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Our latest Proper Football 'On The Road' club visit saw us make our longest trip to date with us travelling up to the North East to visit South Shields football club for their National League North game against Kidderminster Harriers, and it was thoroughly worth it! With the teams situated 2nd and 6th respectively, this had the makings of a cracking game, and we hope you enjoy the article below as much as we did making it. As always, we kick things off with an opening chat, and you will hear we have been completely blown away by what we have seen so far. Brief histor y South Shields FC who are known as The Mariners was originally formed in 1888 and was re-founded in 1974 where they then spent most of their time in the Wearside League with a brief spell in the Northern Football League 1st Division, then in 2015 the club was purchased by local businessman Geoff Thompson which then saw the club gain several promotions, increasing crowds and victory in the coveted FA Vase at Wembley in the 2017 final! After a few near misses and the interruption of the pandemic, they finally gained promotion to the National League North in 2022/23 after going up as champions! The facilities at the 1st Cloud Arena are amongst the best we have come across. The main stand, which is now two years old, houses a large clubhouse, various administration facilities, and a fantastic club shop. The stand itself accommodates 900 seats and is home to 15 Corporate boxes equipped with seating, giving a fantastic view of the pitch along with TVs, a kitchen with a well-stocked drinks fridge, and, if you want to take in the atmosphere, each box comes with 10 seats directly outside. We had the pleasure of joining Chairman Geoff Thompson in his box for the game. Geoff was kind enough to give up his time and speak to us about his role at the club and the plans for the future at South Shields FC. Leading up to our visit we was in contact with Commercial Director, Carl Mowatt, Carl was the first person we met on arrival and he went above and beyond in looking after us and showed us around the fantastic facilities at the stadium, we spoke to Carl on the raised balcony that looked over the pitch outside one of the other excellent clubhouses in the ground. Another great thing about the stadium was all the different bar areas, the spacious modern looking hospitality suite which wouldn't look out of place much higher up the pyramid was stunning and was serving up some delicious looking food and overlooked the pitch on the opposite side of the new main stand, there was also another outdoor fan zone with a bar and food and next to this was a huge marque that housed another bar. As well as the clubhouse in the main stand, these facilities offer a great source of income for the club, and Carl informed us that later that evening, three of these areas were all booked out for private functions. Carl also pointed out that you could do a pub crawl around the stadium, and he wasn't wrong! The supporters of South Shields set up a Supporters' Alliance Group and Kenneth Buzzard kindly gave us his time to explain what it entails. We managed to catch a chat with supporter Craig Seago who still wears his 2017 FA Vase-winning scarf with pride. This also highlights the club's success in the last 8 years, bearing in mind the chaos of Covid, they have risen from the 5th Step to Step 2 and are looking at possible Step 1 status next season! The match itself wasn't the result Shields were looking for and saw their unbeaten home run come to an end this season, but fair play to a very impressive Kidderminster side whose physicality seemed to be the difference as they went on to win 2-1, it was refreshing to watch two sides who like to play football and no doubt both of these sides will be fighting for promotion come the end of the season that is shaping up to be a very tight league at the top. We have to give a mention to the spectacular colour-coordinated floodlights that looked amazing in the club colours as the evening drew in! It was also a joy to see so many youngsters on the day and especially the smiling faces of the mascots when they received their replica shirts! And a special mention to a fan called Stevie who showed us his homemade beer holders that took pride of place up on the balcony! FINAL THOUGHTS What a fantastic day, at a well-run, well-respected football club. The set-up is excellent, and what they have managed to achieve in the last 10 or so years should be admired by many. The welcome Carl gave us and the time he spent with us was great and it was also lovely to meet Geoff, the Chairman who gave us his time as well. We want to wish South Shields all the best this season, and as a page, we will be keeping a keen eye on their progress and wish them every success. The people of the North East should be very proud of South Shields FC. Thanks again for a wonderful day! Here are the match highlights courtesy of the Media team at The Mariners.

The venue for our latest Proper Football 'On The Road' club visit was the New Windmill Ground/Your Co-op Community Stadium, the home of National League North side, Leamington Football Club for their match against Worksop Town. A brief history Leamington FC is based in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, and was formed in 1933 as the works team for a local company called Lockheed Borg & Beck, which manufactured brakes and Clutches, hence their nickname 'The Brakes'. The original home of the club was in the town centre at the Windmill Ground, which was sadly sold off in 1984. When no other suitable ground could be found, the club went into a state of dormancy in 1988. Despite the club's predicament, a piece of land was purchased 5 miles outside Leamington Spa by a passionate group of supporters who had also continued to pay League registration fees to keep the club alive. They transformed the new land, which was actually a potato field. Into a football pitch in 1993. It took another seven years for Leamington FC to emerge from hibernation, and the Brakes were back in business in 2000 at the New Windmill Ground. When we arrived at the stadium, the wonderful, friendly welcome we received set the tone for the day. Benji, one of the club volunteers, took us under his wing straight away and couldn't do enough for us, giving us full access, lining up interviews with club officials and giving us an insight into the club. Benji epitomised what Leamington FC are all about and is a credit to the football club! Benji also introduced us to the Brakes manager, Paul Holleran in the car park before we had even entered the ground and Paul, who has been at the helm for 16 years and has guided the club to the National League North on three different occasions was more than happy to have a quick chat, we wished him good luck for the match, which is something that has deserted the Brakes this season and sees them currently bottom of the table ahead of what was already a 6 pointer even at this early stage of the season against Worksop Town who were only 5 pts above them in 20th place, we then made our way into the ground. The stadium has 2 covered seated stands on opposite sides of the pitch with the Mick Brady stand between the dugouts and a longer stand along the other side of the pitch, there's a covered raised terrace stand behind one goal that creates a good atmosphere and opposite is an open air terrace called the North Bank which also doubles up as an away end when segregation applies, there is also a raised hospitality area that was a nice touch as well.  