Many of us enjoy visiting our local non-league club at the weekend and during the week. We finish work, watch the match and head home ready for a new day. But what about the players who have to fit in their work commitments around the football? How do they do it?

The Echo will be speaking to non-league stars from across south Essex this season about how they juggle two of life’s most crucial aspects – work and football.

This week we speak to Great Wakering Rovers skipper Lewis Sparrow, 28, who has helped his side to four points this week, and managed to grab a goal and an assist in the process.

 

SATURDAY

On Saturdays I normally get up around 11am. I will usually just hit the snooze button a few times or speak with a few mates on phone. In all honesty, I don’t particularly enjoy watching football or support a team!

It is a running joke within the team that I change the football team “I support” every season…. This season happens to be Chelsea so lucky for me they are doing well.

We play Wroxham today. Billy Johnson and I normally travel to games together (when he isn’t injured and I’m not suspended) and we share the driving. My Dad will come and watch most games as well. But Wroxham is a long journey so we get a coach.

I don’t really have any superstitions ahead of the match. If we won the previous game or I scored I will try and do my preparation in the same order, e.g. pads, boots and tape the same way, armband on the same arm, just silly little things like that.

The game itself went fairly well. We drew 1-1 but I think we were unlucky to not come home with all three points as we had the better of the chances. It was also a shame to concede as we had gone over four hours without conceding before that. But it was a good finish from Pugs (James Pugsley) and he did well to find the corner!

Another positive was Tony Jacobs getting on the score sheet for the equaliser. It is nice for us all as it might stop him moaning now!

But a point at Wroxham and a three hour coach journey home was a good excuse to have a few beers on the way home so that was a nice end to the game.

In the evenings I tend to go out with either the team or some friends. But after the coach journey I just went for a few beers with some friends as we have a team night out next Saturday. I have to save myself for that.

 

SUNDAY

Sunday is my day of rest. I will stay in bed as long as possible! Then get up, have some food and just laze about watching TV or napping! In fact one of the only things I do is go to the gym for some weight training and do my cardio work at football training.

 

MONDAY

I work at Seabrook College, which is a school for students who have been excluded from mainstream school. I am a PE teacher between Monday and Friday and have been for nine years now.

I get up at 7:20am and it’s always a struggle on a Monday ... but once I’m up I’m fine.

Working with the students I teach can be very challenging but I enjoy my job and PE is probably the one lesson they all enjoy so I get an easier time than some of the other subject teachers.

We do not have any facilities on site so we go to various sports centres for our lessons.

Once the day is over I will go to the gym and I tend to do this three times a week with Billy Johnson. The gaffer (Dan Trenkel) has also asked me to get him in the gym and strengthen him up a little so hopefully he gets injured a little less and so he’s a bit stronger on the ball.

 

TUESDAY

Work fits in well with football as I finish around 4pm so there plenty of time to get home, get my tracksuit and kit ready and get to the game.

We were playing at Waltham Abbey tonight so I don’t have as much time as a home match but I still have got time to sit down and have some food.

It was Billy’s turn to drive tonight so he did. As Kenty (Max Kent) had been admitted to hospital due to a headache Heps (Stuart Hepburn) travelled up with us so that was good for me and Billy as he kept us entertained. He’s found a new dating site so was trying to get as many matches as he could. This helped the drive go nice and quickly!

The game went really well. It was my birthday, we won, I scored and assisted the last goal for Tony (Jacobs) so all-around a good night. It was a big relief to get three points as they keep us on track for survival and as higher position finish as possible.

 

WEDNESDAY

Work is sometimes a little harder after a Tuesday game as I have normally lost my voice from all the shouting and my legs are feeling like lead!

But it’s nice to do PE as it gives me a chance to work my legs a little and get the blood flowing through them to remove the tightness and heaviness.

I will go to the gym on Wednesday after work as well as a Friday. Having training on a Thursday is nice as get to catch up with all the boys and have a laugh as well as get some cardio in...oh and some football!