Celebrating Non-League football

Image source, Paul Thompson

Away from the glamour of the Premier League, thousands of footballers turn out for their local team week after week.

Scheduled to coincide with an international break, Non-League Day is about giving football fans across the country the chance to show support for their local non-League side. This year it marks its 10th anniversary, on Saturday, 12 October.

The photographers of When Saturday Comes magazine have been documenting the game for the past 15 years and here we present a small selection from their archive.

Image source, Colin McPherson

Image caption, Two Matlock Town fans read the matchday programme before the FA Cup Third Round Qualifying round tie against Eastwood Town at Causeway Lane, Matlock, in 2010. The visitors, from Nottingham, who played one division higher than Matlock, won 3-0 to move to within one round of the FA Cup First Round Proper. The match was watched by 655 spectators.

Image source, Colin McPherson

Image caption, 91热爆 supporters watch the second-half action at the Marine Travel Arena, home to Marine Football Club, as they host Ilkeston FC in a Northern Premier League Premier Division match, in 2015. The match was won 3-1 by the home side and watched by a crowd of 398. Marine are based in Crosby, Merseyside, and have played at Rossett Park (now the Marine Travel Arena) since 1903, the club having been formed in 1894.

Image source, Colin McPherson

Image caption, Two Glossop North End supporters wait for the teams to come out before their club's game with Barnoldswick Town in the Vodkat North West Counties League Premier Division at the Surrey Street ground. The visitors won the match by one goal watched by a crowd of 203. Glossop North End celebrated their 125th anniversary in 2011 and were once members of the Football League in England, spending one season in the top division in 1899-00.

Image source, Colin McPherson

Image caption, Visiting midfielder Jack O'Leary gives his team the lead in the first half at the Brain Boys West View Stadium as Bacup Borough (in black) play Holker Old Boys in a North West Counties League Division One fixture in 2016. Formed as Bacup in 1879, the club moved into their current home in 1889 and have been known as Bacup Borough since the 1920s, apart from a brief recent spell when they added Rossendale to their name.

Image source, Colin McPherson

Image caption, One of the backroom staff acts as an assistant referee at Millburn Park, Alexandria, as Vale of Leven (in blue) host Ashfield in a West of Scotland League Central District Second Division Junior fixture in 2016. Vale of Leven were one of the founder members of the Scottish League, in 1890, and remained part of the SFA and league structure until 1929, when the original club folded, only to be resurrected as a member of the Scottish Junior Football Association after World War Two. They lost the match to Ashfield by 4-3, having led 3-1 with 10 minutes remaining.

Image source, Simon Gill

Image caption, An assistant referee cleans off his boots after the Andreas Carter Essex & Suffolk Border League Premier Division match between Harwich & Parkeston and Barnston at the Royal Oak Ground in 2017. Harwich & Parkeston reached the final of the Amateur Cup in 1953 and played in front of a crowd of 100,000 at Wembley Stadium.

Image source, Paul Thompson

Image caption, Needing a win to guarantee promotion to the top division of Welsh football for the first time, Llandudno took the lead twice against Denbigh Town but were eventually held to a draw, in 2015.

Image source, Paul Thompson

Image caption, The early stages of the game between Burntisland Shipyard and Colville Park in 2017 as seen from the Binn, a 600ft (182m) hill overlooking the town. The Forth Bridge is on the right hand side.

Image source, Paul Thompson

Image caption, A small dog on the terraces at half-time during a pre-season friendly game at Moor Lane Salford, between Salford City and FC United of Manchester.

Image source, Simon Gill

Image caption, Stamford players gather in the bar area after the Northern Premier League game between Stamford AFC and Marine, from the Daniels Stadium. Marine won the game 4-2 in front of 320 supporters in 2014.

All photographs courtesy .