Here's a little montage so you can see for yourself. It became obvious during the course of the afternoon that our video camera was very much underperforming (new one on its way!), so please accept our apologies for the poor picture quality on a couple of our interviews. Here's the lads with their initial thoughts on the stadium and a preview of the day ahead. Ahead of the match we caught up with Leamington FC chairman, Jim Scott, who was kind enough to give us his time, we discussed the difficulties the club have faced this season and the impact of playing outside of Leamington Spa and how important it is for the club to move back into the town so that the Brakes can keep growing and build on the remarkable success with a proposed move on the horizon. It was wonderful to see a Programme/Memorabilia shop inside the stadium, which is sadly somewhat of a rarity nowadays, there was also another converted shed which housed the club shop which had a great range of merchandise and plenty of other interesting items for sale, both of the shops were run by a couple of the many wonderful volunteers we met on the day, and we took the opportunity to have a chat with Andy who has been running the programme shop for a couple of years. As well as the club shop and Programme/Memorabilia shop their was plenty of different food outlets, there was a burger stall selling chips, hotdogs, a range of burgers plus hot and cold beverages that were very reasonably priced, down the other end of the ground their was a pop up street food bus from the local award winning restaurant 'Magic Wingdom' which we have to say the chicken was absolutely delicious!!! There was also another kiosk selling snacks and sweets, plus the spacious, modern-looking clubhouse, which had a great selection of beers, cider and lots more! Everything you need basically! As always it was great to see a matchday programme, and what a superb read it was! Full of excellent content, lots of interesting information and enjoyable articles and well worth the £3 and so much better than you would see a lot higher up the football pyramid! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 A shout-out to the two lovely ladies selling the 50/50 raffle tickets who were always smiling! One of the main reasons we do our 'On The Road' Proper Football club visits is to find out about the work non-league football clubs do in their local areas and give a platform to champion the amazing projects they have running which is not only beneficial to the clubs but more importantly the community, we can't emphasise enough how important this is. Chris Knott, the Head of Football Development at Leamington FC kindly joined us for a chat to explain his role at the club and the wonderful work they are doing. Leamington FC also have a ladies football team, and they are flying at the moment after being promoted last season and they have started off the new campaign in the same vein. The Brakes also have two new U17 & U18 female sides to create a pathway to the first team. We had a chat with two of the Ladies on the team to find out a bit more about how they are doing. Another thing to admire about Leamington FC is 'The Brakes Trust', which was established in 2010. The Brakes Trust, which is ultimately a supporters' trust, is a democratic, not-for-profit organisation of supporters, committed to strengthening the voice for supporters in the decision-making process at the club and strengthening the links between the club and the community. We had the pleasure of meeting Nick Rogers, who is one of the organisers, and he gave us an insight into what they do. Summary Our day had come to an end, and sadly it wasn't the result Leamington were looking for, losing 1-2 to Worksop Town. We could sense a feeling of resignation around the club that they may go down this season, even at this early stage, what with their bad run of luck and other factors, but we also got the sense of optimism for the future. We only spent a few hours at the club but we could see so many positives, it was evidently clear to see the club is in very good hands with so many wonderful and passionate people all pulling in the same direction and a community spirit that can only be applauded, a move back into the town centre is so vital for the club and we will keep our fingers crossed that the ongoing plans and discussions come to fruition. A football club back in the centre of Leamington Spa would not only be huge for the Brakes but for the community as a whole! National League North table Finally, we would just like to say a massive thank you to everyone at the club for making us feel so welcome and we wish the Brakes all the best going forward. Here are the match highlights and post-match interview with the Brakes manager, Paul Holleran, courtesy of the excellent media team at Leamington FCTV.

The International Lava Cup is a tournament for over-40s which is played annually in Scotland, with teams travelling from all over the world for the prestigious event. The Lava Cup Tournament is a seven-a-side football tournament which raises money for local charities, and this year’s event will be held at Falkirk Football Club on Saturday, May 24th. This year's tournament is the biggest and most ambitious so far, with 20 teams from 9 nations taking part! The grassroots tournament, which was formed by Marc Boal, started out with a pilot event in 2022 at Cormack Park in Aberdeen and has gone from strength to strength to become an annual invitational event! Marc Boal, the Lava Cup Organiser explains what the tournament is about:  “Our Senior Grassroots Annual Event has four main principles that are embedded in the foundations of the Lava Cup ethos, which are paramount. The tournament is organised in conjunction with the Icelandic touring side Throttur Reykjavik Old Boys, who have been coming to Scotland since 2018. The Lava Cup is playing a crucial role in expanding players’ horizons and breaking any isolation people find themselves in. Playing international football is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for many of us; players aged 40 to 75 are now doing this! The new friendships, bonding, and well-being it creates are providing a pathway to actively change the way people think and, more importantly, change lives. The Lava Cup's four core principles are: Helping to improve the mental and physical health of players. Raising money for local charities. Networking by allowing teams to meet others at the tournament and set up future friendly matches. Inviting at least two teams from remote areas with no access to senior football and giving them a chance to play on the big stage at the Lava Cup. The name of the tournament replicates the trophy which is actually made of lava picked from the most recent eruption from an Icelandic volcano! The lava for this year’s trophy was collected from the Fagradalsfjall volcanic system in the Reykjanes region. The trophy for 2025 is the heaviest ever, weighing in at 2.3kg, this is due to molten lava containing a mix of elements such as iron, magnesium, silicon and others such as aluminium. Italian marble sits on the polished hardwood plinth base, there is also ice blue cobalt glass (which represents the Icelandic glaciers) that are encrusted into the main lava tower to give the trophy a distinctive look! 2025 Lava Cup Trophy Last year’s competition saw over £3000 split between Strathcarron Hospice and Falkirk's Mental Health Association. Pictures from the 2024 Lava Cup This year's tournament is raising money to support two wonderful local charities that do amazing work for our men