The concept has been an incredible success, and has gotten bigger and bigger every year. The idea is that non-league clubs offer half price admission, or even free in some cases, to season ticket holders of Football League and Premier League clubs, in an attempt to generate some much needed extra revenue, and maybe gain a few extra regular supporters in the process. The fact that England now play their weekend match on a Friday night instead of a Saturday afternoon has perpetuated the success of Non-League Day, and this year is sure to be even bigger again.

The Non League Day website has an excellent match finder to help you find a match near you, with a comprehensive list of fixtures up and down the country. And there are some cracking games taking place too; local derbies, top of the table clashes, Non League Day has it all!

And, as I wrote here, there are so many reasons to get along to non-league football. Friendly local staff, most of whom are more often than not volunteers, little or no segregation of the fans, changing ends at half time, being able to bring a beer pitchside at a lot of grounds. It’s a fantastic afternoon out, and that’s just off the pitch! On the pitch you have players who love football, players playing for the love of the game and the shirt they’re wearing. You can here the conversations and arguments between players and officials. You can even interact with them and get a direct reply a lot of the time. And you can meet the players and management after the match in the warm and friendly clubhouse and dissect the game that has just transpired. It’s like you’re the journalist in your very own press conference!

So, instead of going to IKEA, or the supermarket, or doing gardening and DIY, get your warm clothes on and get down to your local non-league club and enjoy the atmosphere, the game and the experience. And make sure to spend some of the money you saved on the admission on a programme, drinks and food; non-league clubs need every penny they can get.

Who knows, you might just enjoy yourself and keep coming back for more. That’s certainly what happened to me!

For more information on Non League Day, and to find a match near you, visit the official Non League Day website. 

One of my favourite things about going to non-league matches, other than the football on display, is counting how many times the match ball leaves the ground during the ninety minutes. With this in mind, I thought I would start a fun competition to see which ground has the most escapee balls!

Rules

1. To count, the ball must clear the roof of the stand, and not roll back down the roof into the arena. Therefore, it must require rescue by a club official to count,
2. Keep counting at every match – the winner will be determined by the average amount of times per game that the ball leaves the ground, and there will be a minimum number of games to qualify, so keep counting and entering!
3. Honesty is key – don’t make it up, it’s only a bit of fun after all!

That’s it. To enter, leave a comment on this article, email undertheleague@gmail.com or tweet @undertheleague

Happy counting, and good luck!

To vote, simply tweet the following: @TheFBAs @undertheleague #New to register your vote. Thank you!

For more information on the awards, you can visit their website, and follow them on twitter.

2012-13 will be a big season in non-league football, and also on Under The League, so your vote won’t be a wasted one!

Mark Harper made just the one change from the team that struggled against Maidenhead, bringing in Billy Jeffreys to replace the suspended Dean Inman.

The game had barely settled down when WSM took the lead; Price’s through ball split the Beavers defence and Sahr Kabba poked the ball under Craig Ross from about 6 yards.

The team had only just settled down again when Weston had the ball past Ross again but it was disallowed for offside.

Hampton then began to have the best of the possession and thus the chances but the keeper was never tested; Dave Tarpey missed at the back post from a corner, he then put a shot over from 20 yards halfway through the half. Charlie Moone was determined to get involved but with just 10 minutes left on the referee’s watch, his flicked shot flew well wide.

Just as stoppage time was about to come into being, Tarpey brought the Beavers back into the game just at the right time. A corner was only partially cleared, it fell to Tarpey who turned his marker and clipped an accurate left foot shot past Lloyd Irish for the equaliser.

HT WSMFC 1 HRBFC 1

The second half began as it had ended with the Beavers creating more half chances but on 52 minutes, they took the lead.

A quick break out between Reece Jones, Tarpey and Moone saw Tarpey locate Jones on the edge of the box, his shot was parried by Irish but the rebound fell kindly for the impressive midfielder and he chipped the prone keeper for his 3rd goal in 4 games.

On the hour, the Beavers looked to be in trouble as Dave Tarpey collided with the perimeter hoardings at some pace, following a strong run to the byline. After a few minutes treatment, he got up to continue. As the game progressed, the bruising came out, and a cracking black eye was the result.

