Chris McMullen Memorial Match At Leek CSOB

This Sunday (2nd August) at 2pm sees the annual Chris McMullen Memorial Match at Leek CSOB (County School Old Boys) when Leek Town will be the visitors to Pointon Park.

Chris played over 400 games for Leek Town before becoming first manager and then chairman at CSOB. Admission is free for the game and Old Boys manager Dan Hyde said: "I hope to see a good turnout on Sunday as we remember a great guy who did so much for both clubs.

"It is a great opportunity for the people of Leek and Cheddleton to come and see their two local sides in action free of charge."

http://www.pitchero.com/clubs/leekcsobfc/news/chris-mcmullen-memorial-match-1465584.html

England Under-17's In Action Across The Midlands

The Annual St George's Park Tournament for is scheduled for the end of August with hosts England joined by Italy, Portugual and Turkey.

England's Under-17's will play their games at AFC Telford (Wednesday 26 August, 7pm), Walsall (Friday 28th, 7pm) and Burton Albion (Sunday 30th, 3pm).

Tickets cost just £3 for adults and £1.50 for concessions from the respective hosting clubs.

Five Matches For £5 Or Less This Weekend

In Manchester, Droylsden FC host Cray Wanderers in a 2pm kick-off for the Tony Downes Memorial Trophy which is named after a 20-year-old soldier and local lad who was killed while serving in Afghanistan. Admission is £5, £3 for Concessions and £1 for Under-16's.

The Scottish Lowland League season kicks-off this weekend and defending champions Edinburgh City are in action at the Meadowbank Stadium where they host Gretna FC 2008. Admission prices have been frozen for 2015/16 and are £5 Adults and £2 Concessions.

Steve Claridge's Salisbury FC are shaping up nicely for their debut season in the Wessex League with 1,727 watching them in action against a Bournemuth XI at the Raymond McEnhill Stadium recently.

AFC Totton are the visitors for a friendly this Saturday with tickets priced at £5 Adults, £3 Concessions and Kids for a Quid.

Famous as a sporting destination for the World Darts Championships at Lakeside, the village of Frimley Green is also the home of Frimley Green FC, members of the Combined Counties League.

As part of a link-up with Basingstoke Town which will see some of their Under-21 games played at the Recreation Ground, Frimley host a BTFC XI this Saturday at 3pm with free admission and a fundraising BBQ afterwards.

And Kingstonian are the visitors to another Combined Counties League side, Redhill FC, on Saturday at 3pm with the home side offering free admission to this game.

Grays Athletic 125th Anniversary Match

A Southend United XI will make the short trip to the MIll Field in Aveley this Saturday, August 1, for a 3pm kick-off to help celebrate a notable milestone in the history of Grays Athletic FC.

The Blues are celebrating their 125th Anniversary, a fantastic achievement for any club but especially given that Grays are currently playing outside of their home town where the Supporters Trust having been doing some sterling work of late, holding a promotional morning and making plans to distribute 10,000 leaflets about the club around the local area.

Admission is £6 for Adults, £4 for Concessions and free for Under-14's.

http://www.graysathletic.co.uk/news/125th-anniversary-match--blues-take-on-shrimpers-1452819.html

Get More From Your Season Ticket

Just an aside but, in researching a couple of article recently I have seen clubs (such as Thamesmead Town) who offer reduced price admission to their games to holders of season tickets at local professional and semi-pro clubs.

It's the kind of thing that happens a lot on Non League Day but it is worth looking at your local club if you happen to be a season ticket holder elsewhere to see if you can get even more football for your money.

Thamesmead Town FC Versus Jersey

A special day for Thamesmead Town FC of the Ryman League as they prepare to host the representative side of the Jersey FA on Saturday 1 August at their Sporting Club Thamesmead (SCT) home.

Jersey hosted Sutton United earlier in the summer as the Islanders look into the possibility of emulating Guernsey and entering the pyramid.

The Mead are rightly excited about the game coming up which also forms part of a family fun day at SCT which begins at 10am and means that admission to the match is by purchase of a programme costing only £2.

Looking ahead to the new season, Thamesmead also offer half-price admission to all season ticket holders from local professional and semi-professional clubs on production of the ticket at the turnstiles.

http://www.thamesmeadtownfc.com/breaking-news-the-islanders-are-coming/

Keep An Eye Out For The Under-21's

There was a welcome move last season for clubs to play some of their Under-21 matches at their home ground, offering free or reduced price entry and encouraging families to watch by scheduling those games in the school holidays and/or at friendly kick-off times.

