and catering facilities.

"Non-League Day was a success for us last year and we hope it will be again - offering a prize like this is a bit unique, so hopefully it will attract people who don't normally watch non-league football."

Many CRC players have made the step up and are currently making a name for themselves at Cambridge United. If they live up to their potential, expect to see many current players at League clubs in the near future. Michael Morrison (Charlton), Robbie Simpson (Huddersfield) and John Ruddy (Norwich) are just a handful of names that attracted the attention of higher-level clubs while at The Abbey Stadium.

Cambridge Fans United have produced posters advertising Saturday's game and request that anyone able to print off and display them does so. With ticket prices just £5 for adults and £2 for children you'd be hard pressed to find better value for money entertainment on a Saturday afternoon.

The Baris Northern Counties East League Division One side have announced the generous gesture ahead of their Non-League Day fixture with Worksop Paramore.



Admission will be just £4.00 for adults and £2.00 for concessions. The Non-League Day team wish Teversal every success with the day and hope the local community come out to show their support.

More information can be found here.

The Eagles are offering all current 2011/12 season-ticket holders of Premier League and Football League clubs, plus Luton Town and Bedford Blues rugby club season-ticket holders a concessionary admission price of £6 for their game against Arlesey Town on Saturday 3rd September. All they have to do is produce their season tickets at the turnstiles on the day.

As an initiative for the celebration of Non League Day on September 3rd 2011, on receipt of a valid season ticket at the turnstile, holders can gain admission to the game of a special discounted price of £5
(concessions £3 and accompanied children are welcome free of charge). This offer is also extended to the season ticket holders of Super League side Bradford Bulls.



Commenting on the club’s special offer, Bradford Park Avenue chairman Dr John Dean has said; “This is a great opportunity for the club to attract fans from Leeds United who have no fixture on this day. Bradford City and Huddersfield Town have away fixtures, and their fans are also welcome to take advantage of this generous offer. In fact, the offer is extended to all professional football clubs, and it is a good opportunity to show you that the football is alive and well at non league level. You will receive a warm welcome at the Horsfall Stadium, and I am sure you will enjoy the day.”

The club will be offering free entry to anyone with a Premier League or Championship season ticket, a Cambridge United season ticket holder, and anyone who works for either Cambridge University or Cambridgeshire NHS.

City Press Officer, Andrew Dunn said “Non-League Day is a national event that embraces everything that is good about grass roots football. We did a promotion last year that worked well, and this season we want to broaden the discounted entry to other groups with a view to boosting the attendance further for the game next Saturday”.

Explaining the details of the offer Dunn said “With no games in the Premier League or Championship, it would be great if some supporters from the likes of Norwich, Peterborough or Ipswich came to City and gave Non-League Day their support. We are also opening it up to any Cambridge United fans who aren’t travelling to Newport County, and with the University and NHS being two big employers in Cambridge, we hope that any of their employees will take the opportunity to attend the game, and hopefully if they like what they see will come back again”.

Non-League Day this year has an official charity partner, and is supporting Macmillan Cancer Support. As such, there will be a collection for the charity during the game.

A quick stroll from the glamour of Upton Park is the home of Clapton FC. Crammed in between the terraced houses of Forest Gate and behind the increasingly regular sight of boarded up historic public houses - in this case ‘The Old Spotted Dog’ after which the ground is named – sits one of the sadder tales of non-league football.

A stone's throw in the opposite direction of West Ham United, past the numerous fried chicken take-away shops that now seem to dominate the area, is the Stratford 2012 development where it seems money is no object. With heavy investment into the future of the area and the so called lasting legacy, The Spotted Dog appears to be a million miles away in financial terms.

Clapton, formed in 1878, are one of Amateur football's former greats, winning the FA Amateur Cup 5 times in 1907, 1909, 1915, 1924 and 1925. Although formed in the Clapton area of East London they have played at their historic ground since before 1900.

In the early days they competed in the Southern League First Division alongside teams such as Luton Town, Millwall Athletic (now Millwall), Reading and Swindon Town. Then in 1905 The Ton's were founder members of the Isthmian League along with Casuals, Civil Service, Ealing Association, Ilford and London Caledonians.

The club holds the record for unbroken membership of the Isthmian League staying until 2006/07 when due to non-league reorganisation they were moved to the Essex Senior League. The last 30 years in the Isthmian was a real struggle for the club who plied their trade in the lower reaches of the league. Their last season in the top division was 1972/73 when they finished 21st out of 22 clubs winning just 3 of their 42 league games.

Since playing in the Essex Senior League they have seen average crowds dwindle from very poor to extremely poor surviving on averages of 31 (06/07), 37 (07/08) and 21 (08/09) On the 11th April 2009 the club only attracted 9 paying spectators to their Newham local derby with London APSA.

