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Learn English Through Football Podcast: Non-League Football
In this football language podcast we look at some language from non-league football, including ‘capacity crowd’, as well as some football language from some of the recent 2026 World Cup qualifiers, including ‘turn the ball into the net‘. You can read the transcript for this podcast below, while you can also check out our glossary of footballing phrases here and visit our site to access all our previous posts and podcasts. If you have any suggestions or questions then you can contact us at admin@languagecaster.com.
Non-League Football
DF: You’re listening to the Learn English Through Football podcast.
Hello everyone and welcome to the show for all those who love the beautiful game of football and who want to improve their English. My name is Damian and I am based in London where the weather has been not too bad recently – we really are in Autumn as the leaves are changing colour and the temperature is quite cool here! What’s the weather like where you are?
Now, apologies for the delay in posting this podcast – I have been really busy at work; as indeed has Damon, the other member of the Learn English Through Football Podcast team. And he, of course, is based in Tokyo, Japan. And we’ll be hearing from Damon later on in the show as he talks about the recent (2026) World Cup qualification match between Japan and Australia, while I will be talking about some language linked to non-league football here in the UK, which also includes a short interview with another non-league fan.
Stinger: You are listening to languagecaster.com (in Japanese)
DF: That message was in Japanese and we’ll have some more stingers or messages from different fans around the world throughout today’s show. Try and guess what languages they are.
Stinger: You are listening to languagecaster.com (in Vietnamese)
Non-League
DF: OK, let’s talk about non-league football and to help us here are a couple of words that might be useful with understanding:
- Football Pyramid: This describes the football structure in British football with the best teams playing at the top (that’s the Premier League), the next best teams in the Championship and so on right the way down to level nine. So, in total there are hundreds of different teams around the country.
- Amateur football: This is football in which the players are not paid to play – they…they do it completely for fun.
- Tiers: The name for the different levels of football (and divisions is another name for this). That’s T-I-E-R_S.
Stinger: You are listening to languagecaster.com (in French)
DF: Right, let’s talk a little about non-league football. First of all, I will explain a little about what is meant by non-league football before a short interview with a Walthamstow FC fan and finally I will be looking at some language from a recent game that I went to in the seventh tier or level of English football.
So, what do we mean when we talk about non-league football here in England? The top division is, of course, the Premier League and then there are three more divisions below that; namely, the Championship, League One and League Two. These three divisions or tiers form the English League and they all have a promotion and relegation system which decides the teams that will play in each division each season.
The first ‘non-league division’, i.e. one that does not belong to the English League, is the National League which is like a Fifth Division, particularly as nearly all of the teams playing in this league have professional players. Below that tier is level 6 which is made up of National League North and (National League) South – and each of these divisions has 24 teams in them. At this level of football, some of the teams have professional players but many of them also only have amateur ones too – they don’t receive any money for playing. If we go down to level 7 of the Football Pyramid we can see four different divisions: the Northern Premier League; Southern Football League Central (that covers the Midlands of the country); Southern Football League South and the Isthmian League which coves the south-east of the country. And this is where I saw a game last weekend.
Stinger: Hi my name is Sue and I am a season ticket holder for Walthamstow FC and you are listening to languagecaster.com (a supporter).
But before I talk about the game I recently went to see in the seventh tier, here is a short interview we did last season with Sue who is a Walthamstow Town FC supporter.
Walthamstow is in the north east of London and currently the team is in tier or level eight. And we had just been to see a game against local rivals Clapton FC.
DF: And can you tell people who won’t know much about Walthamstow FC kind of a little bit about the club?
S: So it’s a tiny, tiny club. It’s been going for actually quite a long time. I think it used to be Leyton FC…going back many, many years. And it’s just become more and more popular. I think during the lockdown. Really. When I first went hardly anyone was there. Now more and more people are there every week.
DF: And what colours do they wear?
S: They wear blue.
DF: Do they have a nickname?
S: So they’re called the ‘Stags’. But the the name you’ll hear most is the ‘Stow’.
DF: Great stuff. Good luck.
S: Thanks.
I just checked to see how Walthamstow are doing and they are currently in 6th place in the Isthmian League North Division.
Stinger: Hi. My name is Izzy and I’m a fan of Dulwich Hamlet FC and you are listening to languagecaster.com.
Dulwich Hamlet vs Hastings United: Capacity Crowd
DF: Now recently I travelled to the south of London to watch Dulwich Hamlet play against Hastings United in the Isthmian League Premier Division which is the seventh tier of English football. There were over 3,000 fans in attendance, which is bigger than some teams in higher leagues such as League Two. In fact, the attendance was 3,334 which was a capacity crowd which means that the ground was full – no more fans can come in! There was an amazing atmosphere throughout the game and despite not playing so well early on, the home side went on to win 3-0. A comfortable victory in front of a capacity crowd.
Now, I wonder if non-league football is as strong in other countries around the world. Let us know what your local non-league side is and whether you get a chance to go and see them play.
Stinger: You are listening to languagecaster.com (in French).
Japan v Australia
DB: Thanks Damian. Sounds like a really great day out. Kind of normal football, isn’t it. Well, I’m going to talk about a different kind of football – World Cup qualifiers. OK, let’s talk about some football language from the Blue Samurai versus Socceroos World Cup qualifier, and I’ll start with those nicknames. Japan play in blue and the samurai warrior is a symbol or image of fighting spirit, so Blue Samurai has become the nickname for Japan. As for Australia, well, they have gone for an animal symbol, the kangaroo and blended it with soccer to give Socceroos – I suppose that means the kangaroos that play football or something.
Anyway, the two teams played an important match this week, part of the World Cup qualifying process. It was played in Japan and ended in a 1-1 draw, which will probably suit the Socceroos – Australia.
Now, the next football language from this match I want to talk about is connected with own goals, as both goals were own goals, that is, scored by the defending team in their own net. The phrase is turned in or turned into.
The first own goal was turned in, or turned into his own goal, by Shogo Taniguchi. The Japanese player deflected a cross by the Australian Miller into his own goal. The player mistimed his block and the ball went into his own net.
The equaliser, to make it 1-1, was also an own goal. This time it was an Australian defender that turned a cross into his own net.
Notice we can say turn in a cross or turn a cross in; When we use ‘goal’ or ‘net’, we would usually say turned the cross into his/her own net or goal.
So, honours even, a draw, but as I said, I think Australia will feel the happiest. The match was away, and they only had one shot all game and still got a point!
Damian, have you ever turned the ball into your own goal?
DF: Oh yes, I have though I think it was more the keeper’s fault than mine!
Stinger: You are listening to languagecaster.com (in Italian)
Glossary
DF: Remember, you can find out more about some of the words and phrases that we have already discussed in today’s show, as well as hundreds more football expressions and cliches by coming along to our football-language glossary.
Contact
DF: And if you have any questions or comments about any of the language from today or indeed any other football language then drop us an email at admin@languagecaster.com. And don’t forget we also have a football-language forum where you can ask and answer any questions you have on the language of football. Spread the word and give us a like or a follow.
Stinger: Hello my name is Tracey and I am a Lowestoft Town FC supporter and you are listening to languagecaster.com.
Goodbye
DF: So that’s it for today’s show in which we looked at the phrase, ‘non-league football‘, as well as ‘capacity crowd‘, while Damon also looked at the phrase ‘turn in‘ when describing an own goal. Don’t forget there’s a transcript for this podcast with lots of vocabulary support. Enjoy all the football and we’ll be back soon with some more football language. Bye bye!