Apologies to Sutton fans… I just couldn’t resist!
Joking aside, going to see a semi-professional match does make for a good antidote against all the preening petulance and overpaid hype of the top-level professional game. The pitches are heavy and unhelpfully lumpy, the wind whips over the unassuming miniature stands and everything could do with a new lick of paint. However, the supporters are loyal, the players are dedicated (they’re doing this on a day off from their regular jobs, after all) and there’s an overall sense that everyone’s doing it purely for the love of football.
I’m no more than an occasional observer of Sutton United, but I ought to make a New Year resolution to support them a bit more… local football is a fragile part of any community, always at risk from the encroaching homogenisation of big name merchandising. What’s more, the ground is only about five minutes from my house and the refreshments stall serves the best food I’ve tasted at any football ground.