Fans explain why more and more are now turning to non league instead of watching the higher levels

Fans explain why more and more are now turning to non league instead of watching matches in the higher levels of English football.

Supporters of clubs in the Premier League and EFL are increasingly attending non league matches for a variety of reasons, rooted in affordability, authenticity, community connection, and dissatisfaction with how modern professional football has become.

One major factor is affordability. Ticket prices at top-tier clubs have soared, often making it difficult for families or younger fans to attend matches.

Non league football, by contrast, offers a much cheaper alternative, with tickets frequently priced low enough to be accessible to a broader audience. Fans appreciate being able to enjoy live football without the financial strain, often loving the ability to bring their kids or grab a beer with friends on the terrace, pitchside, between the dugouts of managers where you can have a good laugh at the heated exchanges they have, as a refreshing change from the costly, sanitised experience at higher levels.

Another draw is the sense of authenticity and community. Non league clubs are typically deeply tied to their local areas, run by volunteers or small groups of passionate supporters rather than corporate entities.

Fans feel their presence matters—clubs rely on their attendance and involvement, not just their wallets.

This contrasts sharply with the perception of top-tier football as a commercialised product, where supporters can feel like commodities rather than part of a club’s soul.

Then you have the welcoming atmosphere at non league grounds, where you might chat with players or officials after the game, adds to this appeal.

Disillusionment with modern professional football also plays a big role. Many fans lament the influence of money, VAR (Video Assistant Referee), and what they see as an overproduced, corporate feel at higher levels, arguing that the essence of the game—raw, imperfect, and passion has been lost to endless replays, exorbitant player transfers, and a focus on global branding over local loyalty.

Non league football a return to “proper football” for those who swap higher leagues for lower levels. Non league crowds are often described as friendlier and more approachable, fostering a sense of camaraderie missing from the sometimes sterile or tourist-heavy stands of Premier League stadiums.

Events like Non-League Day (find a match for the 2025 event via their map HERE) have been successful with this, encouraging fans to explore these lower tiers and discover a more grounded football culture.

“To an extent the non-League boom is a positive by-product of an otherwise negative development in English football, with many supporters feeling excluded from the game at higher levels” https://t.co/3yn1hEs3YV

— When Saturday Comes (@WSC_magazine) March 6, 2025

The ‘When Saturday Comes’ wrote a well done piece this week, something Hallam FC praised on social media: “With many Premier League supporters feeling increasingly excluded and priced out by their clubs, down the pyramid there’s an attendance boom

“Sometimes a novelty candidate standing in a general election will come up with a good idea. Such as the one in the 1990s who wanted to demolish out-of-town retail parks and replace them with football grounds. A vision that would have got widespread popular support has still to be realised but lower level football is at least in far better shape than when that proposal was made. Last season’s Championship average of just over 23,000 is more than double what it was 30 years ago while crowds in Leagues One and Two are 50 per cent higher.

“The changes are more marked in non-League. The reorganisation of the levels below the National League in recent times make exact comparisons difficult but public interest in semi-professional football has never been higher. Twelve clubs at step three of the pyramid, the seventh level of English football, are currently averaging crowds of over 1,000 this season, meaning they have more matchgoing fans than some of the teams in the old Division Four before the EFL’s rebranding in the early 1990s.

“Allowing for the identifiable hotspot among Isthmian League sides in Sussex (see WSC 429), the attendance boom is spread fairly evenly across the country. Only one of those step three teams with four-figure gates, Macclesfield in the Northern Premier League, are a former member of the Football League moving back up through the divisions after a financial collapse.

“Many smaller clubs have also discovered ways to boost their profile and turn some of their games into major local events. As everyone reading this will probably know, Sheffield FC and Hallam FC contest the oldest derby in world football having first met on Boxing Day 1860. This fact used to feature regularly in football reference books while the clubs rarely received much public interest. During this century, however, both clubs have made skilful use of social media to promote their history to a global audience. With Sheffield currently in the Northern Premier League Division One East, one level above their rivals, they hadn’t met in a competitive match in over a decade. On a Tuesday night in late January, however, they contested the quarter-final of the Sheffield and Hallamshire Cup at Hallam’s Sandygate in front of a capacity crowd of 1,496, many of them Sheffield Wednesday and Sheffield United fans paying to cheer on two other community institutions.

“To an extent the non-League boom is a positive by-product of an otherwise negative development in English football, with many supporters feeling excluded from the game at higher levels. Season ticket costs continue to escalate, with supporters’ groups at several Premier League clubs carrying out what is now a regular ritual in asking their clubs for a price freeze for 2025-26.”

Read more on what they had to say HERE.

As mentioned, fans reveal why more and more are now turning to non league instead of watching the higher levels…

@HoppersGuide: Non-league football is much more personable. Rather than being a figure in the crowd to look good on the TV, you are actually an appreciated guest in non-league and made to feel very welcome, whichever team you support

@jane36london: It can get hard understanding all the rules around fixture scheduling (moves for tv etc), then the tiers of memberships and loyalty points, ticket sale dates (ages in advance) and rearranging your life to attend with family. Non league keeps things friendly and simple. Win-win.

@Ranny_Blade: The “sociability” of attending these games helps – no anally-retentive stewarding, herding & controlling of those in attendance. A meet-up, a beer (in open view of the pitch) & a sense of community (& no daft segregation) makes this enjoyable – especially at @HallamFC1860

@chorleyawaydays: Crowds at our club are up 300 a match this season. League club fans don’t know each week if their match is being moved for Sky TV. Prices through roof too

@MRietschy: Non league in Surrey is booming, being able to watch a game with your buddies & having a beer is priceless. Getting tickets in London let alone affording them is nigh on impossible! Lovely watching Leatherhead its what football used to be like! 👍

@joeyredeye: We clocked onto this years back. Followed @sheffieldfc home and, within an hours journey, away too. Really enjoyable and hassle free. Major bonus is the pies are occasionally brilliant (Goole/Lincoln Utd). Non-league is leisure experience if you like footy.

@CarpetsDawson: Being able to drink on terraces is a big part of this. As is that great non-league tradition of changing ends at half time. Not so sure cheapness is that much of a factor given the admission prices in the National Leagues anyway.

@themacraecase: Correct! And we do not want the same media clowns who helped ruin top flight football coming into lower league football. Not WSC obvs, but Sky etc and all their bootlickers in the media.

@Browski_uk: Exactly right. Sacked off the Fulham season ticket I’d held for 20yrs a few years ago and don’t miss it. Much more fun watching Leatherhead. Still love and go to Fulham 2 or 3 times a year and watch on telly. There’s a huge difference being part of a local community club rather than a customer of a franchise.

@Boizey: 100% agreed. I love going to watch @LeatherheadFC every week and enjoy the non league atmosphere. Enjoyable & affordable for most fans rather than getting ripped off at Championship and above. Good friends and memories made at non league level 💚

@Browski_uk: Loads of laughs. Lots of good friends. Where else can you have a beer with the players and manager after the game? It’s like a local pub used to be, turn up on your own and see lots of friendly faces to chat to.

@albionroar: It’s not ONLY those who ‘feel excluded’. I retain my BHA season ticket, and still go and see non-league football when Brighton aren’t at home / playing the next day.