Premier League fans urged to support non-league this weekend with huge benefits on offer

When the Covid-19 pandemic first hit the United Kingdom in 2020, not many could've predicted its overwhelming impact on the nation's public and businesses over the two years that followed. Non-league football clubs were plunged into uncertainty just as much. Still, it's easy for those unattached to say 'it's just sports'.

However, the importance of non-league football clubs in local communities can't be understated. With little funding from elsewhere, their primary source of income is garnered from the support of loyal fans every week.

Covid-19 took that away for a prolonged period, leading to a spike in the risk of clubs going bust across the country. That's where The National Lottery came in, donating a phenomenal £12.5million to help keep clubs afloat and communities alive.

Non-league football is so much more than the action that unfolds on the pitch at 3pm every Saturday. It's the heart of hundreds of towns and cities up and down the UK, and presenter and comedian Alex Brooker learnt all about it when he visited National League North club York City on Tuesday.

Speaking exclusively to Express Sport, he introduced two groups he met at York City and how humbling the day was. Brooker said: "It's been really humbling. This is my first time at York City, and first of all, the setup is incredible for a non-league club. I spent time this morning with different various different schemes that York City are running in the community.

"The first guys I met were from a group called Boot The Blues, and it was a way of men coming together having a kick around obviously, and also talking about their mental health and things like that. And the guys that I spoke to were telling me how much of an important thing it came became for