Geoff Harvey Memorial Vase At Corinthian Casuals

Lots and lots of pre-season friendlies being announced at the moment although the majority of clubs have yet to confirm final prices.

Something to catch the eye early on, however, is the Geoff Harvey Memorial Vase at Corinthian Casuals, a four-team tournament taking place over the weekend of July 11/12.

Hampton & Richmond, Merstham and Tooting & Mitcham join the hosts with kick-offs on both days at 11am and 3pm and weekend admission covering four matches costing just £12 for Adults, £6 for Concessions and free for accompanied Under-16's.

http://www.corinthian-casuals.com/

'On The Road' Initiative At Stenhousemuir FC

An excellent new initiative at Stenhousemuir FC for the upcoming 2015/16 season means that season ticket holders from the other 9 clubs in SPFL League 1 will gain reduced price entry when their team plays away at Ochilview.

The £10 price is equivalent to the price that home supporters pay for each game through their season ticket and is an attempt to generate bigger crowds, a louder atmosphere and a better deal for all fans, something the club say 'is what Scottish football needs'.

For home supporters, the Warriors (a Community Interest Company where ownership rests with the fans, including a very strong Supporters Trust) are offering a variety of different season ticket packages (including free entry to Under-16's) and discounts for those who are able to buy either a 3, 5 or 7-year ticket in advance.

http://www.stenhousemuirfc.com/

Affordable Football aims to bring you the special offers, reduced ticket prices and family deals that make catching a match anywhere in the country more affordable. You can tweet us @affordablefooty or email affordablefootball@yahoo.com if your club are doing something worth hearing about.

Grimsby Town FC, Salisbury FC

A couple of things that that have caught the eye in what is the quietest time of the year for fixtures and offers.

Grimsby Town have frozen season ticket prices (and not just in the Findus Stand!) after a succesful 2014/15 campaign which saw the Mariners reach Wembley and just miss out on promotion to the Football League after a tense game against Bristol Rovers.

The club seems to be on the up and a special concession price of £150 (£170 Upper Findus) on season tickets for 19-21 year-olds has been introduced to ease the gap into paying full adult prices.

http://www.grimsby-townfc.co.uk/news/article/2015-2016-prices-frozen-2468289.aspx

Having been placed into the Wessex Premier League (Step 5 of the Pyramid) for their debut season, the newly-formed Salisbury FC have been consulting supporters on prices for 2015/16.

An interesting article on the club website explains how the decisions made have been arrived at and also detail an immediate change to prices for Under-16's after further feedback from fans.

http://salisburyfc.co.uk/2015/05/statement-on-wessex-league-and-salisbury-fc-prices/

International Football At The Alex

I'm always attracted to games between unfamiliar opponents in unfamiliar settings and a full international between Northern Ireland and Qatar at the Gresty Road home of Crewe Alexandra certainly fits the bill.

Their meeting on Sunday 31 May at 5pm is part of Northern Ireland’s build-up for a crucial European Championship qualifier against Romania in Belfast on 13 June while Qatar, who will also play Scotland over the next few weeks, are arguably looking further ahead to the World Cup they will host in 2022.

A spotlight is currently being shone on Qatar and the treatment of migrant workers there who are building not only the stadiums we will see on our television screens but a lot of the infrastructure behind it. That focus will be intensified during the national team’s trip to the UK which is a good thing and can co-exist with Crewe’s pride at hosting their first ever full international game.

Tickets are priced at just £5 for Adults, £5 for Concessions and £1 for Juniors.

http://www.crewealex.net/news/article/crewe-to-host-full-international-2337405.aspx

Promotion At Stake In WPL Championship Play-Off

A place in the second division of Women's Super League is the prize at stake this coming Sunday (24 May, 2pm) when Sheffield FC and Portsmouth meet at the home of Stratford Town FC.

The two teams ended the season as winners of the FA Women's Premier League Northern and Southern divisions respectively.

Their shot at promotion is part of the FA's plan to expand WSL to a total of 20 teams over the next two years and put in place a Pyramid-style system.

Tickets for Sunday's game are priced at £5 for Adults and £2.50 for Concessions.

Speaking of WSL2, this Sunday's Watford Ladies home game against Yeovil (Berkhamsted FC, 2pm) is free for Watford FC season ticket holders while Millwall Lionesses have a half-season ticket available for their remaining seven games of the campaign which costs just £20. 

http://www.shekicks.net/news/view/11706

Affordable Football aims to bring you the special offers, reduced ticket prices and family deals that make catching a match anywhere in the country more affordable. You can tweet us @affordablefooty or email affordablefootball@yahoo.com if your club are doing something worth hearing about.

