The 'Dale Way

'Who won the National League Cup in 2024/25?' One of the more niche football questions for a competition that has attracted a fair bit of negativity and is likely to pass by largely unnoticed again in the new season.

Not all National League clubs have opted to participate in 2025/26 but Rochdale are in and offer a really clear explanation on their website as to why they are doing so.

Their four matches at Spotland will all be free admission, including the opening fixture against Burnley on August 12 which the club are looking at making a daytime kick-off as a good summer holiday activity.

Free This Weekend?

The following matches are all free admission this coming weekend.

Friday night at Cheddar FC (the Theatre of Cheese) when Larkhall AFC are the visitors for a 7.45pm kick-off.

Saturday at 1.30pm it is Clifton All Whites against a Notts County XI and at 2pm Hawick Royal Albert host Tynecastle FC.

At 3pm Ramsgate FC host AFC Whyteleafe and Carlton Town entertain Newark & Sherwood.

In Cornwall it's Helston Athletic against Wendron United, Coventry City under-21s are at Chatham Town and Tuffley Rovers are ready to welcome Tewkesbury Town.

Up and Running

 

Always good to get to the first game of a new season, and to visit Handsworth FC after not getting the chance in 24/25.

The sun was out and 133 of us took the chance to catch a match at Olivers Mount where walking in from the road of the same name also took me past a cricket match and that nice juxtaposition of the great summer and winter sports together.

Handsworth are preparing for another season in the Premier Division of the Northern Counties East League (NCEL) and were good value for a 4-0 victory against Goole, relegated from the top flight last time out.

The hosts have a Sheffield derby against Hallam FC on Wednesday 9th at 7.45pm, adults £6, concessions £4 and kids go free.

Burnham, Dereham...West Ham

Just a few years away now from celebrating their 150th anniversary, Burnham FC of the Combined Counties League look to have a thriving set-up at the 1878 Stadium in Buckinghamshire.

Pre-season friendlies have been arranged at home to Corinthian Casuals on Wednesday 2 July, London Samurai Rovers (Sat 5th), Binfield FC (Wed 9th), Marlow FC (Sat 12th) and Bedfont FC on Saturday 19th with free admission for each game.

Norfolk club Dereham Town are gearing up for the new season in the Eastern Counties League, with season tickets under £100, and are also offering free entry to their pre-season matches at Aldiss Park.

Five home games are scheduled between the 8th and 24th of July.

And, on a slightly different tangent, a mention of the pre-season friendly between West Ham United and Lille that will take place at the London Stadium on Saturday 9 August.

I've written before that the blog doesn't exist in a vacuum and it only takes a quick glance at a Hammers forum to see plenty of weariness regarding the stadium, it's suitability for watching football and the matchday experience.

But, taken purely on its own terms, tickets for the Lille game do offer the chance of a decently-priced family day out in the school holidays as they are available from £10 for adults and £5 for under-18's.

Notts Landing

2025/26 marks the 125th anniversary of Basford United FC and they will be kicking things off with a friendly against Hucknall Town on 2nd July for which admission will be free.

Further pre-season home games have been arranged, against Eastwood CFC on Tuesday 8th, Newark & Sherwood United on Monday 14th (both games (£5/£3/£1), Matlock Town on Saturday 19th, Notts County on Friday 25th and Ilkeston Town on Saturday 2nd August.

Admission to the final three matches is priced at £8/£5 and £1 but visiting supporters of the clubs involved can come in for a fiver on production of a valid season ticket.

Something Different

A couple of unusual fixture match-ups for the next couple of weeks if you're seeking a football fix.

In what can surely be classed as the first game of the 2025/26 season in the UK, Welsh champions The New Saints are already preparing for their Champions League qualifiers and have a home friendly on 11 June at 7.45pm.

The opposition are simply known as PLAYER, with the TNS website describing them as 'a football app co-founded by former Manchester United defender and France international Patrice Evra'.

Admission is free for this one.

Having been in the Highlands recently, I can vouch for the beauty of the long summer nights and they reach a peak on June 21, happily a Saturday this year and the perfect time for a match between the Alba FA, representing Gaelic speakers, and the Kernow FA, representing the region of Cornwall.

Admission is £10/£5 at Canal Park, Inverness, for a 3pm kick-off with lots going on beforehand.

Changing Places

A glimpse of the Falkirk Stadium, taken last Saturday and which comes into view if you take a walk from the magnificent Kelpies through the Helix Park to the ground.

Two promotions in successive seasons means the stadium will be hosting Premiership football in 2025/26, as well as being the home of Lowland League club East Stirlingshire FC.

I was then lucky enough to watch the crucial promotion/relegation play-off second leg between Ross County and Livingston on Monday evening.

The hosts took an early two-goal lead, moving 3-1 ahead on aggregate but a Livi goal before the break saw nerves set in amongst the home players and the away side deservedly ran out winners with three second-half goals to secure a Premiership place alongside Falkirk and leave a Highlands-shaped hole in the top-tier of Scottish football next season.

But I really liked the location of the Global Energy Stadium, next to the railway station, in the town centre and with some good, old-fashioned, alleyways leading down to a couple of the stands.

There was also a nice family atmosphere among the home supporters who, having seen their side come through successive relegation play-offs in the past couple of seasons, took their fate with good grace as Livingston supporters cavorted on the pitch.

The end of one domestic season but it won't be long until the next and Scottish Football Fixtures has a comprehensive friendly guide.

Good-bye but not Farewell

Having written a few pieces on Goodison Park over the course of the season I was delighted to read about Everton's plans for the famous old ground now that their fantastic new stadium is ready to roll.

Some years ago, when one of the previous schemes for a new home for the Toffees seemed to be coming to fruition, I penned an article, for a website called Square Football, hoping that Goodison could somehow be retained, almost as a living museum that would future generations an idea of how football grounds used to be.

It was a distant wish at the time, the reality of Everton's situation back then that the sale of the land was needed to fund the planned move but the idea of making Goodison the permanent home of Everton Women is, I think, one of the most uplifting pieces of football news I have heard in a long time, on so many levels.

First and foremost, with the modifications that are going to be made, it will become a regular, unique and, hopefully, affordable venue to watch top-flight football in, not too small but not too big either and capable of generating a great atmosphere.

Add into that the fact that football supporters can still get a sense of the famous old ground, it's position amongst a warren of streets and with real shops and pubs surrounding it (businesses who will hopefully still benefit) then it seems to be that rarest of things in the game, a commercially sound idea that also has positive community benefits.