If you are looking for a game tomorrow, why don’t you pop down and join us? As well as offering the chance to visit one of London's historic grounds, it will be putting money into a club that needs it more than most.

With thanks to http://thecoldend.blogspot.com/ for words and pictures.

James was one of the studio guests as part of a special feature on non-league football and the grass roots game in general.

You can listen to the podcast here

The leading interactive bookmaker, sponsors of the three Football Conference divisions, have produced a day for all football fans to savour in Essex. It will be possible for fans to attend a match in all three Blue Square Bet divisions on Saturday 3rd September.

The day kicks-off at 12.30 with the Blue Square Bet North clash between Bishop’s Stortford and Boston United – featuring former Premier League stars Ian Walker and Jason Lee in opposing dugouts. Fans will then make the short trip to Chelmsford City to watch their Blue Square Bet South match against fellow promotion favourites Dover Athletic – kick-off 3.30pm. The day ends at newly-promoted Braintree Town who host Lincoln City in the Blue Square Bet Premier, with a kick-off time of 7pm.

It will be the first time (and possibly last time) that fans will be able to attend a match in all three Conference divisions on the same day and Blue Square have assisted in providing coaches to help fans make the ‘hop’. For a small (£5) charity donation to ‘Marie Curie Cancer Care’, fans will be able to take a coach after the Bishop’s Stortford match which will drop them at the other two fixtures and return back to Bishop’s Stortford in the evening. Fans who take the coach will also be given a souvenir t-shirt to commemorate the day. Fans can of course make their own way to all three fixtures and limited parking will be available. Fans wishing to reserve a place on the coach and/or a parking space at Bishop’s Stortford are required to e-mail sponsorship@bluesq.com. Standard admission prices will apply on the day with the cheapest adult total admission cost for all three games coming in at a very reasonable £38.50p (senior citizens and child discounts will be available).

Full fixture list:

Saturday 3rd September 2011

12.30pm – Blue Square Bet North – Bishop’s Stortford v Boston United

3.30pm – Blue Square Bet South – Chelmsford City v Dover Athletic

7.00pm – Blue Square Bet Premier – Braintree Town v Lincoln City (live on Premier Sports TV)

In a commendable gesture, the official website points any Rovers fans not making the trip to Crawley Town in the direction of Weston-super-Mare FC in the Conference South. Gasheads will be able to watch their non-league neighbours for just £8, or £5 for concessions.

More information can be found here.

http://www.bristolrovers.co.uk/page/LatestNews/0,,10328~2431380,00.html

The Non-League Day team would like to personally thank Bristol Rovers FC for this, and hope other clubs around the country follow their example.

As part of Non League Day, the Midlands club have offered FREE ENTRY to all under 16’s, withlocal side St Johns Colts FC sending several under 10 and 11 Teams to take place in a mini tournament on the St Georges Lane pitch before the Game.

Worcester City FC Development Teams will also be having their Team photos taken before the Match. Members of The Armed Forces and The Emergency Services will also be admitted for FREE as well as a discounted entry of just £5 to anyone with a Premier League or Championship Season Ticket (saving £6).

The local Newspaper Worcester News, and BBC Hereford & Worcester are also featuring the game in their news updates.

Further information can be found at www.worcestercityfc.co.uk

The club is reaching out to supporters of Premier and Football League supporters, as well as local Blue Square Premier club Luton Town. Season ticket holders and members of these clubs are welcome to attend Hitchin’s game with Bashley (KO 3pm) on September 3. The club will donate 50% of the admission price received from these supporters to local charity, the Garden House Hospice, in addition to holding a collection.

Members of the armed forces and pre-service units will be admitted free, subject to proof of identity. Furthermore, unemployed people will be admitted free, again subject to proof of unemployment. The club will also issue all supporters a prize draw ticket upon entry to the ground. The prize will be a season ticket for 2012-13.

Non-League Day is also being reflected in the new-look clubhouse at Hitchin Town. New manager Michael Hills is reducing prices for the day(£2.50 beer, £2 spirits) and will hold a barbecue and live music (jazz). Backing the club’s efforts for Non-League Day is a poster campaign and news campaign that underlines the benefits of watching football at Top Field, highlighting the cost effectiveness, the friendly environment, and the local importance of Hitchin Town FC.

For further details, please contact Neil Jensen, Media Officer, Hitchin Town FC. http://www.hitchintownfc.co.uk/index.shtml

The club - who play at the picturesque Pilot Field stadium - will be charging adults just £5 to watch their game with Carshalton Athletic in the Ryman Premier Division. Additionally all Under 18s will be admitted free and season ticket holders of any other league football club will also be able to watch the game free of charge.