and their families: Maggie's Forth Valley , a local cancer support charity, and Andy's Man Club , a men's suicide prevention charity, tackling the stigma surrounding men's mental health through the power of conversation. To donate please click the link below. https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/falkirkffit-t-eights-1?utm_medium=CR&utm_source=CL Dougie McCallum and Iain Mitchell from the host team, Falkirk FFiT T8, have helped Marc immensely to organise the tournament and will be welcoming old friends and new ones from countries such as Iceland, USA, Northern Ireland, England, Holland, Denmark, Germany, Poland and of course Scotland. The tournament, which aims to bring men from across the world together to enjoy football in a friendly but competitive manner, begins at 10:00am with the opening ceremony followed by the matches played on Falkirk's pitch that will be divided into 4 smaller pitches that kick off at 10:30am and will finish around 5pm. There is no admission fee for those wishing to attend and there will be volunteers with charity buckets around the stadium if anyone wishes to donate to the chosen charities. There will also be a limited edition of the 72-page Lava Cup programme (£5) Lava souvenir mug (£6.50) Lava Cup notebook (£4.50), all of which will be available to purchase on the day at the stadium, (first come, first served) with all proceeds going directly to the chosen charities. There is also an excellent free digital programme that you can find below by clicking the link. Digital programme We wish Marc and everyone involved on this fantastic day all the best, and may the best team win, but in all honesty, everyone taking part is a winner! To find out more and to keep up to date with The Lava Cup check out their dedicated Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100092563221652

Another football season has rolled around! The summer break is over, and football clubs and supporters up and down the country are eagerly awaiting their football fix as the beautiful game returns with hopes and dreams for the new campaign, and the anticipation of excitement and the unknown. It was quite apt that my first game of the 25/26 season would be the FA Cup extra preliminary round, as my last was the FA Cup final back in May, watching Palace lift the trophy of the oldest club football competition in the world! My choice of destination was quite an easy one after learning that Seaford Town football club would be playing in the FA Cup for the first time in 114 years, which is a record for the longest time away from the tournament, with 104 campaigns in between. After doing a bit of research on the East Sussex club, I became aware that they are a club run completely by volunteers and have a vast network of youth teams of boys and girls, and pan-disability sides as well as walking football and vets teams, and appear to be a big part of the community. So it was time to dust off my camera and get on the road for my first Proper Football awayday of the season and see what Seaford Town Football Club were all about! First impressions are always important and I wasn't disappointed! The welcome at the gate was super friendly and after paying £7 to get in I asked a steward to point me in the direction of Seaford Town Chairwoman, Sarah Scott, he went above and beyond to track her down for me on what was clearly a very busy day for all involved and Sarah kindly gave up her time to talk to me. The ground, which is called The Crouch, has a stunning backdrop of the rolling hills and cliff tops along the East Sussex coast, and the pitch itself has a visible slope from right to left that evokes memories of Yeovil Town's old Huish ground and adds a sense of charm and uniqueness to the club. The Crouch recreation ground is believed to have a capacity of about 1,000 and their record attendance was 931 in the 2023/24 season, their is one seated stand on one side of the pitch between the dugouts and a very modern looking bar and clubhouse which has a covered decking area outside which over looks the pitch along with a place to buy food and refreshments, I still cant get the song out of my head that was playing when the players came out, that was a catchy punk tune about Seaford Town! Before kick off I had the pleasure to talk to one of the many youth coaches at the club who gave me a great insight into what Seaford Town Football Club is all about and how they play a vital role in the community, The players were now going through their final warmup routines before heading back into the changing rooms ahead of the match and Seaford Town player and club accountant! James Kendall kindly stopped and had a quick chat with me to tell me about the club and what a momentous occasion it was for the players to play in the FA Cup. There was a fantastic crowd of 554 on the day, and it was great to see a queue of people filtering through the main gate, young, old, families and groups of mates and of course, a great assortment of non-league dogs! The bar, which had a good choice of beverages and the kitchen area, which sold delicious burgers, were buzzing, and even though you had to queue, you were served very quickly by the volunteers who were clearly pulling out all the stops to make everyone happy and offer a great service! It was great to see a programme on sale which you could purchase from the merchandise stall outside the bar and I took the opportunity to have a quick chat with Sharon and Ann, two of the many friendly volunteers on the day. First-half The first half was very much dominated by the away side, Sutton Athletic, who controlled the game and looked like the only team who was going to break the deadlock, but full credit to Seaford Town, who defended resolutely and kept the score level going into the break. At half time, I spoke to a Sutton Athletic supporter to get his take on the first 45 minutes, he actually turned out to be the owner of the South East London club! Second-half The start of the second period carried on in the same vein as the first, with Sutton on the front foot and creating chances, but they still couldn't break the deadlock and the home team's resilience and never-say-die attitude were abundantly clear! With the clock running down, you could sense Seaford gaining a bit more confidence, and in the 84th minute, Tyler Capon was bundled over in the box, which resulted in a penalty and a red card for the Sutton defender! Tyler then took the ball and slotted home the penalty to the keeper's left and scored the first ever FA Cup goal in Seaford Town's history! And what proved to be the winner! The scenes at the full-time whistle as the players and staff came off the pitch were a joy to witness, the togetherness of everyone at the club really shone through, with the team embracing Sarah, the Chairlady and Jon Holmes, the volunteer coordinator, celebrating a famous victory for the club! I caught up with Sarah once again after the game had finished and asked her what it meant for the club. Finally, I just want to say a big thank you to everyone at Seaford Town Football Club for making us feel so welcome, and it was an honour to be a witness to one of what we hope will be many more historic days for the club going forward. Seaford Town are a credit to not just non-league football but football as a whole, and the Town of Seaford are blessed to have such a wonderful group of people doing so much good for the local community. Best of luck for the rest of the season and may your FA Cup run continue when you take on AFC Whyteleafe in the next round on August 16th at The Crouch!

