Many of my friends back home have asked what it’s like playing football in England, and until now I’ve had a hard time crafting an answer that sufficiently addressed both the level of play and conditions of English football. I should start by defining English football. I’m not speaking of the high salaried glitz and glamour of the Barclays Premier League or any other top league in England. I’m talking about the dirt and grit of non-league football, the kind of football I happen to find myself playing these days.
Most recently playing for the Des Moines Menace of the United Soccer League’s (USL) Premier Development League (PDL) before coming to the UK, I had come from a very professional environment and high standard of play. It was a big shock moving to a league where teams only trained once or twice a week and the majority of players, having little to no experience playing high level football, have full-time jobs outside of football. A traditional tactic used in these leagues is the “thump n’ run”, a method encouraging players to kick the ball far up the field to their forwards and one that is looked down upon in the world of football today. Some other facts about English football; the fields are almost always waterlogged and mud-stricken, players can virtually say anything to a referee without receiving any kind of disciplinary action and tackles resulting in blood or injury are more common than not. I’ve heard on many occasions, “Ref! They’re takin the piss out of ya!” A saying I believe has something to do with the American term “pulling your leg”, but I still have yet to fully understand the phrase.
Here’s a common non-league tackle, it sets the English football scene pretty well.
Our team is primarily American and since we train every day of the week, we’ve got a big advantage and have developed a playing style much more admirable than those of other teams in the league. Often outplaying teams off the pitch with possession and precision passing, our downfall comes in our size as we are quite small and get bullied when up against bigger opposition.
Eccleshill United play in the Northeast Counties East League (NCEL) Division One, the tenth tier of English football where player’s ages range anywhere from 18-40. The league is pretty competitive, with 6 teams currently fighting for the top two spots and promotion. We’re currently on the fringe of those 6 teams and would probably need to win the remainder of our 10 league games if we have any hopes of being promoted to the NCEL Premier. However, there is a bright spot on what’s been a pretty mediocre league performance. We’ve made a cup final and are in the fourth round of another so there’s still a chance for some hardware.
Throughout the United Kingdom, there are over 2100 non-league football teams, a number that far outweighs the high level professional leagues. With an extremely small number of paid players, the majority of the league is comprised of players who have not and will not ever see a dime for playing. But that’s not what these leagues are about. These leagues are about the passion and love for the game that originally created the foundation of most modern day professional leagues, and that’s 
something I’ve come to admire and respect. There aren’t nicely cut pitches or expensive locker rooms with couches and video games. Just cold, damp rooms lined with benches and showers that barely run. Regardless, we’re all out here for the same reason. Because we love to play the game.
Taylor's Diem 