Nobody died, no one got the sack, no one's house was repossessed and no one got turned down for a role in Hollyoaks, but on Tuesday morning at 9am we held a minute's silence in the office. Not for love, for money, or for ambition, but for football. Why? For the moment Sir Alex decided to act as a chauffeur for his one and only Dimi, football as we know it ceased to exist.

I thought perhaps the Blue Peter-style constructed coffin was a step too far, although the wake itself was a tad too enjoyable, but whatever your allegiance there's got to be a part of you that, as a true fan of the round ball, died in the last gasp prostitution that was the transfer window.

But far from being down at the violation of the beautiful game I'm singing from the roof tops and dragging out the bunting. For me it's yet another chance to evangelise about grassroots football. Come on over brothers, sisters, cheated ones, to the Non League brethren, we're ready to embrace you with players bought and sold with a packet of crisps, and hug you with our changing ends and terrace larks.

OK, so Non League is nowhere near what it was (it now borders on the highly professional) but it's still a far cry from the unacceptable behaviour of Premier League clubs. When challenged this week about how football should be run, Dennis Strudwick, one of those in charge of the Blue Square Leagues, insisted "income should govern expenditure and help clubs exist within their means". He wants the highest grassroots structure in the land (the Blue Square Premier) to do things right, and lay the law down on wayward clubs.

Strudwick's ideal is a world apart from the Barclays Premier, where clubs run roughshod over the FA. Just because Spurs say they won't complain about Manchester United does that mean the league should let any alleged public misdemeanour go unnoticed?

Personally, I'd like to see the likes of Strudwick go a step further; only allow clubs to enter the league who can show a profit, provide Chairmen who can uphold the 'fit and proper persons test', and the ability to live within their means. Do we really want a global game where Randy Lerner (Aston Villa's money man and apparently the "right sort of American") looks like a pauper, where players dictate to clubs and where you and me can't buy a seat at a game for less than a sofa?

Football may have died on 1st September 2008, but if we're sensible it's also the opportunity for the fans to reclaim the game by heading back to grassroots. If the influx of disillusioned ones does happen, I hope those in charge of the national game are strong enough to dictate how they want to run it. The Premier League's loss should be our gain. The question is if a future clean of big money spenders and unsustainability is indeed a future we all want.

Caroline Barker/BBC Non League Football Show

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