So, I have realised that it has been quite some time since Through the Turnstile launched and I havent officially introduced myself to you all! Therefore, I asked friend of the Turnstile, Darren Ashley, to compile some questions to help introduce myself.

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Darren – Christian, tell us a little about yourself.

Absolutely! I am 32 years old and I have been a lifelong football fan since I can remember. In my day to day world I work as a Marketing Manager, living with my partner Emma and our furry son Jak – he is the best thing to have happened to us, a pure bundle of happiness and love.

In my spare time, I edit podcasts for people/businesses, edit matchday highlights for Cranfield United and, of course write, and run ‘Through the Turnstile’.

I am also very passionate about charity fundraising and volunteering.

Two of the largest activities I have organised were a 12 hour football marathon for MIND which raised £700 for the charity, and the other event was a Charity Football Tournament ‘The Cross Park Charity Cup’ where 6 teams battled it out to be crowned champions. On the day, there was also food stalls, crafts stands, animal encounters and so much more – it was a mammoth task to arrange but so worth it as we raised £1300 for ‘Last Chance Animal Rescue’ and ‘The Red Eagle Foundation’ (£650 per charity). You can always count on me doing a charity sweepstake or raffle inbetween all of these too!

Darren – What is your earliest football memory?

Wow, now that is a tricky one! I think the stand-out memory for me is going to watch Gillingham with my dad.

We always used to stand in the Rainham End (when standing areas were a thing!) and I was always treated as a king when I arrived – everyone knew me by name and everyone always made sure I had a clear view of the pitch!

Going to The Gills was a constant for years. My Grandad was also always there, watching from the Gordon Road Stand with his trademark bobble hat hanging off the top of his head – I always had to pull it down for him after the game. How it kept him warm, I don’t know!.

I have some amazing memories but standing on those Rainham End slabs is definitely up there. My dad has one of these slabs in his garden – he bought it when the stand was rebuilt into an all-seater (he’s not a thief guys!).

I think you will be able to guess that this photo was taken before the Gills v Manchester City match…. memorable, but for all the wrong reasons! Still bitter about this to this day to be honest..

Darren – What do you love about Non-League football and how did it all begin?

I started working with non-league clubs during my day-to-day job when we were looking to connect with some different businesses in the community and, me being a huge football fan, immediately zoned in on the local football clubs.

I started working a lot with Chatham Town and quickly became enveloped in their world. I got to see just how much they do, not just on the pitch but also within the community, and how good a matchday experience was. I think people often presume that non-league football is of a lower quality but I quickly got to experience that wasn’t the case. Not only that, but the overall facilities and warm welcoming you get from all of the staff was a very stark contrast to what I was used to experiencing at Gillingham and what it had become over the years; a lackluster matchday experience with no warmth, the near-on impossible challenge of being able to get warm food at half time and zero thought being given to the fans.

During this time, I started to attend more and more games and quickly become drawn into the non-league world.

The more I saw, the more I wanted to learn. I’d watch videos, read online content, stories etc. to help me understand the non-league scene more. It was during this deep dive that I kept reading more and more articles about fans that had turned away from Premier league and EFl teams to follow their local non-league teams. I was very interested to find out why and hear more about their story – this was the match that lit the fire.

I then wrote an article on ‘The Rise of Non-league football’, Included in that was examples from all around the country where people had turned to non-league for many different reasons.

The Rise of Non-League Football

I hugely enjoyed writing that article and found the stories from people fascinating. The article gained a lot of traction and positive feedback which was overwhelming really. The comments also solidified what I had written about – that Non-league football is special.

Darren – What gave you the idea for producing Through The Turnstiles?

The idea came off the back of the ‘Rise of Non-league football’ article I wrote. It made me realise just how many amazing clubs were out there doing things that tons of people maybe weren’t aware of. It made me think, I wonder what goes on through the turnstiles of these clubs and voila – the concept and name was born!

I wanted to make a difference to non-league clubs and give them the exposure which I know is both extremely hard to get in such a crowded market, and also so very warranted.

My partner Emma was amazing support and continues to be with new ideas and suggestions of what could work whilst also pointing out my ideas that just don’t work. One recent suggestion however was not so welcome…”Oh you do know that if Gillingham get relegated this season you’ll be able to do a feature on them” yeah thanks for that Emma!

But, to be a part of this community is incredible and I am so grateful to everyone who has shown their support.

Darren – What were the initial challenges about getting TTTONLF off the ground?

The challenges were initally with myself – I didn’t know exactly how i wanted the features to look and if to keep them brief, or to have them a long winded, so I settled on somewhere in between!

I knew I wanted to use WordPress as I had already used it previously for a very, very casual blog site I used to have called ‘The Chubby Sportsman’. Very self-depreciating I know!

I suppose the biggest concern was not knowing what the appetite would be like for this type of content and how it would be received once it was released. Thankfully it was, and continues to be, positive which is lovely and very reassuring!

Apart from that, I was confident in setting up the Facebook page and had no real shame in asking anyone and their dogs for their opinions and help with what they would like to see included in the articles!

Darren – Initially, how did you go about contacting clubs and fans for their input?

