Just Desserts #4: Non-League Day Special

Just Desserts is a semi-regular feature on Just Football, in which we provide links to good reads elsewhere on this thing we call the football blogosphere.

And with Non-League Day taking place this weekend, this edition is a non-league special.  With international football taking place on a Friday this weekend and no Premier League or Championship football to occupy supporters of the bigger clubs, Non-League Day is a fantastic initiative aimed at getting football fans in England back into grassroots football.

Morale in England from a footballing perspective is running pretty low right now with the recent failings of the English national team. But, in my opinion, if there is one thing English football does better than anywhere else it is non-league football. The depth of the non-league pyramid is incredible, and there is a whole pantheon of football clubs around the country that survive humbly away from the glitz and glamour of the heavily-marketed Premier League.

The beauty of these clubs is that, by and large, they genuinely value the support, both vocal and financial, from the supporters they attract. Attendances are obviously lower than at the highest level, but with that comes a real sense of connection and unity between club and supporter. If for nothing else, your financial support truly helps keep the club running, and invariably that does not go unappreciated.

My knowledge of non-league football is not the best, and my experiences are few and far between. However, there are a wide range of sites and supporters that make a remarkable commitment to the game at that level week in and week out, and their efforts should be applauded. With that we also applaud the efforts of James Doe, the brains behind Non-League Day, for putting this whole thing together.

Here is a list of essential reading and recommended sites to check out ahead of 4th September 2010 – the first Non-League Day. After a bit of research I’ve decided to check out Haringey Borough vs Aylesbury Town in the Molten Spartan South Midlands Football League Premier Division this inaugural Non-League Day. If you’re going, let us know!

1, First, the official Non-League Day website, which includes a handy map for you to find the nearest non-league game in your area. Your starter for ten. (Non-League Day)

2, The Guardian throw their weight behind Non-League Day on their Football League blog. (Guardian)

3, twofootedtackle have a special Non-League Day edition of their excellent podcast for your listening pleasure. (twofootedtackle)

4, Twohundredpercent have been running a special Non-League Week feature all week on their website, which is worth browsing in it’s entirety really. But their 12 essential non-league websites post is a particularly useful piece. (Twohundredpercent)

5, In fact, their why we should all support non-league day article and their piece on the scandal at Croydon Athletic are also both worth bigging up. Includes cricketers of an (allegedly) dubious nature (Twohundredpercent)

6, Kay Murray (from Real Madrid TV no less!) talks about her passion for the semi-professional game, borne out of standing on various terraces next to old men in flat caps. If this is non-league football I want in! (The Football Pubcast)

7, Not strictly non-league related, but The Real FA Cup website is a personal favourite, and one distinctly based around football at grassroots level, albeit cup football. Always worth a read. (The Real FA Cup)

7, And as I’ll be there tomorrow links to the Haringey Borough and Aylesbury United FC websites. Can’t wait!

Will you be watching a non-league game this weekend? Where? And what is it that appeals to you about non-league football? Let us know your thoughts below, on a weekend in which, away from the over-zealous hyperbole of the Premier League and Richard Keys, we can all reconnect with the domestic game in it’s purest form.

Just Desserts, Non-League Football