NOW WE MUST STAND UNITED

TIM FUELL GIVES HIS TAKE ON A NEW WAY OF ASSESSING CLUBS TO THE SAME STANDARDS

- TIM FUELL

If I’d wanted to be popular I wouldn’t have niched my career in Non-League, but it’s time for football as a whole to give itself a vigorous shake to wake up, and I fully expect the following to be met with derision by many on their first read. Bear with me though.

Remember that reaction you first get when you tell ‘a non-believer’ that you prefer Non-League? We are naturally programmed to push back against breaks from the norm. Give it another read.

The decision this week of the Trident leagues to stick together and show solidarity to fellow clubs across the country should be heralded as a big step forward for securing the future of Non-League football.

Despite not always agreeing with their decisions; the boards of these leagues are, first and foremost, filled with fans of Non-League. The majority of them are also directors of their own clubs. They put in countless hours every week so when it comes to decisions as to the survival of football at our level, few of us ‘outsiders’ can claim to have a better insight.

We might not agree with them but they have more facts and knowledge of the actual position to make informed decisions. As fans, we have every right to be passionately disappointed that football is suspended but we need to understand the twoand-a-bit magical months of football with fans was a fake reality.