Happy New Year

Happy New Year to everyone who have ever read the blog or followed Affordable Footy on Twitter.

January is normally quite a busy month as clubs look to keep people coming through the turnstiles at a time when money can be a bit tighter and the weather isn’t designed to get you venturing out of the house.

I try and update the Twitter page everyday…

The Valley for @CAFCofficial Women's FA Cup tie v Pompey. 8th Jan, 1pm. £5 and £2 concessions (incuding CAFC ST holders.) U12's free.

— Affordable Football (@AffordableFooty) 23 December 2016

And there is also a ‘Coming Up’ tab at the top of the page with details and links to upcoming fixtures.

Leamington FC, Rushall Olympic

Leamington FC, in its current guise, were formed in 2000, twelve years after the final game of football in the town was played at the Windmill Ground.

Living in Rugby as a youngster my main haunts were Highfield Road and Butlin Road, home to VS Rugby, but I did make the occasional visit to watch AP Leamington (as they were then known as the works team of Automotive Products).

Based at the New Windmill Ground, progress since 2000 has seen the club reach as high as the Conference North before relegation back to the Southern Premier League in 2015.

A return to that level could be on the cards this season as Leamington are currently top of the table and to capitalise on the feel-good factor the game at home to St Ives Town on 14th January 2017 has been designated as a ‘Pay What You Want’ fixture with the aim of thanking existing supporters and attracting new ones.

Rushall Olympic are based just outside Walsall and, as is the lot of Midlands clubs in the pyramid, face some lengthy trips in the Northern Premier League.

Proudly in existence since 1893, the Pics celebrate their club with a Community & Youth Development Day on 2nd January for the visit of Coalville Town (kick off 3pm).

All youth team players and their families will be given free admission before 2pm and general prices have been reduced to £5 Adults, £3 Concessions and free for accompanied Under-12's.

Boxing Day is Derby Day

One of the best things about Non-League football in England is surely the fact that the festive period sees so many local derbies taking place up and down the country.

Healthy rivalries that rarely overstep the mark allow for clubs to meet, often twice in the space of a few days, and reap the benefits at the gate of bumper attendances.

That stretches from the National League at the top down throughout the pyramid so, for instance and as a purely personal choice, there is an eagerly-awaited clash at the Wellesley Recreation Ground in Great Yarmouth where the Bloaters take on Gorleston Town in an 11am kick-off on Boxing Day, allowing enough time for a good breakfast and a walk along the sea front to shake off the excesses of the previous day.

BOXING DAY DERBY IS BACK!!!

⚽️ @The_Bloaters vs @gorlestonfc
🗓26/12/16 (Boxing Day)
⌚️️11am Kick off
📍The Wellesley

Not to be missed! pic.twitter.com/ggfZjdlA33

— Great Yarmouth Town (@The_Bloaters) 29 November 2016

With Great Yarmouth having been promoted back to the top-flight of the Eastern Counties Premier League last season it means the rivalry has been renewed and the game has received plenty of build-up on social media amongst two sets of players and officials who know each other well.

Wherever you are heading off to over the next few days, enjoy your football and a very Merry Christmas from Affordable Football to anyone who reads the blog or follows on Twitter.

Scunthorpe United, Luton Town

Two clubs entering 2017 in a positive frame of mind are the Iron and the Hatters as they aim for promotion from their respective divisions.

Scunthorpe United are surprise leaders of League One in many eyes but their form throughout the current campaign is a continuation of the upward curve they experienced towards the end of last season under new manager Graham Alexander.

A veteran of 1,000 matches as a player, Alexander cuts an impressive figure in the game and has already guided Fleetwood Town to promotion in his short managerial career.

Scunthorpe are a club who always try and involve themselves in the local community and don’t exist in isolation. That came to the fore last season when they strongly backed the ‘Save Our Steel’ campaign.

For the visit of Bury on Saturday 7 January, a local promotion is in place (one of the four that are allowed to Football League clubs throughout the course of a campaign) which means that tickets are priced at £10 Adults, £5 Concessions (65+, Under-21, Student), £1 for Under-18's and free for Under-12's.

