Dugout News We all know there is no single formula for improving the matchday experience. Every club is different, with its own ethos, community, facilities, culture and social setup. What works for one club may not work for another. That doesn’t mean clubs shouldn’t be looking at what they already have and asking themselves a…

Wild Weatherman Referees are crucial to football. Without them, there is no game. They deserve respect, protection and support. But respect has to work both ways. Football has always been built on emotion and passion. Players make mistakes, managers make mistakes and referees make mistakes. That is football. The problem is that the modern game…

From Jarvis Brook to AFC Uckfield Town to Pagham — and what really keeps the heart of the Sussex pyramid beating.

Beth Chapman · Roffey FC What do volunteers do for non-league football? It might sound like a stupid question to ask. They get jobs done — the things supporters and others don’t think of when they picture match day, from the committee that decides how the club runs, right down to the person in charge…

Badges and philosophies are everywhere in non-league football. But are being a good coach and being a good manager actually the same thing?

Chris · East Grinstead Town “FOOTBALL IS NOT A TELEVISION SHOW. DOWN HERE IN NON-LEAGUE… THAT’S THE BEAUTIFUL GAME.” The club in question is East Grinstead Town FC. But before I get into that, a little backstory. Growing up, I wasn’t much of a football fan at all, but I was always overhearing conversations at…

Dugout Diaries A player can score the winner on Saturday, laugh in the clubhouse and post a smiling picture online. By Sunday night, that same person can be sitting alone, wondering how everything became so dark. That is the uncomfortable reality football still struggles to discuss. Non-league football is brilliant at creating community. It gives…