04/9/10

This morning may seem like any other morning to many people.

Get up, breakfast, SoccerAM, lunch, football.

However, for thousands of football supporters across the country, something vital is missing.

The football.

With the Euro 2012 qualifiers taking place last night and next week, this weekend is a blank weekend in the football calendar for supporters of Premiership and Championship clubs.

Hell even Brighton & Hove Albion have a day off because some of the Plymouth team have been called up too.

So today is Non League Day.

It started off as an idea on Facebook and Twitter from, ironically, a QPR fan, James Doe. However in the few months since he hatched his crazy idea, things have really taken off.

Non League football has received a far amount of media coverage in recent days, something that Lewes FC have recently become accustomed too. Incidentally you've not heard the last of that - watch this space!

Non League clubs up and down the land have jumped on the back of Non League Day in order to encourage football supporters who probably have driven past their ground on their way to the nearest league club, to pop down and watch football in a rather different environment to what they would have been used to.

Hopefully, supporters who have bothered to try something different today will enjoy the experience. A trip to your local non league ground may be light years away from a visit to the Emirates or Anfield, but it offers something that these supporters may not be used to.

A standing terrace. A pint on the terrace. Friendly banter on the terrace. A chance to move freely and watch from wherever you want. The chance to actually meet the players after the match. And generally, a decent afternoon.

Ok there won't be any Gerrards or Rooneys on display, but you've got 22 honest players, playing in an honest way, quite probably for no, or very little money (unless you're watching Crawley). This is what football should be about.

So, I say welcome to anyone who is going to the Dripping Pan today for the first time.

Welcome to anyone who hasn't been for a while but fancies an afternoon out.

I hope you enjoy your afternoon and I know that for many of you, next Saturday will see you driving up the M1 or sat on the train, off to a fantastic sparkling stadium with all the facilities you could ever wish for.

But I hope you enjoy your trip. I hope Lewes win.

And most of all, I'd love to see you come back again.

Soon.

James Boyes

Web Editor

Lewes FC