Comment: The true soul of the Isthmian League

So Tottenham Hotspur lost at Wembley- to Juventus, the Italian Champions- and the mainstream footballing media along with half of North London went into mourning. The normally excellent i Newspaper, alongside some comprehensive coverage of the current goings-on at Dulwich Hamlet, reported on this Champions League match with an accurate report which then slipped into the kind of throwaway hyperbole which demonstrates why those of us at Bostik Towers much prefer the Non League Paper.

Reporter Sam Cunningham, describing Juve's second half performance, used the following phrase:

'After the break Juventus adopted the tactics of a relegation-threatened Isthmian League side and started kicking lumps out of their opponents. Chiellini pole-axed Alli as Spurs broke in a challenge that wouldn’t have looked out of place in an MMA fight.'

Any supporter of a relegation-threatened Isthmian side might struggle to recognise the scene that Sam describes. Indeed, anyone who watched Worthing put Billericay Town to the sword on Saturday, or who has watched Harlow Town, Tooting & Mitcham United, Cheshunt, Romford, Molesey or even Shoreham trying to pass their way out of trouble this season may well say that it's a cliched image of Non League football which doesn't bear any relation to the reality of our beautiful game.

Last night Brentwood Town- fourth from bottom of the North Division so undoubtedly 'relegation-threatened'- spent ninety minutes batttling with Premier Division leaders Dulwich Hamlet in the Quarter Finals of the Velocity Trophy. Town, who a few months ago outplayed then National League South leaders Dartford in the FA Trophy before falling to a last minute thunderbolt, didn't feel the need to 'kick lumps' out of their opponents, and indeed matched them for ninety minutes until, in the dying embers of the game, a free kick from Hamlet goalkeeper Corey Addai took a wicked bounce and found its way past Brentwood stopper Anthony Page to put Hamlet into the semi-finals.

The image you see at the top of this article- taken by David Tinkler and reproduced with thanks- shows young Brentwood fan Jessica Conlon moments after the final whistle, offering consolation to the downcast Page. We think it's a far better reflection of what our league is all about that any cliche about Non League cloggers, and would invite supporters of the over-hyped and over-financed clubs at the top end of the professional game to go and watch their local Bostik League club, and perhaps remember what football was like in the days before match tickets cost the price of a four course dinner at a Michelin-starred restaurant on Kensington High Street.

Sam, if you're reading this from i-Towers, we realise that it was a throwaway remark. But perhaps we could arrange for you to come and watch some actual Isthmian League football?

It might just change your views.

Ian Townsend
Bostik League Communications