Enjoy an Affordable Final Day!

Ready to summon up the energy for one more trip to the match before relaxing for the summer? A few offers  we have found this weekend.

After the success of their ‘Pack the Park’ offer against Morecambe on Easter Monday, Hartlepool United have once again made all tickets £5 for Saturday’s fixture with Exeter City with the offer extended to Grecians’ supporters making the long journey north.

MK Dons are offering discounts both to Scouts and Guides and also for Groups of more than 20 as they host Leyton Orient with prices in the East Stand and Family Area £7 for adults and £1 for under-18's. Full details are on the official club website.

The first 500 Scouts and Guides to purchase tickets will qualify for an MK Dons Scouts and Guides Big Day embroidered badge for their uniforms.
Read more at http://www.mkdons.com/news/article/scouts-and-guides-big-day-new-1502965.aspx#Eh1mQ1IPigqb7tDz.99

Kids for a Quid offers are in place at Ipswich Town (home to Sheffield Wednesday) and Blackburn Rovers (against Wigan Athletic).

Under £8 A Game At Dagenham & Redbridge Next Season

In a bid to reverse a decline in attendances over the past few seasons, Dagenham & Redbridge FC have announced a significant reduction in the cost of terrace season tickets for the 2014/15 campaign.

If purchased before the end of May they will cost £179, less than £8 per game for League Two football. 

Along with Accrington Stanley, the Daggers face a constant battle to survive and thrive when faced with intense competition for supporters from the plethora of clubs in their respective local areas.

Since starting this blog in July it has been clear how hard both clubs work to get people through the gate. As the Daggers say in a statement on their official website, the move to reduce season ticket prices 'has not been taken lightly' as it could reduce income.

Their target is a modest but important one; to reach 1,000 season ticket sales by the end of May.

'Pay What You Want' This Weekend at Whitby Town

Fancy ending the season with a bit of football in the sunshine (hopefully) and by the seaside?

Whitby Town's final match of the Northern Premier League campaign, at home to Stafford Rangers this Saturday, will be a 'Pay What You Want' fixture.

As David Watters writes on the official Evo-Stik League website, this has become an annual event which gives the club a boost going in to the summer months as previous fixtures have surpassed the matchday income that the Seasiders would usually expect.

More Survival Offers as Blackpool Send an Army to Wigan!

A recent post here on Affordable Football highlighted a trio of Bank Holiday ticket deals from clubs fighting against relegation from their respective divisions.

Birmingham City, Notts County and Bristol Rovers all put various deals in place for their home games on Monday although it was only Notts who could claim to have benefitted from a partisan home crowd as they gained a crucial victory against Crawley at Meadow Lane.

One offer we missed was Hartlepool's 'Pack the Park' £5 ticket initiative and a bumper crowd was praised for their impact by manager Colin Cooper in a crucial win against Morecambe.

“I think we got around 1,500 more than we have been which is great and if we’ve done something to encourage some of those to come back then it’s all the better."

The battle for survival continues up and down the country and Blackpool are offering up to 3,000 season ticket holders a free ticket for their Lancashire derby at Wigan Athletic on Saturday afternoon. The club's Supporters' Association is also providing free travel to the game.

Wycombe Wanderers are offering a family ticket for £25 as they entertain Bristol Rovers in a crunch game at the foot of League Two while Under-16's can attend for free with a paying adult for Chester City's home game against Salisbury City (kick-off 5:30pm) with the home side knowing a win will secure their Conference status.

A Nervous Monday (But Reduced Prices) At Blues, Notts County & Bristol Rovers

Three big games at the foot of their respective divisions await Birmingham City, Notts County and Bristol Rovers on Easter Monday and all three clubs are looking to drum up home support with a variety of ticket deals.

Birmingham City host Blackburn Rovers at St Andrew’s with Lee Clark’s side just one point above the relegation zone in the Championship following Saturday’s narrow defeat at Nottingham Forest.

Three separate offers are in place for this game. Adult tickets are priced at just £10, season ticket holders can bring a friend for £5 (not available at cash turnstiles on the day of the game) and a package of tickets for the final three home games of the season, against Blackburn, Wigan Athletic and Leeds United is priced at just £30 for adults.

Notts County slipped back into the League One drop zone with a loss at Bristol City on Good Friday but Shaun Derry’s side have been showing signs of life in recent weeks. Their Easter Monday clash against Crawley at Meadow Lane has been dubbed the ‘Bank Holiday Breakout’ by the club with adult tickets priced at £12 and under-16’s £2.

And at the foot of League Two, Bristol Rovers are above the dotted line on goal difference only after their reverse at Portsmouth on Saturday. The Gas host Rochdale on Monday and have reduced prices to £10 for adults in all terraced areas and the South Stand.

Football & Chocolate at Accrington Stanley on Friday

Back in October I looked at how Accrington Stanley were fighting the tide of low crowds with a 'Fan Friday' promotion for their game against Dagenham & Redbridge.

http://affordablefootball.blogspot.nl/2013/10/accrington-stanley-battling-on-two.html

The battle has continued all season with manager James Beattie playing his part to the full. A former England international and a Premier League footballer as recently as 2011, Beattie has attacked his new role at the foot of the Football League with as much relish as he used to go after opposing defenders.

This week he has personally been knocking on the doors of the houses in the local area to promote the Good Friday game against Mansfield and an offer whereby under-12's get in for free and come home with an Easter Egg if accompanied by a full paying adult.

Keep Right On to The End of The Season at Birmingham City!

