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Non League Day 2024… as, soon as they said they would love to have my mate Thunder & myself back, I just HAD to return to Stratford Town FC, to vlog their home match v Long Eaton United. We had previously been there in mid January, where we were treated brilliantly, and had seen a thriller v Barwell FC. It was almost a Deja vu day, again, we were treated brilliantly, and, again, we saw a thriller… this time though, against different opponents. I was keen to arrive at the ground nice and early, for 2 reasons in particular… 1, I always always struggle with the opening on the vlogs, and need to record it quickly to get it over with, and 2, we would be probably be chatting for quite a bit to people we had met before. So, we arrive at, as Thunder moaned, the ridiculously early time of 12.45! First person we bumped into, was chairman Jed McCrory and we chatted for quite a while about everything from personal life stuff, plans for the football club and, his opinion on this new regulator coming into football. I have to say, after hearing his thoughts on that, I would be quite keen to do an in depth interview on that subject, as I was taken aback on his thoughts on how it affects step 2 and lower clubs. After catching up with many more familiar faces, it was time to do some more filming before taking our seats for kick off. Now, when I decide where best to sit, I tend to take in factors such as the position of the sun and, the end where I think there would be more action. I got this right in the first half, but let me tell you, it was sooo bloody cold with a really strong wind, I was struggling a bit with the recording. At half time we went inside to warm up a bit… but, early into the second half, I was soon cold again and my fingers started to numb... so, that is my excuse for missing recording a vital goal in the 2nd half. 95 mins then, and the game comes to an end, and, like I said above, we witnessed a thriller. As you know in these mini reports, I won’t mention the outcome of the match as I would like you to watch the vlog, which is found below! Back inside then to wrap up the filming, with more links and an interview. Once that was done, Thunder and I hung around for a while longer, talking to players, staff and fans about the club and match. Honestly, there is such a feel good factor about the place that it’s really hard not to be drawn into having a connection with “The Bards”… in fact, I for one will now always be a bit of a fan from afar. Time to leave the Arden Garages Stadium, where, once again, Thunder and I were reflecting on the journey home at what a brilliant place we have just visited again, and, if Stratford make the play offs, manager Gavin Hurren (pictured) has invited us back… and we have video evidence of that offer!!!!! Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy the Vlog! Big thank you to Darren Ashley once again for sharing another one of his excellent Vlogs and make to sure to follow his YouTube Channel and don't forget to subscribe!

Non-League Day was set up by James Doe in 2010 as a social media experiment and has grown from strength to strength ever since and this year marked the 10 year milestone of the charity, Prostrate Cancer UK working alongside the annual day to raise awareness and vital funds for the most common cancers to affect men. As always Non-League Day is scheduled to coincide with an international break to provide a platform for clubs to promote the importance of affordable volunteer-led community football while giving fans across the country who usually go to a Premier League or EFL match the chance to show support for their local non-league side. One of the hardest decisions on Non-League Day (NLD) is to pick which game to go to! so the very handy local match finder on the NLD webpage came to the rescue and we decided upon Tooting & Mitcham United, a ground we hadn't visited before, for their game against Sandhurst Town. One of the special things we have found with Non-League football in the main is how all the clubs we have visited welcome you with open arms and treat you like a fan and part of their community and this was highlighted just minutes after we posted on X (Twitter) that we was going to watch TMUFC when the club sent a message informing us if we need anything, just message us when you get to the ground, how good is that! I arrived in good time to take a look around Tooting & Mitcham's ground but as I got out of my car and walked across the road the sunny spring day transformed into what looked and felt like a tornado! after retrieving my hat and being pelted with hailstones I quickly retreated back to the safety of my motor which gave me an opportunity to read up on on the form of both teams in action today. TMUFC and Sandhurst Town (who for some reason I kept calling Sandford🤦‍♂️) both sit in mid table 1 point apart, safe from relegation and to far away from the playoffs. The monsoon finally cleared and I made my way to the ground. I met some mates in the sports bar/club house which