(Football news) On the weekend of March 23, Athletic Club will celebrate its second edition of Euskal Non-League day, an event designed to recognise the fundamental work its affiliated clubs throughout the Basque Country do in serving their communities and producing players for Athletic Club’s first team.
Euskal Non-League Day was inspired by the British version, which was founded by James Doe in 2010 with the aim of using international breaks as a means of promoting attendance at lower-league football stadiums throughout the United Kingdom.
As a tribute to the British event and the role English football played in Athletic Club’s origins, the club have collaborated with the seven active English non-league sides that have taken on Los Leones at some point in their history: Civil Service FC, United Hospitals FC, Eastbourne Town FC, Bromley FC, Merton FC, Dulwich Hamlet FC and Corinthian-Casuals FC.
The Bilbao-based side has sent each club a flag to hang up at their respective ground and a retro jersey to raffle off among their fans. In return, the aforementioned sides have sent a flag of their own for Athletic Club to use during its Euskal Non-League Day events and later donate to AC Museum.
Athletic Club will also be publishing a series of articles on its website about its historical encounters with those English clubs in Bilbao.
The features on the English clubs will be published in chronological order based on the date of their first match against Athletic Club:
- Monday 18th: Civil Service FC (morning), United Hospitals (evening)
- Tuesday 19th: Eastbourne Town FC
- Wednesday 20th: Merton FC
- Thursday 21st: Bromley FC
- Friday 22nd: Dulwich Hamlet (morning), Corinthian-Casuals FC (evening)
Athletic Club shares several historical links with British football. The sport was brought to Bilbao by English sailors and miners, one of the club’s 33 founding members was an Englishman named Alfred Mills and several British footballers played key roles in Los Leones’ first triumphs.
In the early 20th century, English amateur clubs spread the sport of football far and wide, taking on clubs all over the world, including in Bilbao. Visits from these teams typically sparked great excitement throughout Bizkaia – the province in which Bilbao is located – and thousands of fans would flock to Jolaseta, and later San Mames, to watch Athletic Club lock horns with their English opponents.
The club are also encouraging Athleticzale – Athletic Club fans – to attend one of the following matches if they’re in England over the weekend of March 23-24
- Civil Service vs Old Carthusians. March 23, 13:00 GMT. King’s House Sports Ground
- Eastbourne Town vs Shoreham. March 23, 15:00 GMT. The Saffrons
- Merton vs Winchmore Hill. March 23, 14:00 GMT. Joseph Hood Recreation Ground
- Bromley vs York City. March 23, 15:00 GMT. Hayes Lane
- Bognor Regis Town vs Dulwich Hamlet. March 23, 15:00 GMT. Nyewood Lane
- Corinthian-Casuals vs Badshot Lea. March 23 15:00 GMT, King George’s Field
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