Tony INCENZO
IN an unprecedented initiative to promote grassroots football, the first ever Sunday League Day (SLD) will take place on Sunday, March 24 2024.
It is the brainchild of Paul Gutteridge, chairman of Caversham United FC in the Reading & District Sunday League. He hopes interested parties around the country will buy into his idea which is piggybacking on to the weekend of Non-League Day.
This might well lead to enhanced appreciation for Sunday League circles with increased sponsorship and advertising forthcoming to clubs.
Gutteridge said: “Non-League Day has been a big success, superbly driving people along to Saturday sides during the international break weekend.
“However, it became apparent to me that Sunday League wasn’t really the focus of Non-League Day. Therefore having a co-ordinated event like Sunday League Day opens up another tier of football to spectators – including those who haven’t experienced it before – by offering them something different.
“The overall objective is simple. To raise the profile of Sunday League. To get people out of the house on a Sunday morning cheering on their local grassroots team. Matches ae usually staged in public locations so it is free to watch while fresh air is magnificent for physical and mental health.
Sunday clubs definitely value seeing supporters present. Encouraging attention for Sunday League will only help to grow our beautiful game in the purest form and ultimately boost participation too.
Goodwill
“My message to potential punters is simple: turn up, watch the stripped back football and enjoy! Sunday League is way more accessible now. The internet has fixture lists on The FA Full-Time web site and clubs are embracing all those popular social media platforms to share details.
“In terms of Sunday League Day itself, my aim is to give teams an occasion to entice and welcome newcomers along. At Caversham United, we will likely have a printed programme available and some type of refreshments. We actively raise money for charity so we may sell match tickets for a worthy cause. Though no physical entry barriers mean tickets would be merely goodwill gestures.
“Staggered kick-off times across SLD would create larger attendances. But we face challenges in using facilities and officials from the women’s 2pm fixtures and also junior football.”
There is a widespread common impression Sunday League is just for pub teams witnessed by ‘two men and a dog’. So I asked Gutteridge what the matchday environment is actually like.
He said: “We endure many misconceptions dating from a previous era. Don’t get me wrong, there certainly still are pub sides. And it is great they are able to play competitive, structured football.
“Even