Weston never really looked like they were up for the fight and never challenged Craig Ross all game. They did have the ball in the net with a couple of minutes to go, but referee Sarah Garratt immediately disallowed the goal for the handball which put the ball past Ross, giving the offender a caution.

Mark Harper said pregame that he expected a win and the players delivered with some ease in the West Country sunshine. Dover on Tuesday night will be a different matter, but on recent form, 1 defeat in 6 matches shows that the team is still capable of getting the necessary points at this vital stage of the season.

Weston super Mare 1
Kabba 6

HRBFC 2
Tarpey 45
Jones 54

Ross, Ferrell, Jenkins, Jeffreys, Powell, Huggins, Collier, Jones, Moone, Simmonds, Tarpey.

Bench: James, Andrews, Hickey, Turner, Bennett.

Subs: Turner for Simmonds 79, Bennett for Tarpey 85.

Cautions: Bennett 85 (Foul play)

Many thanks to Rob for this report. Rob is the Press Officer at The Beveree Stadium. All the relative links are below.

Hampton & Richmond Borough Official Website

Hampton & Richmond Borough on Twitter

Rob Overfield on Twitter

“I can always accept it if teams are better than us, but we’ve been beaten today because we haven’t applied ourselves”, he said. “Since me and Martin arrived, we said first and foremost that in this league you’ve got to compete, and then we should have enough ability in the changing room to win games, but we haven’t competed today. We were flat from the start, and that comes from the tempo. Yes, the pitch was difficult, but nobody can stop you from running about and getting in their faces. We haven’t done that from minutes one to minute 90.”

Hall Road have been noticeably more confident since the arrival of Barnwell and co-manager Martin Thacker back in January, and have been unlucky not to take more points home in many games. But the team were disappointing against what was an average Thackley side, who took the lead on 57 minutes through Liam Moore, and doubled their tally on 72 minutes through Brice Tiani. Rangers recorded less than a handful of goal-bound efforts in the game, to add to the miserable afternoon. Today’s performance against Thackley, though, Barnwell hoped, was not something that was going to be repeated, especially with two tough home fixtures against Winterton (Tuesday) and Scarborough (Saturday) on the horizon.

“But today is a tough one to take”, said the Rangers boss. “I told the lads that it’s a game that has passed them by and not one of them can go home and say they’ve contributed. I’ve left them in the changing room stewing, so hopefully they’ll reflect on this themselves. Once they cross the white line, it’s down to them. Hopefully they have enough self pride to come back on Tuesday knowing that today wasn’t good enough for Hall Road Rangers.”

Rangers face Winterton at Dene Park on Tuesday night. Kick-off is 7.45pm.

HALL ROAD: Mike Burley, Jamie Heard, Liam Cattermole, Steve Gawthorpe, Michael Gregory, Jamie Atkinson, Mark Griffin, Joe Cooper, Steve Graham (Danny Ricketts, 63), Paul Wilson (Jordan Easter, 63), Adam Crane. Subs not used: Dane Mortimer, Luke Wheeldon.

Many thanks, as ever, to Alex Blackburne, Hall Road’s Press Officer, for this match report. All the relevant links are below.

Hall Road Rangers on Pitchero

Hall Road Rangers on Twitter

Northern Counties East League

Alex Blackburne on Twitter

Manager Mark Harper made two changes to the team that beat Hendon in midweek, one enforced; Joel Ledgister has effectively been ruled out for the rest of the season with a broken kneecap, Charlie Moone was brought in, Karle Andrews came in for Esmond James.

Truro opened in a positive manner and Les Afful had the first meaningful chance of the game on 4 minutes, when his shot was blocked; but the Beavers took the lead on 14 minutes. The ball fell to Charlie Moone from a contested header, and his precise shot from 15 yards beat Chenoweth in the Tigers goal. The lead was only to last 13 minutes as the Beavers conceded a goal from a set piece once again. A Truro corner to the back post wasn’t cleared and after a short scramble, Watkins forced the ball home from close range. Truro continued to create the better chances; on 36 minutes Jake Ash’s volley through a crowd of players was just tipped wide by Craig Ross, and 4 minutes later Watkins shot from just inside the box drifted wide. The half time break was now within sight but Truro still could have gone in front as Watkins managed to miss the target after receiving Kelly’s pass in the middle of the box.

