Welcome back to another TTTONLF meets, we are sitting down with someone who has and continues to spin alot of plates! Ian volunteers at fan owned Fisher FC a Non-league club with strong ties to Millwall FC and has been somewhat of a breeding ground for raw talent in the Non-league scene.

Ian himself carries out a lot of work for the club and is vital in championing the club and attracting new fans to the ground.

That enough from me, lets dive into the questions with Ian!

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Q) Explain your journey into football and specifically into Fisher FC, was there something in particular that made you want to become part of the team there?

I found my way to Fisher on the back of leaving a similar role at Sevenoaks Town in 2013. I had spent a couple there as Programme Editor after leaving college. Having met the Fisher staff and supporters, and travelled to games between the clubs it felt like a good fit, and I knew that at the time there was obviously the longer term aim of getting the club back to Rotherhithe, which was obviously an exciting thing to be a part of.

Q) You are a man who is juggling alot of roles: Fixture Secretary, Programme Editor and Social Media Manager….how do you mamage to find the time to do all of that?

So the jobs in a way all link up. The fixture secretary role doesn’t tend to take up much time, and just streamlines things on the programme editor side as all the info from away sides comes straight to me. The Social Media Manager role is one that I can work on anywhere, and to be fair my commute to and from work gives me perfect time to make a few posts and graphics

Q) Can you walk us through what a typical home matchday looks like for yourself?

Matchdays are a fun one for me, living so far away from the club means a very early and start and a very late finish (leave home at 5am and all being well get home about 1am Sunday). My first job when I get to the ground is to set the club shop table up, then run that and the 50/50 draw sales. I’ll tend to grab a Sharpie Burger from the food wagon just before 2pm so I’ve eaten before it gets busy, and then I’ll get the team sheet graphic done and posted. Through the game I’ll be posting as many updates to X as I can, I’ll admit if we are playing well I do go in to overdrive a little at times

Q) What is it you enjoy about the roles?

Really the enjoyment for me comes from seeing the clubs supporters spending their Saturday watching the team, reading the programme and buying merch. With the programme side of things, and the graphics, it gives me chance to use my College qualifications and be creative

Q) What are your main challenges?

Personally I’d say my main challenges are keeping all my devices charged and working properly.

Q) Fisher are a fan owned club, a model which is slowly becoming more popular, why do you think this is and why is non-league special?

I think the popularity in Non-League and in particular Supporter owned football comes from people feeling that they are part of things and that they can get closer to the action. The staff and players are more accessible in that they’ll have a drink in the clubhouse after the game and chat with fans

Q) What has been your proudest moment since being involved with Fisher?

Proudest moment hands down was the first game back in SE16 and welcoming our fans and newbies in for the first time at St Paul’s

Q) What is your main gripe with fans who talk down Non-League Football?

I think anyone that talks down about Non-League just need to go along to their local club and give it a chance. They’ll be pleasantly surprised

Q) Would you encourage others to volunteer at their local clubs and if so why?

There really is always a job to suit anyone. Whatever your skillset, you can make a real difference

Q) Who has been your favourite play to pull on the Fisher kit?

This one is really tough, because different players bring very different things and shine for different reasons. That said Billy Brown will literally run himself in to the ground for the team. He’s played four different positions at times this season and one thing you always get is effort from him.

Q) Who is your current favourite player at the club and is someone people should keep an eye on?

This one’s easier to answer now the transfer/registration deadlines have passed. I won’t pick an out and out favourite, too difficult. There’s a few to look out for though. Isaac Ogunseri and Ange Djadja have really matured in to their places in the team season and have bright futures (hopefully in black and white stripes for a long time).

Q) What are your hopes for Fisher in the next 5 years and also for you personally?

My hopes for the club over the next five years are to continue to grow both on and off the pitch. We want to see crowds continuing to grow and make sure what we offer as a Match Day is something that people want to keep coming back for. Personally my aim is to drive the club’s Media output to higher standards, get new ideas in to action and help drive things forward.

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Thanks to Ian who took time out of his very jam packed schedule to answer these questions and give us some insight to what he does and the personal enjoyment he takes from the roles he carries out.

Clubs are always on the lookout for talented volunteers who can help grow the appeal of a Non-Legaue club, fancy getting involved? Drop your local club an email and offer your services, you wont regret it.

Until next time!

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