The landscape of non-league football is one of the most peculiar in the entire sport. The mixed bag of supremely talented players who lack the dedication to make it to the top level and the hardworking individuals who aren’t quite good enough to step up always makes for an interesting dynamic.
As a fan, there’s an element of excitement when attending a game lower down the pyramid. There’s no way of knowing what you’re going to get. You go knowing there’s every chance that the match fails to deceive, but on other occasions, there’s a surprisingly pure aspect to the whole thing.
However, unlike the higher echelons of the footballing system, the security at these matches is significantly lacking. Usually, a supporter can hurl insults at the players with no repercussions. But at non-league games, there are no barriers or stewards to keep you safe, as an unsuspecting fan recently found out.
Read: Kidderminster boss reveals Declan Rice showered with his players after FA Cup tie.
Non-league player makes vile threat
On March 8, Biggleswade United made the trip to Lutterworth Town for a classic lower league match-up. The away side struck first blood and held out until half-time. But as the players headed back to their dressing rooms, chaos ensued.
A supporter made a remark to one of the players, who reacted furiously. He approached the supporter, squared up to him and unleashed a verbal assault. However, in his anger, he forgot that the match was live-streamed to 15 fans on the internet.
He said: “Shut your fu**ing mouth. F**k off. You what? I’ll f***ing do you now, lad. I’ll f**ing do you now, you little pr**k. What, What, come here.”
As security dragged him away, he couldn’t resist shouting over one last insult.
He added: “You talk to me like that, and I swear to God, I will bite your nose off.”
To make matters worse for Biggleswade, they ended up giving away their lead and drawing the game 2-2. But regardless of what the result was, the main talking point from the match was the staggering threats of violence made by the player. Irrespective of what the supporter said, making threats of that extremity is simply unacceptable.
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