Washed out (of business)? The untold story of the weather’s catastrophic impact on English non-league football

Record rainfall may not affect Premier League clubs with pristine pitches, but it could prove fatal for grassroots teams faced with week-upon-week without a single game.

Saturday afternoon. Thousands of football fans get prepared to hit the pubs and make their way to support their team. Whilst for many this is a standard Saturday, in the winter months, this can become a luxury for fans of non-league football teams.

Newcastle Benfield celebrating victory| Jay Nicholson

Whilst in the last five seasons only two Premier League games have been called off due to the weather, in non-league, teams have gone weeks and months without a game, causing havoc for these local, community-based clubs.

One of these teams is Newcastle Benfield of the Northern League Division One, who only played two games in the first six weeks of 2026. This has led to a fixture backlog later in the season with the club now often playing twice a week, putting significant strain on players and management who also have to work to pay the bills.

But in non-league football, it’s not just the players and coaches taking the hit.

THE IMPACT

“The catering team have to buy stock and some of that stock won’t last. So, there’s that. You have staff who come in volunteer to work. We have the bar staff who’s on the books, they’ll plan their hours and shifts for that and then last minute the games cancelled so it’s just a knock-on effect. People rush from home to get here earlier to do other things. You know, when I work away, I used to leave working away early so then you lose income. So yeah, it’s not one person who takes all the hits. There’s about in any club, probably 10-15 people are impacted,” chairman Craig Bell said.

Whilst Premier league teams are bankrolled by lucrative TV deals and mega-rich owners, non-league teams rely on revenue from selling tickets to keep the club going.

“[Newcastle] Blue Star for us is a great derby. You know, we can get up to 300 plus on a Saturday. You play Thornaby [midweek] and the gate was 57. So, it’s a huge difference. It’s a huge difference and you have to sympathise with the fans and clubs.”

Whilst Benfield have been impacted by the weather, as any non-league club has, some have been impacted much more than others.

Last month, Tiverton Town, who currently find themselves bottom of the Southern League Premier Division South, announced they would be reducing their playing budget due to the loss of revenue after having to move games from a Saturday to a Tuesday due to the weather.

Newcastle Benfield in a rainy game against Birtley Town| Jay Nicholson

Bad weather also brings more work for the groundsmen of these teams.

“Bad weather heavily affects what we can do on the pitch. We can work in light rain, but as soon as it starts affecting ground conditions there is not a lot we can do. Frost is slightly different but it still has the same effect. If the pitch even has a slight bit of frost on it, it’s a no go for us. Even just walking on frozen grass will snap the plant and cause it to die,” Elliot Marshall, deputy head groundsman at Morecambe FC explained.

Marshall also explained the difference between between ground staff at non-league level and the Premier League.

“I think our job will be completely different to grounds staff at higher league clubs. We haven’t got a fully constructed pitch like other clubs and haven’t got the budgets that they do. All grounds staff however will be affected by the weather, that’s something we can’t control. But their pitch will be able to cope better with the weather due to better drainage or things such as lighting rigs or under soil heating to clear frost easier.”

Is there a solution?

Whilst the bad weather massively impacts non-league clubs, and extreme weather is showing no signs of slowing down, it asks the question, is there a solution to all of this? Can the FA do more to help and support these teams?

Well Marshall believes they already do.

“I do think non-league clubs get enough support when it comes to dealing with the weather. Every club will have a different budget for their ground staff and it’s then up to the grounds team on how they use that budget.”

Bell, on the other hand, believes things could be done differently.

“There is pitch funding out there. You have to go through the system, you have to apply and you have to also have money to add to that. So, you know, I can’t say they don’t do nothing, but it’s still hard. You still have to add money as well, which for some clubs, it can be a push. The FA I think, you know, they’re getting better, but we need to get more fans through the door, we need better pitched and yeah, it’s, again, it’s working with them and getting it right. Yeah, they do help, they do support, but I think things can be done differently. “

One potential solution could be a winter break.

Many major footballing nations such as Germany and Spain already have a winter break and it is an option that could be very beneficial in helping lower injury rates, getting games on and helping non-league teams get fans through the gates.

However, there could be a potential backlash from fans if the festive period is impacted, as well as by broadcasters with Sky and BBC already raising concerns about scheduling difficulties.

Newcastle Benfield prepares for kick off| Jay Nicholson

So is there a solution to help save non-league football if the weather continues to disrupt the season, well, not as of yet, however, it’s a debate which will be and needs to be brought up much more.