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by Matthew Badcock

IS THIS the week the weather officially ‘turned’? Where you feel that chill when you wake
up in the morning and, most importantly, need to have a good think about which coat to
wear to a game?

For me, it won’t be long before it’s thermals on and handwarmers in the pocket when I head
out to a game. At home, though, the heating remains in the OFF position!
Of course, cost of living and rising energy prices have dominated the airwaves and how the
country combats it is a big priority sat in the new Prime Minister’s in-tray.

Whether it’s in the supermarket, at the fuel pumps or in your home, the large majority of us
will have noticed how the costs have been rising in our daily lives.
Northern Premier League chairman Mark Harris recently penned a piece for The NLP around
the potential impact on clubs and put across his thoughts on how clubs may need to adapt.

But how will your own habits change? Is your spend at a Non-League ground a non-
negotiable or is it a luxury outgoing you may have to trim back on?
We’ve teamed up with the guys at The Football Supporters’ Association to get an idea of
what fans are thinking with an exclusive survey.

The aim is to get some really good data that the FSA can feed back into the game and help
leagues and clubs going forward into the winter.
Will rising costs affect your match attendance – both home and away – or will you spend
less at the burger bar?
The survey also asks fans their view on potential cost-saving measures such as earlier kick-
offs so floodlights don’t need to be used, tickets and potential price increases or partial
closure of parts of stadiums to reduce running costs on concession stands.

Andy Walsh, head of the national game at the FSA, said: “Non-League clubs are warning
that without assistance the increase in energy prices and the effect of high inflation will
create unmanageable financial pressures throughout the game, putting some clubs' futures
in jeopardy.

“This survey in partnership with The Non-League Paper will gather supporters’ views and
help in our discussions with the football authorities and leagues, providing real data on how
the rising cost of living is impacting fans, and help clubs navigate these difficult times.”
We’d love to hear your thoughts to get a really good overview of the whole National League
System.

The survey is now open and can be filled out by visiting the link below.
The NLP will then report the results next month. To have your say visit bit.ly/fsa-nlp-survey