Non League Football

[Jeff Stein]

Rugby league remains my first love, but with the degradation of the club I support and the general state of the game in the south, I find myself watching non-league football far more. I used to follow a football league team (Millwall) but stopped going to games, because it was often quite an unpleasant experience (for obvious reasons). I don't pay any attention to the premier league simply because I have enough interests as it is, although I did stop listening to radio 5 and watching MotD because I found the endless guff talked about it grating.

I follow an Isthmian North team. When I started I made it a rule just to go to the games for entertainment and not pay any attention to anything around it. At times I have not even known where we are on the league table. Generally the games have plenty of goals and I can enjoy a pint and a chat. Also, as it is rare for an away game to be any distance away, I can go to places in Essex and the adjacent counties that I probably would not visit otherwise.

[The Masked Poster]

42 minutes ago, gingerjon said:

Around half the current members of the EFL have played in the Premier League. Ipswich have just beaten Chelesa. Manchester United are more likely to be in a relegation battle than playing for European places. Nostalgia, clearly, ain't what it used to be. 

@Eddie- you started the thread but I don't think you've said which, if any, non league team you folllow?

Yes but that is individual games and promotions. And looking at the table, we know who is the PL champions this season. 

I also don't have the information to hand but I bet there were more teams promoted to the old first division than the modern equivalent. 

[Gerrumonside ref]

42 minutes ago, The Hallucinating Goose said:

There's an awful lot of talk of top division football on this thread... 

I’ll accept some blame for this.

[The Masked Poster]

1 minute ago, Gerrumonside ref said:

I’ll accept some blame for this.

So will I but I think it's relevant. For the reason that there is a perception (real or otherwise) that football fans are abandoning the pro leagues for lower leagues. 

[Gerrumonside ref]

9 minutes ago, The Masked Poster said:

So will I but I think it's relevant. For the reason that there is a perception (real or otherwise) that football fans are abandoning the pro leagues for lower leagues. 

It’s perfectly understandable and I thnk is a rite of passage for many football fans too.

There’s a lot to dislike about the direction the sport has headed at the top end and seems to be heading in the UK.

It’s not beyond repair though and it’s some statement that even a small number of Liverpool and Manchester United fans are willing to come together to try and secure a place for match going fans in the corridors of power.

The diversity of people identifying as football fans is both a beacon of hope but almost a curse too.

Edited December 31, 2024 by Gerrumonside ref

[gingerjon]

10 minutes ago, The Masked Poster said:

Yes but that is individual games and promotions. And looking at the table, we know who is the PL champions this season. 

I also don't have the information to hand but I bet there were more teams promoted to the old first division than the modern equivalent. 

Still not sure how that’s relevant to what is meant to be a non league thread.

And the PL champions were meant to be Man City. That was predictable and predicted option at the start of the season, whilst Liverpool were meant to be in a rebuild. The only alternative to a City title was meant to be Arsenal.

[gingerjon]

1 minute ago, Gerrumonside ref said:

It’s perfectly understandable and I thnk is a rite of passage for many football fans too.

There’s a lot to dislike about the direction the sport has headed at the top end and seems to be heading in the UK.

It’s not beyond repair though and it’s some statement that even a small number of Liverpool and Manchester United fans are willing to come together to try and secure a place for match going fans in the corridors of power.

With the exception of prices - and I know that is a massive massive “with the exception of” - the game at all levels has never been more fan friendly.

I don’t miss being caged in like animals in decaying death trap stadiums.

[gingerjon]

So, anyway, non league …

[Gerrumonside ref]

Sorry yes, I’m cocking up the thread again 

[HawkMan]

48 minutes ago, The Masked Poster said:

So will I but I think it's relevant. For the reason that there is a perception (real or otherwise) that football fans are abandoning the pro leagues for lower leagues. 

With the seat take up in the EPL at 94% last season, I think we can say it's otherwise. Attendances are up actually at all levels.

Edited December 31, 2024 by HawkMan

[Gerrumonside ref]

9 minutes ago, gingerjon said:

So, anyway, non league …

How’s the Hastings FC photography going?

 

[The Hallucinating Goose]

So anyway, at the weekend Beverley got their record league attendance with 503 spectators seeing us get a 1-1 draw against 2nd placed Silsden despite us going down to 10 men in the 20th minute. We've had two attendances higher than this in our history but this is still a tremendous achievement as the club just continues to evolve and grow! 

