Non-League vs Premier League: Grassroots or Glamour?

 

As you walk through the turnstiles of Saffron Walden Town’s Catons Lane ground on a matchday, it is clear that this is one of many examples of a non-league football club where a community feel is of great importance.

Fans greet other fans with a smile on their face and a shake of the hand. They walk into the bar, sharing a joke. Children in replica shirts are running around playing football on the mini pitch in the corner of the ground.

The players walk out of the tunnel as the match is about to start and are greeted by young flagbearers, who hold out their hands for a high-five from their heroes.

Clearly, youth team players are welcomed and are made to feel valued by the club.

“I think it’s really important to have that friendly community feel around the club”, explains Toby Salmon, who is into his second season playing for the Essex Senior League side. “It encourages more people to come down and support the team, and it’s great to have mascots who want to end up playing for the first team themselves.”

 

Clubs like Saffron Walden, whose Catons Lane ground has a capacity of just 2,000 fans, are far removed from the upper-echelons of Premier League football. Stats revealed by the Premier League show that it is the most-watched league in world football, as it reaches an estimated 4 billion viewers in 190 countries worldwide.

Speaking to supporters at Catons Lane, it is clear that some of them feel disillusioned with the riches of the Premier League, where a season ticket costs, on average, well over £1,000

“You can’t really beat non-league football, can you?”, proclaims Simon Chambers, whose season ticket at Saffron Walden costs just £135, which allows access to all league matches and certain cup fixtures. “There's a great sense of connection among the club.

“You can come here, the manager will say hello to you, the players will say hello to you. You can chat and have a pint with people afterwards. It's that sense of belonging that's really, really important.”

Chambers, 60, explains that he used to go and watch Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League on a consistent basis, but admits he now prefers to watch non-league football.

“I used to go to Spurs a lot in the 1980s and I never felt when I was handing over my money that it was particularly expensive”, he explains. “I felt what I was watching was worth what I was paying for. I think that's changed now because it's ever so expensive. 

“I have been to the new stadium a couple of times. I would probably go for a mid-week game or a Friday night game if I felt I was getting some value for money out of it, but it’s just so expensive. But with non-league football, even if it's a bad game, which it rarely is, you don't feel shortchanged.

“If someone gave me the opportunity to see Spurs or Saffron Walden Town on a Saturday afternoon, I'd go and watch Saffron Walden.”

Salmon, 24, is a supporter of Manchester United and he says that although due to his playing commitments he is unable to watch much Premier League football in-person, it is very expensive for him to travel from Essex to Manchester to watch his beloved Red Devils.

“Obviously [Manchester United] isn't very local – I think tickets are about £80 now”, he says. “So I do try and go a few times a year, but it is challenging when you factor in travel costs and ticket fees, etc.

But if you live in Saffron Walden like I do and you come down to support the club, you get home by 5:30, and spend maybe £10 on a ticket and £5 on a pint. I feel like it's much more of a welcoming environment for people of all different financial backgrounds.”

 

That sentiment is echoed by chairman Jamie Sharp, who has been in charge at Saffron Walden Town for four years. For Sharp, creating a community, family atmosphere, where supporters are charged fairly, is of the utmost importance.

“We want people to know that we’re here, and we want them to come down and support their local club”, explains the 41-year-old. “Of course we’re competing with Premier League clubs, but the more people we get down here, the better the atmosphere is around the club.

“I've got three kids, and they're absolutely loving football at the minute, so I bring them down. They love being down here, the community setup is so welcoming, it’s just fantastic.”

Sharp is also of the opinion that supporters of Premier League clubs are in danger of becoming priced out in the future.

“It's a real shame”, he says. “I’m a Liverpool fan and the cost for a day trip up to Anfield is extortionate. I think that the Premier League is going to outprice the average Joe.

“I only see prices going up and unfortunately the punters that have been following the club since birth aren't going to be able to go. It's becoming more corporate and I can see everyone heading towards non-league – non-league will get some good supporter numbers in the near future.”

 

But not all football fans are of the opinion that non-league football will gain more followers as a result of fans becoming disillusioned with top-tier football.

Alfie Hunnable, 22, is a season ticket holder at Tottenham Hotspur and does not agree that more fans will turn towards their local club.

“Saturdays at 3 o’clock are for games that aren’t televised, and that’s the kick-off time of a lot of non-league games”, he says defiantly. “But with Sky Sports putting on so many games now, and people having dodgy fire sticks that they use to stream matches, I can see the 3 o’clock watershed stopping in the future.

“And if you've got a choice between watching your club on the TV or going to the game over a non-league side, would you watch your club on TV? I probably would.”

Hunnable admits that he is supportive of non-league football, occasionally attending Catons Lane.

“It’s just totally different to the Premier League, isn’t it?”, he states. “It’s a lot cheaper, away games are local, they’re not amazing stadiums or great pitches.

“You walk in and see people you haven’t seen in a while, there’s families, there’s kids. The bar’s cheap. You can have a non-league greasy burger!”

But he does believe that he may be in danger of becoming priced out of his season ticket in the near future.

“I would still go”, he explains. “But I’m paying £1,300 now, that could easily turn into £2,000 in a couple of years. That’s more than a holiday.

“But with Spurs, I like the element of a day out. You go up hours before kick-off, have a few drinks, and you go up to the ground and people are chanting.

“The Premier League just has a massive global appeal.”

 

Like every non-league football club, Saffron Walden Town cannot function without its volunteers. An army of around 20 staff engage in matchday roles from managing the turnstiles, to maintaining the pitch, to serving in the bar. Husband and wife duo Peter and Carol Coath have been volunteering since moving to the town in 2012 – Peter serving as the club’s videographer, filming every match for the club’s YouTube channel, with Carol running the club merchandise shop.

“Saffron Walden’s a close-knit bubble”, Peter explains when asked what makes the club unique. “There are people here who are proud of the town, proud of the area, proud of their football club.

“I just love non-league football”, Carol says with a smile. “The atmosphere at non-league football is wonderful. The friendships you make are great. Our club is special.

“Going to Arsenal is nice, but it’s totally different to non-league. When I took my children when they were younger, there was no freedom for them at all, compared to non-league where they’re not going to get lost!”

 The pair’s respective roles means a lot of work outside normal matchday hours, as Peter explains.

“I have to prepare the equipment before each match, and I have to do it earlier if I’m driving to an away game”, he says. “Then after the match, I upload the videos from my camera to a computer and edit away.”

“Sometimes if it’s an evening game he doesn’t come to bed until 2am!” Carol laughs. “But we love what we do and we really value our roles.

“For me, I have to make sure I’m well-stocked and have what I need, my float money, make sure the till’s working and I order things in when I run out. I’m in the club shop for the whole 90 minutes of the game.”

Knowing all too well the differences between non-league and the Premier League, the couple are optimistic about the future.

“Fan retention is very important, but I don’t think we will struggle with that”, Carol says. “The facilities are getting better now, the grassroots game is appealing and, at the end of the day, it’s a local club that needs support.”

Peter agrees. “It's unique in a way, isn't it? You get a chance to see football close up. You can't do that anywhere else.”

“Get out and go to a game, that's my message.”