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 Basildon United player/manager Craig Gillam, 32, who took over as Bees boss last month.

 

SATURDAY

Saturday is a very busy for me. I am a transport supervisor so I have to go into work on Saturdays before 6am to organise each driver's routes and destinations.

This normally doesn't take too long thankfully and afterwards I headed over to Barleylands, in Billericay, to watch my two boys Mason (aged seven) and Riley (aged six) play football.

They both play for Forest Glade so I was there at around 11am, while also trying to pick the Basildon United starting 11 for that day! Mason scored twice so that was brilliant!

After the match I headed over to the ground to get the kit balls and equipment (flags, water bottles, etc) for the game.

I was made manager last month and it has been hard work. I was assistant manager to former boss Colin Cook and I would like to add that I had hair before I started this manager’s job!

We picked up a great result (a 2-1 success against Enfield 1893 in the League Challenge Cup). I started the game and set up both goals, which was nice, so rather than going home and drowning my sorrows, as has been the case in recent weeks, it was a few beers with the lads. We celebrated our first win in a while before I went home and hit the sack.

 

SUNDAY

My Sundays always are always busy.

As well as my two younger boys I also have a 13 –year-old son, Tyler, who plays football for Chalvedon Boys. He had a hard team and they lost 9-0 to Stanway, who are the holders of the Junior Cup - so my Sundays are normally packed full of football.

I must be frustrating as I am the normal ‘know it all’ dad who hates his son not doing the simple things that I taught him the day before. But what footballer ever listens to their dad?!

After my cold, rainy morning watching the game it's normally home to watch the afternoon match on the TV before having an Indian takeaway with the Mrs before getting an early night.

I have to get to bed early as I am up a 5am the next day.

 

MONDAY

In a nutshell, my week routine is work - home - bath - dinner – bed.

It is normally late and very dark by the time I am home from a day in the office. In the day I load the vans in the morning and I drove to east London. I make around 60 drops a day and that could be anything from a match box to a double mattress or sofa.

All I really have time to do when I am back is ring the lads and make sure they are up for the game in the week - the answer is always yes!

 

TUESDAY

I am in a confident mood heading into tonight’s match against Bowers & Pitsea. It is a big derby for the fans and we want to give a good account of ourselves.

We had prepared well for the game and the players knew what they were going to do, until they crossed that dreaded white line and forgot what to do!

Bowers did very well and it was like pre-season training all over again for us and, due to the bad result, the lads will be doing fitness work and running when it comes to training on Thursday night.

Now it is onto the rest of the week. I always look forward to Fridays as it is payday and we normally get a early day.

But it’s no rest for me as it is home to play football, yet again, with the kids and try and teach them some more stuff that they won't use in their next game!

Hay ho - I do try and who knows whether it works or not but it's a managers life (kind of) for me!