Norwich City were the most obvious example as they attracted some very healthy crowds to Carrow Road for some of their development squad's most attractive fixtures.

A quick glance at those clubs that have announced plans for 2015/16 shows the trend continuing. Leicester City, for example, have confirmed seven fixtures for the King Power Stadium, starting with the visit of Manchester United on Monday 10 August at 7pm.

The Red Devils themselves (who also use the excellent Leigh Sports Village facility along with Blackburn Rovers and where admission to games is usually free of charge) have confirmed matches at Old Trafford against Norwich, Chelsea and Middlesbrough for 2015/16.

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.

5 Matches For £5 Or Less This Weekend

Starting with free football at Ilkeston Town where season ticket prices were reduced ahead of pre-season and where Saturday's friendly against Bedworth United (3pm) is open to all.
Chief executive Nigel Harrop said: “We’d like to make it a fun and free day for the family and hope that we can give a good experience to people who may not have visited the New Manor Ground before”

Another mention for the Toolstation Cup, held this year at the home of Bitton FC and contested by Willand Rovers of the Western League and Cleethorpes Town of the Northern Counties East, both leagues sponsored by Toolstation. Admission for the Saturday 3pm kick-off is free but donations are more than welcome to this year's two chosen charities.

A cross-border skirmish always makes for a more lively kind of friendly and there is a battle of the Spartans at Blyth on Saturday (3pm) with the home side up against their Scottish Lowland League namesakes. Admission at Croft Park is £5 Adults and £2 Concessions.

The 'Fiver Frenzy' continues at Dover Athletic which means Adults can watch what should be a competitive Kent derby with Gillingham (3pm) for £5 with Under-11's free, good value for a Conference National side against League One opposition.

Pick of the games in the WSL is Sunday's 6:30pm game between league leaders Chelsea, looking to bounce back from a heavy defeat at Sunderland, and a Manchester City side who will still harbour title hopes of their own. The game takes place at Staines Town FC and tickets are available priced £5 and £3.

Godalming Town FC

Looking back through local newspaper reports of the past couple of years it seems as though all kinds of things have been thrown at Godalming Town, notably the flooding of late 2013 and early 2014 which caused extensive damage to the ground.

But the club look in good shape for the new Southern League season and host a Military Fun Day on Saturday 1 August, gates open at 2pm, with plenty of activities and free entry to the friendly fixture with Bracknell Town at Wey Court (kick-off 3pm).


http://godalmingtownfc.co.uk/gt/military-fun-day/

Nelson FC

Established in 1881, the Admirals ply their trade at Victoria Park, also known as Little Wembley, and are gearing up for the new season in the North West Counties Football League Premier Division.

Keeping any club going at this level requires a huge amount of work from a lot of good people and that may be even more so in a part of Lancashire where Football League clubs surround you from all sides.

Recognising this, Nelson, who already offer good value season tickets priced at £90 Adults, £40 Concessions and £150 for a Family, will take 50% off those prices if you are a season ticket holder at any other football club.

http://www.nelsonfootballclub.co.uk/news/get-your-201516-season-ticket-today-1459747.html

Triangular Tournament At Aveley FC This Saturday

Mill Field, the home of Ryman League Division One North side Aveley FC, will host a pre-season tournament this coming Saturday.

The hosts will be joined by Faversham Town and Clapton FC for three matches, starting at 1pm and each played over 30 minutes each-way.

That adds up to three hours of football for £5 Adults and £2 Children.

http://www.pitchero.com/clubs/aveley/news/tournament-details-1441888.html

Toolstation Cup At Bitton FC

The second Toolstation Cup takes place this coming Saturday, 25th July, at the Rapid Solicitors Ground, home of Bitton FC.

Toolstation are the sponsors of both the Western League and the Northern Counties East League and representing those leagues in the game will be Willand Rovers and Cleethorpes Town.

As was the case last year, entry is free but with donations very welcome to the nominated charities, the RNLI Flood Rescue Team and the Wallace & Grommit Grand Appeal.

Neil Carroll, director of Toolstation, said of the sponsorship deals: "It can be hard for clubs to secure the financial support they need to secure the financial support they need to continue thier roles within the local communities and we are pleased to be able to assist."

http://www.pitchero.com/clubs/bittonafc/news/toolstation-cup-at-the-recreation-ground-1457542.html

Arnold Town FC

Another Nottinghamshire club doing good things in their local community with the help of a very active supporters club.

