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 East Thurrock United forward LEWIS SMITH, 25, who scored twice last weekend after missing a spell through suspension.

 

SATURDAY

I like a lie-in on Saturdays so I probably get up about 15 minutes before I leave for the match! I love my sleep and I get up early in the week so I have to catch up when I can!

I always make sure I have a coffee in the morning. I’m starting to take my little mate Gilbs (Mitchell Gilbey) to games for a bit of company so that is always a laugh.

I normally travel with Keithy (Joe Keith), Higgo (Sam Higgins) and Gilbs. They always make me drive but I do it as I’m a nice person!

One day Keithy will surprise us and drive!

I am very superstitious but I couldn’t list them all. If I did that I would have a very long list...

As for the game (against Harrow Borough) itself, the pitch was absolute carnage. We started off OK then I messed up and gave the ball away and they scored. Then, into the second half, we gave away another poor goal – although it wasn’t my fault this time.

But the last 30 minutes we were all over them. I scored two of the worst goals you have seen. Higgo scored another two. I keep telling him he needs to be more prolific and score more – 28 in 31 games is not enough!

So we turned the game around and got what we deserved. It was all down to Dev’s (Jay Deveraux) half-time team talk!

When I get home, I like to enjoy a nice meal with my missus and my parents. I am 25 so I’m getting quite old now and my better days are now behind me!

 

SUNDAY

I do like a little lay in with my missus after a busy Saturday before a little trip to Starbucks. Nothing really exciting!

I am starting to go to the gym because I want to look like Parms (Ross Parmenter). I hope to be just like him when I’m older! The man is living the dream! But my Sundays are very laid back. I pester my missus for kids but she’s not interested at the moment...

 

MONDAY

I work in the Operations department at GFI, a brokerage firm, which involves booking tickets and reporting trades to the market. Plus I have to know how to make a cracking cup of tea!

My work day mostly consists of playing Spoof with my colleagues and normally winning bacon rolls off my colleague Gilles Mondon-Ballatyne (he is a bad player – but very posh).

I’ve worked there for about three-and-a-half years.

 

TUESDAY

I don’t really do anything different to Monday! I sit on my back side all day at work and I have my leftover spaghetti Bolognese at 4.30pm ahead of tonight’s game.

I have to leave the office slightly earlier – about 5.15pm – so I can get to the game on time.

I get the train home and my missus would normally pick me up and drop me off but I met Higgo on the train so I just jumped in with him.

The game (against Peacehaven & Telscombe) was really good for the first 30 minutes. We played good football but, as our pitch at Rookery Hill got worse, it got a lot harder and 4-0 was a really good result for us to carry on the run of form we have at the moment.

 

WEDNESDAY

I travelled to Geneva to spend a day in the office out there. It is hard when you have got to work early and don’t get back until 10:30 the day after a match so it is straight to sleep and up early for work the next day….