is situated outside the ground and was pleasantly surprised by the very reasonable price of a pint, we settled down and watched the early kick off game on the big screen whilst placing our losing bets for the day 😂 and then made our way to the turnstiles where you was allowed to take your drinks in with you! After making our way into the ground and only paying £5 I realised the singing turnstile operator must have thought I was an OAP and possibly heard me call the away side a completely different name, it was then time to buy another beer from the bottle bar next to the club shop and then buy a Golden Goal ticket from the friendly fella in the aptly named hut! I've got to say TMUFC's Imperial Fields Stadium blew me away! 3 sides of the ground include large terraces at both ends and an impressive seated stand behind the dugouts which holds 612 with the total capacity of 3,500, the record attendance was against AFC Wimbledon back in 2005 when 2,637 fans packed out the ground, also hats off to the ground staff who have done a great job with the grass pitch considering all the rain of late. The sun was shinning again as we took our place up behind the goal on the terrace that the home team was attacking against, with beers and programmes placed on the barriers it was time for kick off! It was a close fought first half with both teams getting stuck in which was good to see considering their wasn't much at stake with both teams being in mid table obscurity but after reading the home managers article in the programme it was clear he was looking for a reaction with Tooting losing their last 3 games with the last 2 games against teams near the bottom who they would expect to beat, but the deadlock was broken on 36 minutes with the youthful looking away side scoring a penalty. Its half time and time to sample the food and the Jerk chicken I've heard good things about from The Shak which is situated in the ground but is open 7 days a week. We was gutted that they had ran out of boneless Jerk Chicken but that was soon overcome when we served up with Brown stew Jerk Chicken with rice which tasted amazing! With the Jerk chicken demolished and washed down with a cider from the bottle bar to cool my mouth down we had to rapidly take cover under the roof of one of the terrace stands as another tornado hit Tooting! It was their I found myself chatting to another groundhopper who was also taking shelter from the sideways hailstones, he was a Redhill fan and a lovely fella called Darren who was visiting a new ground like myself, that's one of the great things about non-league football, you can go on your own but you can bet you end up chatting away to someone for ages! With the second half looming and the monsoon having gone I just had enough time for a trip to the toilet where Its always great to see the stickers from the away sides fans plastered all over the toilet cistern, its not normal practice to start taking photos in the men's lavatory but the coast was clear 😂 so here's a few pics including the Peckham Town one which was my favourite. Into the second half and its still nip and tuck with both teams still going for it and some last ditch defending by the home side with some goal line clearances clearly with the managers programme notes fresh in the players minds and then Tooting equalise on the hour mark to make it all square and in traditional fashion I didn't get it on camera! As always at non-league football the fans swap ends at half time so the Tooting faithful moved round to the opposite end but we stayed where we was and when their was a break in play we had the added bonus of watching another game on the pitch behind! The game is getting into the later stages now and anyone can win it but in the 74th minute Sandhurst win a corner and they retake the lead! Fair play to Tooting as they are doing all they can to get the equaliser and with a few minutes left the pressure pays off and they win a penalty to potentially make it all square! Meanwhile I'm getting abuse from my mates for using my phone! 😂 That's it, the referee blows the full time whistle and it finishes 2-1 to Sandhurst Town who in reflection deserved the 3 points, fair play to Tooting who definitely put in the effort but they come up short against a youthful energetic side who were deserved winners. Summary of the day... So glad I chose to come to Tooting & Mitcham United for Non-League Day, the experience from start to finish epitomises what non league football is all about, from the message on X from the club to the singing turnstile operator encompasses all that's great about football at this level! One thing I said to my mate on the day is that all the volunteers who worked on the turnstiles, club shop and at the bottle bar and else were all clearly passionate supporters of the team BUT they end up missing parts of the game through their shear dedication to the club! We know Non-league Day is over for another year but that shouldn't stop you from getting down to your local club and experiencing all that's great about non league football!

