Page 4 - The Deal Round Up - April 2019

Brazil Show An
Interest In Our
Non-League Game
by Matt Badcock
A TV camera crew from Brazil popped into NLP offices last recently.
They were keen to see and look at a different side of English football, they wanted to know
why we enjoy covering the Non-League game so much, what makes it different to the higher
echelons and just how do we get the paper out for a Sunday morning for a documentary.
Of course, Brazilian football has many of its roots in English football and the bond for many
fans has even led to pilgrimages to this country. Corinthian Casuals are seen as the forefathers
by fans of Corinthians in Sao Paulo and the Bostik Premier club will often have visitors turn up
out of the blue to see the ground and see if they can purchase a scarf in their famous colours.
It’s easy to forget what a source of intrigue the English football system is. Unrivalled anywhere
in the world, the Pyramid is the cornerstone of this country’s
game.
The opportunity – albeit with a fair amount of cash – to go from
bottom to top. Or vice versa.
Yes, there are lots of intricacies and there are often frustrations
at all levels – particularly with the slow drip of money that comes
down from the top – but we should be hugely proud of what
we have.
Non-League football allows you to get closer to the game.
The chance to mingle with the players after,
feel like your presence at the ground really City Awards
matters and the pennies you spend vital for
keeping your club going. It’s to be part of
something Awards and Engraving
From a journalist’s point of view there are so Corporate Awards and Gifts
many wonderful stories to tell each season
that the only problem is managing to fit them
all in. Covering the whole country is a chal- • Bespoke awards
lenge but one we all relish.
And it all feels much more intimate. I’ve cov- • Repair & re-plating
ered games at big grounds and it’s fantastic. services
You might get a hot meal beforehand, the
WIFI works great, the press rooms are warm. • Discounts available
But I enjoyed covering an FA Vase semi-final • Website design
while sat in a disused open air dug-out, um-
brella perched to keep my laptop dry and the • Design and print
chance for a Wroxham player to make sure • Logo design
we all knew he meant to score the free-kick
that looked more like a cross and bounced a
couple of times before ending up in the cor- Tel-Fax: 01227 738 090
ner! Mobile: 0755 336 0754
Looking through the attendances each week
serves only as a reminder at how passionate www.cityawards.co.uk
football fans in this country are for ‘their club’.

4