Last Saturday, we had the pleasure of visiting Leek Town Football Club after an invite from Mat Knight-Burton, the Staffordshire club's community engagement officer, and we couldn't wait to come and see what the club was all about and what it does in the community.
Leek Town play in the Northern Premier League Premier Division, which is step 3 of the National League pyramid, after gaining promotion last season from the Division One West as champions.
At the start of play, The Blues sat in 18th position, one above the relegation zone, and today's opposition, Guiseley, were in 3rd place in the play-offs.
Unfortunately, on the day, Mat couldn't be there due to a family birthday, but we were welcomed by Georgina Chandler, one of the club's directors, who couldn't do enough for us and was a credit to the club.
Before the game, Georgina gave Dan a tour behind the scenes and told us how she got involved with the club.
When arriving at the F. Ball community stadium - Harrison Park, our first impressions were WOW!
What a cracking old-school stadium with a great-looking main stand that had a seated upper tier which seats 600 and terraced lower tier, and full-length terracing on the other three sides of the ground, 80% of which is covered, with a capacity of 3,600 now reduced to 3,200.
All in all a fantastic little stadium.
We are always amazed when visiting a club of the commitment and effort they put into their communities and Leek Town were no exception.
Gary had the pleasure of chatting with Leeks under 8's coaches.
What would football do without people like Wayne and Jamie?
It was great to have our Proper Football Podcast resident ex-pro Nigel 'Cally' Callaghan with us on the day who joined Gary to interview one of Leek Towns' committed and loyal fans, there's no better way to capture the true essence of a club, so it was great that Damon agreed to have a chat with us before kick-off.
Greg caught up with Guiseley supporter Andy before the match, one of the many away supporters who had made the 160-mile round trip down to today's game to find out how their season is going and his thoughts on today's fixture.
It was now time for kick-off with a good crowd of 502 in attendance; the early rain had cleared, and the sun was out, ready for the match, with both teams looking for the 3 points at opposite ends of the table.
We didn't have to wait long for the first goal of the day and it came from Leek Town's Hayden Campbell in the 3rd minute!
Despite the low league position of Leek, they more than held their own and looked the better side for the first 25 minutes, but The Lions levelled things up in the 26th minute with a goal from Jack Emmett.
Half-time rolled around with the game poised nicely at 1-1, and it was time to grab a beer and sample the food; the Blues bar and food cabin were situated behind the large outdoor open space right next to the pitch.
We all agreed it was one of the best pies we had ever had at a non-league ground! And it was wonderful to hear it was supplied by the local butchers and another nod to the community feel about the club.
The second half kicked off, and Leek struck early again with a 51st-minute goal from a Louis Potts header!
Dan took the opportunity to have a quick chat with another friendly Leek supporter who told us why he comes down to watch The Blues.
With Guiseley now needing to find an equaliser they made a double substitution in the 55th minute and it seemed to make a difference with The Lions now gaining control of the game and getting on the front foot but full credit to Leek as they were defending for their lives with the keeper making some good saves, but the prolonged pressure finally paid off in the 88th minute with a scrambled goal from close range by Gabriel Johnson following a corner!
Guiseley were now looking for the winner, but Leek stood firm and hung on at the end. The referee blew the full-time whistle, bringing an end to what was an enthralling game with the spoils being shared and what could be a valuable point for the home side come the end of the season.
Today's point moves Leek Town up a position to 17th, 2 points from the drop zone, and with 10 games to go before the season comes to a close, The Blues have their destiny in their own hands.
The lads gave their summary and thoughts on the game after the match.
We would all like to thank Leek Town for making us so welcome on the day and it was heartwarming to witness and hear about all the work they do in the community and being a hub for the young and old to get together, be it junior football, walking football or all the other great schemes they have going on 7 days a week.
Non-league football clubs play such a pivotal role in bringing people together; it's not only about supporting a football club; it is about people's well-being, fitness, social gatherings, getting youngsters active and supporting the local economy, and it is something that needs championing, and Leek Town are a perfect example of this!
A big thank you again to Mat for the invite, and we will be doing a separate interview with him very soon to go more in-depth about the role he plays at the club.
We wish Leek Town and Guiseley all the best for the future, and if you would like to watch the highlights from the game here they are courtesy of Leek Towns' official YouTube channel.
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