Oakwell That Ends Well For England Under-21's

One season ending and a new one beginning can be a blurred distinction at times and the list of pre-season friendlies at the Around The Grounds blog begins on 27 June.

Just over two weeks prior to that, on Thursday 11 June, Barnsley FC host what must be the final game of the current campaign when England Under-21's host Belarus in an international friendly which kicks off at 7:45pm.

The reason for the game is that Gareth Southgate is preparing his men for the European Under-21 Championship in the Czech Republic which kicks off for England on Thursday 18 June against Portugal.

And the reason why the game at Oakwell holds plenty of interest is that Southgate is expected to name a squad that contains players who have already made their senior England debuts and who are already fairly established Premier League stars, Harry Kane being the most obvious example.

Tickets for the game cost £10 for Adults and £5 for Children & Concessions while those Barnsley fans who have already snapped up their season tickets for 2015/16 can claim a 50% discount when purchasing in advance.

http://www.barnsleyfc.co.uk/news/article/england-under-21s-at-oakwell-2456863.aspx

Boreham Wood Football Club

Good times for Boreham Wood as they celebrate promotion from the Vanarama Conference South into the top-tier of the Non League game and matches against the likes of Wrexham, Torquay United and others next season.

The club's links with Arsenal also mean that many Gunners' Under-21 and youth matches are played at Meadow Park which seems, from a distance to be a thriving community facility and a focal point for the town.

Season tickets for 2015/16, if purchased before the end of May, are priced at just £180 for Adults, just over £7.80 per game and £100 for OAP's/Under-16's and also include a free match-day ticket to the pre-season game against an Arsenal XI.

http://www.borehamwoodfootballclub.co.uk/just-20-days-left-to-get-your-season-ticket-at-the-earlybird-price/

Europa League Play-Off At Aberystwyth Town FC

Described as 'one of the biggest prizes in Welsh football' given the financial benefit that it will bring, Aberystwyth Town meet Newtown at the Park Avenue home of the former this Sunday, 17th May at 1pm.

The winner will take their place in the Europa League next season and benefit from UEFA having made a substantial increase in solidarity payments to clubs competing in European competitions.

To ensure a healthy crowd and vibrant atmosphere, Aberystwyth have been handing out free tickets with over 200 already snapped up and a further batch printed, to be distributed over the next few days.

http://www.atfc.org.uk/news.php

Down But Not Out: Tranmere Rovers FC

I've got fond memories of Tranmere Rovers, partly from living on Merseyside while at university and also from growing up in the Midlands when they were often the opposition on 'The Central Match' with John Aldridge inevitably banging a goal or two in against Derby County or Wolves as Rovers almost made it to the top-flight of the English game.

Rovers will be in the Conference next season after a fairly disastrous campaign in 2014/15 but the club, under the ownership of former FA chief executive Mark Palios and his wife Nicola, are still upbeat about the future.

Sometimes I write about clubs on Affordable Football not because they have necessarily slashed prices but because of the transparency with which they make their pricing decisions.

Tranmere are a good case in point with very detailed explanations on their website about 2015/16 Season Tickets (some of which have come down in price, some of which have gone up) and a very wide range of categories in which to buy, one of which is an extension of the Affordable Family Ticket they offered on a match-by-match basis in 2014/15.

There is also a season ticket available to long distance supporters who live over 75 miles away from Prenton Park.

http://www.tranmererovers.co.uk/news/article/2015-16-season-tickets-on-sale-2440471.aspx

WSL2 Takes Centre-Stage Over The Summer

This weekend's fixtures in the Women's Super League took place across both divisions but WSL1 now takes a nine-week break for the World Cup in Canada.

That allows the second tier of the competition to take centre-stage over the summer months so check out your local team if you can.

Admission prices rarely stray above £5 for adults and there are often special deals in place. Doncaster Rovers Belles, for instance are allowing season ticket holders from Doncaster Rovers free admission into their next game, against Reading FC on Saturday 16 May.

http://www.fawsl.com/index.html

Target 15,000 At Bradford City

A pioneering club when it comes to consistently low-priced season tickets, Bradford City have gone a step further for 2015/16 by cutting Adult prices by a further £50 from last summer to £149 which works out at £6.50 per game for a whole League One campaign.

The Bantams are setting a target of 15,000 sales after another exciting campaign which saw them reach the FA Cup quarter-finals, their second great cup run of recent seasons.

In a twist on 'Pay What You Want, joint-chairman Mark Lawn has said: “We believe we’ll get more fans in – and it might encourage those who say they want to pay more to buy one for someone new to come. A family member or friend to help build on what we believe is the best atmosphere in the League."

The initial cutting of season ticket prices helped create a solid supporter base and attendances that were fairly resistant to events on the pitch, helpful as Bradford endured a few lean seasons in League Two.

