The History and Importance of Hanwell Town and Non League to the future of English Football

Whether it’s the National League or your local Sunday league team, grassroots or non-league football is one of the many cogs continuing to spin in English football. Without these levels of semi and non-professional football, we would not have the global powerhouse clubs that we see in the Premier League today. 

The English Football League was founded in 1888 by William McGregor, consisting of 12 teams, which when compared to today's system of the top 8 levels of football having leagues with no fewer than 20 teams, seems miniscule. But this system would help shape the world of football we watch, discuss and consume today. 

I personally reside in London, where the vast amount of football clubs and leagues makes me wonder if there is a stadium near me at every tube station I exit, with football fans making conversation in virtually every pub in the capital. On matchdays, I will see flocks of fans from clubs of every level strolling proudly in their team colours and brimming with confidence (and slight drunken cockiness). Results will determine supporters moods for the week, and create heaps of topics up for debates on fan created YouTube channels, podcasts or just classroom arguments that following Monday morning. These different coping mechanisms and bragging opportunities are key to the long term future of the beautiful game at every level, especially with the rise in popularity and money that we see with the Premier League every season. 

A lot of the survival of non league football is down to volunteer work from local communities, with the FA revealing that over there are over 400,000 helping run football clubs every year, whether that be chairmen or simply fundraisers. They help to stop these community run clubs from collapsing and consequently killing the sport people live to play and watch every week.

Another great example of support that helps clubs like Hanwell Town is non league day, an annual event every October that offers a platform for fans of Premier League teams to discover a non league match to watch while the international break halts the usual schedule. The official website [http://www.nonleagueday.co.uk/index.html] gives supporters a map to see their closest non league team to watch that weekend, as well as options to help spread the word to others.

So, with football fans across the country adoring the sport at every level, it is more important now more than ever that fans of huge football clubs recognise the sheer value that semi and non professional teams have in the football ecosystem, despite not being where the big bucks are.