An extract from a feature on Non-League Finals Day. Please see Shortlist for the full feature.
Another Stockton fan offers his thoughts on what makes non-league so enjoyable, compared to the much-hyped Premier League fan experience. “It’s not having to shell out £30 or £40 for a ticket. It’s camaraderie. It’s standing on the sidelines and being able to talk to the players as they’re warming up. It’s seeing them in the bar afterwards.”
He’s with a former Middlesbrough season ticket holder who fell under the Stockton spell. “I got far more satisfaction out of this season watching Town because you have that empathy with them. There’s not that distance between people. The lads are there because they want to play football.”
Ben Hopkins 