Yesterday, I travelled to Bedfordshire to watch a vital match at the bottom of the Southern League Division 1 Central between Kempston Rovers & Aylesbury United. Now, the home side were 5 points adrift of safety with 4 to play so it was MUST WIN for them really, whereas, the away team were 5 point clear of the drop, so, for them, it was MUST NOT LOSE. On arrival, my daughter and I were warmly met on arrival, and were treated brilliantly by all at Kempston Rovers, which I can’t thank them enough for, but, for this, I want to give my thought’s regarding the respective managers. Firstly, I sought out Kempston manager Richard Keil, as I had got in touch with him regarding filming the vlog. He was a great guy, and despite the pressure of the impending match, he gave me plenty of time. We had a joke where, I mentioned that his name was the same as the actor who played the baddie Jaws in the James Bond films, and if his team won, I already had a title of my video in mind. After a quick on camera interview, it was time to try to meet Aylesbury manager David Tuttle. Once again, he also was a great guy, we had a good laugh off camera, then we did a quick interview. After the interview’s, the managers and I were chatting, and I assumed they knew each other pretty well, as they had an easy way with each other. So, the match comes, and goes, and, for once, I will give a spoiler….it finished Kempston 0-5 Aylesbury….which, now makes it almost certain Kempston will go down and Aylesbury will survive. So…as the teams and management walk off, I noticed Richard went back to the dugout on his own to just sit, and, I guess, ponder and think about what he had witnessed. It was then I decided I wouldn’t ask for a post match interview with him. Not long after, David came out, walked across the pitch and went and sat with Richard for a few minutes. I thought that was real classy from him. They came back off the pitch together, and, now, I was certain they were mates from way back as there seemed a real decent bond, but, to my complete surprise, when I spoke to them again, they had only met once…the previous encounter between the 2 teams, which was David’s first match. It was such a decent thing to see on, what was a crappy day for the home side, and honestly, these 2 fellas really are representing the teams clubs brilliantly, and, I just wouldn’t be surprised somewhere down the line they may end up a management duo ( you heard it here first ). One final thing, Richard dropped me a line in the evening, thanking me for coming and apologising for not changing much after the match due to how he was feeling…he had no need to apologise, he was great. ….Oh, if you fancy watching the vlog (it’s a bit longer than usual), Here it is! Once again, a big thank you to Darren Ashley for sharing another one of his great Vlogs which always give a wonderful insight into non-league football and the people involved with the game at grassroots level. Don't forget to follow and subscribe to Darren's YouTube channel where you can watch all his previous content and get notifications for up coming Vlogs.

Another Saturday had rolled around and it was time to decide the next venue for us to ground hop, Its always a tough choice to pick a game but today was an easy one! I'd already decided where I was going a few weeks back as the battle at the top of the Isthmian League South East Division (step 4) between Ramsgate FC and Cray Valley Paper Mill has been nip and tuck between the two standout sides in the League all season and with them both sitting on 85 points and only separated by one on goal difference this was going to be the ultimate 6 pointer with only 3 and 4 games left to play respectively till the end of the season! On the way down from London on the train I read up on the two sides but having already seen Cray Valley PM play live twice this season already in the FA Cup against Carlshalton Athletic and on the TV against Charlton Athletic I knew they were a very good well organised side, I'd also been to see Ramsgate play at AFC Wimbledon in the FA Cup but was hard to gauge how good they were against the Dons who were ruthless on the night winning 5-0. The previous meeting of the clubs at Cray earlier in the season produced a 1-1 draw showing how evenly matched the teams are but Cray Valleys 100% away record of winning 16 out 16 on the road! showed that this was not going to be an easy game for the Rams who have only lost once at home all season! After paying £10 to get in which includes a free programme from the friendly turnstile operator I then bought a book of tickets for the half time raffle as you do, and then went to find the bar for a pint! There are two bars inside the ground and they are both situated on a raised area which gives you a great vantage point of the pitch with one of the bar indoors and the other outside with a serving hatch and next to that you can find the snack bar which had a great selection of food to pick from. The atmosphere was building nicely now with the ground filling up, one thing that struck me was the amount of youngsters in attendance which was great to see! Their was a good following of fans from Cray Valley as well and the outdoor bar area was buzzing with the beers flowing as we approached kick off with fans from both teams tying their flags on the barriers and the drum from the Ramsgate end getting the singing going on the terraced stand behind the goal. The stadium has a capacity of 3500 with covered terracing at both ends and a long seated stand down one side behind the dugouts, one nice little touch that shows the club go above and beyond for the kids that come along was two circular football cages at one end of the ground where the youngsters could have a kickabout! Onto the match, it was a very tight game as was to be expected with so much at stake with nothing between them and chances were few and far between, you can watch the highlights below in what turned out to be an enthralling game of football! Summary What a great day out on the South coast! in the end it was probably a fair result but until the last 10 minutes Ramsgate just didn't look like scoring against the well drilled defensive unit of Cray Valley, but hats off to the Rams who never gave up were urged on by the brilliant crowd of 2,563! Its a shame that their is only one automatic promotion spot as both teams deserve to go up but I have no doubt the runners up will go up via the playoffs. Cray Valley are in the driving seat with a game in hand and although today probably felt like a loss being 2 up so late, a draw was actually a very good result in the scheme of things. As for Ramsgate, I've got to say what a fantastic club and set up they have with a really nice family vibe and if I lived in the area I would be going back to watch them every week! Best wishes to both sides for the rest of the season!