The venue for our latest Proper Football Awayday was at The Kiln Brow, the home of Redhill FC for their massive match against Jersey Bulls FC in the closely contested race for the Combined Counties Premier Division South title and automatic promotion to step 4 of the National League pyramid! The day started by sampling a few ciders in The Old Chestnut pub next to Earlswood station, and the sheer gravitas of the day was evidently clear when I walked into the pub to find it packed with Jersey Bull supporters with their flags everywhere! It was time to head to the Kiln Brow; as soon as I entered the ground, it was wonderful to see so many fans, young and old, and there was a real buzz about the place with supporters mingling and lapping up the beautiful sunny weather and having a drink from the outdoor bar next to the pitch. My first port of call was to find Sam Foster, the man in charge of football operations and social media at the club after contacting him earlier in the week and he invited me onto the pitch to have a chat with The Lobsters manager and captain before kick-off which showed just what a friendly and welcoming club Redhill FC are to give me their time in the led up to such an important match! The Kiln Brow has a capacity of 2,000 and has one seated stand on the side of the pitch and a covered terrace in one corner of the ground. The stadium was filling up nicely with what turned out to be the Lobster's biggest home crowd of the season, wiLobsters' attendance! I had the pleasure of speaking to two passionate fans who follow their respective clubs home and away, their enthusiasm and love for their clubs were clear to see and you could sense that their loyalty epitomised what non-league football is all about knowing that their clubs first and foremost value them as fans and not just as customers, a loyalty that is equally reciprocated both ways. First up was Tom, a huge Lobsters supporter, followed by Ollie, who had flown over from Jersey that morning. Just before kick-off, I caught up with Tim Cooper, 'The Lobster', the unofficial Redhill mascot who had contacted us last season to tell us the story behind the birth of the lobster attire he wears to every match. You can find the article here: https://www.properfootball.co.uk/post/the-dawn-of-the-lobster-mascot-at-redhill-fc The League table ahead of today's game couldn't be any tighter at the top in what is a 38-game season, and in a twist of fate due to a rearranged fixture, Jersey Bulls are at home to Redhill next Saturday! This massive doubleheader could also lead the way for AFC Whyteleafe to nip in and take the title, depending on how the results go! The game kicked off and the first half was a closely thought affair with hardly any clear-cut chances but both teams were giving it everything and there was nothing to choose between the two sides, there was a lengthy delay very early in the game which meant there was 15 minutes added on time and 5 minutes into it Redhill were down to 10 men after a deserved second yellow card which was a massive blow to The Lobsters! The referee brought the very long half to an end and it was time to sample the food to soak up all the cider! There was a choice of the club canteen or the mobile fish and chip shop and both were equally as tasty and reasonably, priced. 👌🏻 The atphere from both sets of fans was top-drawer on the day, along with plenty of friendly banter, smoke flares and banging drums at both ends. Another nice touch to mention just before the kick-off was Redhill's girl's team, 'The Pandas', doing a lap of honogirls'er winning the cup the previous week, which was well received by the supporters and highlighted what a great community club it is. The second half carried on in the same vein as the first albeit The Lobsters being down to 10 men, but as the game was drawing to its conclusion Jersey started to look more threatening and a brilliant save from the home keeper kept it at 0-0 but moments later the pressure paid off with a goal in the 85th minute from Luke Campbell that looked like it was going to be the winner! But as the clock rolled around to 90 minutes The Lobsters drew level with a goal from Seb Tauta-Caballero! Once again, Redhill manager Jordan Clark was kind enough to give me his thoughts on the match after the game. With today's draw, the table doesn't look any different, with both teams still tied at the top and now sets up the return fixture in Jersey next Saturday in what will be another huge 6-pointer! Before I left, I caught up again with the club's unofficial Lobster mascot, Tim Cooper, to hear his thoughts on the game. Finally, I just want to say what a thoroughly enjoyable day I had at Redhill FC, a wonderful community football club and a big thank you to Sam Foster for helping me on the day, from the manager to the staff and volunteers and to the supporters I met throughout the day, you are all credit to your club and I sincerely wish you all the best this season and in the future. Up The Lobsters! 🦞🦞🦞 You can watch the highlights from the game courtesy of the excellent Jersey Bulls YouTube channel.

The football season kicks off in Sweden this weekend with the top division Allsvenskan in its 101st year. One of the most appealing things about the top tier in Sweden is that there is no VAR! Also, along with some of the fantastic atmospheres at the big derby matches and the amazing tifos and banners on display, the Allsvenskan is definitely a league that is well worth a visit. 16 teams are in the league, and here is a brief rundown of all the runners and riders this coming season, which runs from March 29th to November. First up are Östers IF, from Växjö; the club is back in the top tier for the first time since 2013 after achieving promotion from the Superettan last season under English manager Martin Foyston in what was his first managerial role. The former Fulham scout, aged 42, had previously been an assistant manager at various clubs across Scandinavia. The other promoted side, who were the Superettan champions last season, are Degerfors IF, who bounced back at the first attempt after suffering relegation from the Allsvenskan the previous season. The club's biggest achievement was winning the Swedish Cup in 1992/93 Malmö FF, the current champions, are Sweden's most successful football club, with 24 Swedish championships and 16 Swedish Cups. They are a club that frequently plays in European competitions and, most notably, were runners-up to Nottingham Forest in the 1978/79 European Cup final, losing 1-0. Their most famous former player is, without a doubt, Malmö-born Zlatan Ibrahimović. And Roy Hodgson won 5 Allsvenskan titles and 2 Swedish Cups in his 5-year tenure as a manager! AIK, based in Stockholm, are one of the biggest supported teams in Sweden and were last League champions back in 2018. AIK has won 12 championship titles and is third in the all-time list; the club holds the record for having played the most seasons in