Welcome back to another TTTONLF meets Jacob Bould a volunteer for Kidsgrove Athletic, now as we all know Volunteers are the absolute lifeblood of Non-League football as a whole.

At just 16 years old when most are just happy to go to school and not have too many commitments outside of that, Jacob is putting aside time at the weekends to help his local club and give back to the community he lives in. Lets find out what his matchdays look like and why he chose to give up his weekends. Lets go!

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Q) What is your early memories of football as a child?

My earliest memory of football was probably watching Stoke City vs Aston Villa at home in the 2015/2016 season.

Q) Who did you go and watch, was it the club you now volunteer at?

I used to watch Stoke City until they got relegated (and other reasons), then my Grandad and my Uncle Phil were volunteers at Kidsgrove Athletic so me and my dad decided to join them after Covid.

Q) What made you want to volunteer your time?

I had nothing to do on Saturdays and I really wanted to get back into football so I watched Kidsgrove then I just got asked to do a few tasks on matchday and now I volunteer every home match.

Q) What’s does a matchday look like for you, from start to finish?

Me and my dad arrive at the Autonet Stadium at about 10.45. We sort out the sponsor boxes with their matchday pies, gravy and peas. We then start food for customers and then we open about 1.30. After this, we stay open until after half time and we then close and start prep for the players’ food and collect plates and other stuff from the sponsor boxes. Once we have finished serving the players we shut for good, clean up and leave about 6.30.

Q) What’s the thing you enjoy the most about volunteering?

I enjoy volunteering as it gives me a break from anything that’s going on such as school work. Watching the matches gives me that 90 minutes to get an escape from reality.

Q) What motivates you to come back week on week?

What motivates me to come back is the appreciation you get and also your not just a fan, your apart of the club, you see and do things that no one else does. Non league clubs lack volunteers and most if not all clubs need volunteers.

Q) Do you personally feel more connected to the club now that you volunteer?

I definitely feel more connected to the club as I said you get to see and do stuff you don’t see as a fan. It’s the behind the scenes stuff that you get to do that makes you feel apart of the club.

Q) Non league football has seen a huge rise recently, why do you think that is?

Non league football is so much better than the football league. In terms of food, atmosphere and sometimes the grounds are better than some league 2 stadiums. The way the game is played is better, there’s no VAR no rolling around on the floor for no reason it’s proper football. People who support big clubs only because of their big name need to support their local. Most areas have a football club within a 10 mile radius of anywhere of any level.

Q) What are your hopes for the club moving forward?

Hopes of Kidsgrove Athletic moving forward would be to be a team that pushes for promotion and reaching playoffs.

Why should people volunteer their time at their local club?

Local clubs are always after volunteers and we need more of them. The more volunteers the better, there’s always something that needs to be done, whether it’s a big task or something simple. Besides, if you volunteer down your local football club you get appreciated, I certainly did this season. Small things you do on a matchday make games happen and that’s why you should volunteer down your local club.

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Thanks to Jacob for his ongoing commitment to volunteering and helping out the community of football we all love.

If you are ever interested in volunteering for a local club of your own then I would say, having read this interview with Jacob….go for it!

Thank you once again everyone….Until next time!

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