Fifth in League Two at the time of writing, Luton Town’s future looks good on the pitch under another young manager in the shape of Nathan Jones and also off it as plans have been submitted for a new stadium at Power Court in the centre of the town.

There are quite a few hurdles left to jump (and talk of the Hatters playing at a new ground has been around as long as I can remember) but this looks like a project that can genuinely play a part in a wider regeneration attempt rather than benefit the football club and no-one else.

Luton have also made the headlines this season after receiving a £15,000 fine from the Football League for fielding weakened teams in the Football League Trophy.

This ridiculous state of affairs has come about despite Premier League and Championship clubs being invited into the competition to blood their youngsters (and also give the likes of Peter Crouch and Charlie Adam a run-out), despite Luton actually qualifying for the next stage and despite the fact that fielding the same players throughout the league season would have earned the Hatters a reward.

They have done the only sensible thing in the face of such madness and reduced prices to just £5 for Adults and Concessions and free for Under-16's for the visit of Chesterfield in the last 16 on Tuesday 10 January, kick-off 7:45pm.

Affordable Football: Coming Up

December 22: Free football at Leigh Sports Village when Manchester United Under-23's meet Middlesbrough in the Premier League International Cup, kick-off 7pm and also at Aldershot Town as Chelsea U-23's play Swansea City in the same competition (kick-off 7.05pm).

December 24: There is Christmas Eve action in Scotland and Montrose, who host Stirling Albion in a 1pm kick-off in League Two, are offering 'Pay What You Want' admission to the game.

December 31: Pay What You Want at Folkestone Invicta for the Ryman Premier game against Grays Athletic, kick-off 1pm. 

January 7: FA Cup Third Round weekend and all tickets for Watford against Burton Albion are priced at £10 Adults and £5 Concessions. 

January 7: Staying with the FA Cup, £10 Adult tickets are also available at Huddersfield Town where Port Vale are the visitors and prices at Bristol City for the game against Fleetwood are £10 Adults, £5 Concessions. 

January 7: Flying high at the top of League One, Scunthorpe United have reduced prices for home supporters when they entertain Bury. Tickets will cost £10 Adults, £5 Concessions (65+,U-21, Student), £1 Under-18 and free for Under-12’s.

January 9: A Manchester derby at Under-23 level with United and City meeting at Leigh Sports Village. Free admission is available for the 7pm kick-off. 

January 10: Tickets are priced at £5 for Adults and free for Under-16's as Luton Town host Chesterfield in the Football League Trophy at Kenilworth Road.

January 10: The FA Youth Cup enters the 4th Round stage in the new year and there is a London derby at Loftus Road between Queens Park Rangers and Tottenham Hotspur. Tickets are priced at £3 Adults, £1 Concessions and free for accompanied Under-8's for the 7pm kick-off.

January 14: Crawley Town host Hartlepool United in League Two and tickets are available on a 'Pay What You Can' basis with a minimum price of £1. 

January 30: Another free admission game at Leigh Sports Village when Manchester United Under-23's take on Everton in Premier League 2.

New Year’s Eve: Start the Party at Folkestone Invicta

The final day of 2016 sees a full programme of fixtures up and down the country and, at Non-League level in England certainly, there will be a host of local derbies to look forward to.

It is also a time to look back on the year, hoping for better in some cases and celebrating achievements in others.

Both Folkestone Invicta and Grays Athletic have plenty to be optimistic about as they prepare for a New Year’s Eve meeting at the Fullicks Stadium, kick-off 1pm.

For the hosts, 2016 was the year they finally broke a hoodoo on gaining promotion to the Ryman League Premier Division that had seen Invicta lose in the play-offs on four successive occasions.

Breaking that run in style they clinched the Division One South title as early as Good Friday with a 6-0 victory against Walton & Hersham.

On New Year’s Eve, as a thank you to supporters, Folkestone have made it ‘Pay What You Want’ admission for the visit of Grays Athletic, who recently celebrated becoming wholly supporter-owned and run.