My vlog travels took me this weekend to a very sunny Hertfordshire, where I took in Royston Town v Kettering Town... thanks to an invite from Royston media man, and board member Neil Macleod. After my days footy and filming had ended, I was so grateful of the invite, because Royston Town is such a lovely club, with very welcoming and friendly people… and the team was not too shabby either!!! I feared beforehand, that I may not get the greatest afternoons entertainment, as, both teams had reached the point in the season where neither could get promoted or relegated….but, luckily, I got a match I really enjoyed, even if it wasn’t Kettering’s finest afternoon… and I’m quoting the words of some of their supporters I spoke too. Talking of supporters, Kettering fans, as always, travelled in good numbers, and that made for one of the better match atmospheres I have heard this season, which, hopefully you may hear if you watch the vlog below. One final thing, as always, both managers, Chris Watters & Kettering’s manager Richard Lavery were very friendly when I asked (and was granted) a pre-match interview, and in Chris's case, he was extra helpful, because, the original one I did with him was spoilt by the glaring sun, so, I asked him was it possible to do it again, which he was happy to oblige with… now, can you imagine that happening in pro footy???… I can’t, and that’s why I always maintain and want to promote that Non-League really is the best!!! Here's the Vlog, hope you enjoy it! Once again, a big thank you to Darren Ashley for sharing another one of his great Vlogs which always give a wonderful insight into non-league football and the people involved with the game at grassroots level. Don't forget to follow and subscribe to Darren's YouTube channel  where you can watch all his previous content and get notifications for up coming Vlogs.

Yesterday, my Non League vlogging took me up to the midlands, for a clash between Walsall Wood & AFC Rushden & Diamonds. Wood came into the match, having, in effect, nothing to play for… however, for the Diamonds, they were hoping to pull of one of THE greatest relegation escape acts. They were on 4 points in January, 14 off survival, yet they had since hauled themselves to, basically, having to better relegation rivals Rugby Town’s result. The ensuing 90 minutes footy I saw was dramatic, and, nerves aplenty amongst Diamonds fans, with everyone knowing exactly what was going on in the Rugby match. At the end of the match, despite winning 2-0, it was despair for the away contingent, as Rugby had ended up winning 3-0 at Boldmere St Michael. I did an interview at the end of the game with a clearly despondent Diamonds player Cairo Taylor, and as I was wrapping up my filming, shock news came through that Loughborough Dynamo had issued a statement, basically, saying they wanted voluntary relegation. Absolutely shocking news for the players, fans and staff from Dynamo, but, a possible relegation lifeline for Rushden?… who knows. If you would like to watch the vlog, which I hope you do, as always, here it is below! Once again, a big thank you to Darren Ashley for sharing another one of his great Vlogs which always give a wonderful insight into non-league football and the people involved with the game at grassroots level. Don't forget to follow and subscribe to Darren's YouTube channel  where you can watch all his previous content and get notifications for up coming Vlogs.

