Welcome back everyone to another TTTONLF meets. This time we are sitting down with Matt Badcock who is an editor at the Non League Paper.

Now the Non-league paper is a source of information for so many of the non-league community and the work that they do really does help bring non-league football into the mainstream. I personally am very much in favour of printed media and still insist on printed newspapers, books and magazines so I am really pleased that we have the option to buy a printed newspaper dedicated to the lower levels of our wonderful game.

In this meeting with Matt, we discuss how the paper started, what the challenges have been and currently are and what the plans for the future look like, lets get stuck in!

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Q) How did the Non-League Football Paper first get started, and what inspired its creation?

The NLP first hit the newsstands back in 1999. 1280 issues (and counting) later we are still here. Our founder, David Emery, was a hugely respected and well-connected journalist, who had been sports editor of the Daily Express for many years. He loved the thriving Non-League scene and felt there was a space in the market for a weekly publication that gave in-depth coverage to football outside of the Football League.

In that time we’ve seen how the Non-League landscape has completely evolved in structure, professionalism and resource. But, at its heart, the game is very much the same – deeply rooted in community and watched by people who love feeling part of something.

Q) In an age of digital media, how does the paper manage to keep traditional printing alive and thriving?

It’s a challenge for sure. In recent years our production costs have risen substantially. And, even in the 15 years I’ve been at the paper, the way football is covered and consumed is vastly different. 
Of course, we’ve placed more emphasis on our digital products – for example, in addition to a digital replica of a hard copy of the paper that goes live at 00:15am on a Sunday morning, the entire content of the paper is automatically uploaded to our website.

But our focus at the start of the week is always to produce the best edition we possibly can by the time we go to print on a Saturday evening.

There is still an appetite for physical newspapers. People like to feel it in their hands and turn each page. There’s something about being able to pour over all the results and tables in one place on a Sunday morning.

Q) Covering such a wide range of non-league teams and divisions must be a challenge—how do you ensure that every corner of non-league football gets the coverage it deserves?

It’s an almost impossible task. Non-League is such a broad church and there is so much going on all over the country every week. That’s one of the parts I love most about the job. The fact we get to speak to people in every nook of the country who all have their own unique stories to tell. We have a basic structure to make sure we are covering stories from every Step and, between the editorial staff, we are very conscious of making sure we get a good spread of both levels and areas of the country. 

Q) What’s the editorial process like for selecting stories each week, given the sheer volume of games and events in non-league football?

It’s not easy because there is so much going on and so many clubs deserving of the coverage. We love Non-League football and all read the paper before we worked here so often we will think: what would I love to – and expect to – read this week?

Of course, the general narrative of the season helps. At the moment we have a big focus on the FA Cup and that will soon give way to running up to the busy festive period. In the new year the culmination of the season will quickly be upon us and that always delivers great stories. Through the summer we have space to cover a wider range of stories alongside the annual articles such as club allocations.

Q) What’s one of the most memorable or surprising moments you’ve experienced while working for the paper?

There’s been so many incredible moments and a privilege to have a front row seat for so many different stories.

Probably the most memorable, however, is Lincoln City’s epic FA Cup run in 2016-17. The first game I saw was their away tie in the third round at Ipswich Town – the fans made an incredible noise as they secured a famous draw. 

But the Imps went onto win the replay before beating Brighton & Hove Albion at home. In the fifth round they were drawn away to Premier League Burnley. I remember getting in my car at about 6am to head up to the north west for the lunchtime kick off expecting to report on their incredible journey coming to an end.

But when Sean Raggett squeezed in a late, late winner to send them into the quarter-finals it was a pinch me moment. I think I actually swore when the ball hit the net!

Most will remember they were drawn away to Arsenal in the quarter-final. It just seemed remarkable to be covering a Non-League team in the last eight of the FA Cup.

Danny and Nicky Cowley were always brilliant with us at the paper going back to their Concord Rangers and Braintree Town days. We managed to organise taking the FA Cup trophy to Danny’s house for a special feature with the two brothers and their mum and dad.

I also won’t forget the time England C went to Albania. The day before the game the sun was shining and we sat out on the hotel’s sun deck. An hour before the game there was a torrential downpour and the streets flooded. When the water started coming up through the dressing room floors the chance of a game disappeared. All that way and we didn’t see a ball kicked!

Q) How do you balance covering the on-pitch action with stories about the community and grassroots nature of non-league football?

A lot of the time they go hand-in-hand. We see with FA Cup stories, for example, how much those moments mean to communities.

While the action is often the forefront, we love to tell as many different stories as we can and that’s by making sure we shine a light on all aspects of Non-League football.

Q) With so many non-league teams, what’s the key to making sure smaller clubs still get their time in the spotlight?

Again, it’s a real challenge. We’d love to have unlimited pages and resource but the reality is we can only cover so much.

Yes, we report on some very big football clubs but because we love Non-League football so much we are always keen to give a wide variety. We are always paying attention to the content we are producing and making sure there is a real balance and mix throughout the levels.

