LOVE THY NEIGHBOUR
HELP YOUR LESSER MORTALS
My local club recently received a visit from Arsenal, or at least, a team wearing Arsenal colours. For the youngsters that attended, it was a delight to see a batch of under-21 players who, at best, will probably only see a little amount of first team football for the Gunners. The game was billed as an Arsenal “XI”, which loosely translated means that it wasn’t ever going to be a first team squad – it couldn’t be as it was international week and the Emirates’ payroll was on national service. But it was a hugely successful evening for the club and pay-back for the officials who worked hard to get the fixture. Getting a name like Arsenal to honour the club with its presence is no mean feat, but should this sort of event not be a firm calendar event? If football is a food chain, then surely the big clubs are duty-bound to routinely take their name and prestige around the country? Almost all Non-League clubs have a bigger cousin in their vicinity. Most institutions of Arsenal’s stature have dozens of smaller outfits in their neighbourhood. By playing these clubs, perhaps on a rotation basis, closer links can be forged and a little bit of money can pass down the chain. Some may already be doing this as part of their community initiatives. In certain parts of Europe, the establishment clubs make a point of going on tour to allow their more modest relations to benefit from friendly/exhibition games that form part of the senior club’s pre-season planning. It used to be somewhat similar in Britain, but today, so many British clubs travel abroad in the pursuit of globalising their name – they’re very interested in the concept of selling their brand to emerging football markets. If you’re very lucky, you might see an “XI” turn up at the local Southern League or Isthmian League club. Often it depends on who your manager knows or used to play with. I recall, with pleasure, arranging Hitchin’s pre-season schedule in 1993 and coming up trumps in getting Arsenal, Chelsea, Fulham, Orient and QPR all in one glorious summer. The benefits of such fixtures are not one-way – sending teams out in the Arsenal, Chelsea or Tottenham colours can be a massively positive PR exercise.
Responsibility
Football is a free market but it should be second nature to the big clubs to help the lesser mortals. The gap between rich and poor is, apparently, getting bigger by the year in the broader economy. The same could also be said of the British football structure, perhaps even more so. To ensure that the overall football eco-system is healthy, the clubs at the top should take some responsibility – the community of which they all speak so passionately about “engaging” with these days also includes Non-League clubs. Games like Arsenal XI v Hitchin Town should become part of the staple diet, not once-in-alifetime events. It’s a dream, but not an impossible one, surely?