With Radcliffe itching to start their season this weekend after completing pre-season unbeaten, Prestwich Heys safely into the next round of the FA Cup and Bury fans filing through the gates again in their thousands at Gigg Lane, it is wonderful to have that excitement in the air across the borough at 3pm Saturday.
Non-league football around the country seems to be going through a resurgence period and I don’t think it is much of a surprise to those who attend Premier League games, or maybe used to.
Let’s not beat around the bush, it is widely accepted that the Premier League was conceptualised with the intention of the big clubs improving their revenue streams through TV rights and this has continuously ramped up season upon season.
It’s fair to say now that the Premier League is by far the best league in the world, but at what cost and for who?
Its very rare you will hear me give praise to Manchester City fans but I take my hat off to a group of fans who boycotted the kick off time of the Community Shield at the weekend.
Kick off was 5.30pm, the latest it has been in its history. Instead, those planning to go gave their ticket money to Manchester Foodbank who received more than £10,000.
Football has always been the people’s game and yet it couldn’t feel further removed from reality.
Whether it be Arsenal players not even making eye contact with the ball boy they are signing shirts for or the introduction of Sunday 8pm kick offs.
As much as we talk about the governance of who owns football clubs, we can't take our eye off the ball of TV companies dictating kick off times and pricing fans out of football.
What parent wants to take their five-year-old to see their heroes play knowing they’ll be shattered for school the next day?
Fans should be at the forefront of the minds of those in charge of football, not money, not big business, not some breakaway “Super League".
We saw during Covid how soulless and lacking football was without passionate fans packing out grounds across the country.
Labour would introduce a statutory regulator for English football, a strong voice for fans, financial regulation to prevent more clubs going bust, and distribution down the pyramid to support lower league clubs. But I hope we go much further than that.
Is it any wonder that pirated streams are on the surge with such prehistoric rules like the 3pm blackout, Sky and TNT Sports charging through the nose and unsubsidised ticket prices.
It doesn’t make it right but during a cost of living crisis I can see why.
For those similarly as despondent, a reminder that although Prestwich and Radcliffe are away on Saturday, Bury are at home, and you’ll be able to share a drink with the striker in the clubhouse afterward.
With that said, I look forward to seeing constituents at The Neuven, Adie Moran Park and Gigg Lane this season.
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