General Non-League/'lesser' leagues - not looked at enough?

[Grumpy Git]

That wouldn't be the case anymore!

Indeed, painters and decorators charge a bloody fortune

 

[OxShireWest]

Lots of players from Oxford city in a similar boat where they have been offered pro contracts elsewhere but when it comes down to weighing it up they were better off staying at Oxford city part time. Being part time offers the player the opportunity to work/run a business alongside playing football. This not only can be more beneficial but the player has something to fall back on if their footballing career ends.

I believe Oxford city will be 1 of only 3 or 4 in the national League part time next season, but that doesn't mean they are nailed on for relegation, they have been defying all odds the past 3 seasons where they have finished 1st (COVID halted league at the time and voided the season) , 4th and then 3rd this season all with a budget matching the bottom half of NLS.

I've watched City a few times this season and Zac McEachran is the one that could comfortably be a league 2 player.

But let's be real... how many of these footballers own successful businesses or make big bucks from their day jobs?

Average UK salary is just over £30k, so unless semi-pro footballers have above average paying jobs at higher rates than the rest of the public it'll probably be similar. Offer a non-league player £1k-1.5k a week plus bonuses, signing on fee etc and the vast majority of the time it'll be a better financial package than that of what they're receiving playing part-time with a day job - and it's still cheaper for the club (considering average L1 wage is estimated at £4700+p/w, plus higher bonuses etc).

 

[Marked Ox]

But let's be real... how many of these footballers own successful businesses or make big bucks from their day jobs?

Average UK salary is just over £30k, so unless semi-pro footballers have above average paying jobs at higher rates than the rest of the public it'll probably be similar. Offer a non-league player £1k-1.5k a week plus bonuses, signing on fee etc and the vast majority of the time it'll be a better financial package than that of what they're receiving playing part-time with a day job - and it's still cheaper for the club (considering average L1 wage is estimated at £4700+p/w, plus higher bonuses etc).

Part time players aren't paid peanuts to play football nowadays at the top end of semi pro teams. So it'll be a wage on top of already good money in circumstances where they are already secure.

For example, I've heard of semi pro players earning £800-£1000 a week to just play football. So none football wages on top. These aren't in high numbers of players afaik but they do exist.

 

[Rainbow42]

National League and National League North and South players are constantly being scouted by EFL clubs.Youngsters released by academies or released after poorly paid 1st year pro deals can be earning decent money but more importantly playing highly competitive matches and learning their trade.
In my opinion if a 21/22 year old can play 30 to 40 games a season in the National League it won’t be long before he is EFL bound.

 

[OxShireWest]

Part time players aren't paid peanuts to play football nowadays at the top end of semi pro teams. So it'll be a wage on top of already good money in circumstances where they are already secure.

For example, I've heard of semi pro players earning £800-£1000 a week to just play football. So none football wages on top. These aren't in high numbers of players afaik but they do exist.

They of course exist but it's a rarity. Even the richest of men wouldn't be silly enough to be paying a squad of 20+ £1k a week when club sponsorships are probably only valued at a few thousand a year and they struggle to get a couple of hundred through the gates every other week.

There's no such thing as a 'cheap' permanent transfer in football, but singing from non-league/lesser leagues is the closest you'll get.

 

[Swaby39]

I agree, I think the gap between non-league and League 2 is actually getting smaller by the year.

It is. I think it’s largely a result of not enough movement between the two divisions. 2 up and 2 down is poor, particularly when the non-leagues are attracting good quality investors that want involvement in football. They’re all queueing up, getting more aggressive to the point that the top half of the NL would already make a decent go of L2, paying that level of wage anyway and in the case of Wrexham and Notts County, I think they’d both survive in L1.

Something needs to be done about it - holding on to EFL status should be earned. If you’re in the 4 worst teams out of 92, you deserve to lose your spot to someone ready to do more with it.