[Football] The Non-League Football Thread- 2023/24 Edition

[stewart12]

Excellent post. Could have been written about Steyning Town - combining youth and adult sections, mascots, dogs, prams etc. And that's a very decent crowd.

my nephew plays for Steyning u18's & occasionally the u23's. He's been there for a few years now and he loves it. He's received a really good footballing education there, it seems like a really well run club

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

my nephew plays for Steyning u18's & occasionally the u23's. He's been there for a few years now and he loves it. He's received a really good footballing education there, it seems like a really well run club

That is really good to hear. A major objective of the club is to get young people playing the beautiful game, and learning about life. And the same for a lot of clubs at our level.

 

[MattBackHome]

I'm off to f***ing Basildon tonight to watch the Rooks at Hashtag United in probably sub zero temperatures. FOR MY SINS.

 

[Arthur]

Excellent post. Could have been written about Steyning Town - combining youth and adult sections, mascots, dogs, prams etc. And that's a very decent crowd.

And old boys who spend the entire game moaning at the ref......?

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

And old boys who spend the entire game moaning at the ref......?

There is that ....... and it drives me up the wall .........

 

[Paris]

I'm off to f***ing Basildon tonight to watch the Rooks at Hashtag United in probably sub zero temperatures. FOR MY SINS.

You are forgiven. Bosh!

 

[Mellor 3 Ward 4]

Saw Horsham play (Peterborough Sports) in the FA Trophy.

Lost 0-3 , which was somewhat harsh - Horsham the better side until the first goalon 44 minutes - which was quickly followed by another in added time, still in the first half.

It was freezing.

 

[Sorrel]

Firstly, thanks for the post and your comprehensive and interesting views on match day at Alderbrook. I'll try and square a few circles for you.



IMO comparing step 5 football with the premier league is like comparing apples and oranges. Yes there are 22 blokes kicking a bag of air around but that is where the comparisons end.

People with prams are usually (not always) the "WAGs" who are there to watch daddy play. I'm sure if you went in the players lounge at the Amex you would see a few dotted about.

Dogs at non league games is very common. There is even a twitter/instagram channel dedicated to it: https://twitter.com/nonleaguedogs

Freddie the Jack Russell who you may have seen on Saturday is a regular on it and even myself and my beast made it on there once:




260 for a step 5 game including 20 away fans is a decent crowd. Especially on a very cold overcast January day. There wouldn't have been many higher in the league on Saturday I wouldn't have thought.

Think there was 450 on Boxing Day which wasn't bad. But no where near what we used to get when we were jettisoned in the Kent league and had bank holiday games against Tunbridge Wells or Rusthall who are both very well followed.


I don't disagree with you here. The lot in question you speak about are on the whole parents of kids that play in the junior sides. Several years ago the club was run as a senior section and a junior section. The club decided to come together under one banner and amalgamated the two. It caused a bit of friction at the time mainly down to finances but things have smoothed over and it is working well on the whole. The senior side started inviting the junior teams to be mascots for the day. It turned out to be a great success as invariably they bought a couple of parents along and they stayed for drinks, food and to watch the game. So the club decided to make it that if you had a son or daughter playing for the club both they and a parent got free entry into the mens first team games.

It's been very successful and whilst the club aren't making on the turnstile they certainly get a few quid back over the bar and the food hut. I can't speak for them all obviously but I expect many of them their weekends/nights revolve around taking their kids to football, swimming, scouts/guides, music lessons, whatever so going out on a Saturday with said child and have the ability to have a few beers may be their only time to socialise. Granted it can get annoying when you've got loads of kids running around when you are trying to watch the game but I view it as more money in the bank for the club.


Game wasn't a good one for your first visit. We are currently missing a few key players (sounds familiar eh!) and I think we could have still been playing now and not have scored.

If you want to do more non league but fancy going a bit higher up the pyramid you have Lewes (step 3) just down the road and very easy to get to, 29 bus will take you almost to the door. Tonbridge Angels (step 2) just up the road but a bit more of a ballache to get to unless you are driving.

You will of course be welcome back at Alderbrook any time. Perhaps stand on the other side so the bar dwellers don't annoy you so much. Be warned though that is where the old boys that spend the whole game moaning at the ref reside.....every non league club has those though.

Thanks for that detailed reply - that does explain why there were quite so many kids/parents who didn't seem that interested in the match. I think if we'd scored it might have been a bit more lively. I also enjoyed seeing how many times the ball left the ground completely and the "ball retrieval gate" along the side got used.

We will be back, but we're planning to try out Lewes for the next non-league match. I was wondering what sort of crowd size is needed to get a bit of chanting/encouragement going on - the lack of that surprised me the most. My brother-in-law is a Eastbourne Borough fan, so we've promised to swap matches with him - we'll get him a ticket to the Albion, he's bring us along to Eastbourne Borough. I know, from talking to him, that there are a lot of unhappy people there this season.

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

I did miss the focus on the football (rather than on the drinks, chips and a natter that seemed the main attraction at the beginning). At the Albion almost everyone pays attention to the game in a way they didn't here.

Welcome to the non-league football scene!

View attachment 172692

That is really good to hear. A major objective of the club is to get young people playing the beautiful game, and learning about life. And the same for a lot of clubs at our level.