We cover every single round of the FA Cup, FA Trophy and FA Vase and we have picture games throughout the leagues which really helps ensure as many as possible get their deserving headlines.

Q) Have you noticed any unique trends or changes in non-league football since you first started working at the paper?

The media output from clubs is incredible compared to when I first started. Back then it was club websites and message boards. Now clubs have thriving social media platforms, produce video packages, interviews with managers, podcasts. On top of that, there are so many great people online giving different areas of the game the coverage it deserves. It’s all made for a much stronger Non-League.

Clubs throughout the Steps are increasingly run like businesses, where they generate income throughout the week and not just on matchday.

Q) What’s your favourite part about reporting on non-league football compared to higher tiers of the sport?

It’s much like the experience of going to a Non-League game on a Saturday afternoon – you feel part of something. Football at the highest level and the interactions with the media are stage managed. In Non-League football you can phone a manager directly and have a good chat.

Clubs are willing to open their doors to help tell their stories. The access is fantastic.

For me, that also helps with accountability and ensuring we have a high class reputation for fair and balanced reporting. We’re not faceless journalists just bashing out pieces from behind a computer. We are on the ground building relationships with people. 

Q) What are some of the biggest misconceptions people have about non-league football that the paper aims to correct?

I think it’s changing as more people come into contact with Non-League football but it’s not the stereotypical hoof ball some people might expect. The days of the past it ex-professional standing in the centre circle passing the ball about or overweight centre backs with no pace are gone. The games are absorbing, the football is really good to watch, the players really look after themselves and there are some brilliant coaches who are tactically astute.

We try to make sure our coverage is as professional as possible and never patronising.

Q) If you could interview any non-league football figure from history, who would it be and why?

I watched an awful lot of Non-League growing up because my dad was involved in the administration side of the game. I also used to watch Farnborough Town with my mates. One of our favourite players was Dennis Bailey. He once scored a hat-trick at Old Trafford for QPR and he was still quality when he came back to Farnborough later on his career. I’d enjoy having a chat with him.

Q) How do you handle the challenge of covering non-league football with such a limited number of journalists and resources compared to mainstream sports media?

The beauty of the paper is the collective effort from people all over the country who send in their 220 or 120 word reports each week. Some are journalists, club volunteers or general Non-League lovers. They are the charm and heartbeat of the paper. We also have a wonderful band of freelance photographers, who take so many wonderful images and capture iconic moments. They all help us tell the remarkable stories each season.

Q) What’s the most fun or unusual feature you’ve ever published in the Non-League Football Paper?

I’ve been really lucky to cover England C all over Europe and even further afield in places like Bermuda and Jordan. It was in the latter we had an afternoon with Syrian and Jordanian refugees. It was a powerful afternoon watching young kids who had suffered unimaginable events, running around playing football with smiles on their faces.

The players took a huge amount from it. Many of that England squad went onto play in the Football League and, in the case of Andre Gray and Luke Berry, the Premier League.

Closer to home, I once spent the day with Step 2 referees at their summer training camp. At one point I was handed the whistle and cards to see how I dealt with a specific scenario. It was not easy – a point I hopefully made in the subsequent feature.

Q) Have you ever been surprised by how passionate non-league football fans are, and do they influence the stories you decide to run?

Never surprised. The passion of Non-League football fans – and NLP readers – is quite incredible. I am also always aware there are people who know far more than me about the game. If our readers get in contact pointing out a story we should run – or one we haven’t given enough attention to – we will happily do so.

As we’ve said, it’s so hard to spot everything. We are a small team so we rely on people to point us in the right direction too.

Q) If you could take the Non-League Football Paper on tour to cover one dream match anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?

It’s easy to forget how unique the English football Pyramid is. There are four-figure crowds in the tenth tier! It’s amazing how many people attend a football match in this country every weekend.

I’d be really intrigued to see for myself the similar levels in other countries. Covering England C in places like Slovakia, Hungary, Poland, Estonia. Czech Republic, Belgium and Latvia has also appealed to the traveller in me. I’d love to watch some ‘Non-League’ games in those countries too.

Q) What are the big plans for the future of the non-league paper? 

Covid was a hard time for everyone, including ourselves. Over an 18-month period we had about six weeks of football where everyone throughout the Steps played games.

We were so proud of the coverage we gave throughout that time but it did take a bit of bouncing back from. Now we have we want to take our coverage of the game to new heights. That includes more digital content with the paper at the heart.

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A massive thank you to Matt for giving up his time! I appreciated the work that the team at ‘The Non-league Paper’ did beforehand but after speaking to Matt I really do have a new sense of gratitute and frankly respect for the sheer volume of content that they prouduce and oversee as a team on a weekly basis.

Amazing insight and behind the scenes knowledge from Matt and also very interesting to hear how the whole non league scene has changed and how it has become more professional in its operation and output but yet maintained its sense of availability and openness.

Non league football is magic and I am thankful for the Non League paper and all that they do to help provide people with content and information whilst at the same time promoting its qualities to the masses.

Until next time!