Paul Golder writes for the Brentwood Gazette

I’m a big fan of non-league football – where else can you get a cup of tea for a quid and the best burgers on the planet? And the football is good sometimes too!

The grass-roots game is a massive part of our community life, with hundreds of thousands of people all over the UK involved in leagues and clubs at every level.

But what is the harsh reality of managing a junior football team, and what actually happens each Sunday around the football pitches up and down the country, whilst the children play?

Local authors Simon Compton and Mark Jones reveal all. They came to the studio last week to talk about their new book, “The Accidental Manager”.

They joined Jo Bailey on her Drive show to explain why their book is one with a difference to other football collections.

The books is not just for people that are interested in football. The book talks about the behaviour of footballing parents, lack of governance and a “who shouts the loudest” mentality which prevails in many parts of grass-roots football.

It’s a fascinating insight into the layer beneath the surface of junior football, and what actually happens around football pitches up and down the country.

I’ve seen a lot of this first hand with my son Alex, who played for the youth teams of Billericay Town, Brentwood Town and finally Burnham Ramblers between the ages of 5 and 18. Some of our experiences were better than others! And you could hear some of the managers shouting in the next postcode, too.

West Ham fan Jo is a great choice for the interview too – she’s Co-Chair of the Pride of Irons and also Women’s Officer for Pride In Football, and regularly discusses football on both the BBC and Sky.

You can hear the interview again at phoenixfm.com – and you can find out much more about the book at theaccidentalmanager.uk.