Mr Kings Langley himself is into his 43rd year (yes, 43rd) at the club, including spells as a player, coach, chairman and secretary, the role he occupies now.

Who better to speak to on Non-League Day than a man who has seen the ups, downs, progress and beauty of our game’s rawest treasure over four decades, having worn the boots, sat in the dugout and then watched many more do it from the sidelines?

You wonder what he’d have thought if, back when he came across the club, you told him he’d become an integral part of it for years, years, and more years to come.

“My involvement started as a cry for help,” he explained.

“The club had just been made homeless from their ground on what is now Roman Gardens. A few of the lads who played for Langley were mates of mine and they approached me for help.

“If the truth be known I think they thought I could write a good begging letter. I was still playing then and on the back of their request I started playing for Langley.

“I was immediately attracted by the team spirit that was clearly evident. They weren't the best team around but had a togetherness both on and off the pitch that I could identify with.

“After I finished playing (in 1985) I wanted to put something back into the club in a volunteer role. I became the secretary.

“In the early days I often felt like I was the lone ranger and there was a lot of multi-tasking. These days the club has to operate as a business. We are fortunate to have a very able team of people sharing the load.”

His first stint as secretary lasted 10 years, before a 22-year reign as chairman began in 1995. He reverted back to secretary in 2017.

Inevitably across that period there have been highs and lows, ecstasy and agony. But for Derry, one feat brings him immense pride.

It goes back to that “cry for help”. Following displacement from Home Park for redevelopment in 1980 after 46 years playing there (now aforementioned residential area Roman Gardens), the scramble started for a new venue.

What followed was 17 years of uncertainty, moving between Oxhey, Rolls Royce, Buncefield Lane and the Leavesden Hospital Ground, before Gaywood Park opened in 1997 - now The Orbital Fasteners Stadium.

“There’s not so much a single memory (that sticks out), more the realisation of an ambition,” he revealed. “That was to bring the club home.”

“The club had been nomadic for far too long and it was always my number one mission for the club to identify with the community whose name it bears.

“Fortunately with the help of a very committed group of people we managed to do that. The club has been an integral part of the local landscape ever since.”

That move is intertwined with another of his most fulfilling achievements.

The club’s youth section reformed in 1989 after an absence of 19 years, coached by Derry, and rallied alongside the seniors to complete the stadium, with great help from local benefactor Graham Gaywood.

And it’s still going strong now, with 42 teams and around 500 players, boys and girls.

“The advent and expansion of the club's youth section has been a joy to behold,” Derry said contentedly.

“To be able to provide so many boys and girls recreational and development opportunities is fundamental to the club's core values and goals.

“That progression has not been without its challenges. It needed dedicated people with the right business acumen to keep the club sustainable.

“That’s always the watchword - sustainability.”

On the pitch, Kings have regularly outperformed their local village club status.

Highlights include the treble-winning 2007-08 season, overlooked by manager Steve Heath, which included a record 47-match unbeaten streak, and three successive promotions between 2013 and 2016.

A certain 2017 FA Trophy tie against “mighty” Enfield Town stands out for Derry.

“We were reduced to ten men in the first half and it was like the 'Alamo' until a little known player called Jerry Amoo ran virtually the length of the pitch to score the only goal of the match in the last minute,” he recalled.

“That was a euphoric moment which typified the club's ability to overcome adversity.”

Non-League Day marks a celebration of the game’s purest form, with Kings offering free entry for under-16s, among other incentives.

Derry relishes non-league’s “raw authenticity”, and believes its recent momentum will only continue.

“It's so much more accessible than the professional game,” he said.

“You can be up close and personal at a non-league ground, hearing and seeing what goes on at close quarters. You have the opportunity to talk to the players in the bar and feel a real connection to the club you are supporting.

“It can be much more of a social outing rather than just a spectacle.

“Non-league football has evolved very positively in recent years.

“Investment in pitches and facilities has encouraged many quality players to play a few tiers down from league level, particularly those who have filtered down from professional club academies.

“A comprehensive coaching training programme has generated highly-skilled and motivated coaches. That has improved tactical awareness and technical excellence.

“As a product I believe non-league football will continue to flourish as more people grow disenchanted with the cost of attending the professional game.”

You’ll still catch Derry at the games, overlooking the pitch from his usual spot in the hospitality area.

So, how has he found this season so far?

“It’s been emotional,” he states.

“We've been exciting to watch and scored a lot of goals, but had our fair share of frustrations in games we should have got something from and haven't.

“Undoubtedly, our consistency has been blighted with serious injuries to key players. That has severely impacted us in some of the crunch games against promotion rivals.

“That said, we've been competitive throughout and it's credit to our management team that they've maintained a promotion challenge in the face of such a crippling injury list.

“I still see us as strong promotion candidates, realistically via the playoffs, but you never know.

“A week’s a long time in football.”

There’s some irony in that statement.

If a week is a long time, one wonders what 43 years feels like.

And there may be more to come yet.

An endeavour that started with a plea for support in the wake of a ground crisis is still going strong, and now the joy is being passed onto younger generations.

“I've always liked to think I am making a contribution that matters,” he said.

“There's been lots of disappointments along the way but overcoming adversity has been what's made my time with the club more fulfilling.”

“Overcoming adversity,” a common theme throughout Derry’s Kings Langley reflections.

“We're essentially a village club but I am proud of the way we have pushed our boundaries to achieve greater things both on and off the pitch,” he added.

“On a personal note, the club has afforded me, my two sons and now my grandson the opportunity to play for them.

“That's a family connection we've all enjoyed and long may it continue.”