A decade to remember for so many!

MOMENTS OF the Decade – what would make your list? This week, we took a look back over the last ten years in Non-League football and picked out some of the most memorable moments. You can view the ones we picked out on pages 2426. There were plenty of tough calls among those we just had to get in.

But it quickly dawned on us that it’s an almost impossible task.

We put the question out on social media and the responses came flooding in.

From favourite goals to individual matches, cup wins and title triumphs – the list went on and on.

In many ways the variety of replies shows just how vast Non-League football is, and how much so many different clubs mean to people.

While sometimes we may question standing in the cold on a wet December night, when those big moments come along it makes it all worthwhile.

Of course, ‘Moments of the Decade’ is subjective. There will be some we’ve selected that you agree with and others you no doubt don’t. There will likely be some you can’t believe we’ve missed off the list!

That is also what makes this game so much fun to watch and care about. The debates that fill a car ride home from an away game or are had over a pint in the bar after a game.

Over the next couple of weeks we’ll continue to look back at different parts of the decade as we build towards 2020.

The last ten years have gone by in the blink of an eye. The very landscape of Non-League football has changed since the decade began.

Clubs have risen through the Pyramid, others have sadly slipped off the map altogether.

There are new play-off formats in the National League’s three divisions and there are even play-offs at Step 5. We’ve also seen the introduction of new divisions at Steps 3 and 4 – with the latter to get another – taking the level to eight – next year.

The make-up of Step 5 and 6 will also be changing. Without a crystal ball it’s impossible to know exactly how Non-League will look in another ten years.

There will surely be plenty of differences and there are issues the game needs to collectively address in the near future. Will the EFL accept three-up, threedown? Will their clubs want to allow the use of artificial surfaces? Will there be rule changes to ensure the sustainability of clubs?

Time will tell, but at the heart of it, football fans will hopefully still be enjoying those special, and very personal, moments.