the Swedish top flight. They play at the national stadium, which is the largest stadium in Scandinavia, having left their Råsunda home in 2012. Djurgårdens IF, the second of 4 Stockholm teams, was founded 3 weeks after their fiercest rivals, AIK, in 1891 on the island of Djurgården; the club's home ground is the 3 Arena, which they share with Hammarby IF. Djurgårdens last won the Allsvenskan in 2019. Hammarby IF have only 1 league title to their name in 2001 but won the Swedish Cup in 2021/21. Elfsborg, known as Di Gule (The Yellow Ones), was founded in 1904 by a group of 19 youngsters who were all 14–15 years old. They last won the title in 2012, which was their 6th, and have won the Swedish Cup 3 times. IFK Göteborg, which is one of 3 clubs in the Allsvenskan based in Gothenburg, is the only club in the Nordic countries that has won one of the main UEFA competitions, having won the UEFA Cup in both 1982 and 1987. IFK has won 18 Swedish championship titles, the second most in Swedish football after Malmö FF, and has the second most national cup titles with eight. The team has qualified for four group stages of the UEFA Champions League and reached the semi-finals of the 1985–86 European Cup. BK Häcken, another club based in Gothenburg, won their first-ever Allsvenskan in 2022 and are known as The Wasps; they have won the Swedish Cup 3 times as well. GAIS, the 3rd Gothenburg-based club, is one of the oldest football clubs in Sweden formed in 1894 and was a founding member of Allsvenskan and also the first champions of the league in 1924. They have won 4 league titles, with the last coming way back in 1954, and their only Swedish Cup title was in 1942. They play at the same ground as IFK Göteborg, along with Örgryte IS, who are in the second-tier Superettan. Halmstad BK have won four national championship titles and one Swedish cup, with Roy Hodgson winning the Allsvenskan as manager in 1976 and 1979 in his first managerial role. Halmstad is a member-controlled club. Brommapojkarna, another team in Stockholm, are believed to be the largest football club in Europe in terms of the number of active youth teams of all ages; in 2007, there were 247 teams and 3,000 players! They have yet to win a major title other than the Superettan twice, but they have produced many great players through their youth system, including Dejan Kulusevski and Viktor Gyökeres in recent times. IFK Norrköping dominated Swedish football in the post-war era and won the first division 11 times in 20 years! They have won a total of 12 Allsvenskan, with the last one in 201,5 and have won the Svenska Cuppen 6 times. IFK Värnamo have spent most of their time outside of the Allsvenskan but have been in the top division for the last 3 seasons after winning the Division 1 Södra title in 2020 followed by the Superettan in 2021 The most famous player from the club is Jonas Thern, who was captain of the Sweden national team when they finished third in the 1994 FIFA World Cup. IK Sirius Fotboll, who is based in Uppsala, are another club who have spent most of its history in the lower tiers of Swedish football, but this season will be its 9th consecutive season in the top flight. Östers IF have won the Allsvenskan 4 times, most recently in 1981; in 1968, their first season in Allsvenskan, Östers became the first team ever to win the national title at their first attempt! And they have one Swedish Cup to their name which came in 1977. And lastly, Mjällby AIF, who were formed in 1939, the club has only played nine seasons in Sweden's highest football league, with the first time coming in 1980. They were runners-up in the Swedish Cup in 2022/23. Best of luck to all the sides this season!

Doughboys deliver the delight on Derby Day! NPL Midlands Division Attendance - 792 Derby day is always a momentous occasion, and the Proper Football boys were treated to a proper rivalry as we embarked on our travels once again, this time pitching up at the Dog & Duck Stadium, home of Wellingborough Town. Thankfully, it wasn’t raining cats & dogs, making suitable weather for ducks; we were instead graced with glorious sunshine, adding a buoyant spring to our step equally as evident as the spring-like weather. After clambering through the turnstiles, it was clear to see from the very off that the club possesses an enviable set-up, further highlighted by the Immaculate playing surface, so much so that you’d be forgiven for thinking we were attending a game much earlier in the season. Overlooking the playing surface is the main seated stand, supported by the remaining stands that are all safe standing areas providing the football purist with a traditional feel at what is a ground steeped in history and tradition. Complimented by an outdoor food kiosk serving up some proper footy nosh and an indoor bar where fans can whet their whistle before, during and after the match action, it’s safe to say the facilities on offer surpass the requirements of any prospective visitors. The man behind our visit, from whom we received an exceptionally warm and friendly welcome, was Match Day Secretary and long-time associate of the club, Steve Galloway. Steve has a long-standing connection and history with the club, having started out as many of us do, as a Dad on the sidelines cheering on his boy, who at the time was playing in the youth ranks. Fast forward to the present day and Steve provides a safe pair of hands along with innovative solutions, helping to grow the club’s profile and move forward, as it looks to attract more acclaim and not to mention a stronger following to The Dog & Duck Stadium. Steve was kind enough to step in front of the Proper Football cameras to reveal all about his connection with the club, the challenges the club and wider non-league community can face and also his wishes for the future of his beloved Wellingborough Town. After our glimpse of what the future potentially holds for the club, we were introduced to a man known locally as ‘Mr Wellingborough Town’ in what turned out to be a historical, educational journey tapping into a wealth of experience and knowledge. In my experience, you find this type of individual at many clubs, where they quite literally live and breathe the club, and nobody that I’ve ever encountered embodies this spirit and profile more than club secretary Mick. It quickly became clear to me that we were in the presence of a man who holds this club dearly close to his heart and was kind enough to tell a tale or two on his 60+ year association with the club. Quizzed by Darren, Mick shared an insight into the life of a club stalwart having held just about every role within the club presented to him over the years, plus why he still Holds a passion for the club and his role within. Such is the close proximity of these two clubs; with only 5 miles separating them, the Derby day atmosphere was building ahead of kick-off. Burgers and beers were being knocked out and consumed like there was no