See Elvis on Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day 2026 falls on a Saturday this year, hopefully leading to some special ticket offers and plenty of puns from club marketing departments.

Dundee FC are early out of the blocks and asking supporters to 'bring the love' to Dens Park for an important SPL game against Livingston for which prices have been reduced to £10 for adults and £2 for under 12's.

Before Christmas this would have been earmarked as a classic six-pointer at the bottom but Dundee, managed by Steven Pressley, 'Elvis' of course and a likeable, engaged manager of Coventry City at an incredibly difficult time when the club were playing 'home' fixtures in Northampton, have pulled away from the foot of the table in recent weeks with some important victories.

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Crowded House

Into an increasingly crowded schedule in the women's game comes the FIFA Women's Champions Cup, to be held in London at the end of January.

European champions Arsenal are joined by their continental equivalents Gotham FC from the USA, Corinthians of Brazil and Morocco's ASFAR.

Semi-finals will be held at the home of Brentford FC on Wednesday 28th January and kick-off times of 12.30 and 6pm may add to the low-key feel of the event.

However, Arsenal will host the third-place match and final on Sunday 1st February and with tickets available from £20 for adults (covering both games, 50% discount for under 18's, 25% for young adults and seniors) a good crowd should be attracted to North London. 

Week Ahead - 12th January

£3 football is back at Eastleigh FC as they host Brackley Town in the National League on Tuesday 13th at 7.45pm.

In the FA Youth Cup, Goodison Park hosts Everton's tie against West Ham on Friday 16th at 7pm. Tickets are priced at £5 for adults and £3 for juniors. 

On Wednesday 14th at 7pm it is Reading against Chelsea at the Select Car Leasing Stadium (advance tickets £4/£2) and on the same evening Bolton Wanderers host Stevenage at the Toughsheet Community Stadium (7pm, admission on the evening £5/£3/£1.

In the Football League Trophy, Luton Town take on Swindon Town at 7pm on Tuesday 13th with 'football for a fiver' at Kenilworth Road (£1 for ages 16 and under).

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Warming Up

 

Players warming up ahead of the Northern Premier League game between Hallam FC and Lincoln United on New Year's Day, a cold one up at Sandygate in Sheffield but with a warm welcome on a gate and a nice atmosphere as 750 of us made the effort to get out of the house for a few hours.

Hallam host Garforth Town on Saturday 10th January in their next league game with adult prices £9, £6 concessions and £2 for accompanied under-12's. If you're visiting the ground for the first time then the number 51 First Bus from the city centre will drop you right outside.

Week Ahead - 5th January

Football for a Fiver is back at Hibernian FC for the Scottish Premiership game against Motherwell at Easter Road on Saturday 10th.

In the FA Cup in England, third round ties at Preston North End (Fri 9th versus Wigan Athletic), Ipswich Town (Sat 10th v Blackpool), Swansea City (Sun 11th v WBA) and Sheffield United (Sun 11th v Mansfield) each have adult tickets available at £10.

Loftus Road hosts the FA Youth Cup tie between QPR and Brighton on Saturday 10th at 12.30pm. Tickets for non-season ticket holders are £5 for adults, £3 seniors/young adults and £1 for under 18's.

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Week Ahead - 29th December

Time has run out on me for a full update for the coming week but a special mention to Handsworth FC here in Sheffield.

Saturday's home game against Albion Sports (kick-off 3pm on the 3rd Jan) is a 'pay what you want' fixture at Olivers Mount.

Keep up to date on our X page and to support Affordable Football, now into our 13th year, click here. Happy New Year to all.

Update: Reduced prices at Whitchurch Alport of the Midland League as they host Studley on Saturday 3rd. £5 for adults, £3 concessions, free for U16s and anyone showing a season ticket from an EFL or Premier League club.

Steel Yourselves

FA Cup Third Round ties take place across the weekend of 9-12 January and there is a good chance here in Sheffield to watch two games in two days.

The 'under new ownership' signs may not yet be in place at Hillsborough as the Owls take on Premier League side Brentford in a 3pm kick-off on the Saturday but the club's administrators say that 'genuine progress' is being made on that front.

Ticket prices for the game have been reduced to £15 for adults, £10 for seniors/under 21's and £5 for under 17's.

Over at Bramall Lane it was a strange summer with Chris Wilder leaving Sheffield United after defeat in the play-off final, the club (still under relatively new ownership themselves) moving in a different direction in terms of coaching and recruitment.

That direction appeared to be heading only one way however and Wilder was brought back for a third spell as manager with results improving, bar one or two blips along the way.

Former Blades boss Nigel Clough brings Mansfield to S2 for a 2.30pm kick-off on the Sunday with tickets priced at £10 for adults, £5 for concessions and £1 for under 18's.

Week Ahead - 22nd December

Christmas week and there is free football at Chatham Town on Tuesday 23rd when Bromley are the visitors in the Kent Senior Cup. Donations are welcome to the Wisdom Hospice Charity.

Much of the talk about Boxing Day football this year has been the lack of games to be played in the Premier League but there are matches up and down the land on the 26th, many of the non-league fixtures in England being local derbies to boot.

The likes of Wealdstone FC and Sutton United in the National League are offering reduced prices to season ticket holders of clubs in the Premier League and EFL.

A mention to Lutterworth Athletic of the Midland Football League for their free entry offer to the home game against Coventry Copsewood at 12.30 on Boxing Day.

Keep up to date on our X page and to support Affordable Football, now into our 13th year, click here. Merry Christmas to all.

Grecians Earn

Perhaps the best news to come out of this week's FA Cup draw was Exeter City landing an away tie at Manchester City.

As this BBC article explains, the revenue generated from the tie will be a massive boost to the club, supporter owned by the Exeter City Supporters' Trust.

There is action at St James Park this coming Tuesday in the Premier League Under-21 Cup.

West Bromwich Albion are the visitors for a 7pm kick-off with tickets priced at £6/£4/£2.

Update: The Manchester City game has been set for 3pm on Saturday 10 January, meaning no live TV boost for Exeter but a classic FA Cup kick-off time which will hopefully be better for those making the long journey, rather than say a Friday or Monday evening.

Exeter City Women are next in action at St James Park on Sunday 25 January, against AFC Bournemouth in the WNL Southern Premier Division.

Advance tickets for that game are priced at £6/£5 and £4.