Non-League Day is set for Saturday
THIS year’s Non-League Day, which takes place on Saturday, coincides with the first day of Suffolk FA’s Love Football, Live Football Week sponsored by MH Goals Ltd.
Set up as a social media experiment in 2010, Non-League Day has now grown to become an annual part of the football calendar, backed by Premier League and Football League clubs, MPs, celebrities, media organisations, charities and most importantly the non-league clubs themselves and the fans who turn up on the day.
Non-League Day is always scheduled to coincide with an international break, promoting grassroots football, just as Love Football, Live Football Week does.
A busy day of league and cup action is in store, with five Suffolk sides involved in Buildbase FA Vase ties. Kirkley & Pakefield and Woodbridge Town have both been drawn away, but three matches are taking place in the county. There are also three ties in the first round of this season’s CNet Training Suffolk Senior Cup.
Suffolk FA Marketing & Communications Officer Nick Garnham, who became a Non-League convert more than ten years ago, said: “If you’ve not been to a Non-League game before, why not take in a match on Saturday.
“You may be pleasantly surprised by the standard on offer, not to mention how enjoyable the atmosphere at grassroots level can be.”
The full fixture list of matches across Suffolk involving sides from Step 3 to Step 7 of the Non-League Pyramid is below.
Kick-offs are 3pm unless stated:
Evo-Stik League South Premier Division Central: Leiston v Halesowen Town
Bostik League North: Felixstowe & Walton Utd v AFC Sudbury
Buildbase FA Vase First Round Proper: Newmarket Town v Deeping Rangers, Stowmarket Town v Harpenden Town, Haverhill Borough v Swaffham Town
Thurlow Nunn League Premier Division: Framlingham Town v Long Melford, Hadleigh Utd v Ely City, Walsham-le-Willows v Brantham Athletic, Whitton Utd v Norwich Utd
Thurlow Nunn League First Division: Cornard Utd v King’s Lynn Town Res, Ipswich Wanderers v Felixstowe & Walton Utd Res, Needham Market Res v Fakenham Town
CNet Training Suffolk Senior Cup First Round: AFC Sudbury Res v East Bergholt Utd (2.30pm), Kirkley & Pakefield Res v Wenhaston Utd (2.30pm), Brantham Athletic Res v Debenham LC (3pm).
Touchline SIL Senior Division: Capel Plough v Felixstowe Harpers Utd (2.30pm), Crane Sports v Benhall St Mary (2.30pm), Grundisburgh v Westerfield Utd (2.30pm), Haughley Utd v Bramford Utd (2.30pm), Henley Athletic v Achilles (2.30pm), Leiston St Margarets v Claydon (2.30pm), Trimley Red Devils v Coplestonians (2.30pm).