tomorrow, with fans enjoying their pre-match delights and sharing their predictions for the game ahead. Non-league, for me, is all about the connections between different sets of fans, in that you can have a conversation about a shared love of football and enjoy a pint together whilst still maintaining the rivalry that fuels our passion and love for the game. Of course, allegiances then kick in as the game gets underway, with both sets of fans raucously channelling their inner 12th man, willing their teams to make the all-important breakthrough. A competitively contested start to the game saw both sides cancelling each other out for large parts, with both defences well-organised and standing firm. A continuation of full-blooded challenges expected in a derby ensured this one remained a captivating spectacle - both sides created the odd chance with some decent deliveries into either box; however, with the first half coming to a close, it was a tale of two dominant defences. A more open second half provided far more goalmouth action; however, neither side was clinical enough to break the deadlock. That, of course, was until a glorious edge-of-the-area strike, from the moment he hit it, found the back of the net as the clock ticked into the 94th minute. The Doughboys had stolen it at the death with what turned out to be one of the last touches of the game and naturally, the home crowd erupted into vivacious celebration. Whilst celebrations of the match-winning goal could be heard far and wide, a common theme kept rearing its head during our time at Wellingborough Town, with many that we spoke to bemoaning the lack of support within the local area for the club. After further probing to understand the data that supports this notion, proof does, unfortunately, seem to be in the pudding - with a town population of approximately 60,000 and an average gate this season of around 250; understandably, this subject kept popping up. Now, not all of the town’s population will be football fans, of course. However, my intuition would tell me that the majority are spending their time following clubs higher up the pyramid; many, I would hazard a guess, are doing so from their armchairs. That then presented the question of why this is and why said individuals don’t go to physically watch football and support their local club. Whilst I do not have a definitive answer to that, I’m sure I’m not alone in my suspicion that the ‘modern’ football fan prefers the comfort of their armchair when taking in their football fix. A person who this description certainly does not apply to is club volunteer Amanda. Front and centre at full time leading the celebrations, I knew from observing her passionate celebratory cries that I had to speak with her. Considered part of the furniture having held various roles since the start of her involvement with the club, Amanda far surpasses what you would expect in a club volunteer. Willing to take on any job thrown at her, Amanda really puts in the graft - her passion for the club, her role and non-league football as a whole is immensely admirable. Bringing with her a beaming ear-to-ear smile, bags of charisma and natural charm, Amanda joined us in front of the Proper Football cameras, touching on her love for the club and her leading role in what the club is going to be doing in the community in the near future to fulfil the objective of drawing more fans to The Dog & Duck Stadium. With the 3 points and local derby bragging rights secured, match-winner Tom Laciofano was kind enough to give up some of his time for a post-match chat. Reflecting on his last-gasp winner having only been on the pitch a matter of minutes Before securing the points for his team, Tom provided an insight into the life of a non-league player, his love for the game at all levels and how he stays motivated while juggling his football and everyday life commitments. With our day coming to a close, it was time to reflect on what was a thoroughly enjoyable day - we were lucky enough to be able to meet some truly amazing people at what is a club that gives so much to the local community and provides a home from home for fans young and old. With teams right through the age groups, Wellingborough Town and all associated with the club deserve immense respect and acclaim as they provide the pathway for the next generation to flourish. Such is their continuation to the local community, sometimes the clubs that give us so much need something in return - the very existence of clubs like Wellingborough Town relies on its volunteers giving up their spare time, undertaking roles without which the club would not be here. Providing a safe space and solitary outlet for many, it’s time for the local football community to come together to support and contribute to this great club. After a solid season a step higher than last, this is a club on the up with exciting times ahead, so I challenge all within the local area with an interest in football to take themselves down to The Dog & Duck Stadium on a match day - you will not be disappointed. A personal heartfelt thank you must go to the club for having us and we wish everyone at the club the very best for the remainder of the season and beyond!

'On the Road', this week takes us to Berkshire side Maidenhead United, situated just off the M4 where they currently play their football in the National League South, with the man at the helm, West Ham Utd legend Alan Devonshire for the last 10 years, relegated from the national league last season after an 8 year stint in Non-leagues top flight, Alan and his team will be looking to get back as quick as they can. One fascinating stat is that York Road has been the home of Maidenhead United since 1871, making it the oldest stadium in the world to be the continuous home for the same side for the entirety of its 155-year history. Todays Visitors Torquay United based on the Devon coast travel up today, 6th in the league with the home side taking up 12th spot, after a tough couple of years for the club and their fans going into administration in 2024 things are now looking up for the Gulls, and with the involvement of Neil Warnock we expect them to be in the mix come May. After a very warm and friendly welcome from everyone at the club, off we went on our now accustomed exploration of the stadium and facilities. With our roam round the stadium done it was time to see who we could catch to go in front of the camera, first up was Shay Bottomley the Marketing and Media Manager for Maidenhead, which turned out to be a very informative and interesting interview, particularly with reference to the future of the stadium: We must give our next victim to go in front of the camera a massive thank you, Dave, who runs the Maidenhead United supporters group, was incredibly busy but managed to spare 5 minutes of his time for us. As always, on our club visits, we like to big up the volunteers because without them, clubs would not be able to operate, and Dave is no exception! At this point, we have to give a massive shout-out to the Torquay United supporters, approximately. 