It is Sunday, May 12. Manchester City are lifting the Premier League trophy in front of a 30,000 crowd at Brighton & Hove Albion's American Express Community Stadium.

Millions are watching the coronation of the new champions around the world, as they witness a squad of multi-millionaires, backed by an Emirati billionaire, win the biggest prize in British football.

The picture was somewhat different 24 hours earlier, when, 279 miles down the road, Saltash United lifted the Walter C Parson League Cup in front of a season-high crowd of 585 at St Blazey's Blaise Park.

Dave Barker's 90th-minute header proved to be the winner as the Ashes beat defending champions Falmouth Town 1-0 in the final.

It was a disappointing end to a successful season for Town, who had been crowned Cornwall Senior Cup champions for the first time in 22 years just three weeks earlier, and also for me, having attended on behalf of the Falmouth Packet.

The world of non-league football is a very different one from the bright lights of the Premier League, but my love for the local game now burns much brighter than it does for its professional counterpart.

There is no 'Premier League prima donna' snobbery intended in that statement – I love the Premier League and the Champions League as much as the next guy – but I find myself more drawn to the scorelines and stories of the Cornish club game than any other.

That may be of little surprise given it is my job to do so, but even in my time away from work I will often look for the latest local news, results and rumours before looking at anything else.

It is of stark contrast to three years ago, at which point I had never watched a local non-league game.

That changed in October 2016, when, as a budding sports journalist, I approached my future employers at the Packet with the aim of getting some work experience.

I duly went to cover my local team Penryn Athletic's South West Peninsula League Division 1 West game at home to Millbrook that weekend. Athletic drew 1-1, with my first-ever Cornish football introduction reading:

"PENRYN Athletic dominated proceedings for large spells in this SWPL Division 1 West match on Saturday, but a winning goal proved elusive for both sides, writes Matt Friday.

Millbrook defended doggedly to preserve their slender lead, but they were undone by a moment of real quality in the form of David Broglino’s brilliant second-half strike."

A wonderful goal it was from Broglino, who lined up for Falmouth in that League Cup final defeat in May.

"You always remember your first," they say, and much like when I watched my beloved Plymouth Argyle for the first time, I was hooked.

After regularly covering the fortunes of Penryn Athletic, and later Falmouth Town, for the best part of 18 months, I joined the Packet as their new sports reporter last year, opening myself up to a wider world of Cornish grassroots sport in the process.

Since then I have covered two glorious cup final victories for the Town, a fairytale run to the Cornwall Senior Cup semi-finals for village side Wendron United, and the rise to prominence of Helston Athletic, who have won their last 13 consecutive matches and are among this season's title favourites – among several other stories.

I may be able to add a glorious FA Youth Cup triumph for Helston's under-18s to that list come Monday night, when the young Blues aim to reach the first round proper of the elite youth competition for the very first time.

Watching these stories unfold has been a huge privilege for me – to see just how much each means to those involved.

It may mean something to a lot fewer people than Man City's latest Premier League success, but it certainly means just as much, if not more.

Think about the man or woman on the gate that greets the supporters every week and knows half of them by name, the groundsman who lovingly repairs the pitch after it takes its latest beating on a sodden December afternoon, or the secretary who has to chase the management around the ground to get the team line-up ahead of kick-off.

The manager who spends every Friday evening pulling their hair out to muster together a bare 11 and a substitute or two for the following day's game, or the player who has to swap work shifts to be able to play on Saturday and risks losing further shifts should they be unlucky enough to pick up an injury.

Now think how much that scrappy 1-0 win at their rivals from the next village over must mean to them. That is the essence of football right there.

I look back now and I thank myself that I chose to begin my career at my local club in my home town. I could have tried to wangle some work experience at a larger club or organisation, but it wouldn't have been the same.

That is certainly the advice I would give to any hopeful sports reporter that finds themselves in the position I found myself in three years ago: Why be one of many that are trying to fight their way into getting a glimpse of life at the elite level, when you can pop down the road and be welcomed with open arms by your local club?

You'll be surprised at just how quickly you'll fall in love with it.

Some people would say that the job of sports reporter covering local grassroots football is an unglamorous one – which, to be fair, is certainly true some of the time – but I wouldn't swap it for the world.

A cursory glance over the websites and back pages of big national sports media organisations after the latest Premier League game will show that they are all giving their own slants on a match that millions across the world have seen for themselves anyway.

Meanwhile, there are thousands of untold stories happening every Saturday afternoon across the country, and I love that I am someone who gets to tell some of them.