FINALS DAY IS A FITTING END
LET’S CAP A WONDERFUL SEASON IN STYLE
THE Football Association and The Non-League Paper have teamed up to bring you a series of exclusive columns and features. This week, it’s the turn of Laurence Jones, Head of Leagues and Clubs Services, to give his views on Non-League Finals Day.
THE FLAG for NonLeague football has flown particularly high this season – and we’ve been planning a fitting finale at Wembley. The FA’s Non-League Finals Day is the perfect occasion to celebrate National League System football in this country. Having the two finals on the same day last year was incredibly well received across the game. Already it’s become a fixture in the annual calendar. This year, Cleethorpes Town, champions of the Northern Counties East League, take on Northern League title winners South Shields in the Buildbase FA Vase. The second installment of the big day out is the Buildbase FA Trophy when inaugural winners Macclesfield Town play York City.
Experience
Ticket sales have been going really well. We’re up around the 28,000 mark already, with the best part of a month before the final. That’s incredibly encouraging. Firstly we want to make sure the four clubs have a great day. Both finals are equally important and we’ll make sure we provide a high quality experience for everyone. The same applies to the fans. We want them to come to Wembley and experience a carnival atmosphere. I think we went a long way to achieving that in the first year . The atmosphere in and around the stadium bowl last year was fantastic for Morpeth Town’s triumph against Hereford and then FC Halifax Town’s win over Grimsby Town. We want to build on that. For a number of logistical challenges, we can’t allow entry and re-entry into the stadium. But we’re making sure there is enough going on around the stadium concourses so people are entertained. We have two key areas of focus; volunteering in the Non-League game and the new ‘For All’ image which The FA has adopted. A couple of examples of how we’ll do this is to showcase the champions of The FA Disability Cup – the final of which takes place at St. Georges Park on May 6. This is designed to give recognition to volunteers in the Non-League game as we fully recognise and appreciate how important they are, not only to us at The FA, but to Non-League football as a whole. In addition, we’re also going to have some pop-up pubs in the concourse areas with pub games and activities. Also, we plan to show on the various screens the final day of the Premier League season as we’re sure there will be lots of interest from around the stadium in that. There will also be special offers on at the various food and drinks kiosks as we hope to make it a fun, friendly and affordable day out for all. I know supporters will always have their loyalties and commitment, but we really hope supporters of the four clubs will take in both games. The Non-League Family isn’t just a cliche. We’ve sold around 3,000 tickets in the neutral section. That’s really encouraging too, because it shows the support for the Non-League game in this country. The National League System is a unique structure around the world and one English football should be really proud of. The fact a team can start in grass-roots football and progress up the leagues, such as Fleetwood Town, AFC Wimbledon and Burton Albion, is fantastic. It’s unique and we should cherish that. I remember looking down Wembley Way mid-morning last year and seeing thousands of Non-League fans making their way towards the stadium. The whole day portrays everything that is positive about football in this country. Our Events Team started planning about four months ago. While the crowd may be smaller than the FA Cup final, for example, the logistical planning is very similar. We’re still opening up four areas of the stadium– at the moment just the lower bowl but depending on sales that could go into the upper tier – and that still brings the same preparation requirements.
Timeframe
There are some additional challenges too. One of the big things that impressed me most last year was the quality of the pitch. When FC Halifax kicked off against Grimsby for the FA Trophy final, you would not have known there had been an FA Vase final an hour before. The ground staff were out working on it immediately to make sure the famous Wembley pitch was perfect again. Of course I’m biased, but Wembley is exceptional in how it manages logistics. The ability to turn it around in such a short timeframe is quite remarkable. For participants of the FA Vase, the competition really breaks the norm. It gives them the chance to play other clubs they don’t normally meet. It’s part of the fabric and glue of our Non-League family. Clubs at different ends of the country strike up relationships. I’m also involved with Harborough Town and we’ve made lots of friends through the Vase. The same applies to the FA Trophy. The clubs really value it. It’s been a wonderful year for Non-League football. Lincoln City and Sutton in the FA Cup were both fantastic stories. I was up at Burnley when Lincoln won to reach the quarter-finals. It’s been a great campaign and Non-League Finals day will be the pinnacle of a wonderful season.