Pete points the way as grassroots football gets set to return
Despite news breaking late last week regarding a potential return date for grassroots football, many of the region’s club had already begun training and compiling their pre-season programme ahead of the new campaign.
Non-league enthusiast, and friend of Yellow Sport, Peter Dudley, has been particularly pro-active during the latter part of the lockdown period, documenting the progress of our Essex Senior, Eastern Senior South, Essex Olympian and Essex Alliance League teams, compiling and constantly updating a list of pre-season warm-up matches, handing fans and groundhoppers all the detail they require for their footballing fix.
With supporters still unable to attend Premier League, EFL and the upper echelons of the non-league game, the grassroots game offers an interesting alternative, although due to the continued issue with coronavirus, there are still some restrictions in place.
“It’s great news that non-league football is coming back, it has given me and many other enthusiasts a huge lift,” Dudley told Yellow Sport.
“We need the grassroots game back. Many people rely on the clubs and the games for community involvement and well being too.
“The clubs need to be playing to exist so this news is a big positive during a tough time for everyone.”
The FA has stated that spectators can attend matches at step 7 and below, as long as they don’t stand in groups of more than six people. Further guidance is given to Step 5 and 6 clubs, where you pay on the gate at http://www.thefa.com.
Peter’s compiled grassroots pre-season fixture list is as follows;
Saturday, August 1
Basildon Town v Barnston
Basildon Town Reserves v Lakeside United
Bush Hill Rangers v Brimsdown (TBC)
Chingford Athletic v West Essex
Custom House United v Glendale
Debden Park v Dagenham United
Guru Nanak v Sporting Bengal United
Harold Wood Athletic v Laindon Orient
Harold Wood Athletic Reserves v Rayleigh Town Reserves
Hatfield Peverel v Rayleigh Town
Leigh Town v Manford Way
Pitsea Town v Corinthians Reserves
Runwell Sports v Clapton CFC
Wakebury v Herongate Athletic
Tuesday, August 4
Manford Way v Barkingside
Springfield v Enfield
Tiptree Heath v Holland
Wednesday, August 5
Buckhurst Hill v Chingford Athletic
Chadwell Heath Spartans v Sporting Bengal United
Saturday, August 8
Academy Soccer Reserves v Lakeside United
AS Rawreth v Wakebury
Basildon Town Reserves v Tilbury Youth
Brentwood United v Dagenham United
Brentwood United Reserves v Dagenham United Reserves
Buckhurst Hill v Coggeshall United
Bush Hill Rangers v Clapton (TBC)
Chingford Harriers v Glendale
Corinthians v Rayleigh Town (TBC)
Custom House United v Newham Royals
Hackney Wick v Redbridge
Harold Wood Athletic v Stansted
Harwich & Parkeston v Mersea Island
Hutton v Rayleigh Town Reserves
Little Oakley v AFC Sudbury XI
London Colney v Ilford
Manford Way v Bishop’s Stortford Swifts
New Salamis v Hoddesdon Town
Old Southendian v Chingford Athletic
Punjab United v Sporting Bengal United
Runwell Sports v Springfield
Runwell Sports Reserves v Springfield Reserves
Shenfield v Laindon Orient
Wakering Sports v Herongate
Wormley Rovers v Sawbridgeworth Town
Tuesday, August 11
Aveley Reserves v Bishop’s Stortford Swifts
Sporting Bengal United v FC Hamlets
Harold Wood Athletic v ACD United
Harwich & Parkeston v Barnston
Manford Way v May & Baker
Needham Market Reserves v Little Oakley
Saturday, August 15
Ashingdon v Wakebury
Basildon Town v Sawbridgeworth Town
Basildon Town Reserves v Manford Way
Brimsdown v Ilford (TBC)
Chingford Athletic v Cuffley
Custom House United v Lymore Gardens Reserves
Debden Park Vs Glendale
Felsted v Bishop’s Stortford Swifts
Hackney Wick v Sporting Bengal United
Harold Wood Athletic v May & Baker
Herongate Athletic v Springfield
Lakeside United v Ramsden Scotia
Little Oakley v FC Clacton
Manford Way v Harold Wood Athletic Reserves
March Town United v Ongar Town
Melbourne Sports v Redbridge Vets
Oxhey Jets v White Ensign
Pitsea Athletic v Corinthians Reserves
Rainham Working Men’s Club v Dagenham United Reserves
Rayleigh Town v White Notley
Runwell Sports v Hutton
Runwell Sports Reserves v Hutton Reserves
Unitey v Dagenham United
Ware Sports v Buckhurst Hill
Tuesday, August 18
Bishop’s Stortford Swifts v Wormley Rovers
Burnham Ramblers v Rayleigh Town
Hutton v May & Baker
Wednesday, August 19
Buckhurst Hill v Manford Way
Thursday, August 20
Punjab United v Ilford
Saturday, August 22
Basildon Town Reserves v Ongar Town Reserves
Bishop’s Stortford Swifts v New Salamis
Brightlingsea Regent v Coggeshall United
Buckhurst Hill v Barking
Burnham Ramblers v Ilford
Collier Row v Manford Way
Custom House United v Chingford Harriers
Dagenham United v Belfry
Dagenham United Reserves v Laindon Republic
Emerson United v Glendale
Harold Wood Athletic v Toby
Harwich & Parkeston v Basildon United
Herongate Athletic v Rayleigh Town
Galleywood v Wakebury
Kent Football United v White Ensign
Lakeside United v Leigh Town Reserves
Little Oakley v Brantham Athletic
Manford Way v Canning Town
Old Parkonians v Chingford Athletic
Runwell Sports v Old Southendian
Runwell Sports Reserves v Leigh Town
Southminster v Corinthians Reserves
Sungate v May & Baker
Wakering Sports v Laindon Orient
Tuesday, August 25
Harwich & Parkeston v Earls Colne
Manford Way Reserves v Bishop’s Stortford Swifts
May & Baker v Stansted
White Ensign v Sawbridgeworth Town
Wednesday, August 26
Chingford Athletic v Epping Town
Thursday, August 27
Little Oakley v Stanway Pegasus
Saturday, August 29
ACD United v Manford Way
Buckhurst Hill v White Ensign
Bush Hill Rangers v Bishop’s Stortford Swifts (TBC)
Chingford Athletic v Belle Vue
Custom House United v Rainham Working Men’s Club
Dagenham United v Every Man Matters
Dagenham United Reserves Vs Melbourne Sports
Epping Town v Wakebury
Galleywood v Herongate Athletic
Glendale v London Park City
Harwich & Parkeston v Stanway Pegasus
Kent Football United v Ilford
Leigh Town v Rayleigh Town Reserves
Little Oakley v Hatfield Peveral
May & Baker v Redbridge
Old Barkabbeyans v Lakeside United
Rayleigh Town v Billericay Town U23
Runwell Sports v Harold Wood Athletic
Runwell Sports Reserves v Harold Wood Athletic Reserves
Springfield Reserves v Canning Town
West Bergholt v Springfield
Saturday, September 5
LTD Vets v Corinthians Reserves
Summers v Melbourne Sports
