Page 4 - Chessington & Hook United vs Epsom & Ewell - 2019-20 Season

Non-League Day marks its tenth calendar, backed by the FA, Premier League,
year on Saturday 12th October. Kick it Out, Football Supporters’ Association
Campaign Manager Mike Bayly and most importantly, the clubs and fans
looks back at the event’s origins and themselves.
highlights from the last decade. Kick It Out
The following year, Blue Square, then spon-
In 2010, Queens Park Rangers supporter sors of the Football Conference, organised
James Doe attended The Hoops pre-season the ‘Blue Square Ground Hop’, arranging
fixture at Tavistock AFC. Realising the sell- staggered kick-offs across the three differ-
out crowd would help finance the Devon ent divisions. Hosts were Bishop’s Stortford
club for the rest of the season, he pondered (North) Chelmsford City (South) and Brain-
how more fans could be mobilised to visit tree Town (National). Further credibility was
their local non-League sides. Shortly after- gained in 2012 when anti-discrimination or-
wards, James created a Facebook page, sug- ganisation Kick It Out partnered with Non-
gesting Premier League and Championship League Day to promote their “one game one
fans watch their local semi-professional or community” message at a showcase Confer-
amateur club on the upcoming internation- ence South clash between Bromley and Well-
al weekend, rather than go without a game. ing United.
And so Non-League Day was born. Now a recognised annual event, Non-
From modest beginnings League Day 2013 demonstrated the innova-
The inaugural event in September 2010 saw tive ways clubs were attracting fans. Anglian
attendances across the National League Sys- Combination side Bungay Town made inter-
tem increase around ten percent, and includ- national headlines by paying supporters five
ed enough feel-good stories - such as a group pence to attend their game against Brandon
of delayed tourists at Gatwick airport de- Town. The Black Dogs were rewarded with
camping to a nearby match – for the national a thumping 11-0 win and a well-deserved
media and governing bodies to take interest. spot in the global limelight. However, 2014
From modest beginnings, Non-League Day represented the year Non-League Day real-
was on its way to becoming an established ly came into its own. In the build-up, several
and highly-anticipated part of the football media outlets produced in-depth articles on