Saturday 7 October, 2017, marked Non-League Day in England, an event which celebrates football beneath the top five tiers of the English football pyramid and encourages Premier League fans to visit semi-professional and amateur clubs in their local area.
There is a strong relationship between non-league football and the Premier League that has been built over many years.
Many Premier League players have risen to the elite level from non-league clubs, while others have continued their love of the game by playing or managing at non-league level.
Below, some of the players who made it from non-league to Premier League, such as Chris Smalling, Ben Foster, Sam Clucas and Jordan Pickford, speak of the valuable experience it gave them.
There has long been Premier League investment into helping the non-league game develop through the Football Stadia Improvement Fund (FSIF) and the Premier League & The FA Facilities Fund (PLFAFF).
The FSIF is fully funded by the Premier League and is the country’s largest provider of grants towards projects that help improve the comfort and safety of lower league football grounds in both the professional and amateur game.
In the past 12 months, more than 100 non-league clubs have benefitted from FSIF funds. We highlight some of their stories.
How FSIF has helped non-league
Rusthall on a level playing field with PL investment
Ampthill Town looking up thanks to new clubhouse
New facilities helping Felixstowe & Walton
From non-league to Premier League
Non-league to Premier League XI
Chris Smalling at Maidstone United
Ben Foster on Racing Club Warwick
Sam Clucas at Hereford United
Jordan Pickford at Alfreton Town
Craig Shakespeare at Telford United
Steve Cook at Eastleigh