The Eagles are members of the East Midlands Counties League and for 2015/16 they have reduced the minimum price of season tickets to £50 for Adults, £30 for Concessions and free for Under-16's.

But, as a detailed explanation on the website that deals with the commerical side of the club makes clear, anything that people can pay over and above those figures will be crucial to the future wellbeing of ATFC.

http://arnaeaglesfly.weebly.com/how-high-can-we-fly.html

Six Matches For £5 Or Less This Weekend

One more than usual as I've included both of Tranmere's friendlies on Saturday.

Starting on Friday night in the fine city of Stirling where Stirling Albion host Oldham Athletic at the Forthbank Stadium with a 7:30pm kick-off. Adult admission is £5, Seniors, Students & Under-17's £3 and Under-12's free of charge.

Tranmere Rovers send teams to Cammell Laird 1907 (1pm kick-off) and Marine (4pm) with the kick-offs hopefully allowing fans to get to both matches if they want. The Cammell Laird game is priced at £5 Adults and £2 Concessions. At Marine the prices are £5 Adults, £3 Concessions and free for Under-11's when accompanied.

When I was on holiday in Weymouth last summer I was tickled to see the local derby with Dorchester billed as 'El Jurassico' so I am drawn to Saturday's Creasey Cup between Dunstable Town and AFC Dunstable. Both clubs play at Creasey Park, named after a former patron of Dunstable Town and the match is being advertised as 'El Creaseyco' which is surely worth £5 of anyone's money.

And I've featured Guernsey FC on these pages before but this Saturday, Sutton United of the Conference South fly out to face a Jersey side fresh from competing in the Island Games. It's a 3pm start at the Springfield Stadium and tickets are priced at £4.

Pick of the WSL games meanwhile is the visit of league leaders Chelsea to third-placed Sunderland Ladies. Kick off at the Hetton Centre is at 6:30pm on Saturday and tickets bought online are £4 Adults, £2 Under-21's and Over-65's (matchday £5, £2.50). Special family tickets and discounts for Sunderland AFC season ticket holders are also available.

This is just the tip of the iceberg as usual so please have a look at your local team to see what's happening this weekend.

Basford United Football Club

Exciting times for Basford United after they won both the Midland Football League and the Notts Senior Cup last season.

That means Evo-Stik Northern Premier South division football is on offer in 2015/16 and the club have priced season tickets at just £95 for Adults, £45 for Concessions and £150 for a family ticket covering 2 adults and no limit on children.

Over the next three weeks, Basford have six home pre-season friendlies, none of which will cost more than £5 for an adult to attend. Three of the fixtures are priced at £3 Adults and £1 Concessions and Under-16's while this Saturday's match against Thurnby Nirvana has a £1 admission cost for all.

http://www.basfordunited.co.uk/news/pre-season-ticket-prices-1457264.html

Starter For £10: Ten Capital One Cup Ties

The first round of the 2015/16 Capital One Cup takes place in the week commencing August 10th and it gives clubs an early chance to offer cheaper tickets and kids for a quid deals, coming as it does hard on the heels of the opening weekend of the Football League season and also in the school holidays.

The following games all have a maximum adult ticket price of £10 (if purchased in advance, some prices rise on the day of the game) with various discounts for concessions and children.

Blackburn Rovers v Shrewsbury - League One new boys Shrewsbury look to cause an upset at Ewood Park on Tuesday 11th, 7:45pm. 'Kids for a Quid' for those 17 and under, £5 for 18-21's and Over-65's, £10 for Adults.

Bolton Wanderers v Burton Albion - Another side new to League One who are travelling to Lancashire to face Championship opposition. An 8pm start for this one at the Macron Stadium with tickets £10 Adults and £5 Concessions.

Charlton Athletic v Dagenham & Redbridge - An all-London clash at the Valley on Tuesday 11th, 7:45pm with 'Kids for a Quid' for Under-18's in operation. Adults £10, Concessions £5.

Crewe Alexandra v Preston - Wednesday 12th at 7:45pm for this one as Championship newcomers North End travel to Gresty Road. £10 Adults, £8 Seniors, £4 Under-16's.

Oldham Athletic v Middlesbrough: Wednesday 12th again at 7:45pm with tickets £10 Adults, £5 Concessions and £2 for accompanied Under-12's.

Plymouth Argyle v Gillingham: Tuesday 11th, 7:45pm at Home Park with advance tickets priced at £10 Adults, £8 for Students and Over-65's and £5 for Under-18's.