HT HRBFC 1 TCFC 1

Truro continued their positive play as the second half opened but once again the Beavers made their chances count on 52 minutes; Charlie Moone took advantage of Billy Jeffreys’ dummy at a corner to loop an accurate header over Chenoweth to give the Beavers the advantage again. Two minutes later, the game shifted as Dean Inman was booked twice in 3 minutes; one was deserved, the second could be described as somewhat questionable, but the red card was duly shown, and the Beavers had to re-organise.

On the hour, Truro equalised with a spectacular goal from Andy Watkins, receiving the ball outside the box, he smashed a screamer from the corner of the area which gave Craig Ross no chance as it bounced in off the inside of the post. Less than two minutes later, Truro took the lead. Less Afful received the ball as it was cleared from a corner, but instead of bringing it down he hit it on the volley from some 25 yards out. The ball flew past Ross into the top corner of the goal, barely a keeper in the division or in the professional leagues would have got a fingertip to it, and such was its quality.

In previous games, the Beavers might have subsided quietly, but someone forgot to mention that to Charlie Moone. A sweet corner from the Beavers left fell invitingly in front of him, he threw himself at the ball, and put it past Chenoweth with a spectacular diving header from about 8 yards. With the scores level, the scene was set for a nail-biting last 25 minutes; both teams had chances. Just after the equaliser, Billy Jeffreys nearly opened his Beavers account with a reflex header that was blocked on the line, to the travelling Truro supporters’ relief.

Hampton's Hattrick Hero

Cody Cooke managed to fire a shot at Craig Ross 10 minutes later, but from then on it was mostly the Beavers who made the better chances. Esmond James – on for Jamie Simmonds – found Tom Hickey just outside the box, but the shot flew wide of Chenoweth’s post. With just 3 minutes on the clock, Tarpey’s very long range volley went well over the bar, and the game was drifting towards a point apiece. However, the Beavers were still doing most of the attacking, and for once, that determination was rewarded. In the second minute of added time, Dave Tarpey made a run down the left and cut inside the wrong-footed defender, bearing down on the goal. Chenoweth rushed out of his goal to head Tarpey off, but with good awareness, Tarpey then slid the ball past the keeper towards the back post and Reece Jones. Jones had cleverly stayed onside and was thus left with the easiest of tap ins from a couple of yards out for the winner. The Beveree erupted as the 10 men had not only restored the lead, but given Truro a killer blow from which they had no time to recover from.

After the game, Mark Harper was clearly delighted at the way the team fought back, “Great result today, the boys dug in deep especially when down to 10 men. Massive credit goes out to Charlie Moone for a superb hat-trick!!”

With rivals Staines Town losing, and no-one in the bottom 6 winning, the gap to Staines is now just 4 points and the Beavers still have 3 games in hand on them. The future is in their hands now, the next games are so important; against Dover and a visit from Maidenhead, and the team will know that wins are pretty much the only result for them now.

HRBFC 4 Moone 14, 52, 64 Jones 90+2

TruroCity 3 Watkins 27, 60 Afful 61

Att 369

Cautions: Inman 53, 55 Dismissed: Inman 55

Ross, Ferrell (c), Jenkins, Jeffreys, Inman, Huggins, Andrews, Jones, Tarpey, Simmonds, Charlie Moone

Substitutes; James, Collier, Hickey, Peace, Turner

We are delighted that Hampton & Richmond Borough’s Press Officer, Rob Overfield, has provided us with this official match report for Under The League. It was published originally on the club’s official site. The club is also on twitter, as is Rob. 

Every football fan on the planet one day has dreamt, or still does dream, of being a professional footballer. Well, that is a dream that doesn’t have any grounding in reality for 95% of people. But what about owning a football club? That might sound crazy, as it takes an awful lot of time and money to run a football club, and in most cases there is no profit in it.

As we have seen, though, fan ownership is a growing phenomenon in today’s game; Wrexham FC of course are the latest club to be owned by the fans, and follow the likes of Ebbsfleet United and AFC Wimbledon in being run by the supporters. The idea is that each shareholding fan is involved in every decision that the club makes, with the final decision being taken on a democratic majority vote. This in theory means that the long term future of the club is safe as every fan takes their vote seriously, and uses it in the best interest of the club.