West Didsbury & Chorlton FC

A merry Christmas to everyone at West Didsbury & Chorlton of the North West Counties Football League where my dad is a regular visitor and always receives a warm welcome.

This picture was taken ahead of Saturday's game against Winsford United where there was a free drink on offer to anyone making a donation to Chorlton & Didsbury Food Bank.

Since then West have reached the semi-finals of the Manchester Premier Cup where they will meet FC United of Manchester in early February.

Next home game at Brookburn Road is a South Manchester derby against Maine Road on 27th December at 3pm. Admission prices are £5 Adults, £3 Concessions and free for Under-12's.

Five for the Weekend

Some matches that may be of interest over the weekend.

Beginning at Aldershot Town on Friday evening where Chelsea Under-23's take on Dinamo Zagreb in the Premier League International Cup. There is free admission to this game for all spectators, kick-off is at 7:05pm.

No apologies for repeating that two Non-League clubs are pulling out all the stops to divert people away from the shops, Banbury United and Mickleover Sports of the Southern and Northern Premier Leagues respectively.

Currently 7th in the table, Banbury welcome bottom club Cinderford Town for a 3pm kick-off with admission reduced to £5 for Adults and Concessions and free for Under-16's.

The Puritans are also hosting a Christmas Funday with a free gift for all children, a choir and a visit from the pantomime.

In Derbyshire, fellow mid-table dwellers Ashton United are the visitors to Mickleover's Don Amott Arena where admission is £5 for Adults and free for Under-16's and Concessions.

The Christmas theme continues here with a free selection box of chocolates for the children.

Also on Saturday afternoon, with Merseyside eagerly awaiting Monday night's derby clash, Liverpool fans can watch their Under-18's in FA Youth Cup action against Crystal Palace at Tranmere's Prenton Park.

Admission is £4 Adults, £1 Concessions and free for LFC members and season ticket holders on production of their cards. Kick-off is at 3pm. 

And in Scotland where Spartans FC host BSC Glasgow in the Lowland League, admission to Ainslie Park will be free for spectators who 'donate at the gate' with items that will go to the less fortunate at Christmas time, in partnership with Granton Baptist Church’s Basics Bank and the Trussell Trust North Edinburgh Food Bank

Banbury United FC, Mickleover Sports FC

The last Saturday of football before Christmas is usually an occasion for lower than usual attendances although the calendar this season means that there is still a match-free Saturday, in the shape of Christmas Eve (in England although there are quite a few matches taking place in Scotland), in which to cram in some last-minute shopping.

Two Non-League clubs pulling out all the stops to divert people away from the shops are Banbury United and Mickleover Sports of the Southern and Northern Premier Leagues respectively.

Currently 7th in the table, Banbury welcome bottom club Cinderford Town for a 3pm kick-off with admission reduced to £5 for Adults and Concessions and free for Under-16's.

The Puritans are also hosting a Christmas Funday with a free gift for all children, a choir and a visit from the pantomime.

In Derbyshire, fellow mid-table dwellers Ashton United are the visitors to Mickleover's Don Amott Arena where admission is £5 for Adults and free for Under-16's and Concessions.

The Christmas theme continues here with a free selection box of chocolates for the children.

Watch Manchester United Three Times For Free Before Christmas

Three opportunities to catch a free match involving the Red Devils before Christmas, starting this coming Monday evening when Old Trafford plays host to the FA Youth Cup Third Round tie against Southampton.

At a stage of the competition where some other Premier League clubs have opted to play their home ties elsewhere it is good to see the doors of the famous old stadium being thrown open for a 7pm kick-off (turnstiles open at 6pm) and with no need to obtain a ticket beforehand.

The excellent Leigh Sports Village facility also plays host to two matches in the Premier League International Cup.

United Under-23's host Sparta Prague at 7pm on Thursday 15th December before playing Middlesbrough the following Thursday, 22nd December, again at 7pm.

