BEES GET THE BUZZ OF LIFE IN THE BOX
THE latest episode of the England Football In The Box Podcast visited Harborough Town recently to focus on the grass-roots level of the game ahead of Non-League Day.
Bees boss Mitch Austin, CEO Laurence Jones and some of the volunteers at the United Counties League club were interviewed, as well as NLP columnist Tony Incenzo. We caught up with presenters Charlotte Richardson, an FA Club consultant who also works across a number of media/marketing roles, and Tom Lee, National Club Services Manager for The FA, as well as a former player for Barton Old Boys, Bridlington Town and Brigg Town. NLP: What were your biggest takeaways from your time speaking to people at Harborough?
CR: My love affair with Non-League started a bit later on in life. I’ve been following it a lot more in the last five years. For me, it was a case of the passion and community feel – that’s something that is very bespoke to NonLeague football. When we asked people what they love about it, so many come back with the idea they’ve found a family.
TL: The professionalism also shone through. It’s only five or six years ago I stopped playing NonLeague but it’s how far it’s come in that short space of time. If I look back at when I played, there’s not many photos. Now you look at the social media these clubs are doing and engagement they have on different platforms, score updates, interviews on YouTube – the professionalism on and off the pitch is unbelievable.
NLP: Something that comes through on the podcast is how many people Non-League clubs come into contact with during a week through youth teams and other groups.
CR: With everything we do with In The Box and away from that with the FA Club Programme to support the volunteer workforce, it is exactly that – football is no longer just 90 minutes on a Saturday afternoon. It’s a fully encompassing seven days a week operation. They are businesses, facilities need upkeep and they make a huge contribution economically as well as socially as a hub.
You go to a club like Harborough and see from 3pm in the afternoon people begin to filter through. That will aid the sustainability. The clubs we see struggle, you don’t need to scratch too much on the surface to see they have no women’s team, they don’t have a good relationship with their youth set-up or do much in the community. But a lot of clubs do understand what it means to be a Non-League side.
NLP: Ahead of the podcast you asked twitter followers why they love Non-League Football – what stood out among those replies?
TL: Everybody who walks through the turnstile is valued by the club and much-needed – whether you’re getting 30 on a Tuesday night or more than 2,500 at the top of NonLeague. You can have peas, pie and a pint for £5 and have a really good experience and have change out of your £20. CR: Someone said you’re a name and a face and not just a number and a seat. That was quite powerful.
● In The Box episode two A League of Our Own is now live and can be found on podcast platforms including Spotify and Apple as well as on YouTube.