What if you could be involved in this? Well, that is the idea of new project Run The FC. Currently, they are looking for 50,000 members, although this may be revised at a later date. The idea being that you sign up as a member of the site, and when the magic number is reached, each member, or “pledge” donates an initial £20 each, and then a £2 monthly subscription. This money will then be used to either buy an existing club, or to start a brand new club from scratch. This then gives you an equal voice in the day to day running of the club, with every member getting one vote each.

On the site, there is a forum for you to offer up any suggestions you may have regarding potential clubs to buy, or any ideas for the site itself. There is also a fortnightly podcast, keeping you updated on all the latest news and info on RunTheFC’s progress.

Sound good? Then head over to RunTheFC and join up! You can also follow them on twitter: @RunTheFC, and Facebook. If you have any questions about the project, this link might help. Or alternatively, just contact them direct via twitter or Facebook.

It is a really interesting idea, and one that deserves attention. I for one am on board, as I would love to be a part of the future of a football club, with an equal say in what goes on. Who wouldn’t!

Both sides had chances to take the lead early on, first Stow had a chance after Kieren Joseph smashed a shot at Ben Russell who held on well meanwhile at the other end Dean Pleasance had to head over Scott Yearling’s cross after the wide man found space down the flank. Kieren Joseph could again have put Stow one up after receiving James Grahams free kick, the forward turned Ben Warren inside out before unleashing his shot at goal, it sailed over the crossbar and Town could have then seen themselves go one down but Scott Yearling couldn’t steady himself in front of goal and as a result saw his shot go wide of the mark.

Stow kept battling away; Guy Dugdale won the ball and released Lee Drummond whose shot was turned round the post only for the resulting corner to be steered wide by Chris Gray. Town finally took the lead on twenty five minutes, Kieren Joseph on the right hand side found Lee Drummond after holding up the ball and his cross was then turned in by Chris Gray, giving the home side the lead in what was a must win game.

The Gold & Blacks could have doubled their advantage going into the break; Gareth Ward gained possession back for Stow and played in Kieren Joseph whose cross was bending way from the keeper was almost turned in by Chris Gray but the striker couldn’t hit the objective.

Cornard made all three substitutions at half time but Stow carried on as they left off at the start of the second period. Yani Duka showed great skill to trick the defenders allowing the young striker to set up Chris Gray who could only find the keeper with his cool shot at goal. The visitors had a rare opportunity through Ben Parder but he missed the target, summing up his sides afternoon. Yani Duka and Chris Gray were still working well together and after Chris Gray latched onto the striker slash midfielders pass he forced a good stop out of Barry Lynn in the visitor’s goal.

Stow eventually doubled their lead twenty minutes from time and it was that man again Chris Gray with his second of the match and fourth of the season so far. Lee Drummond and Kieren Joseph again linked up well before releasing Chris Gray who calmly slotted the ball way beyond Cornard keeper Barry Lynn. It was bookings galore after Stow’s second went in with seven yellow cards being shown in just under twenty minutes, amongst the chaos Chris Gray nearly grabbed himself the match ball but Barry Lynn stopped the striker from netting his hat trick with just his legs. Town won’t be bothered about the four bookings that were picked up by their players as they grabbed a vital three points to move them just one point away from moving off the foot of the table.

Every Monday night on BBC London 94.9, or via podcast, Caroline Barker and her studio guests, not to mention “Our Man Up North” offer up the latest news, match reports and interviews from across the various levels of non-league football. However, from next year, the Beeb want to axe the show as part of their cost cutting exercise. This cannot be allowed to happen, and you can help stop it.

There are a few ways to do this. There is a Facebook page for you to ‘Like’ where you can express your opinions with like-minded people. Facebook can be a very valuable and powerful resource/weapon, and the more people that join the page the better. You can find it here.

Also in the world of social networking, of course, is twitter. In order to register your disgust at the BBC’s proposals, please include the hashtag #savethenonleagueshow

You can also email the BBC Trust and tell them exactly how you feel. Their email address is: trust.enquiries@bbc.co.uk and you can phone them on 03700 103 100.

Make your voice heard. Tell the Powers That Be how important non-league football is to you and your local community, and let’s save the Non-League Show so that they can carry on doing their fine work every week.

My name is James Griffiths and I’m UnderTheLeague editor and we need you!

Have you got an interesting piece of Non League news or a match report that you’ve written then send them to griffiths343@hotmail.com and become part of the newest Non League site on the block.

James Griffiths