400 made the not-so-short journey from South Devon and with the great home support the attendance was a healthy 1581 and fantastic to hear plenty of noise from both sets of fans: So, with minutes away from kick-off, we managed to catch up with a Torquay United fan, Sean. After the laying of a wreath of poppies on the centre circle, the last post and an impeccable minutes silence for remembrance 2025, the game was a foot two good sides with Torquay having the edge going 2 up deservedly, but with Maidenhead pulling 1 back late on it made for an edge of your seat end to the game (even though we were standing) with Torquay glad to hear the final whistle. Don't take our word for it see for yourselves link below for full highlights courtesy of Maidenhead United media team: FINAL THOUGHTS WELL, DUE TO MY (GARY) DREADFUL FILMING, OUR FINAL VIDEO IS NOT AVAILABLE, SO AFTER A WONDERFUL DAY OF NON-LEAGUE FOOTY, I WILL LEAVE YOU WITH GREG'S FINAL SAY ON THE DAY. It was a really nice day at Maidenhead United, a real community club feel, a ground with a lot of history in the heart of the town. Everyone we met, from the staff in the boardroom to the girls on the food kiosk, was lovely. We wish Maidenhead United all the best for the season ahead and the future, and we will keep a close eye on their future stadium plans. A shout out to Torquay United fans as well, who bought excellent numbers, which made for a great atmosphere. Greg. KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR OUR NEXT PROPER FOOTBALL "ON THE ROAD" LEAMINGTON FC V WORKSOP TOWN FC NATIONAL LEAGUE NORTH 29/11/25

So, we’re on our travels again and we’re heading over to Cambridgeshire to the market town of St Neots, just off the A1 for our visit to the Power Plus Stadium for the Northern Premier Midland Division clash between St Neots Town and Lichfield City. With the sides taking up the seventh and eighth spots, both on 19 points, in what is an extremely tight league, this has the makings of a good competitive clash. On arriving, first impressions are very impressive, a great looking facility, plenty of parking and a really warm welcome. So without further ado, let's have a look around the stadium and Clubhouse. Well, after our little walk around, I can only say great things about the set-up here at St Neots, the facilities are amazing for a club that is newly promoted from step 5 to step 4 and would grace any level of the non-league pyramid and I dare say not many clubs have a mainline railway station 100 yards from the ground! The club, which is known as "The Saints' was founded in 1879 and moved to the new Rowley Park complex when it was completed in the summer of 2008, and has a current capacity of approximately 3,500 people. The main covered stand consists of 260 seats, and behind both goals, there are covered standing areas that can be changed to accommodate new seating areas, plus a disabled shelter. The far side of the ground has an open standing area where the dugouts are located. I have to mention the quality of the grass pitch, you won't find many better in non-league, they've even got the pop-up sprinklers! There is also a full-size floodlit 3G Astro training pitch with three five or seven-a-side pitches. I highly recommend a visit to this stadium and the bar prices are very good to boot. Before kick-off off we managed to have a chat with a couple of supporters who also volunteer at the club. The first half was a bit of a scrappy affair with Lichfield taking a 0-1 lead with a well-taken lob of the keeper by Jack Edwards. With half-time upon us, we took the opportunity to chat to the Club Secretary and U16 Manager. With the full-time whistle blown bringing the game to a close, it’s finished St Neots Town 0 Lichfield City 1. St Neots had several chances to pull back level in the second half, but with some staunch defending from the visitors it wasn’t to be the home side's day Match h ighlights of the game can be found below, courtesy of St Neots Town. Shortly after the final whistle, we were joined by the happy owners of Litchfield City for a very interesting chat. The League standings after today's game look like this. FINAL THOUGHTS A big thank you to everyone at St Neots Town on the day and for making us feel so welcome! See you on the next edition of Proper Football 'On The Road'

On our travels today, we made the short trip to visit Arlesey Town FC for their Spartan Premier Midlands clash with Risborough Rangers. With both sides sitting at the top end of the table, this should be a good encounter today, so before we start, we'd like to say a massive thank you to Phil Cavener for inviting us down for today’s fixture. As the saying goes, on with the show: So, let's have a wander around the ground and see what Arlesey has to offer: Well, all in all, a nice little set-up, plenty of covered seating and standing, along with a great little open-air terrace behind the goal and a mention for the huge car park and a cracking clubhouse with reasonable prices, all in all, a great facility. Before kick off we managed to have a chat with Arlesey's Phil and Chris and discussed their respective roles at the Club. We caught up with Mark Eaton, who is the Director of Football at Risborough Rangers. He gave a fantastic insight into today's visitors, and we are now looking forward to making a trip down to the Kamtech Stadium in the very near future. So, onto the game, both sides have started well this season and find themselves lying 3rd and 5th respectively in the league, so we were hoping for a cracking game, as usual, I am late to the party missing 2 goals in the first six minutes, so we join some of the action as Arlesey have a goal decision being debated with the referee and lino after Risborough had taken a 2nd minute lead: Well, we anticipated a good game and we weren’t disappointed! In actual fact, it was a cracking game and five goals to boot, with some really good quality football on display from both sides. I would go as far as to say, what a great advert for Step Five of non-league football! Two goals within the first six minutes set the match up nicely, the first half was outstanding, and although the intensity dropped off a little in the second half, it was a thoroughly entertaining 90 minutes and a great spectacle from a neutral perspective. The result pushed Risborough Rangers up into 4th place, with Arlesey dropping to 5th, both on 23 points. I wish both clubs all the very best for the rest of the season and I’m sure they will be there or thereabouts come the end. After the game, I took the opportunity to catch up with young Ben, who is 16 years old and volunteers at the club, followed by Arlesey Town manager, Tommy Cooney, who very kindly made time to give us his thoughts on today’s game. FINAL THOUGHTS We hope you enjoyed this article and see you next time!

