Published: 13 September, 2012

Recently on the site, Catherine Etoe spoke about Arsenal's reputation abroad, and how upon telling people she was from London, those who lived overseas would assume that Arsenal, not Spurs, or Chelsea, was the team that they assumed she might support.

While this is a frustrating issue for any football fan in the UK, let alone one from London, the mention of Spurs or Chelsea as alternatives is also indicative of the accessibility and invisibility of smaller teams. Anyone from Arsenal fanatics to those who watch the odd bit of Match of the Day in between partycasino.com and a late dinner will know of teams local to them who aren't the ones they're going to see should they be heading to a ground on match day.

Even Charlton, Fulham, Queens Park Rangers and West Ham United aren't getting a look-in in terms of international UK football knowledge, but there are teams that the home crowd should be backing that would actually benefit from the support. You could dip down into the second league and head up to the north of this great city to throw a few cheers in for Barnet, or you could track down AFC Wimbledon's match schedule and tag along.

While a league is necessary and many will gravitate towards the teams playing at the top of said leagues, it's also wise to note that a lot of the players you'll see on the pitch at the Emirates Stadium once played for smaller clubs. Scouts and families shouldn't be the only individuals in attendance, and if you're keen on seeing the state of your local borough economy improve during these tough times, injecting a little money into local sport is never a bad idea.

So the next time someone asks you who you support while you're on holiday, regale them with a little tale about Redbridge, or Bromley. You never know – you might just start seeing fans coming to visit their beloved, smaller grounds from afar.