In the current footballing climate, where media access to clubs at Premier League level and, increasingly, below can be restricted or denied at the drop of a hat and where official club websites display a uniformity of both layout and blandness, it is rare to see the kind of honesty shown in a message from Birmingham City FC last week.

Basically, Blues are urging there tired and weary supporters to shake off their lack of enthusiasm and make it down to St Andrew's at least one more time this season and preferably for all three of the remaining home games as a battle against relegation is fought.

And to help with this a package covering all three fixtures (against Blackburn Rovers, Leeds United and Wigan Athletic) is available for just £30 for adults and £10 for under-16's.

Tickets are available separately for both the Blackburn (21 April) and Wigan (29 April) games priced at £10 and £5 and £1 for under-13's and season ticket holder offers are in place for both the Blackburn (bring a friend for £5) and Leeds game (26 April, bring a friend for free).

Free Football at the Moss Rose on Saturday

Mid-table security in April allows supporters the chance to watch their team in more relaxed circumstances and gives clubs the opportunity to begin planning for next season both on and off the field.

Macclesfield Town aim to kickstart that process on Saturday by making their Conference Premier game against Aldershot free to all to attend. Traditionally, the Silkmen have found it hard to increase their fanbase with the proximity of so many clubs in their catchment area but Saturday is a relatively competition-free day with Liverpool and Manchester City not locking horns until the following afternoon.

“We just want to fill the stadium for this match and start to welcome the local community here to the Moss Rose" said Supporters Trust representative director David Woolliscroft on the official club website. "The season is coming to a close and we want to end on a high point."

The longer-term benefits will hopefully come in the form of some extra season ticket sales and a positive day of publicity but in a sense it's almost a celebration of the fact that a community club continues to survive (and more) in the face of such strong competition.

Two levels below there is plenty to play for when Kingstonian host Lowestoft in the Ryman Premier as both sides aim for a play-off place. The K's are offering entry at just £5 for adults and seniors, £4 for students and free for under-16's (as it has been all season.)

From 'Pay What You Can' Matches To Season Tickets!

From 'Pay What You Can' Matches To Season Tickets!

Earlier in the year on Affordable Football we highlighted a 'Pay What You Can' match at the Cliftonhill home of Albion Rovers.

The day was a big success with lots of publicity north of the border, part of a good year for Rovers which also saw them defeat Motherwell in the Scottish Cup.

Now, as part of a long-term vision to build more ties with the Coatbridge community, develop Cliftonhill and see the club survive and thrive, Albion Rovers are offering season tickets for 2014/15 on a 'Pay What You Can' basis.

A minimum donation of £10 applies and the club are appealing for those who sign up to the offer to do so on an honest basis. Suggested donations are £70 for adults, £35 for concessions and £15 for 13-16-year-olds.

These figures are half of the current season ticket prices so in essence the club are looking to double their season ticket base. That shouldn't prove a problem with such a groundbreaking offer and one that has already attracted lots of favourable publicity.

Full details are on the official Albion Rovers FC website.

A Free Local Derby In The Peak District This Week

I'm having one or two laptop problems here at Affordable Footy this week but I have managed to get connected long enough to give a quick mention to Wednesday night's local derby between Buxton and Matlock Town in the Evo-Stik league.

The game was originally due to be played on Boxing Day with a bumper crowd expected. Like so much football at the turn of the year the weather saw the match cancelled but the Bucks have opted to try and turn a negative situation into a positive one.

That means it is free entry to the Silverlands at 7:45pm for an eagerly-awaited local derby.

Attracting the Next Generation to Gloucester City

In exile since 2007 from their home city due to flooding at their Meadow Park and the subsequent search for a new stadium, the Tigers continue to groundshare with Football League club Cheltenham Town.

While progress has been made on a new home (architects were appointed in March to prepare plans) and season ticket sales have improved in each of the last four years, the challenge has become one of keeping the name of the club alive back in Gloucester and persuading the next generation of potential supporters to come on board for the eventual move back to the city.

To help achieve both of those aims, Gloucester City announced on Friday that under-18's will be admitted free throughout the 2014/15 season while announcing a number of season ticket initiatives such as 20% off the cost for each new adult season ticket holder an existing one introduces to the club.

Vice-chairman Mike Dunstan told the official club website that the move to allow under-18's in for free ' is a really strong and positive statement to the young people of our City that the club wants their support, and want to show them that supporting their home town club can give them a lifetime of pleasure.'

A Place on 'The Bench' and a Bank Holiday Breakout at Notts County

Shaun Derry's arrival as manager of Notts County, the club he supported as a youngster, has generated some optimism at Meadow Lane that the Magpies can escape from the League One relegation zone.

A trio of vital wins against sides in and around them in the table, Carlisle, Crewe Alexandra and Colchester United in recent games have taken County out of the bottom four and the club have aimed to capitalise on the feelgood factor with reduced ticket prices for the home fixture against Crawley Town on Easter Monday.

Under the banner of 'Bank Holiday Breakout' as the Magpies plot their 'Great Escape', prices have been cut to £12 for adults and £2 for under-16's.

Looking further ahead, County have reduced prices for next season to their lowest rate since 2010 and will not have season ticket holders but ‘The Bench’ whereby supporters will be able to play a more interactive part of their club.

Full details can be seen on the official club website but it’s an innovative piece of marketing and one that should hold on to the core support that makes a club like Notts such an integral part of the fabric of English football.

It also needs a manager who is aware of his wider duties and Derry certainly seems to be throwing himself into the project with gusto.

It’s hard to imagine his (until recently) counterpart across the river, Billy Davies, agreeing to answer questions from a fan in the pre-match press call or picking his motivational message of the match!