Los Leones with Euskal Non-League Day
Los Leones with Euskal Non-League Day
The first team will show their support for the initiative by holding up the home strips that will be raffled at the NLD matches on September 9 and 10
During the build-up to RCD Mallorca vs Athletic Club, our Lions will pose with 18 home strips to show their support for Euskal Non-League Day, which will be celebrating its inaugurual edition this September 9 and 10.
The shirts, signed by all members of the first-team squad, will bear the names of our partner clubs playing at home next weekend: ARENAS, AURRERA, BASCONIA, DEUSTO, LEIOA, CULTURAL, ERANDIOKO BETIKO NESKAK, LAKUA, LEIOAKO EMAKUMEAK, MULIER, AMURRIO, ANTIGUOKO, AVIRON, ERANDIO, GORDEXOLA, INDAUTXU, SANTURTZI, SOMORROSTRO and ZALLA.
These tops will then be raffled off, together with Athletic Club Women strips and double VIP tickets for Athletic Club vs Cádiz CF, during half-times at the NLD matches.
The Non-League Day movement started off in the United Kingdom as a means to encourage attendance at local grounds while Premier League fixtures were off due to the international break.
In fact, its founder, James Doe, will be one of our guests of honour at the Euskal Non-League Day, mirroring Athletic's presence at Dulwich Hamlet vs Oxford City at the British Non-League Day.
Athletic Club, recognising that the values promoted by this community initiative tap into our identity, has become the LaLiga side to dedicate a weekend without fixtures to promoting grassroots football and encouraging attendance at local grounds.
Honouring our partner clubs
The Euskal Non-League Day movement, whose first edition coincides with Athletic Club's 125th anniversary, is designed to pay tribute to our affiliated clubs for the important role they have played in our history.
Throughout this week, we will be publishing small reports on the 18 clubs taking part in the event. They represent a small but significant representation of the teams that form the basis of Athletic's DNA: 148 clubs in Biscay, 11 in Alava, eight in Navarra, two in Gipuzkoa and Aviron Bayonnais FC in Iparralde (the Northern Basque Country).
Each NLD report will be accompanied by a graphic design with the players* who in addition to playing for the partner club have also turned out for the Zurigorri.
Links that demonstrate that Athletic Club's youth system goes beyond way further than Lezama and reflecting the concept of "Made in Euskal Herria". After all, the idea of being a reflection of Basque society has been an integral part of Athletic Club's identity since our origins.
*Although the research has been exhaustive and the information has been checked with the clubs involved and by different experts, it is likely that the names of some footballers will be missing from the above-mentioned images, for which Athletic Club apologises in advance.