Whilst scrolling through social media we came across a new page on Facebook called 'Girls Go Groundhopping' and watched one of their short Vlogs on a recent ground hop to a non-league game, we thought it was a great concept and was wonderful to see a dad taking his two daughters to the football. We got in touch with Tony the father of Freya and Scarlett and asked him all about Girls Go Groundhopping. What inspired you to start up your Facebook page with you and your two daughters? My eldest Freya started playing football for Widnes FC and I wanted to take her to some games so she could get a sense of what football is and the community and friendship it will bring her.  I wanted to share our experiences with people in the hope it would inspire other parents to take their kids. My sole aim as a parent is to introduce my girls to sport and communities around the country. Football in particular was massive for me as a child and it really helped build my social circles. This day and age we are all guilty of spending too much time on our phones or watching games on TV. We hope to inspire parents and children to get out and participate/watch sport at grassroots level. My inspiration for doing this channel/page was Darren Ashley (Dash71) who makes videos for Facebook and YouTube . Just watching him and his passion for watching football and making friends pushed me to start sharing our journey with others. How long have you been groundhopping with your girls? Our first Game was 12th of July whilst out in the USA we watched New England Revolution at the Gillette stadium in Massachusetts.  The girls loved the whole experience from the fan zones to the American way of chanting. Once we returned I wanted them to experience grassroots football at our local club (Runcorn linnets). Our first Game was Runcorn Linnets vs Newcastle Town on the 22nd of August which I would say was the PROPER football start to our ground hopping journey. How many grounds have you visited so far? As on 2nd of May 2024 we have been to 42 Games at 30 Different grounds, and after the bank holiday weekend it will be 44 Games and 32 different grounds! What do your daughters most enjoy about groundhopping? Freya loves the goalkeeper shirt colours, making friends and taking her football with the hope of going onto the pitch at half time.  Scarlett equally loves making friends and loud atmospheres, she always likes to stand with the ultras and learn some chants. Do you all support a particular football team? Me personally (Tony their dad) I'm a Liverpool fan but I lost the love for the game after Liverpool won the champions league in 2005 because it then became unaffordable for us to go (me and my dad). So for years I've followed football from afar with no real interest. My love for football has never dwindled but my obsession for one club did. The girls are both FC ST Helens women fans mainly because there is a player called Freya who obviously shares the same name as my daughter. The club have also gone above and beyond in making the girls feel welcome every time they go and also allowing them to walk out on the pitch with the ladies team  On a weekly basis the girls ask are we going to watch Freya this week. Do you all have a favourite particular ground hop? The one that stands out for the girls is Blackpool at Bloomfield road Vs Peterborough United because the atmosphere was unreal and they had a chant that was just simply 'SEASIDE' and the girls loved it. My favourite ground hop was probably Witton Albion for a couple of reasons, first being they are a fantastic community club, they instantly noticed that they hadn't seen the girls before and made us feel really welcome, we even got DM from the chairman after the game. Lastly sitting in the stands it was the first time I probably realised just how good this was for me and the girls. Best food you've experienced at a ground hop? Well if you check out videos out you'll see  we mostly just get a cup of tea and chips. So if you are Asking for the beat chips then 1874 Northwich is number one. Home made chips by some lovely old lady.  What do you think of the modern-day game and the Premier League? All being honest I've got a total disconnect to top level football now. My dad always used to say to me even though we see this great style of playing out from the back, when you break it down teams play not to lose rather than to win the game. It's only when you start going to league one games and below you see just how much winning actually means to people.  Nothing beats a long kick up the park, a flick on and a dink over the keeper for me.   What do you most enjoy about nonleague football? The communities and the access to players. Have you been to any grounds outside of the UK? We recently went to CF Benidorm which is now owned by David Villa the Spanish legend! And as I previously mentioned, New England Revolution. I'll also include Cliftonville, just because we jumped on a plane to Northern Ireland. What ground is on your bucket list to visit? UK I'd say Brighton, Abroad I'd love to go to Mainz ground in Germany What are your plans for next season? Currently I'd like to go to a game at every level North West Counties (or southern equivalent upwards) up to the premier league. It would be nice to complete one of the North West counties divisions and watch as many women's teams as we can. What is the best way for people to follow you and the girl's groundhopping adventures? We are on Facebook , Instagram , X , YouTube and Tiktok , just search GIrls Go Groundhopping!  A big thank you to Tony, Freya & Scarlett for sharing their story with us and we hope this inspires others to follow suit and we look forward to seeing the future adventures of Girls Go Groundhopping!