Their revival under Phil Parkinson, with promotion into League One, a trip to Wembley for the League Cup final and this season's famous win at Chelsea has created the kind of revenue that allows the club to continue rewarding their loyal fans without harming their competitiveness on the field.

http://www.bradfordcityfc.co.uk/news/article/season-ticket-prices-confirmed-2444707.aspx

Six Free Games To Get Your Football Fix

The season may be winding down but there is still plenty going on up and down the country, especially at Under-21 and Under-18 level with many games being played at a club's main stadium.

All of the following matches are free to attend.

Saturday 9th: Aldershot is the venue for Chelsea versus Manchester City in a Barclays Under-18 Premier League Play-Off game. Kick-off is at 11am.

Same day, same time at the Madejski Stadium for Reading Under-18's versus Sunderland.

Monday 11th: Bolton Wanderers host Arsenal in an Under-21 fixture which has been moved to the Macron Stadium with a noon kick-off.

Tuesday 12th: Brentford and Charlton Under-18's meet at Griffin Park (7pm) in the Professional Development League Two final.

Meanwhile, Old Trafford opens its doors for the Manchester Under-21 derby between United and City. Kick-off is at 7pm.

Friday 15th: Back to the Madejski for Reading Under-21's versus West Brom, kick-off 7pm.

Games at this level are sometimes moved at short notice. Please check with the official club websites and/or twitter feeds beforehand.

Coventry City Stay Up And Reduce Season Ticket Prices

For Sky Blues supporters it was a nervous afternoon at Crawley on Sunday but Coventry City got the job done to ensure their League One status for the 2015/16 campaign.

An announcement on season ticket prices was made the same evening by the club, who have reduced prices by around 25% on the last full season at the Ricoh Arena, with an Adult ticket costing £249 in all areas of the ground.

Six and twelve-game packages are also available at the 'Early Bird' rate and work at £13 per game for Adults.

The club's owners remain deeply unpopular with the majority of fans given the the decline of the past few seasons and the move away to Northampton. A return to Coventry was welcome but within weeks of that, the Ricoh Arena became the property of Wasps RFC and it is their branding and club shop that now domimate the perimeter of the ground.

Everything that the club does is viewed through that prism and the reduction in prices is no different but, taken on its own, an Adult season ticket offers 23 games of League One football for £10.83 per match. 

The Premium Zone area has been scrapped which, in reality, was three blocks in the middle of the East Stand which anyone could access anyway even if they had a cheaper ticket because crowds have been so sparse at the stadium for much of the season.

More controversially, no season tickets are being sold for the North Stand of the ground (behind one goal) in an attempt to create a better atmosphere with more supporters closer together along the two sides.

A Chelsea Double Bill At Aldershot This Week

Two end-of-season opportunities to watch the talent coming through the ranks at Chelsea FC this week, both at the Electrical Services Stadium home of Aldershot FC.

On Thursday night it is the Under-21’s who meet Liverpool in a league fixture which kicks off at 7:05pm. Admission is £3 for Adults and £1 Concessions.

Then, a good opportunity for anyone in the area to get their Saturday football fix as Chelsea Under-18’s meet Manchester City (kick-off 1:30pm) in an Under-18 Premier League play-off.

Admission to watch the FA Youth Cup winners in a rematch of their recent final is free for all.

http://www.theshots.co.uk/chelsea-man-city/

Affordable Football aims to bring you the special offers, reduced ticket prices and family deals that make catching a match anywhere in the country more affordable. You can tweet us @affordablefooty or email affordablefootball@yahoo.com if your club are doing something worth hearing about.

Walsham Le Willows FC

After securing their status in the Thurlow Nunn Eastern Counties League Premier Division for next season, Walsham Le Willows hosted a 'Pay What You Want' day at Summer Road on Saturday for the visit of FC Clacton.

The Willows still have one big game left, the League Challenge Cup final against Norwich Utd at the home of Diss Town on Bank Holiday Monday at 3pm.

https://twitter.com/walshamfc

Not 'Pay What You Want' But 'Pay As You Go' At Carshalton Athletic

A slightly different offer from Carshalton Athletic for members of their local community in the London Borough of Sutton.

Families of two or more can pay a small up-front fee of £10 and then pay for the games they can attend throughout the season at the rate of £5 for up to five family members per game.

Similar, perhaps, to a membership scheme in that offers an affiliation to the club and the benefit of reduced prices on tickets without a large up-front fee, the offer is also designed to promote awareness of the Ryman League club and recent developments at the War Memorial Sports Ground.

http://www.pitchero.com/clubs/carshaltonafc/news/201516-season-tickets--more-information-1420552.html