An autumnal afternoon in Blythe, Northumberland. Ideal conditions for sport. That day the players and a minimal number of staff of Hereford Football Club travelled to Croft Park, the home of Blythe Spartans FC. A club of history and legend.
Those are the conditions for the traveling team in the lower leagues. In Covid 19 times finances are more limited than usual. So, it's undertake the long journey, warm up and play and return. All in one day. Thats non-league football for you.
I was able to lose myself and watch my home town football team play only their fourth game of the season due to other teams testing positive for Coronavirus. Disruptive it is and that is the way it has to be for everyone's safety. As a child I grew up with Southern League participants, Hereford United Football Club, and the glory of the FA cup. My oldest HUFC programme is from a game in 1958 and I have seen them play or watched for their results ever since. And, now after being reformed I have become even more passionate as they have made the rise from a very low tier of the English game.
Any sports fan can admire the skills of star players and why not? The glory of a winning Premiership team or an international one is important. But, it is the lower leagues, the village teams and kids kicking a ball about on a scruffy bit of grass that is the most important. The clubs are part of the community and they have to be sustained that way. Yes, there are benefactors; there always has been but it's the volunteers who keep my sort of club going. Not enough money will ever trickle down for that is gobbled up by TV Corporations who control time slots and what we see. Or not if you don't subscribe. And then they introduced pay-for-view for some games. Greedy Bastards!
On yesterday afternoon I sat in comfort, at home and watched HFC win three nil at Blythe. I immersed myself in the memory and legends of small, old style grounds. Two wonderful Northern voices commented, with little bias, on the game. The commentary, the players, the game and this old stadium made by afternoon a better place to be.
With Covid us lower league supporters can see our teams play because the games are being streamed. For just eight quid I watched and enjoyed. I didn't have to listened to pundits. It was so simple. Thank you the people on insight4.azurewebsites.net. I was one of 400 on line and paying.
I noted that their gates have averaged over 800 and that does mean that on line streaming does equate to fans paying at the turnstiles.
Hopefully, on Tuesday evening I will be watching the game at Edgar Street where the visitors will be Gloucester FC who by luck have played eight games so far. And are top of the league.
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