Sun beating down on a good natured pitch invasion, and grown men crying with joy. That was the scenes at the final whistle of yesterday’s National League North play off final, where, Boston United, in my opinion, deservedly on the day, beat Brackley Town. Although very much in the camp of really wanting Brackley to win, I couldn’t help but be happy for Boston and their fans, all in all, my experience of them, even before kick off, was that they were a great bunch. When I visited St James Park yesterday to record my weekly Non League vlog (found at the bottom of this post), I thought it may be tricky to do it in the way I usually try to, as, the ground was segregated, and I knew that if I was to get a half decent recording spot, it would mean having to stand at the same spot for a few hours… one movement, and it would be quickly taken. I managed to get bits and pieces filmed before finding my spot an hour or so before kick off, so, it actually wasn't too bad in the end. Talking of end, after the pitch invasion, and the high profile nature of the match, I thought it may be really hard to get any post match interviews from the winning team, however, I was wrong. Keaton Ward, who had scored Boston’s equaliser, and incidentally, it was his birthday too, was great, and, although manager Ian Culverhouse was super busy with interviews, he kindly still had time for a small time Non League vlogger like me. In fact, I knew the dressing room were waiting for Ian to make an appearance, and I didn’t want to hold him up, so, I actually said it’s best you go in for celebration’s and I would wait around for the interview. Unbelievably, Ian appeared within a couple of minutes, and gave me as much time as I needed, that just sums up Non League for me, no prima donna’s and everyone has time for you. One final thing, just after the full time whistle, I’m not sure how, but I found myself next to a very happy emotional and tearful man in a suit. I had a quick chat with him ( not recorded) whilst he was receiving congratulatory hugs… and it turned out he was Boston United chairman David Newton. A fantastic day all in all, congratulations to Boston United, I hope they do really well next season, and, hopefully Brackley Town will pick themselves up, dust themselves off, go again and, in 2024/25, finally get promoted. 🤞 Once again, a big thank you to Darren Ashley for sharing another one of his great Vlogs which always give a wonderful insight into non-league football and the people involved with the game at grassroots level. Don't forget to follow and subscribe to Darren's YouTube channel  where you can watch all his previous content and get notifications for up coming Vlogs.

We was recently invited onto the World Game-Changers podcast by Paul D Lowe along with Gary Clarke a big Nottingham Forest supporter and the commercial and marketing director at non-league club Carlton Town FC  to talk about the current state of football & to discuss whether it is still the beautiful game? The three core themes discussed were the Cash, Culture & Corruption. ‘I’ve lost interest & become disillusioned with football' ‘They’ve betrayed a working class sport & working class fans, it’s all about money' ‘You’re no longer a fan, you’re a customer' Please have a listen and let us know your thoughts and if it resonates with your views on the game in it's current guise.

Join us live with special guest Ian Storey-Moore on our Proper Football Podcast at 7 pm on Wednesday 3rd of July! Ian scored over 100 league goals for Nottingham Forest and earned one cap for England in 1970. In 1972, he moved to Manchester United but his league career was brought to an early end by injury in 1974. He went on to play for non-league Burton Albion, as well as North American Soccer League side Chicago Sting. He later served as player-manager for Shepshed Charterhouse, and for Burton Albion in his third spell at the club, before becoming chief scout at Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa. Ian is a football legend at Nottingham Forest who played with some of the greats throughout his career including the likes of George Best and Bobby Charlton and is still a keen lover of non-league football and a thoroughly nice bloke! Make sure to tune in and get involved with your questions and comments and don't miss out on the show! 👊🏼⚽️ Watch it live on our Facebook page or our YouTube channel here; 👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼 https://youtube.com/channel/UCtr7oTe3DH-Ymo4uxM6xULA Or X here; 👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼 https://x.com/ProperFootball8?t=F3XmqidOsyuiwYRrEY4O3g&s=09 Email us @ properfootball2021@gmail.com

