Professional vs Non League football (as a fan)

[markg]

4 hours ago, @owlstalk said:

 

Just saw this on Dronfield FCs Twitter 

 

 

Sounds crap

[PortlandOwl]

I get all that. It's just the lack of any real atmosphere that puts me off to be honest. 

[Bulldog]

I enjoy Sheffield FC as it's a great day out, I can take the dogs, drink Jaipur all afternoon, have banter with the officials / opposing players / away fans

get a great pie and stand where I like.

So, no, nothing like going to Hillsborough.

[matthefish2002]

3 hours ago, HighworthOwl said:

Genuine question but is it the same feeling? 
 

Can you get as excited when they score? Do you get the same buzz walking to the ground? 
 

I like the idea of going to non-league but it just wouldn’t be the club I support so I would assume not the same feeling.

 

I suppose a big positive is you don’t care as much when they play badly. 

I wouldn't say the same buzz but I do get a kick out of going to a new ground for the first time in non league especially the picturesque ones. Some really nice places in the High Peaks at New Mills, Buxton, Matlock and Mossley.

Some really good ones to go to as well at seaside places. 

 

 

[matthefish2002]

27 minutes ago, bladeshater said:

The standard is poor

 

Of course standard is not the same as professional football but I wouldn't say it's poor.
Really impressed sometimes by the commitment of the players, you can tell the players are giving everything.
Some people have said to me non league is just pub football but I remember seeng a friendly at Hallam of them v an RAF side and Hallam won something like 14-0.
Also in non league they is far less of the diving and faking injury (Although it still goes on a bit) and I enjoy games with proper old fashioned tackling that you almost never see now in elite football.
 

 

[markg]

 

I get that it's nice to have a few drinks during the afternoon but I can just do that at the pub. For me, I need to care about one of the teams to be able to enjoy it, so going to watch non league doesn't interest me in the slightest. 

[markg]

5 hours ago, S36 OWL said:

That piece sums up everything I love about football  . I go and watch Stocksbridge Park Steels quite regularly, and the whole experience is so  fantastic that it hardly matters what the result of the game is. It's what football was always meant to be, and it's what the professional game used to be until it consumed itself with greed and started eating itself. 

 

My interest in the professional game starts and stops with Wednesday. Apart from that, I hate it. 

For me, that's the opposite of why I like football. There is no point going for me if it doesn't matter to me what the score is. 

[sherlyegg]

3 hours ago, wilfsmith said:

2West Ham United59,901

Don't understand the West Ham gates, they were a 20/25000 club for yonks and yonks

[@owlstalk]

4 minutes ago, sherlyegg said:

Don't understand the West Ham gates, they were a 20/25000 club for yonks and yonks

 

 

Yeah true

[Bulldog]

1 hour ago, matthefish2002 said:

 

Of course standard is not the same as professional football but I wouldn't say it's poor.
Really impressed sometimes by the commitment of the players, you can tell the players are giving everything.
Some people have said to me non league is just pub football but I remember seeng a friendly at Hallam of them v an RAF side and Hallam won something like 14-0.
Also in non league they is far less of the diving and faking injury (Although it still goes on a bit) and I enjoy games with proper old fashioned tackling that you almost never see now in elite football.
 

 

16-0 Last pre-season. Probably the most one sided game I'll ever witness.

[bladeshater]

2 hours ago, matthefish2002 said:

 

Of course standard is not the same as professional football but I wouldn't say it's poor.
Really impressed sometimes by the commitment of the players, you can tell the players are giving everything.
Some people have said to me non league is just pub football but I remember seeng a friendly at Hallam of them v an RAF side and Hallam won something like 14-0.
Also in non league they is far less of the diving and faking injury (Although it still goes on a bit) and I enjoy games with proper old fashioned tackling that you almost never see now in elite football.
 

 

I was brought up in era when playing in North East counties meant something same on Sundays in Anglo Scandia and believe me today's comparable is absolutely shocking

[sternlad]

Watched Barnet in the conference as it was then in the 80’s/90’s, totally enjoyable experience every time. Crowds could be 1000 - 2000 people depending on the opposition…these were the days before Andy Clarke was transferred to Wimbledon. Underhill was a classic sloping pitch, but a ground where you could walk around and find any spot you wanted and know the kids were safe at the front. My eldest Rob, who is 40 next year still follows them even though he now lives just across Hillsborough park from the hallowed green stuff!

[S36 OWL]

18 hours ago, markg said:

For me, that's the opposite of why I like football. There is no point going for me if it doesn't matter to me what the score is. 

 

For me it's as much about the day out with the mates as it is the match. 

[Eaton_Swfc]

Went up to watch Stocksbridge a few times when I lived up there. 

 

Was decent enough, Chris Morgan was up there quite a lot actually, not sure in what capacity he was there? 

 

I literally went if I had nothing to do and the weather was nice .. which is basically what I've turned into as an owl in recent years, come to think of it. 

[markg]

2 hours ago, S36 OWL said:

 

For me it's as much about the day out with the mates as it is the match. 

Fair enough, I can totally understand that.

 

[sheffield_dave]

22 hours ago, bladeshater said:

The standard is poor

 

Think this just comes down to expectations and what it is you're looking for, to be honest.

 

While objectively "better", I find myself bored stiff by a lot of Prem football now. Sky's ever hyped Super Sunday matches have served up some of the most tedious football I've ever watched over the years. 

[FreshOwl]

20 hours ago, sherlyegg said:

Don't understand the West Ham gates, they were a 20/25000 club for yonks and yonks

They’re one of the cheapest and most accessible premier league clubs to get tickets for if you’re a tourist I think 

 

chelsea, Spurs and Arsenal are more sought after and more expensive 

Edited September 24, 2021 by FreshOwl

[SwellOwl]

Non-league is proper football and I love a random trip to local team and never not had a decent time. On the flip side, I can think of several times I have been to see Wednesday and not enjoyed it but that is due to the level of interest and investment.

 

Unfortunately, non-league doesn't give me the hit that Sheff Wed (tries to) provides!

[Lime Tree Heros]

I live in the Medway towns so Hillsborough is 200 miles away, so I get to Hillsborougha couple of times a year, but usually manage ~5 aways. Last season I started going to watch my local non-league team until the season got cancelled, this season I've got a season ticket.

 

For me it's different to supporting Wednesday, both have their pro's and cons, but the OP sums up the benefits of non league pretty well. Increasingly I do care about the non-league results and there is a buzz for 'big" local derbies.

 

Each to their own, but I've no problem supporting both local non-league and Wednesday - I get different things from attending the different matches.

[Birley Owl 1867]

Much rather watch a good standard game against a team I've actually heard of, in the football league.

 

Although, the quali rounds of the FA Cup are always nice to watch.