Admission is free to both games, more details can be found here - Leigh Sports Village 

Pay What You Can at Crawley Town FC

Pay What You Want, or Pay What You Can, tends to be a Non-League affair in England although it has been done at Brentford in the past and also at Inverness Caledonian Thistle in the Scottish Premiership.

The initiative perhaps lends itself to people paying cash at a turnstile or gate rather than buying tickets in advance but that shouldn’t stop a pat on the back to Crawley Town for trying it out when Hartlepool United visit the Checkatrade Stadium for a League Two fixture on Saturday 17th January.

A minimum price of £1 has been set and all areas of the stadium are available apart from those held by season ticket holders.

Tickets can be purchased in advance at the box office or by phone and turnstiles will be open on the day for both home and away supporters to pay what they can.

Operations Director Kelly Derham told the official Crawley Town website: “We are delighted to be staging our first Pay What You Can game.

“January is traditionally a time when money is tight for everyone. The Hartlepool game is one of three fixtures in the month with Portsmouth the following week arguably our most attractive home game of the season.”

As I have written before on the blog, smaller clubs in Leagues One and Two face testing times as they balance the demands of maintaining full-time squads and the associated costs that come with that against a trend whereby the Championship is increasingly looking like a Premier League 2.

That task may be even harder for clubs such as Crawley who have risen so far in the past ten years but who are now looking to maintain their Football League place against a backdrop of attendances that have dipped below 2,000 at times this season.

Let's hope the 'Pay What You Can' offer can boost those numbers in January and increase awareness in the town of the efforts that the local club are making.

Vanarama Big Day Out 3

The third of the affordable finals at Wembley Stadium, alongside the FA Women's Cup Final and Non-League Finals Day, the Big Day Out is the flagship event of the Vanarama National League as the two winning play-off semi-finalists battle it out for the prize of promotion to League Two.

I attended last season's game between Grimsby Town and Forest Green Rovers and had a very enjoyable day out in the London sunshine as the Mariners celebrated their return to the Football League.

The 'early-bird' ticket offer, which runs from December 12 to February 28, is designed to attract neutral supporters to what is hoped to be a celebration of the Non-League game and tickets during this period are priced at £20 Adults, £10 Seniors (Over 60) and free for accompanied Under-16's (1 per paying adult or senior, additional tickets £5).

Tickets then go off-sale until the two competing clubs are confirmed. Although prices rise at this time, anyone buying during the early-bird period whose team subsequently makes the final will be allocated a seat with their own club's supporters.

More details at the official National League website.

Five for the Weekend

A selection of matches that may be of interest over the course of the weekend.

On Friday night, Portsmouth host Newcastle United in the FA Youth Cup, under the lights at Fratton Park for a 7pm kick-off. Admission is priced at £4 Adults and £2 Seniors, Special Concessions and anyone aged 22 and under.

Not too far away, Aldershot Town will host the Premier League 2 clash between Chelsea and Manchester United Under-23's. Admission to the 7:05pm kick-off is priced at £3 Adults and £1 Concessions.

The FA Trophy is the main event on the Non-League scene this weekend and National League high-fliers Forest Green Rovers are in action at home to Truro City. Ticket prices have been reduced and Adult standing tickets purchased before the day of the game will cost £8. Under-11's go free.

Stretching the weekend out until Monday evening and Gillingham are the visitors to the Macron Stadium for a televised League One clash for which Bolton Wanderers have made all home tickets available for £5.

On the same evening there is free admission at Old Trafford for Manchester United against Southampton in the FA Youth Cup, kick-off 7pm.

Turnstiles will open from 6pm and there is no need to obtain tickets in advance. Fair play to United for this as a number of the bigger clubs, drawn at home in Third Round of the Youth Cup have opted to play their ties away from their main stadiums.

@AffordableFooty

Is our Twitter page, where I try and update all of the latest ticket offers and matches of interest that I come across.

It is also where clubs and supporters kindly send me details of games, such as this from Enfield Borough FC earlier in the week.

