Football is less of a passion, more of a way of life for Ally McCoist.
The Rangers and Scotland star was an icon for club and country as a player, and he is now a beloved pundit and co-commentator for talkSPORT, ITV, BT Sport and Sky Sports.
Yet, despite his busy schedule, the 59-year-old always makes time for one special part of his footballing life; his local side, East Kilbride FC and that’s why he has teamed up with The National Lottery this week.
“I’ve gone to watch non-league football for years, and I’ll go and watch any football. There’s something magical about that. There’s something real about it,” says McCoist.
“You’re right on top of the action, nine times out of ten you’re watching it 12 feet from the touchline. You feel more involved, you can feel it and hear the tackles going in.
“There’s nobody that loves the Champions League more than me. I love Man City v Real Madrid, Barcelona, Liverpool, I love it.
“However, there’s something real and honest about lower league and local football and the importance of some of these community clubs within the community.
“I used to go and watch East Kilbride juniors when I was a wee boy and now I watch East Kilbride in the Lowland League. I’ll continue to do it for the rest of my life because I love it.”
Non-league football has provided a pathway for the likes of Jamie Vardy and Ian Wright to reach the professional game.
However, it is a club’s role in the community that McCoist points to as being the most crucial aspect of any non-league or local club outfit.
Lockdowns and restrictions in the past two years have impacted teams like never before, with the financial support provided by sales of tickets, food and drinks stripped away.
Since football at this level effectively shut down with the onset of the pandemic, National Lottery players have provided over £12.5 million in funding support to local clubs all across the UK, something that McCoist believes was vital and is recognised with The National Lottery Football Weekends campaign.
He said: “Their value and importance should never be underestimated. It’s so important that these clubs within communities in particular survive, continue to thrive and even build.
“The importance of that £12.5 million during the covid period, it was imperative. These clubs needed it, particularly with no supporters coming into games. It’s a mystery to me how some of them survived.
“Whether it’s the kit man or the person making the sandwiches and the tea, all that stuff that goes relatively unnoticed unless you’re involved in it. These people are doing it free of charge and are doing it for the love of their own club and own community.
“There’s something special about that and we’ve got to support it. It’s vital to support that.”
With fans now allowed back into grounds, The National Lottery Football Weekends campaign is encouraging people to go and watch their local side.
The campaign will make over 100,000 football tickets available on a ‘Buy One Get One Free’ basis to National Lottery players for selected matches in March and April, with 231 participating clubs across the UK.
While most non-league and local clubs will have a loyal group of fans who always come to watch, it is hoped that the scheme will attract a new group of fans.
McCoist said: “The importance of these clubs within small villages, communities and towns, they are part and parcel of people’s lives within these towns and villages.
“They’ll go down and watch win, lose or draw, rain or shine, that’s what they do. They go and support their local team. There’s something real about it.
“I would actively encourage any man, woman, boy or girl to watch their local team and I bet you they would enjoy it. It would give them an opportunity to not only watch football, but meet people within the community as well and support and help.
“There’s something about the team and community that would thrive and everybody would create a real feel-good factor.
“The club’s should grasp the opportunity, welcome it and take it for what it is, and make sure some of these people coming to support you will come back and support you again.”
The National Lottery Football Weekends campaign will make over 100,000 tickets available on a ‘Buy One Get One Free’ basis for National Lottery players for selected matches as a ‘thank you’ for over £12.5 million of funding they helped provide to community football clubs during the Covid pandemic. To find out more visit www.thenationallotteryfootballweekends.co.uk