Portsmouth v Derby County: The live Sky game at what should a well-attended Fratton Park on Wednesday 12th, 7:45pm. £10 Adults, £8 Seniors, £5 Young Adults (17-22) and £2 for Under-17's.

Port Vale v Burnley: The first round of the League Cup is an early reminder for teams relegated from the Premier League of their new surroundings. Burnley look to avoid an upset at Vale Park on Tuesday 11th at 7:45pm with Adults £10, Concessions £5 and Under-12's £2.

Swindon v Exeter: Tuesday 11th at 7:45pm. Adults £10, Concessions £5, Kids £2.

Wigan Athletic v Bury: The two Lancashire clubs meet as League One equals on Tuesday 11th at 7:45pm and 'Kids for a Quid' applies to Under-16's. Adults £10, Concessions £5.

Full details on the official club websites of the respective home teams.

Yeovil Town Ladies FC

First of all a big apology as, in a previous article, I mistakenly said that Yeovil Town Ladies' home game against Millwall Lionesses was due to be played at Huish Park last Sunday.

The correct date for the game is this coming Sunday, 19th July at 2pm but that does at least give me another chance to publicise the game which has been moved to Yeovil Town's ground in anticipation of a big crowd.

Attendances in the Women's Super League were up sharply at the weekend as domestic competition resumed following the World Cup and Yeovil Ladies are hoping to pack Huish Park on Sunday when admission prices will be £4 and £2.50 for Concessions.

 Yeovil Town Ladies

The Hive Community Day - Including Free WSL Football

The Hive, home of both Barnet FC and the London Bees, hosts its 2015 Community Day on Sunday 19 July with an 11:00am start.

A host of activities are planned, including the chance to have a picture taken with the Vanarama Conference trophy won by Barnet last season, inflatables, face painting and a charity football match.

Topping it all off there is free entry for all to the London Bees WSL2 clash with Aston Villa Ladies which is scheduled to kick-off at 2pm.

http://www.londonbeeswsl.com/news/come_along_to_the_hive_community_day_2015.html

Swindon Supermarine FC

Established in 1992 after a merger between Swindon Athletic FC and Supermarine FC, the club currently play their trade in the Southern League Division One, South & West division and play at the Webbswood Stadium.

Thanks to a sponsorship deal, the Marine have been able to reduce admission prices for 2015/16 to £5 Adult (from £9), £3 for Concessions and free for Under-11's.

Chairman of the club Jez Webb commented: “Every penny the club raise is reinvested in the team, the facilities and the enjoyment of our fans.

"Thanks to the great support of the Brunel Shopping Centre, we have been able to cut admission prices from £9 to £5, making us the cheapest club in the league to watch. I look forward to welcoming more people to the club for the new season – they will be guaranteed a warm reception."

http://www.swindonsupermarinefc.com/index1.htm

Two Pre-Season Tournaments This Weekend

Two mini-tournaments for this weekend which offer an opportunity to watch games across both Saturday and Saturday.

The Geoff Harvey Memorial Vase takes place at Corinthian Casuals with fellow Ryman League sides Hampton & Richmond, Met Police and Tooting & Mitcham joining the hosts.

Kick-offs on both days are scheduled for 11am and 3pm and weekend admission covering four matches costs £12 for Adults, £6 for Concessions and free for accompanied Under-16's. Admission per day is £8 for Adults and £4 for Concessions.
Meanwhile, Gretna FC 2008 host the Raydale Cup with the hosts joined by Carlisle City, Ayr United and Annan Athletic.

Games kick-off at 12:00 and 3:30 on both Saturday and Sunday with a weekend ticket costing £10 Adults, £3 Under-16's and free for Under-12's. Day tickets are priced at £7 and £2.

Two Games For £2 At Bootle FC This Saturday

A double-header takes place at the Delta Taxis Stadium, home of Bootle FC, this Saturday.

The hosts, currently in the North West Counties Football League Premier Division, take on Conference National side Southport in a pre-season friendly that kicks off at 12:30pm.

And that is followed by Merseyrail Bootle Ladies, current Liverpool County FA League champions, against Southport Shoreline.

http://www.pitchero.com/clubs/officialbootlefc/news/feast-of-football-this-saturday-1454116.html

Five Matches For £5 (Or Less) This Weekend

I've changed the headline from 'friendlies' to 'matches' this week because it includes a game in the Women's Super League, more of which later...

Starting in East Anglia and the Brewers Green Lane home of Diss Town FC, currently in the First Division of the Thurlow Nunn Eastern Counties League. They host an open day on Saturday with a lots of family activities, free ice-cream for Under-11's and free entry for all to the 3pm friendly against Norwich United, last season's Premier League champions.