Once I had worked out the look and practical side of the website, I then compiled a small list of clubs I was interested in covering and got to work! I introduced myself via email, explaining who I was, what I wanted to do and also some questions which would help shape the whole feature. Some of these I still use today!

I have asked a few times in some forums for suggestions for some clubs to feature and have actively tried to work with a whole host of these suggestions, some successfully and some unfortunately not (yet).

Just as a side note – I actually write all of these articles and features remotely. I work alongside some amazing people at all of the clubs to compile and understand the club inside and out, whilst gathering some key photos and information from them, their website and other sources in a kind of Sherlock Holmes manner. I do it this way so I can cover anyone and everyone no matter where they are based. As much as I would love to be able to do these interviews in person, I unfortunately do not currently have the funds (or time because of my day job) to be able to personally get around to all of these teams.

Darren – Clearly, TTTONLF has become very popular in a very short space of time. Are you now starting to be contacted by clubs themselves asking to be featured?

To hear you say it is popular sounds crazy to me! I still have the same worries today that I did nearly a year ago when this all started. To know that people like the page and the content is what makes it all worthwhile. I know that sounds a bit cheesy but it’s true! The popularity of the site/page/content is mindblowing and I am just honoured to be able to help the clubs and the non-league community in providing something of value.

Darren – How did you go about advertising your site?

I haven’t actively advertised the site all that much in the traditional sense. I have relied on the power of social media and word of mouth. My main growth tool has been targeted posts in supporter groups of the clubs I have featured, as well as my family and friends sharing and spreading the word.

The truth is, the clubs have been my biggest advertiser – all of them have massively helped me just by simply sharing the features on their own social media pages to some hefty followings.

As I work in Marketing, I understand that there is no magic button and that if you keep consistently producing good content in a timely manner, then the advertising will take care of itself – we live in a content world now and in order to stand out you ultimately need to produce something that people trust, enjoy and can be relied upon.

I do need to give a massive thank you to ‘The Taray Group’ who really supported and believed in me before becoming my sponsor. It is this sponsorship that allowed me to make improvements to the overall productivity and functions of my website in order to benefit the reader and improve what I can offer.

Darren – You have now launched some merchandise. How is that going and do you have any plans to release more lines?

Yes! The pin badges were a no-brainer really. I had been contacted by numerous people asking when I was going to make the logo into a badge so I got the ball rolling and ordered over 100 of them. It’s, again thanks to the sponsorship of Taray Group that I was able to action this so soon. I am over the moon with how they turned out – thanks to ‘Terrys Badges’ for producing them.

The last time I checked, I think I was down to the last 15 badges which is just incredible!

£5.00 delivered (Butterfly press pin, 26mm, Black and white enamel)

The other item is the branded T-shirt. Originally, I only ordered this for myself to see what it would look like. A few people then spotted it and asked me when I was releasing them. I had no plans to at the time but then interest grew and another project ensued! With some help to work out the practicalities and process of this, the t-shirts launched on the website and I am currently into the final 24 hours of taking pre-orders!

£15 each including delivery

If you did want to grab yourself a TTTONLF t-shirt of your own, drop me a message on Facebook or via the website – THE LAST DAY TO DO SO IS TOMORROW! 11.59PM – SATURDAY 7TH SEPTEMBER.

In terms of future merchandise, there are no set plans but it’s been very encouraging with how popular merch has been so far. I’m always thinking ahead so I do have some ideas in mind, but I am always open to suggestions for what people would want to see!

There is one product that has been inquired about multiple times so I am looking into samples of these… but we shall wait and see!

Darren – And finally, where do you hope to see TTT evolve to in the future?

What a big question that is! It is a question I have already asked myself and given some serious thought to. I want the website to continue featuring all of these amazing clubs and shine a light on the brilliant work that they do. In doing this, I hope that it encourages others to go there there and experience it for themselves.

Id like to revisit some of the clubs over time to see how they compare to their initial coverage, for example, Cray Wanderers who have, this season, who have finally been able to move out of their groundshare into their own stadium. It’d be great to hear how this has gone for them.

There are two big ticket items I would like to do in the next 6-12 months, one of which is a Through the Turnstile Magazine. The other is still in the very early planning stages and would be a longer term project.

I’m always planning new ideas and trying to work out how to bring them to life. I run this page solo so it is a balancing act of what I can produce regularly to the standard I would like to read myself, whilst at the same time, working out how I can further the brand.

I am really excited, and somewhat overwhelmed, by the ambition of it all but I love a challenge and I say, bring it on!

Darren – Thank you so much for your time Christian, and best of luck with this fantastic Non-League website.

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I want to say a massive thank you to Darren for giving up his time to put me under the spotlight and for the great work he continues to do on his own channel.

Until next time!

#TTTONLF

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Parks to Pitches (2nd edition) – a dedicated Non-league magazine brought to you by Through the Turnstile of Non-League Football! 

Bringing you the best stories, interviews, and insights from the world of Non-league football, Parks to Pitches is your new go-to for everything Non-league!

Grab your copy here: https://tttonlf.square.site/