I spoke to this veteran Nottinghamshire football lover to learn just how difficult it is to run a non-league club

For those who haven’t come across this delightful simulation, it’s essentially a bitesize version of any quality football management game that allows you to whizz through and play it on the go no matter where you are.

As fun as it is, it’s rather unrealistic and all too easy to take your local Step Five side all the way to Champions League glory in front of sold out stadiums week in week out.

Of course being a real-life non-league football chairman is far more challenging than that, with budget worries, lack of crowds, losing players at a moment’s notice and many other scenarios guaranteed to cause a headache.

It’s a challenge that Andy Saunders is more than familiar with since he, along with former Mansfield Town directors Darren Bland and Steve Hymas, formed AFC Mansfield back in 2012.

“There’s challenges in all football, but it’s been an enjoyable time,” reflected Andy. “The biggest challenge for AFC Mansfield, and probably all non-league teams, is getting people through the gate.

“In this area we suffer from the fact that we have a lot of teams at non-league level and it is hard. Financially, at our level of football, players want to be paid - they don’t play for nothing. Unfortunately you look at the money that is being spent on players in the Premier League and it trickles all the way down to our level and, to a certain extent, it is killing it.”

The fledgling Bulls, whose first ever game was against local rivals Rainworth, began life in the Central Midlands League’ North Division.

They now find themselves playing in the Premier Division North of the United Counties League, where they have been since 2022, in what has been a fascinating journey so far.

It’s an adventure that the football-loving 70 year-old naturally holds very dear with the early successes down at the Forest Town Arena club still as fresh as ever.

“We had some success in the first couple of seasons when we were in the Central Midlands League, we won a cup in the first year and promotion in the second,” says Andy.

“It has been good. We had one season where we got promoted to the Northern Premier League, but unfortunately we didn’t stay in it due to my personal circumstances and my father being seriously ill so work wasn’t done on the ground to stay in the league.”

Now the former Stags director is keen to see more of the local community pop down to games and help the club he loves to continue to thrive.

“What do you do about getting more people to come down and watch non-league football? I've not got a crystal ball and don’t know.

“What you can’t keep doing is reducing prices because the club has got costs, refs to pay for, players to pay for, hospitality to pay for. It is difficult.” said Andy. “We have tried to do things in the past like half price entry for season-ticket holders at Stags, Forest and Notts County, but it doesn’t particularly work.

“I’m not quite sure why, but it doesn’t work. Whether people are interested in non-league football I don’t really know.

“If they actually came down and saw it and watched non-league football I think they would enjoy it and cost wise it’s not particularly expensive. It is not easy running a club.

“If people came to watch the games they would get enjoyment out of it. You get close to the players and there is a good atmosphere, it’s just thoroughly enjoyable.

“It would be nice to see more people supporting the non-league clubs in this area. We need more people to come through the gates and support the clubs.”

Tickets to watch AFC Mansfield are currently priced at £8 for adults, £6 for concessions and kids are free with an accompanying adult.