ASHTON United are heading towards the top of a different table – the book one thanks to the release of co-chairman Jonathan Sayer’s title.
The playwright, responsible for The Play That Goes Wrong, has largely documented the ups, downs and realisations of what he had entered in Nowhere To Run.
Described by himself as a blend of fact and fiction, it details what clubs in the non-league pyramid go through.
Supporters gathered at the massively improved Cross Bar venue for an event hosted by comedian Matt Forde and attended by Mancunian Game of Thrones star John Bradley, at which Jonathan admitted listening to Ashton United’s match against Matlock while on honeymoon.
He also headed to the south coast for a Northern Premier League match against Basford after putting the wrong club in his sat nav!
But primarily, his intention is to describe his love for the Hurst Cross club.
Jonathan told The Correspondent: “It’s been a really lovely thing to write.
“So often, I’ve brought my not-skillset to the club – this has been an opportunity to bring what I do well to the club.
“It’s a kind of blend between fact and fiction but the truth behind it is non-league clubs are all about community. They’re all about people trying to strive and reach to do stuff.
“Sometimes it’s totally in their comfort zone, sometimes it’s out of it but it’s how people come together.
“And the launch event was a really special night. I was delighted at how many people showed up.”
Jonathan’s background in the theatre has already had an impact at Hurst Cross.
How many non-league clubs can boast an advertising hoarding featuring Las Vegas-based magicians Penn and Teller?
They are friends and a copy will be winging its way to America, while he hopes the story can generate interest from TV companies as he believes it is perfect for turning into a sitcom.
Some of the stories have been embellished for literary effect – but it is the real-life ones that sound unbelievable.
Jonathan, who runs the club with his father, David Burke, added: “I suppose there have been ones I didn’t include too as they sounded too out there.
“Some of the bits that have been exaggerated, friends haven’t picked up on. Some of the stuff that’s totally true, they’re like, ‘Nah, that didn’t happen. That can’t have happened.’
“But it did.
“Listening to the Matlock game on honeymoon went down fine, we had an agreement that between those hours, I was allowed to listen to that match.
“Then I had to put it away, that’s the thing I found harder. I find it hard to describe how depressing I find it when we lose.
“Also how elating it is when we win. You don’t get that in any other walk of life.
“I was meant to be at Basford one day for Michel Clegg’s first or second game. I didn’t make it. I got pretty far down the country.
“A lot of the book keeps saying, ‘I was waiting for this big moment to arrive when it would feel like, ‘We’ve done it, we’ve done success, we’ve made it.’
“But I’ve learned it’s incrementally moving forward. Four years in, I can be like, ‘We’ve done some good stuff.’ When you’re in it, you just feel like it’s all a nightmare.
“You’re like, ‘This has gone wrong, that has gone wrong!’”
Jonathan and David first joined Ashton United’s board before becoming chairmen, leading the way ahead of Ryan Reynolds and Rob McIlhenney at Wrexham, the San Francisco 49ers at Leeds and Tom Brady at Birmingham.
That leads to a different dynamic in the boardroom, which is no bad thing.
“In general, diversity is good,” Jonathan said. “It’s good for any organisation to have lots of views coming from different places.
“It’s good to have new ideas as you can think outside the box. We recently did a list of commitments to the club to give a better vision of what we’re trying to do.
“One of the things was I can use my platform to boost the standing of the club, make sure Ashton United is talked about more.
“This is the first real attempt to bring what I do to the club. We’re going to start pitching them more to people in my industry.
“When you get here, you fall in love with it but it’s about getting people through the door. John was here and it’s good – when you get here, you love it more.”
One way Jonathan got people talking about Ashton United was a loan offer for Manchester City megastar Erling Haaland so he could play while last year’s World Cup was on.
And that offer still stands, along with one to his 50-year-old father, Alf Inge.
Jonathan said: The door is always open to Erling. To be honest, the door is open to his dad as well!
“I think he could do a job for us.
“The offer was genuine but we never heard anything from City, so it wasn’t a no.
“And the impact has been positive. Our social media following almost doubled. So lots of new people found Ashton United.
“We sold extra shirts, including some to places that aren’t so near here. There might have been one or two sent to Norway, we definitely sent a lot to America and a few to France.
“But the interest it generated was huge, we even had TV in Australia wanting to speak to us.”