Pat McCrossan, Supporters Liaison for Hastings United advised “I am sure there will be supporters of league clubs nearby who will enjoy getting their "football fix" by celebrating Non-League Day with us. Non-League day is important in raising the profile of the game in the lower tiers. We hope the campaign proves you can get just as much excitement as the Premier League only with much more value for the family!”

The Pilot Field is one of the most traditional football grounds in the southeast of England, complete with an award winning playing surface, well stocked bar (with drinking terrace) and accommodating welcome. More information can be found at http://www.hastingsunitedfc.co.uk/

Today, it's a trip to northeast London, as Barkingside of the Essex Senior League host Hertford Town of the Spartan South Midlands League in an FA Cup Extra-Preliminary round clash.

The club are aiming to make it a Ground Hoppers day with a special commemorative programme being planned. Admission will be only £6.00 and £1.50 for the programme (concessions are £4.00)*

The earlier rounds of the FA Cup are always intriguing, as clubs and fans dream of landing a glamorous tie in the later stages. There are also important financial incentives to play for; the winners of the extra preliminary round stand to receive £750, which is a substantial amount to clubs who often operate on very restricted budgets. The combination of a Sunday fixture, combined with an attractive admission price should ensure a healthy crowd at the Oakside Stadium.

The winners will be away to Barking or Burnham Ramblers on Non-League Day, who drew 1-1 on Saturday.

The Oakside Stadium is located next to Barkingside tube station on the London Underground Central Line. Kickoff is 4pm.

* All details should be checked in advance at http://www.barkingsidefc.co.uk/club/111356/Home

The Stones were one of the success stories of last year’s Non-League Day event, with over 100 additional fans coming through the gates.

The club - where Everton’s Jermaine Beckford first made his name - will be at home at The Vale, Ruislip, playing Bury Town on 3rd September (kick-off 3pm) in an important Ryman League Premier Division match and will be hoping to welcome many supporters of professional clubs and local residents who will be without a game. On production of their current season ticket (not Bury Town supporters) at the turnstiles they will be able to get into the match for half price normal admission – that’s only a fiver for Adults!

Additionally this year, Wealdstone FC will also offer holders of a Hillingdon First Card half price admission for this match – just show your card at the turnstiles. Further information on the club can be found at http://wealdstone-fc.com/

Therese, who is MP for the Suffolk Coastal constituency, went on to say

"the new Non-League Day website contains information and advice on how to find your nearest non-league club. Leiston are playing at home in the FA preliminary round or if you fancy a longer trip, Felixstowe and Walton United are playing away at Needham Market.”

Therese is a noted football fan and member of the DCOMS Select Committee - which scrutinises the work of the Department of Culture, Olympics, Media & Sport.

With over 150 members from both the House of Commons and the House of Lords, the group forms one of the largest All Party Groups at the Palace of Westminster. The Group's focus is on policy issues affecting the football industry from grassroots and fans to the professional end of the game. Alan Keen MP, chair of the group, advised.

“On behalf of the All Party Football Group we are delighted to support the Non-League Day (NLD) initiative. The campaign compliments our wider objectives to increase the profile of the football industry and to identify, and raise awareness, of current issues affecting the game. Grass roots football provides opportunities for people of all abilities and backgrounds, and is essential to the long term health of the game. We look forward to working with the NLD team during a national celebration of local football.”

With all Premier and Championship games postponed due to international fixtures on the Friday, and with Northampton Town also playing away at Southend, this leaves a large band of local football supporters with nothing to do on a Saturday afternoon in early September. Organiser of Non-League Day for Rugby Town FC, Mick Bird, says that this is where his local side can help publicise what his club can offer.

“Rugby Town are competing in the FA Cup at home that day, so what a perfect opportunity for football supporters to sample the early days glamour of the FA Cup other than with your local club” Mick, who is a Vice President of the club commented on their other attraction.

“We’re also in the process of organising a seven-a-side tournament for all the league team fans that are interested, to be held prior to the game on our 3g pitches. There will also be a speed ball challenge in the ground for the kids and adults that measures how hard you can strike the ball. We’ve also commissioned a cup for the winners of the seven-a-side tournament which will be called The Carl Barnes Cup, in memory of one of our most dedicated volunteers who recently passed away aged just 44 . Our club has such a lot to offer the local League team supporter with a 550 seater stand, safe-standing and an excellent licensed bar and catering services. One thing that League supporters will be totally alien to will be the opportunity to watch the game with a pint of beer in your hand! We’ve already had a lot of interest and we’re really looking forward to seeing some new faces at Butlin Rd on September 3rd.

Ruby Town will host the winner of this Wednesday’s replay between Shifnal Town and Gornal Athletic, who drew 2-2 on Saturday.

Free parking and seating in the ground is included in the admission price. Further information can be obtained from http://www.rugbytownfc.com/