More on KentOnline
More on KentOnline
When Maidstone-based writer Martin Cooper started a diary of the Kent non-league scene last year, he had no idea of what a remarkable ending chapter he’d be left with.
His season of football was cut short – as it was for all of our clubs – by Covid-19. But it certainly gives his Football Matters book a unique feel.
A West Ham season-ticket holder, Cooper has lived in the county for 20 years but – Maidstone apart – non-league football had hardly been on his radar.
Ironically Maidstone was one of the clubs that he never got the chance to see, having earmarked their league clash with Dartford in April.
But fans of those teams who didn’t get a sighting should still seek out this enthralling read where he successfully mixes local history and the game's quirky characters, alongside the matches and grounds themselves.
“I didn’t know what I was going to find out at the grounds but every club had a unique story,” said Cooper.
“I knew all of the towns but I’d only been to Maidstone in terms of football grounds. It was an adventure really and that’s how I wanted it to come across.”
There’s three teams featured that all tried to join the Football League back in the day, the demographic view of a Kent derby between Whitstable and Herne Bay plus the drummer at Margate all come under focus (in a good way, of course).
Cooper takes in a variety of clubs around the county, each with their own tale to tell. He gets the mix between history and football spot-on, the only complaint is that – like the season itself – you’re left feeling short of a game or two by the end. But that’s how the 2019/20 season will be remembered.
He gives a different pair of eyes to grounds we’ve seen numerous times over, and whether it’s the story behind a nickname, the volunteers who make the beautiful game prosper in the Garden of England or the adverts in a matchday programme, you get the impression that it became more a labour of love by the end of the season than he probably intended.
Like fans around the county, he had become hooked. “The whole point of view was to check out the non-league scene in Kent and I came away really impressed. I like that it’s affordable, that supporters can mix without any aggression and they can change ends at half-time.”
There's even a bonus chapter on Gillingham's FA Cup third round tie with West Ham, and you can't begrudge the Hammers fan a trip to Priestfield - even if he left early and missed one of the goals!
The stop-start campaign ahead – for some it is yet to even begin – means book two is on the sidelines for now, but the good news is that a second edition is planned for the 2021/22 season. I, for one, can’t wait.
Football Matters: A journey through a unique season of Kent non-league football is published by Michael Terence Publishing.
