Antony Leech’s family has Non League blood running right through them as dad Alan played for several clubs and granddad Sid Sykes is engrained in Ashton United’s history. The Shelley captain and former long-serving Emley utility player has carried on his family’s tradition and he’s seen a lot during his 14 years playing Non League read more→
Danny Buttle, a magic maker for many and an hilarious pranksters to others. Former Handsworth and Bridlington left winger Buttle is a man of many talents. He can a cross a beautiful ball into the penalty area for strikers to score from. He can impersonate Shaggy and he does a brilliant Barnsley accent which has read more→
The life and soul of it. That maybe sums up Craig Marsh, a man willing to have a wrestle with Mick Norbury while fitting PVC windows. Rob Ward loved Marsh’s presence in the changing room after a game. Dave Watts might not say the same considering the shock he got one morning in a Sheffield read more→
Not many players can say they were on the bench in an FA Trophy Final at Wembley literally eight weeks after paying £16 a week to play for Reckitts in the Humber Premier League. Serial promotion winner Tom Nicholson, the former Bridlington Town and FC Halifax Town ‘keeper, can. The goalkeeper answered Billy Heath’s call read more→
Chris Dolby is a football trailblazer on several fronts. He is recognised as the English Football League’s first professional footballer. Having served as a player and manager of Sheffield FC, the world’s first football club, he is currently the director of their foundation. As part of his remit, he’s taking the the club all the read more→
Jody Barford is liked by everyone he meets. The goalkeeper lives and breathes Non League Football and he has enjoyed a career spanning 20 years. He’s not a tracksuit collector as some make out. He’s had structured career with long spells with Tadcaster Albion, Brodsworth, Ossett Albion, Retford United and Brigg Town (as joint manager read more→
Amjad Iqbal. What a man. What a player. Iqbal never played professionally, but represented Pakistan ten times at International level and in World Cup qualifiers. A fine achievement, considering he started playing at 13 in Bradford, and he remains a role model for aspiring footballers in the Asian community. He also has a claim to read more→
To say he is regarded as one of the top and most popular managers in the NCEL, Jason Dodsworth’s route to the dugout was very unconventional. Even the top managers take untraditional routes though. André Villas-Boas’ coaching pathway began with him putting a note under former England and Newcastle United manager Sir Bobby Robson’s door read more→
Brighton manager Graham Potter spent considerable amounts of his early managerial career chasing Chib Chilaka around trying to get to his signature. Potter now has £20 million man Neal Maupay leading his attack, but back at the turn of 2010 Chilaka was his jewel in the crown, his goal machine for promotion-chasing Leeds Carnegie in read more→
Fasten your seat-belts, Joe Thornton’s here. Thornton provides an almost autobiographical epic blockbuster account (longer than a university dissertation) of a Non League career centred around his key moments and people. During a career containing highly amusing anecdotes to very poignant times, Thornton, who started at Ossett Albion, celebrated magnificent triumphs with Shaw Lane Aquaforce, read more→
