Superstar show is so refreshing

IT has been so refreshing so far this summer to see teams such as Arsenal and Liverpool take strong squads to pre-season friendlies against Non-League opponents.

With most Premier League teams flying around the globe to take part in lucrative pre-season tours, I feared such clubs may elect to do away with playing domestic friendlies, or at least save their star players for more commercially-driven friendlies. But as I glanced at the front page of

The NLP last weekend to see a picture of Arsenal’s £60 million man Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang playing against Boreham Wood, I realised that my pessimism was unfounded.

Although pre-season friendlies against Premier League sides often produce rather one-sided results they provide a fantastic opportunity for Non-League clubs.

The most obvious advantage is that the prospect of being able to see some of the best players in the world attracts a bumper crowd and serves to increase the profile of Non-League clubs within their local community, which could in the long-term lead to more fans coming through the turnstiles on a regular basis.

As well as this, playing against global stars such as Aubameyang and Henrikh Mkhitaryan represents a special moment for any Non-League player.

The fact Non-League players still have the opportunity to come up against such talent in pre-season represents a fantastic nod to the unique footballing tradition that we have in this country and acts as a great incentive for players to come and play in England at any level. DAVID MILLIGAN, Hitchin