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For most the last couple of weeks has been an easing back into football. Hot weather, running, ball work, all the usual sights of a non-league pre-season campaign starting to gain it’s traction.
This week will see the friendlies getting underway with the first competitive matches played before the end of July turns into August. Whilst the summer of Euro2024 hasn’t lived up to expectations so far, it’s been a small fix to keep the brain ticking over.
Of course in today’s climate, social media keeps the rumour mill, debate and opinion churning from the moment last season ended until everything is ready to go again.
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Plenty has been made about games not being allowed in June, sensible in my opinion to allow not only pitches but the volunteers who run the clubs a break of their own. Whilst the players know they have May and early June in which to slot in their holidays, everyone else should have the same opportunity plus that little bit extra until July kicks off.
Club admin doesn’t stop during this time either, those of us who haven’t been involved off the pitch won’t generally remember that point nor the ground staff who need every available minute to get a pitch back to the level it can survive nine months of the British weather, or at least try to.
Officials as well clock up a number of matches, some approaching groundhopping numbers taking into account Under 23 and youth games on a Sunday, a deserved rest as well without needing to fill a couple of June weekends with games.
No doubt there will be those to feel they should be allowed to play or officiate, my opinion simply is there are enough games to go around once 29th July comes around until the middle of May, not to mention a whole host of friendlies that will fill most weekday nights of July for those that really crave it that badly.
If the weather holds up nicely then we are in for a great month before the real stuff kicks off. Maybe it’s timely to also mention that it’s not a time to sit there during or after to dissect a performance. Purely there for manager’s to tinker with formations and players, the guys on field honing their fitness and sharpness.
I’m not however saying we can’t mention if someone looks a bad fit within a team after a few games, but then if you’re not seeing his full pre-season campaign it might be a single blip within seven or eight games.
Despite the fact we see very, very few Premier League teams remembering there is a pyramid underneath that actually supports them all from falling down there will be a wealth of games to see, new stadiums to take in or saving some of those until the season properly gets underway.
I am quite undecided as to how many games I’ll pitch up at, I do have a couple however, those being the Pat McManus testimonial match at Brockenhurst to celebrate his 500 odd games at the New Forest club and a week later Horsham vs Woking where the plan is to meet up with NonLeagueHQ founder Matt Cooke and also take along James Goddard, both Woking lads.
It’s actually a good time to get along to different clubs to find out what they’ve done over the summer, who is appearing in their colours and to catch up with as many people as possible around the grounds, less pressure than during the season and more relaxed for most.
So, around one calendar month to go until it all kicks off again for Steps 5 and 6, quickly followed by the FA Cup and then we’re strapped in ready for 2024-25, just the rollercoaster ride that is football……..