All pre-season fixtures at Lancaster City are half-price and this Saturday sees Blackpool visit the Giant Axe for a 3pm kick-off. Adult admission is priced at £4 for a game which pits Lancaster's assistant manager Trevor Sinclair against the club where he started the career that took him to the 2002 World Cup.

AFC Rushden & Diamonds make the short trip to face Rushden & Higham United of the United Counties League with the two sides competing for the Chris Ruff Memorial Cup in honour of the former secretary of R&HUFC. Admission prices at Hayden Road will be £4 Adults and £2 Concessions/Under-16's with kick-off at 3pm.

The 'Friendly Frenzy' at Dover Athletic means all pre-season home games are £5 admission with Under-11's free. The action starts this Saturday against Whitehawk with a 3pm kick-off.

And Yeovil Town Ladies have moved their WSL2 game against Millwall Lionesses to Yeovil Town's Huish Park ground which, together with the positive publicity generated by England's displays in the World Cup will hopefully see a crowd of over 1,000 on Sunday at 2pm. Tickets are priced at £4 Adults and £2.50 Concessions.

Again, please check with all the clubs concerned to make sure games are still on. Friendlies especially can be moved or cancelled at short notice.

Diss Town Football Club

A quick mention to Diss Town of the Thurlow Nunn Eastern Counties League who hold an excellent open day next Saturday (July 11) which includes free entry for all to the pre-season friendly against Norwich United, last season's Premier League winners, which kicks-off at 3pm.

Get there earlier than that, however, as there is a free ice-cream waiting for Under-11's on arrival, a special mascot and other activities for the family.

http://www.disstownfc.co.uk/

Impressive Attendance For West Ham Win

With Wimbledon in full swing and still a week to go until the start of the Ashes, West Ham United got their 2015/16 campaign underway on Thursday night with a comfortable 3-0 victory against Andorran minnows FC Lusitans in the first qualifying round of the Europa League.

Sensible ticket pricing of £10 for Adults and £5 for Under-16's, and the chance to watch the first game of the final season at the Boleyn Ground, attracted an impressive 35,000 to the match.

The same prices will be in operation for the next qualifying round against either Birkikara of Malta or Ulisses of Armenia, assuming the Andorrans do not cause a major upset in the return leg.

Pre-Season Value At Chester FC

Chester FC featured on the pages of Affordable Football last summer and the Conference club have once again made their pre-season schedule extremely attractive for supporters to attend.

The Blues have games lined up against Oldham Athletic on Saturday 11 July (3pm), Rochdale on Tuesday 14 July (7:45pm), Liverpool Under-21's on Wednesday 29 July (7:45pm) and Crewe Alexandra on Saturday 1 August (3pm). 

Entry to individual matches is priced at a very reasonable £5 Adults, £3 Concessions and free for Under-21's with valid identification but a ticket bundle has been made available which gives admission to all four games for the price of three.

http://www.chesterfc.com/news/article/blues-announce-pre-season-ticket-deal-2521604.aspx

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.

Five Friendlies For £5 Or Less This Saturday

Not quite a full weekend of fixtures as many English clubs only came back for pre-season training on Tuesday or Wednesday, perfectly timed of course to coincide with the hottest days of the year.

The Scottish season starts a bit earlier and a number of games take place north of the border.

East Stirlingshire host Partick Thistle at the Grangemouth Stadium in Falkirk on Saturday at 2pm. The club actually apologise for having to charge admission due to the costs involved and not having a ground of their own. Adults £5, £2 for Senior Citizens and Under-16's.

Ochilview Park is East Stirlingshire's current home, as they are tenants of Stenhousemuir and the Warriors are in home action against Livingston this Saturday with admission £5 and £3 for a 1:30pm kick-off. (Stenhousemuir also hosts Hearts on Monday 6th at 7:30pm, prices the same.)

In Aberdeenshire, Inverurie Loco Works FC of the Highland League host Elgin City at Harlaw. Kick-off is at 3pm and prices are £5 and £3.

Admission prices for all pre-season games at Barnstaple Town this summer are £3 Adults, £2 Concessions and £1 for Under-16's. The Toolstation Western League First Division champions start their preparations for the Premier League against Launceston this Saturday.

Oldham Athletic send a team to Wythenshawe Town on Saturday at 1pm with admission £2 Adults, £1 Concessions and free for Under-16's.

Please check all kick-off times with the official club websites and also have a look if there is anything going on in your local area.