Fans Enjoy Their Non-League Fix...But Restrictions Start to Bite

Reflective, perhaps, of the country as a whole at this moment but there is a very mixed picture across the non-league scene at present.

Two clubs who have featured heavily on these pages over the years show how the current situation can be turned into a positive.

Hitchin Town secretary Roy Izzard writes an informative weekly bulletin on the club website and this week's update brought positive news about attendances with 523 at the recent game against Leiston, a fixture that Roy estimates would have brought in 350 last season as supporters of local Premier League, EFL and National League clubs look for live football to watch.

The benefits to the club of selling tickets online are also made clear.

My local club, Hallam FC, are also experiencing sell-out crowds of 300 with tickets for this Tuesday evening's visit of AFC Emley being snapped up in under an hour as I write this on Sunday evening.

But, and it is possibly a bridge for Hallam to cross if here in Sheffield we are placed under Tier 3 restrictions, the season in the North West is becoming more fragmented.

The FA Trophy tie between City of Liverpool FC and Cleethorpes Town did not take place on Saturday as the visitors made a decision not to travel for the fixture, a situation that may become more commonplace over the weeks and months to come with more areas coming under the highest set of restrictions. 

A statement on the City of Liverpool FC website explains how last week's changes to the government guidance affect who can attend games but as their landlords Bootle FC make clear, in a piece on their website about what facilities they are allowed to offer, 'operating the club with these limitations is not sustainable forever'.