Non-League Day 2019: Netflix-watching Norwegians and a novelty sacking
- Published
The Norwegian friends travelled 600 miles to unintentionally play their part in Non-League Day
Rain might have fallen across much of England on Saturday but it did little to dampen the spirits of football fans celebrating the 10th Non-League Day.
With Premier League and Championship clubs on international break the spotlight was on teams outside the top four tiers, with fundraisers and ticket offers bringing supporters through the turnstiles.
And they were not short of entertainment with a touring Norwegian amateur football club, a novelty sacking and our old favourites - non-league dogs - taking centre stage.
BBC Sport rounds up the great and the good of Non-League Day.
Norwegians fall foul of international call-ups
It was said the infamous Netflix series 'Sunderland 'Til I Die' - documenting their 2017-18 Championship relegation season - was not wanted by 99% of the Black Cats players, but it seems to have won them some admirers.
Members of an amateur Norwegian club, The Sagajordet Hellhounds, enjoyed the series so much they decided several months ago to come to the North East to watch Sunderland's League One game with Fleetwood - or so they thought.
Owing to having three or more international call-ups the managerless Wearsiders opted to postpone the fixture, so the Scandinavians, undeterred, instead chose to attend the Northern League Division One game between Sunderland Ryhope Community Association and Whitley Bay.
They even got a mention in the matchday programme: "If we perform and it grips the lads, well, we might have a new squad of multi-millionaire fans on our hands, who get more bang for their buck."
Unfortunately, they were beaten 6-2. Netflix... sign them up!
Travel disruption hits fixture list
Fylde boss Dave Challinor was denied the chance to save his job as Sutton could not get to Lancashire
National League games between Stockport and Dagenham & Redbridge, AFC Fylde and Sutton, and Barrow and Dover were postponed because of a rail incident at Milton Keynes affecting trains.
Solihull Moors against Bromley was delayed and kicked off at 15:15 BST because of the disruption to trains leaving London Euston.
Fylde's postponement came at 12:10 BST and Stockport's game soon followed.
Barrow's match against Dover was called off at 13:45 BST.
In a further twist, just three hours after their game was called off Fylde sacked manager Dave Challinor - who had overseen three promotions and won the FA Trophy during his eight years at Mill Farm.
The announcement was made while they should have been playing, with the Coasters in the fifth-tier relegation zone on goal difference having lost their last four matches.
Dogs win hearts yet again
Clubs up and down the country put on special ticket offers, with Hertfordshire side Kings Langley allowing anyone who brought a canine to their game to pay a concession rate.
Their 4-0 Southern League Premier Division Central win over Rushall Olympic seemed to go down well with their furry friends...
Martha can't look as Stephen Ward scores from the spot for Kings Langley
Gus watched on with personalised merchandise as King's Lynn drew 2-2 with Chester
Arguably the day's quirkiest tale saw AFC Rushden & Diamonds - a phoenix club formed after the dissolution of Rushden & Diamonds in 2011 - offered free entry to any fans wearing traditional Bavarian dress, marking the annual German festival Oktoberfest...
Forward Ben Acquaye (left) and commercial director John Gregory got into the festival spirit
Life's tough at the top
Ram home the advantage. Do not take your foot off the gas. Keep the pressure on the chasing pack.
Things did not quite go according to plan for the National League's top six on Saturday - they didn't manage a win between them.
The three sides at the top of the pile - leaders Halifax, Bromley and Yeovil - were all beaten, as were sixth-placed Torquay.
Barrow's game against Dover was postponed, meaning Woking, who were fifth, gained ground on the leaders despite dropping to seventh after drawing with Barnet. Still with us?
But... oh dear. It should have been more than a solitary point.
The Cards were 2-0 up approaching the hour when Mauro Vilhete made it 2-1. And substitute Ephron Mason-Clark scored a full six minutes into injury time to stop the visitors heading back to Surrey with all three points.
Unconventional...
Untidy...
... but out of sight and unstoppable. Ephron Mason-Clark levels for the Bees