Non- league football is an underrated gem of the English footballing pyramid that every football fan should appreciate more. Here are 5 reasons that you should consider supporting your local non- league teams
5- You’re never far from a non- league team
Everyone knows the chaos of a Newcastle on matchday in the premier league or champions league. Crammed buses, crammed streets, crammed pubs. The journey to and from matches can be very stressful, as people flock from around the region to support the magpies. This can all be avoided by going to one of local teams in towns from around the region, from Blyth Spartans to Darlington F.C, almost everyone in the North East has an option even closer to home than Newcastle, Sunderland or Middlesborough.
4- Quality of football
A common misconception about non-league football is that you are seeing a lesser quality of football. While obviously you’re not going to be seeing the likes of Haaland or Ronaldo, the entertainment value of the game is just the same as at any level. In the last full round of fixtures for the National League 51 goals were scored across the 12 matches that took place, meanwhile 3 leagues higher in the championship across 12 fixtures, only 32 goals were scored.
3- No international breaks
While we all support England at the Euros and the world cup, there’s nothing more frustrating for football fans than international games forcing the season to stop and start every few weeks to play qualifiers and friendlies. Even worse, we have to watch England scrape past the likes of Malta. However, while the higher leagues are out of action, it presents fans with the perfect opportunity to visit teams they never usually would and get their club football fix as non- league games proceed as normal.
2- Cheaper to attend
A major reason to attend is that it is simply much more affordable than attending a game in a division like the premier league. According to seatpick.com, prices to attend a Newcastle United home game are generally higher than £50, with better seats costing closer to, and sometimes more than £100. Meanwhile, 14 miles north at Blyth Spartans, admission to a game for an adult is £15.
1- Help keep local clubs afloat
Following COVID and the subsequent cost of living crisis, it has become increasingly difficult for small businesses to stay afloat, and it is not different for non- league clubs. Non- league clubs don’t have television payments or high merchandise sales to help keep them operating, and rely mostly on revenue generated by fans attending their games. Without non- league teams, superstars such as Jamie Vardy, Nick Pope, and many more may have never been able to break through to the higher levels. Non- league football is a cornerstone of the English football pyramid, and the loss of these teams would be devastating to the English game.
