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