All of us here at ISN are big fans of non-league football. We listen to The Non League Football Show every week and try to catch “the minnows” of the FA Cup on the telly anytime when we can.
There’s just something unique and incredibly special about the non-league game. The same can certainly be said about Nige Tassel’s The Bottom Corner: A Season with the Dreamers of Non-League Football, an offering from Yellow Jersey Press.
You’ll hear about every angle of the game at this level, from the players, coaches, and fans to the volunteers, staff, and even groundhoppers. You’ll hear about teams climbing the ladder and teams trying to stay afloat. You’ll hear about legends of the game, some players from the Class of 1992, getting involved in the ownership of a club.
Tassel accurately depicts the vibe of the non-league game, something that has never been done in a book before. He takes you to the most unique environments, catching great games and not so great games with the true fans of football. This level of football is one of purity and passion where national team players and record-breaking strikers actually want to play there. It’s about players trying to make it in league football, those that already have, and those that never will. The title for this book is spot-on; it is about dreamers of all kinds, connected and united by a common passion and vision.
The reader gets a true “behind the scenes” perspective, one that allows them to really get to know those involved. Tassel takes all of us on a personal journey to find the spirit of the game and we think he finds it over and over again, in every chapter.
This is some of the best writing we’ve seen in 2016, a brilliant read that will restore your faith in the beautiful game. It should be a required text for every football fan and supporter as it gives you a different angle, a different view of the sport we all love. It will definitely change the way you view the game, the way you view non-league football. It’s that good.