Took myself off to vlog in Cambridgeshire yesterday, thanks to an invite from Soham Town Rangers FC manager Alex Cross, for their season opener v Harleston Town FC. After a 90 minute drive, I arrived early in a very warm Soham. Met on arrival by media man Jack, I was taken in to their, what a have to say, their very lovely and leafy ground, Julius Marin Lane. Apparently, during the off season, quite a few improvements had been made, outside and in. I don’t know what it was like before, but it was well worth it. After being introduced to various people, including the very helpful chairman Michael, I met manager Alex, and we soon did a pre match interview, followed by a quick guide in the dressing rooms. The away team had arrived by then, and I soon sought out a few words with Harleston manager Danny Crow. Once I was kinda satisfied my pre match filming was done, I could relax a bit before making my way up to a balcony to film the match action. As always, I won’t give away the score, as I hope you will watch the vlog, which you can find at the bottom of this Blog. I have to say though, I was treated to a brilliant match which showed Non League at its very best, from minute 1 to 90. How those players served up that non stop action in the heat, I'll never know!! So, at the final whistle, more filming before trying to seek out the managers for a few words. I found Danny first, we made our way up to the stand, and as filming started, Alex suddenly appeared with a pint for Danny, so, for the first time since I started doing these vlogs, I interviewed both at the same time. Clearly these guys got on, and both had the same views on how the game was. It was an enjoyable interview, and once wrapped up, a few more minutes chat off camera followed. I have to say, they were both brilliant with me and really good guys. With filming now done, it was time to seek out a few people who were so helpful to me during the day, to thank them. Left the ground just gone 6, and, on the drive home, reflected on the fantastic day I had at Soham Town Rangers. I cannot recommend a visit there to ground hoppers highly enough, and I will definitely be back… oh, and if anyone reads this connected with Harleston Town, I would quite like an invite there too some day. Thanks for reading and hope you enjoy the Vlog of my trip to Soham Town Rangers! Once again, a big thank you to Darren Ashley for sharing another one of his great Vlogs which always give a wonderful insight into non-league football and the people involved with the game at grassroots level. Don't forget to follow and subscribe to Darren's YouTube channel  where you can watch all his previous content and get notifications for up coming Vlogs.

So it’s FA Cup first round and with me living in Northamptonshire it’s a bit of a no brainer which game to attend, Northampton town playing Kettering town for the first time in 35 years, tier 3 versus tier 7 and with this fixture being one of a few local affairs Weston-super-Mare travelling to Bristol Rovers, Charlton Athletic making the short trip across the Dartford Crossing to Southend United to name but a few, this years 1st round has thrown up some fantastic fixtures. I start my day at the home of Kettering town, Latimer Park where hundreds had gathered to see the team off, a carnival atmosphere with the club laying on face painting a DJ and a number of food outlets. It’s time! off too Sixfields home of Northampton Town, 1400 poppy supporters on there way. It was a 17:30 kick off live on the BBC with a fine rain, ensuing conditions were rather wet, However the pitch looked in amazing condition and with a Sixfields packed to the rafters and an electric atmosphere the scene was set for an amazing night of FA Cup football. So with just a few minutes to kick off, the noise coming from the away end could probably be heard back in Kettering, this truly is what the FA Cup is all about. The game was afoot! not only an FA Cup match but a local Derby to boot, Northampton drew first blood with a goal unluckily deflected in from the defender, the game continued with both sides having their chances and then began the magic of the FA Cup a wonderfully headed goal to draw the teams level then into extra time, within the first three minutes another wonderfully headed goal put the southern league Premier side into the lead and on course for FA Cup history! With an heroic rear guard action Kettering fend off the final few onslaughts from Northampton and then after a few nail biting minutes the ref (who I thought had a good game) put the whistle to his mouth and that signalled the start of complete mayhem as celebrations with players, management team and the fans was just amazing, it was just magic! As somebody of a certain age, I remember when the FA Cup meant so much to everybody, I have found it so sad over the last 20 years witnessing the decline of the FA Cup but experiencing for the first time the FA Cup From a non-league perspective I have to say that magic, that passion, that importance of one of the most iconic cup competitions in the world is still there, at least up until the third round, I would truly encourage fans to take in the FA Cup at a local lower league or non league club, you won’t regret it! What an experience today travelling with the poppy fans, It took me back to the 70s 80s and 90s when the FA Cup meant so much to so many, so it is onto the second round and a great representation of nonleague in the draw with the likes of Tamworth, Harborough Town, Kettering Town and Gainsborough Trinity to name just a few and with a few more games to go hopefully more non-league names will go into the hat! THE MAGIC OF THE FA CUP IS STILL ALIVE AND KICKING!