After yet another superb FA Cup performance, Eastleigh are now preparing for next weeks 3rd round replay with Championship side Bolton Wanderers at the Macron Stadium.

The 1-1 draw at the weekend, was more proof that the top level non-league sides are more than capable of holding their own against league opposition.

It has often been said the National League is really the fifth level of professional football in England. Long gone are the days of fully amateur sides playing on badly prepared pitches in front of one man and his dog.

Just simply looking at the top five in the National League – Cheltenham, Forest Green, Grimsby, Dover and Eastleigh – it is clear that any of these teams would not only be capable of keeping their heads above water in League Two, but challenging at the top end of the table.

The examples of Crawley and Fleetwood should inspire others to follow the trail they have blazed. For most clubs in the top reaches of the National League, money is no longer an obstruction to a higher level of football.

Back to Eastleigh then, as the last non-league side remaining in the FA cup they will carry a huge amount of neutral support from afar, and will no doubt take a large travelling support up to Bolton next week.

Much has been said about the scores of tireless volunteers who keep Eastleigh ticking over day to day. While these volunteers are commendable, they are by no means a rare case. Despite the influx of money, most non-league clubs still rely heavily on volunteers to keep their clubs running.

We must also doff our caps to Bolton Wanderers as they have announced this week that ticket prices will be just £10 for adults and £5 for under 23’s and over 65’s at the replay. This will be welcome from the traveling support who face a round trip of over 405 miles next Tuesday.

PFB wants to wish the best of luck to Eastleigh for their replay as we hope they continue to fly the flag for the non-league game in the best cup competition in the world.