[gingerjon]

40 minutes ago, Gerrumonside ref said:

How’s the Hastings FC photography going?

 

One favourite photo from each game is here: https://jonsmalldon.wordpress.com/2024/12/31/2024-that-was-a-year-of-football-photos/

[The Masked Poster]

54 minutes ago, gingerjon said:

Still not sure how that’s relevant to what is meant to be a non league thread.

And the PL champions were meant to be Man City. That was predictable and predicted option at the start of the season, whilst Liverpool were meant to be in a rebuild. The only alternative to a City title was meant to be Arsenal.

The relevance is that you are using Ipswich beating Chelsea as an example. But shock results have always happened, regardless of how competitive the overall league might be. So one or two results in isolation mean little. 

[The Masked Poster]

45 minutes ago, HawkMan said:

With the seat take up in the EPL at 94% last season, I think we can say it's otherwise. Attendances are up actually at all levels.

I wasn't suggesting otherwise just saying where the thread drift may have originated. 

[Eddie]

2 hours ago, gingerjon said:

Around half the current members of the EFL have played in the Premier League. Ipswich have just beaten Chelesa. Manchester United are more likely to be in a relegation battle than playing for European places. Nostalgia, clearly, ain't what it used to be. 

@Eddie- you started the thread but I don't think you've said which, if any, non league team you folllow?

South Liverpool, of the NW Counties league. Plus I watch both Gorleston and Great Yarmouth Town now and again, and keep and eye on Hallam FC. 

[Gerrumonside ref]

13 minutes ago, gingerjon said:

One favourite photo from each game is here: https://jonsmalldon.wordpress.com/2024/12/31/2024-that-was-a-year-of-football-photos/

Some great action photos there!

I like the goalmouth scramble the best.

Edited December 31, 2024 by Gerrumonside ref

[Eddie]

1 hour ago, Gerrumonside ref said:

You’re wrong about Forest here, they were ambitious for the time and did spend relative to that time. 

it might not have been Jack Walker esque but the ambition was there.

Peter Taylor (who often gets forgotten about in the Clough story but was every bit as important in the duo) had a shrewd eye for a player but there’s a reason Clough achieved what he did.

I enjoyed watching the Norwich City of the era you talk about though - enough to merit a Subbuteo team purchase.

So are you saying the main reason Forest went from second division nomarks to English and European champions in three seasons was because of the Chairman’s cash and Peter Taylor?  

[Gerrumonside ref]

3 minutes ago, Eddie said:

So are you saying the main reason Forest went from second division nomarks to English and European champions in three seasons was because of the Chairman’s cash and Peter Taylor?  

They were two key elements along with Clough.

If you haven’t read Clough’s own lavish praise for Taylor and the ambition of Forest board at that time then I suggest you read up.

Hope this helps.

Edited December 31, 2024 by Gerrumonside ref

[gingerjon]

4 minutes ago, Eddie said:

South Liverpool, of the NW Counties league. Plus I watch both Gorleston and Great Yarmouth Town now and again, and keep and eye on Hallam FC. 

South Liverpool! One of the ones I remember from devouring the classified results in the Sunday papers.

[Pen-Y-Bont Crusader]

6 minutes ago, gingerjon said:

South Liverpool! One of the ones I remember from devouring the classified results in the Sunday papers.

Used to love playing at the old Holly Park in the old days….

[Eddie]

11 minutes ago, Pen-Y-Bont Crusader said:

Used to love playing at the old Holly Park in the old days….

Who did you play for and when? I may have seen you play. 

[Eddie]

19 minutes ago, gingerjon said:

South Liverpool! One of the ones I remember from devouring the classified results in the Sunday papers.

Yes the club’s demise is a long and sad story, but happily they are slowly but surely on the way up. 

[Eddie]

21 minutes ago, Gerrumonside ref said:

They were two key elements along with Clough.

If you haven’t read Clough’s own lavish praise for Taylor and the ambition of Forest board at that time then I suggest you read up.

Hope this helps.

Yes I know but we’ll have to agree to differ as well just carry on endlessly hijacking the non league thread. Let’s just agree that I think top flight football was better in the 80s and you don’t. For the record I think non-league is much better now than then. 

Edited December 31, 2024 by Eddie

[gingerjon]

8 minutes ago, Eddie said:

Yes the club’s demise is a long and sad story, but happily they are slowly but surely on the way up. 

Looks like they're groundsharing with Marine now?

My nephew follows them (Marine) quite a bit these days.