The venue for our latest Proper Football awayday was Bristol Manor Farm FC. The club who are based in North West Bristol on the banks of the River Avon and play at step 4 of non-league in the Southern League - Division One South came to our attention after a mindless act of vandalism just before the start of the season caused thousands of pounds worth of damage after a car was driven into the goal mouth and set on fire which meant The Portwaymen couldn't play at home for the first few weeks of the new campaign losing much needed revenue. It was great to see the football community come together and help raise valuable funds for the club, a club who had enough on its plate already after seeing the departure of their long time manager and all of its playing staff, so with a new chairman in place along with a new manager and players we thought we would travel down and check out how things were going at the club. The home of The Farm is called The Creek, and it is set on the banks of the River Avon in what must be said is a stunning setting for the ground, which has a capacity of 1,700 and has been their home since 1965. After paying the £10 at the turnstile and receiving a very friendly welcome, we entered the ground with 2 covered seated stands on one side of the pitch and a covered terrace on the opposite side behind the dugouts. There was an excellent printed match day programme and the obligatory 50/50 lottery tickets on sale as well. We just had enough time to buy a can of Natch Cider 😵‍💫 from one of the volunteers running the refreshment stall outside the clubhouse and took our place on the raised terrace ready for the game. Stood next to us was a man with straw poking out of his shirt and his trouser legs, wearing a straw hat with a drum at his feet and a stick in one hand and a can of Thatchers cider in the other, This man was Tony 'The Scarecrow', who was without doubt the life and soul of the football club and the Farmy Army! We knew at this point we were in for a great day of non-league football. First-half Considering Bristol Manor has a whole new squad with some players even making their debuts on the day, they started off brightly, creating chances and testing the Shaftesbury keeper and looked the much better side, but it was the away side who took the lead against the run of play in the 34th minute. Half-time The half-time whistle blew, which was the signal to grab a tasty cheeseburger, which was well worth the £4:50 from the kiosk outside the clubhouse. This was soon followed by a Clarke's pie 😂 that came highly recommended and didn't disappoint! Which were on sale behind the well-stocked bar in the very spacious social club that had a huge TV screen and a club merchandise stall in the corner. The bar staff were super friendly and there was a really nice buzz about the place. Second-half The second 45 was a mirror image of the first, with Bristol Manor pushing for the equaliser, egged on by The Farmy Army and Tony 'The Scarecrow', who was kind enough to tell me a little bit about the club. Full-time Sadly for the home team, despite all their efforts, they just weren't clinical enough and Shaftesbury scored their second goal in the last minute to seal the tie and go through to the next round of the FA Trophy. On the day, there was a good attendance of 232, which included a few scouts who were running the rule over a few players. (Terrible dad joke 🙈) Those of you who follow non-league football will know that volunteers are at the epicentre of the club, the heartbeat and a vital cog in the wheel, who without, clubs would struggle to survive. Rex, who has been volunteering at The Creek for a couple of years was kind enough to give us his time for a quick interview to tell us how he got involved with the club and the benefits he gets from it as well. After the match, I got chatting to John Harvey and discovered he has been a volunteer for the club for 25 years! John told me what his roles have entailed over the years. One of the most poignant things I found on the day was how friendly and approachable everyone was at the club, especially to a complete outsider, this was epitomised by one of the fans I'd got chatting to throughout the game called Lee who also turned out to be a fellow Palace fan, he introduced me to the new chairman, who also gave up his time to tell me about his new role who then introduced me to the new manager, Will Justin, who was more than happy to give me his thoughts on the match. Summary For a football club who have had to overcome some big challenges and major setbacks before the season had even started, the sense of optimism and togetherness was wonderful to see, the club are clearly in a period of transition on and off the pitch, but with the likes of the volunteers I met and the supporters I spoke to on the day, the club clearly have a solid platform to build on, and on the pitch the youthful side led by a young manager playing attractive football bodes well for the future. And finally a special mention to 'The Scarecrow', Tony Parsons, I can't find enough superlatives for him and what he brings to the club, he was absolutely everywhere on the day, from leading the songs on the side of the pitch to organising the auction in the bar afterwards, he didn't stop! he went out of his way to speak with me and introduce me to other people at the club, he embodies everything great about non-league football and is a credit to the club! The long journey from South London down to Bristol Manor Farm was thoroughly worth it! We wish Bristol Manor Farm all the best going forward and urge anyone who hasn't been to The Creek before to get themselves down their and become part of a special community football club.

So, with all the non-league successes of last week’s FA Cup first round we've decided to pop along to the lowest ranked side in the second round of the cup based on their Current league position in the Southern League Premier Central with Kettering sitting top. So, we hotfooted it over to Leicestershire and to Market Harborough famous for the mustering point of King James 1 royalist Army in 1645 before the defining Civil War Battle of Naseby, and now in 2024 Harborough Towns yellow army are mustering for their battle in the cup at League 1 Reading, let us hope the outcome is better than that of King James 1. On arriving at the Beehive home of Harborough Town you are met with a nice big carpark which is always a plus, which leads out to a very large clubhouse complex. On entering the ground admission for an adult was £12, £6 for concessions and £2 for under 16s. Once through the turnstiles the complex itself is excellent but the actual stadium is an ongoing project as the club in recent years have jumped from step 6 to step 3, everything feels very new and would indicate the recent success in the last few years. The club are working hard to achieve the level of facilities required for step 3. The ground has one small terrace stand and two seated stands along one side of the pitch and there is very little in the way of covered areas for supporters, framework of a new stand covering the length one side of the pitch is a good sign of progress and will vastly improve the stadium faculties, there is also plenty of room behind each goal for further development of the stadium, but once again the overall facilities are excellent. The pitch at the beehive is a 3G/4G pitch. I’m very much 50-50 on these pitches, I can see the pros but also see the cons, I think I sway more towards the traditional grass pitch, however in the financial climate a lot of clubs find themselves in these pitch’s can be a lifeline. The day before my visit to the club, a massive sign of intent was the signing of the retired Brazilian international Sandro who also plied his trade with Spurs, WBA and QPR, he was not available to play this weekend but was at the club and I have to say he was inundated with requests for photos and he obliged everybody, a really nice guy! So to the game, the visitors to the Beehive for today’s Southern Premier Central League Clash were Royston town with both clubs needing the points as sitting in 16th and 18th respectively, this encounter was going to be an edgy affair which it proved to be as well as quite a colourful affair with Harborough in all yellow and Royston in all purple and I was in need of sunglasses with the Royston goalkeeper in luminous Orange! After an implacably observed minutes silence for remembrance weekend, the game was afoot , Harborough coming out the traps early and dominating the first 15 minutes of the game and taking a one nil lead with a very strange goal not quite sure how It went in from an overhead kick but you can judge that for yourselves below, but in it went In, 1-0 Harborough! From here on in up until half time Royston come very much back into the game with some really good quality ball distribution as you will see from the goal that they scored bringing the teams level at 1-1. The second half did not produce any goals and both sides had their chances to win the game, a healthy crowd of 477 were in attendance and I suspect most having their eye on the end of the month clash at Reading for a club such as Harborough Town the FA Cup has brought a good level of finances into a club finding their feet in the higher levels of the football pyramid and I’m sure will help go along way for the club to build for the future as for the fans and the  local community in general, this is a great boost and just proves how important the FA Cup still is. I wish the very best of luck to both teams for the rest of the season and the very best of luck to Harborough Town when they meet League 1 Reading in a few weeks.