The reasons I love non-league actually have very little to do with the football, which is lucky for me really as being a Canvey Island fan hasn’t been easy in recent years.

My first ever match was an Essex Thameside Trophy semi-final against Southend in the 1998/99 season.

I went with my mate ‘Goose’, both excited that we could watch the mighty Southend United from the game Championship Manager.

Expecting the glamour of watching a professional football team, we stood by the corner flag and watched Southend win 3-0 while the Canvey substitutes took turns urinating against the wooden perimeter fence in the corner of the pitch next to where we were standing.

This almost never happened on Championship Manager, and it was at this moment I realised non-league wasn’t football as I thought I knew it.

The following season, we were regulars at home matches and going on the coach to away games halfway through the season. It was on these smoke-filled coaches that I would meet some great characters and make some lasting friendships.

‘Fred The Bugle’ would infuriate the home fans with his out of tune blasts on his brass instrument, seeming to take encouragement from the abuse he received.

‘Stan The Dustman’ would celebrate an away win by turning the nearest bin upside down in retribution for all the time he spent clearing rubbish up during the week, often being thrown out immediately afterwards.

I don’t think the Premier League is cut out for the likes of Fred and Stan, but non-league football welcomes them with open arms and tries to sell them a golden goal and a Bovril.

I love switching ends at half-time so you can give the goalkeeper grief for a full 90 minutes.

I love the ‘Ginger Sex God’ Steve Ward vaulting the fence and coming to sing with the fans after a 1-1 draw at Lowestoft on a Tuesday night.

I love that we used to conga around the ground when we scored five goals.

Most of all, I love that nearly 20 years since that Southend match, Goose and I still go to games together.

We don’t stand by the corner flag any more though.