Non-league football clubs need you more than ever - that's why the YEP is launching Back Your Club campaign
Back your local non-league football club - they need your support more than ever.
For thousands of Leeds-based football fans, the weekend calendar might be looking a little sparse for the next fortnight.
It’s the international break. Not only that, it’s an extended international break with fixtures from September and October combined into one chunk. Most nations will play four times in that period, with Leeds United not in action again until Arsenal away on October 10.
If your footballing fandom doesn’t extend beyond an LS postcode, that could prove enough to switch off from football for a while, re-engaging when Dominic Calvert-Lewin comes off the bench for England or Anton Stach gets minutes for Germany. But here in Leeds there is loads of grassroots football worth watching - and they need you now more than ever.
That’s why the YEP is launching a new campaign encouraging Leeds-based fans to back their local clubs. Over the next couple of weeks, we’ll be highlighting opportunities to get your matchday fix be it in Guiseley, Farsley, Garforth or Silsden.
This Saturday, Northern Premier League side Guiseley host Bamber Bridge at Nethermoor in the FA Trophy while Bradford (Park Avenue) host Garforth Town at Horsfall Stadium in the Northern Premier League Division 1 East. FC Farsley - formerly known as Farsley Celtic - host PE Bradford United at Throstle Nest in the Yorkshire Amateur League.
Next weekend Garforth Town, Ossett United, Silsden AFC and Liversedge are all at home in the Northern Premier League Division 1 East. Guiseley host Bradford (Park Avenue) in a tasty FA Cup Third Round Qualifying clash while FC Farsley host Shelley FC in the Yorkshire Amateur League Cup.
Plenty of football to go out and watch then, and plenty of reasons to go out and watch it. None of these games will have the glitz and glamour of a Premier League tie, nor will they boast the same quality, but in a world where top-level football is becoming more a product than a sport, grassroots football remains at the heart of local communities.
Non-league football is the sport in its purest form. No VAR, no advertisement breaks, no reactionary pundits, no play-acting, no over-the-top controversy, no exorbitant ticket prices. It’s just 11 vs 11 with two goals and a ball.
Across Leeds city region, non-league clubs are being stretched thinner and thinner every season. They, like all other businesses and individuals, are having to cope with an increase in price for just about everything, from the electricity needed to keep floodlights running to the cooking oil in which they fry your chips.
At Guiseley or Garforth, Farsley or Liversedge, every extra person through the gate can make a huge difference. The majority of lower-league clubs rely heavily on matchday revenue to keep afloat, with the vast sums of TV money higher up the pyramid simply non-existent. And these clubs absolutely must remain afloat.
Non-league football has provided the foundation for countless professional footballers over the years, including plenty who graced the Elland Road turf. Paul Madeley began his career at Farsley Celtic before joining Leeds in 1962, while more recently a part-time RAC windscreen fitter called Jermaine Beckford was plucked from Wealdstone before going on to score that famous goal at Old Trafford.
But more important than any future football star, they provide a hub for the local community. Nethermoor, Throstle Nest and many other stadiums across the city act as a regular meeting place for hundreds every week or so - friends who might not carve out a chance to spend time together, were it not for a Saturday 3pm kick-off and quick pint afterwards.
For many, top-level football is becoming inaccessible due to rising costs. Despite their reliance on matchday revenue above all else, non-league clubs continue to do everything they can to keep ticket prices down, further highlighting their role in the community.
So with a couple of potentially spare Saturdays and the weather still looking good enough for an afternoon out, go and support your local non-league club.
Buy a ticket, grab a programme, get some food and a drink or two. It will go a long way for them and could quickly become a staple of your weekend.