Seven months have passed since the echoes of ‘Mull Kintyne’ have reverberated around the City Ground.
Since the nation was plunged into what seems to be an eternal lockdown we’ve seen the reopening of restaurants, cinemas, hotels and even theatres have begun the slow process of welcoming patrons back.
Meanwhile, at 3pm every Saturday there is a deafening silence around the nation’s favourite sport as attempts to return football fans to stadia has only resulted in further setbacks.
However, further down the pyramid, clubs have been given the green light to welcome a back 30% of their capacity.
Teams playing at level eight or below are also unaffected by the new tier 3 lockdown restrictions.
So, although it’s not the same as watching the iconic black and white jerseys roam Meadow Lane there is still football in Nottingham ready to welcome fans back to the stands.
And if the hefty pay per view price is deterring you from watching your favourite players or you just can’t stand that fake crowd noise here is a list of non-league outfits students from each campus can visit from this week:
City Campus:
Basford United FC
Stadium: Greenwich Avenue, Basford, Nottingham, NG6 0LE
Nickname: The Lions
Twitter: @Basfordutdfc
Walk from campus: 50 minutes
League: Northern Premier League (Level 8)
Next Home Fixture: Bashford United vs Alvechurch (31st October – 3pm)
Radford FC
Stadium: Selhurst Street, Radford, Nottingham, NG7 5EH
Nickname: The Pheasants
Twitter: @RadfordFC64
Walk from campus: 21 minutes
League: East Midlands Counties League (Level 10)
Next Home Fixture: Radford FC vs Hucknall Town (7th November, 3pm)
Clifton Campus:
Clifton All Whites FC
Stadium: Norman Archer Memorial, Green Lane, Clifton, Nottingham, NG11 9AZ
Nickname: The Whites
Twitter: @cliftonfc1963
Walk from campus: 25 minutes
League: East Midlands Counties League (Level 10)
Next Home Fixture: Clifton All Whites vs Teversal (7th November, 3pm)
Dunkirk FC
Stadium: Ron Steel Sports Ground, Lenton Lane, Nottingham, NG7 2SA
Nickname: The Boatmen
Twitter: @Dunkirk_FC
Walk from campus: 43 minutes
League: East Midlands Counties League (Level 10)
Next Home Fixture: Dunkirk FC vs West Bridgford (31st October, 3pm)
Brackenhurst Campus:
Southwell City FC (pictured)
Stadium: Memorial Ground, Bishop’s Dr, Southwell NG25 0JP
Nickname: The Zebras
Twitter: @southwellcityfc
Walk from campus: 24 minutes
League: Nottinghamshire Senior League (Level 11)
Next Home Fixture: Southwell City FC v Magdela FC (31st October, 3pm.)
So, although its cold, wet and the less said about the portable toilets the better…it’s still live football – what you waiting for?
And if that hasn’t sold it to you, you could possibly go and watch all these games for the same price as the pay-per-view matches.
By Elliot Ball