Non-league clubs can offer fans looking to get a live football fix over the international break something different for their money, according to Hartlepool president Jeff Stelling.
While Premier League and Sky Bet Championship clubs are not in action this weekend, with some EFL games also postponed because of call-ups, there is a full programme of fixtures on offer down the pyramid.
As part of this year’s Non-League Day on March 22 – which sees its partnership with Prostate Cancer UK continue for an 11th season – there is an opportunity for fans to get a picture alongside the Premier League trophy during a two-day ground hop around the Essex Senior League.
ONE WEEK to go until #NonLeagueDay ⚽️
We lose a dad, brother, partner or best mate to #ProstateCancer every 45 minutes – that's half a football match.
➡️ Help us raise awareness by using @nonleaguedayuk's Match Finder: https://t.co/Ve52lDZVVz@TheVanaramaNL l @DAZN_NationalLg pic.twitter.com/HVsBmY2QrX
— Prostate Cancer UK (@ProstateUK) March 15, 2025
While trips to the likes of Benfleet or Takeley might not initially hold much appeal for discerning punters, Stelling feels taking a chance to help provide “lifeblood” to the clubs with extra people through the gates will prove money well spent.
“Hopefully, just for a weekend, it puts non-league football a little more in the spotlight,” said veteran broadcaster Stelling, who has been honorary president of Hartlepool since 2015, the north east club currently 15th in the Vanarama National League.
“I know a lot of fans of big clubs hate international breaks, so it is a great opportunity for fans of those teams to just have a little look at non-league football and what it has to offer.
🎟 Still time to grab your @nonleaguedayuk ESL Passport
4 games in 2 days? Are you up for the Groundhop?
Some great games in the @EssexSenior this weekend…and you could see the @premierleague trophy at three of them
We can't wait – let's celebrate Non League Football#ESL pic.twitter.com/lZjSDkB2i2
— Essex Senior League (@EssexSenior) March 18, 2025
“It might well be something they have never thought about doing before, but if they go, they will realise it is a very different, much more all-embracing experience than it is to go and watch a Premier League side.
“This is a chance for people to go along and sample that, and I think for a lot of people, after they do it once, they will go back on a relatively regular basis.”
Stelling told the PA news agency: “Getting people paying to go into those non-league games is significantly more important to those clubs than it is at the top level, because they have got so much funding and sponsorship.
“But at a lower level, attendance money is still really important. It is still the lifeblood of those clubs really, so it is important that people go along.”
During 34 marathon ‘Football Marches’ since 2016, Stelling – who hosted Sky Sports’ Soccer Saturday show for over 25 years – has helped raise more than £1.7million for Prostate Cancer UK and increased awareness about a disease which affects one in eight men.
“Talking to your GP about a PSA (prostate-specific antigen) blood test is a win-win – if you have prostate cancer, it means you can find it early enough and it is treatable,” Stelling, 70, said.
“Also if you get a low PSA level result back, then that is reassuring, so there is sort of two sides of the coin really – and in a way, you can’t lose.”
:: Football fans can check their risk of prostate cancer and find a local fixture to attend at https://nonleagueday.co.uk/