Yep seconded, we have the same set up at Horsham YMCA too.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

I'm off to f***ing Basildon tonight to watch the Rooks at Hashtag United in probably sub zero temperatures. FOR MY SINS.

Just seen the result (3-2 to the Rooks). You deserved that. Must have been fun.

We’re making a bit of a charge up the table. Come on!

 

[Sid and the Sharknados]

Top of the table clash between Newhaven and Crowborough tomorrow.

I'm mainly just posting this to highlight that Newhaven, as of right now, are top.
Take that everybody else.

 

[MattBackHome]

Just seen the result (3-2 to the Rooks). You deserved that. Must have been fun.

We’re making a bit of a charge up the table. Come on!

Just back. Deserved 3 points but we almost contrived to throw it away twice. Penney looked way off the pace but Kalvin was excellent, and Whelpdale is just too good for this level. 3 home matches out of the next 4 and we should be aiming to be firmly in the playoffs in a month, IMO.

Burger (pictured) was bang average. The curry sauce on the chips extremely synthetic and powdery, in other words utterly perfect. One of the travelling Rooks was drinking a blue vodka slushie. It was minus 3 degrees .

Highlight was when I asked the woman serving drinks for some pepper for my Bovril. She delighted me by saying that she doesn't even ask people any more, she just automatically puts it in all of them! Pepperiest Bovril I've ever had. 10/10.

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

I'm mainly just posting this to highlight that Newhaven, as of right now, are top.
Take that everybody else.

Ha ha. It's a long season. It's the 40th game for Steyning Town tonight - in the Peter Bentley. Hopefully start pushing a bit closer to you at the top soon.

 

[MattBackHome]

Oh also forgot to say that Hashtag had Greg Halford playing for them.

 

[keaton]

Oh also forgot to say that Hashtag had Greg Halford playing for them.

Did he come on and hurl some long throws in at the end of the game? That's all I can remember him doing for us

 

[dazzer6666]

Excellent post. Could have been written about Steyning Town - combining youth and adult sections, mascots, dogs, prams etc. And that's a very decent crowd.

Burgess Hill too and similar sized crowds………always a big group of kids playing their game to the side of the pitch, several groups using it as a social/drinking event, a hardcore group of singers (usually) of maybe 20, old men moaning at everything, WAGS, dogs and pushchairs, cheesy chips and Bovril. Love it.

 

[jackalbion]

Heading to Whitehawk tonight, to take on Kingstonian in the Velocity Cup at the 4th attempt I believe, fully expect a frozen pitch here. So will divert to Lancing if thats the case.

 

[stewart12]

hoping for Littlehampton Town vs Sittingbourne tonight weather permitting

 

[Ali_rrr]

View attachment 172831View attachment 172832View attachment 172833

Just back. Deserved 3 points but we almost contrived to throw it away twice. Penney looked way off the pace but Kalvin was excellent, and Whelpdale is just too good for this level. 3 home matches out of the next 4 and we should be aiming to be firmly in the playoffs in a month, IMO.

Burger (pictured) was bang average. The curry sauce on the chips extremely synthetic and powdery, in other words utterly perfect. One of the travelling Rooks was drinking a blue vodka slushie. It was minus 3 degrees .

Highlight was when I asked the woman serving drinks for some pepper for my Bovril. She delighted me by saying that she doesn't even ask people any more, she just automatically puts it in all of them! Pepperiest Bovril I've ever had. 10/10.

In fairness he was too good for the Conference South at Borough. Not surprised he's too good for the step below!

 

[Arthur]

Thanks for that detailed reply - that does explain why there were quite so many kids/parents who didn't seem that interested in the match. I think if we'd scored it might have been a bit more lively. I also enjoyed seeing how many times the ball left the ground completely and the "ball retrieval gate" along the side got used.

One thing I didn't mention yesterday is although they may seem not to be that invested in the game you can't fault their attendance. They are there pretty much every game without fail and have been for a couple of seasons now.

As for the ball going out the ground well that is again common place in non league and not unique to Crowborough. I live about 20 yards from the turnstile and believe me we've had some players that have nearly found my back garden. The new flood lights are much better for light pollution now but the old ones when they were on I didn't have to have my kitchen light on.

We will be back, but we're planning to try out Lewes for the next non-league match. I was wondering what sort of crowd size is needed to get a bit of chanting/encouragement going on - the lack of that surprised me the most. My brother-in-law is a Eastbourne Borough fan, so we've promised to swap matches with him - we'll get him a ticket to the Albion, he's bring us along to Eastbourne Borough. I know, from talking to him, that there are a lot of unhappy people there this season.

You don't get a lot of "singers" down in the county leagues to be fair. The odd team do. Eastbourne Town used to have an ultras group called Pier Pressure believe it or not. When we were in the Kent league so not regularly playing them we drew them in the Vase. They must have had 80 of these Ultras turn up with flares, smoke bombs and what sounded like a full orchestra. They drank in the Bricks before the game and marched down Whitehill like some european firm with smoke bombs and all sorts. They obviously weren't there on Saturday. No idea if they are still going? Anyone

Tunbridge Wells have a group called the South Stand Choir and they have quite an amusing ditty about the town being full of doctors, lawyers and architects. It's worth looking out for when they play Rusthall as that can get quite fruity. Likewise Beckenham (the last time they played they segregated the ground which is unheard of) but they have moved leagues now.