As the National League play-offs reach the semi-finals Tim Fuell and Dave Anderson speak to two managers who steered their sides to second in their division and now need to secure promotion with two more wins

First up Harrogate Town's Simon Weaver, who is laid back, chilled and prepared for the visit of Boreham Wood this Saturday as both sides look to take a further step towards the Football League.

Next, Paul Doswell manager at Havant & Waterlooville with his thoughts on the game ahead and the problems yet to come. Critical of the lack of extra time in these vital games, he also knows by the time matchday comes around he will have done all he can to inspire his side to victory against Steve King's Dartford.

With last weekend's eliminator play-offs and this weekend's semi-finals it was already set to be a busy week in non league but add to that the FAs announcements on FA Cup, FA Trophy and FA Vase competitions for next season and tentative league starts and ends plus the league allocations, there's plenty of Editor at Large of The Non League Paper Matt Badcock to report on the week's review and preview of the paper.

S4 Ep50: 24th July 2020 - Harrogate Town and Havant & Waterlooville

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This week  bumper show and one all about the people and not necessarily the lifting of trophies, despite the time of the season. 



First up a fan who has had a week he will surely always remember but perhaps not for the best of reasons. Dean Knight this time last week was a typical fan helping organise a supporters bus to a play-off chasing match at the weekend. On Saturday evening he was being rushed to hospital 120 miles from home after a bus crash left him and another 15 or so South Shields fans injured and shaken up. Thankfully, everybody survived and are on the mend, but it was the reaction from fellow fans, fans from all clubs even rivals that captured my attention and captured the heart of Dean as the non league football family pulled together. 



Talking about the non league family pulling together. My next guest is a Chairman who has been the focus of some ridicule since coming into the game. However, back to back promotions for his Real Bedford side and new investment from American Billionaires, suggest Peter McCormack might just be onto to something with his non traditional approach.



Rounding it all up is The Non League Paper’s Jon Couch, previewing the National League’s final set of normal fixtures, managerial changes and the scrapping of FA Cup Replays in the proper rounds.






S8 Ep34: 19th April 2024 - South Shields and Real Bedford

First up an experienced manager in possibly the tightest promotion battle across the pyramid. Ware’s Paul Halsey is no stranger to play-off pressures but in a season of some clubs with 5 games per week, he’s got just 3 games on three separate Saturdays left to play in a division when any club from 6 could still pip the title.



Talking about experience, following our love of highlighting the great work done by so many off the field and the many jobs that can entail, we speak again to an old friend of the show Adam Etheridge. From volunteer to full-time administrator he’s now overseeing the off-the-field work at Quorn FC and has a multitude of hats and a multitude of stories about the wonders and magic of non league to tell



Rounding it all up in a bumper week of news too, is The Non League Paper’s Jon Couch, that FA Vase semi-final second leg, final movers and shakers in the National League, fairness for fans, and some managerial moves all in the mix.








S8 Ep33: 12th April 2024 - Ware and Quorn

The beautiful game, the world of Non League football is magical for the people within it. A few years ago the pandemic did its best to impact and tear it apart, but IT came back stronger, we came back stronger.



This season a new force threatens to rip apart our world. A natural force that surely can't be controlled. The weather across the country has played havoc with the playing season. Games postponed, games abandoned, and a fixture pile-up with an FA hardline backstop that leaves many clubs with back-to-back days to play matches to complete the season. We speak to one man who has tried to rally the troops for change. Colne FC is one of those who face a multitude of matches in a matter of days with burdens not only on pitches and players but also on volunteers and fans. Media Man Ben Metcalfe admits he has no answer but knows it is time for change. 



Rounding up the week’s news is The Non League Paper’s Matt Badcock as we hit Semi-Finals fo the FA Vase and FA Trophy and see a multitude of managerial rejigs.






S8 Ep32: 05th April 2024 - Fixture chaos and Colne FC

It is FA Vase semi final time. We open the show with Phil Annets with his @FAVaseFactfile hat on, giving us insight into this season’s competition and the four sides remaining.

Then we head north to one of the clubs involved. This week also has a creative arts feel, so we speak to the media guy putting in the hours to ensure Lincoln United is a club people are talking about up and down the land and across the world. Charlie Fytche is still in his early 20s but already doing great stuff for the world of non league.



Talking about the world of non league, my next guest is a filmmaker but at heart a non league fan too. Jack Spring has made a documentary series about his beloved Grimsby Town’s last magical season back in non league out now on Amazon Prime. It’s driven by the kind of human interest people-led stories that make us love non league and well worth a watch.



Rounding up the week’s news is Jon Couch of The Non League Paper in another bumper show, ahead of an Easter weekend hopefully just as packed with non league action.






S8 Ep31: 29th March 2024 - FA Vase Semis, Lincoln United & Grimsby Town

It’s Non League Day this weekend so we celebrate Non league. I’ve tried to find something for everybody, celebrate the quirkiness, enjoy the camaraderie, and applaud the success in adversity. This is the Non League Football Show and this is Non League.



First up a returnee with 15 games still to play until the end of the season that can’t be extended. By the time you listen to this, that will be 14, because with their own ground not in use due to the International break, the local pro club have offered up use of their stadium to my first guest to help his Step 3 club get through their fixture backlog. Lee Hobbs is very thankful for the support and practical about the job facing Plymouth Parkway in the coming weeks to avoid relegation.



Also returning to the show another statistician, of the like, only Non League creates. It began over a decade ago as a way of providing answers to his own questions as to whether his club could get promoted, now it’s this non leaguer’s and many more’s, go-to resource, as the season draws to a close. A big hat-tip to Peter Miller and his Google Sheets.



Our Chairman this week, could easily have become a clubs in crisis feature when his club lost its long-term financial supporter. However, a strong team of volunteers, a string of community based projects and a desire to improve within realistic budgets means whilst relegation looms from Step 4, other elements of the club are thriving and the long term sustainability of the club is now well within reach at Stowmarket Town thanks to Kevin Blundell and his team.



Helping us round off the show and round-up the week's news, Matt Badcock of The Non League Paper. Titles won and not quite won, managerial moves and plenty more we can read in this week’s paper.






S4 Ep50: 24th July 2020 - Harrogate Town and Havant & Waterlooville

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