Come and watch our Cup game in the QE Stadium for free !!!@EnfieldCouncil @EnfieldVoice @LifeEnfield @LoveUrdoorstep @AffordableFooty pic.twitter.com/qfs9BA0bAS

— Enfield Borough FC (@EnfieldBoroFC) 1 December 2016

Five for the Weekend

A selection of matches that may be of interest over the weekend.

The FA Cup is at the Second Round stage with the prize of a place in the draw for round three at stake.

Chesterfield host Wycombe Wanderers in a 3pm kick-off on Saturday and ticket prices have been reduced to £10 Adults and £5 Concessions (aged 16 & under/17-20/65+).

It is also First Round weekend in the SSE Women’s FA Cup and both Sheffield United Ladies and Crystal Palace Ladies will be looking forward to playing at the main stadiums of their respective mens’ teams.

Selhurst Park is the venue for the tie between Crystal Palace FC Ladies and Charlton Ladies on Sunday 4th December at 1pm with tickets purchased in advance costing £5 and Under-12’s able to go in for free with a paying adult.

The Blades will take on Leicester City Women Development on the same day, again a 1pm kick-off, at Bramall Lane with admission costing £2 Adults, £1 Under-16’s and free for SUFC season ticket holders.

With local action at something of a premium in West Yorkshire, Bradford Park Avenue are offering admission to season ticket holders from any club for just £5 when they entertain Kidderminster Harriers in the National League North. As always, Under-18 admission at the Horsfall Stadium is just £2.

And, in the FA Vase, which has reached the Third Round stage, season ticket holders of any club can watch the tie between Newhaven FC and Chichester City for half-price, meaning admission of £3 for Adults and £1.50 for Concessions.

Women's FA Cup Final 2017

Following on from yesterday's article on Non League Finals Day, another Wembley date for the diary is the final of the SSE Women's FA Cup which takes place at the National Stadium on Saturday 13 May 2017.

For the second successive season the sponsorship deal with SSE will allow children to watch the final for free with Adult tickets priced at £15.

Arsenal defeated Chelsea in the 2016 final, watched by more than 33,000 spectators. 

The competition itself has reached the First Round stage with ties taking place this coming Sunday, 4th December, at 1pm.

Both Sheffield United Ladies and Crystal Palace Ladies will be looking forward to playing at the main stadiums of their respective mens’ teams.

Selhurst Park is the venue for the tie between Crystal Palace FC Ladies and Charlton Ladies with tickets purchased in advance costing £5 and Under-12’s able to go in for free with a paying adult.

The Blades will take on Leicester City Women Development at Bramall Lane, meanwhile, with admission costing £2 Adults, £1 Under-16’s and free for SUFC season ticket holders.

Non League Finals Day 2017

A date for the diary as the Football Association has confirmed details for the second Non League Finals Day which will take place on Sunday 21 May 2017.

This follows last season's successful staging of both the FA Vase and FA Trophy finals on the same day for the first ever time, with one tickets allowing entrance to both matches.

Boosted by the appearance of Hereford FC in the Vase final, a crowd of nearly 50,000 attended in 2016.

That might be difficult to top this time around but, with the FA on much sounder financial footing as Wembley begins to pay its way and a new FA Cup TV deal kicks in, Non League Finals Day looks set to become a regular part of the calendar.

Tickets for this season have been kept at £25 for adults and £10 for concessions, with The FA also confirming that children will be able to enjoy the day out at Wembley for just £1. 

The FA Trophy is currently at the Third Qualifying Round stage, although the weather affected some of Saturday's matches while the Vase moves onto the Third Round Proper stage this coming weekend.

Christmas Eve Football at Montrose FC

With Christmas Eve falling on a Saturday this year there are plenty of fixtures taking place in Scotland, from the Premiership where both Celtic and Rangers are in action to League Two where one of the games sees Montrose host Stirling Albion at Links Park.

The Gable Endies of Montrose FC came close to losing their Scottish League status in 2015 but won a play-off against Highland League champions Brora Rangers.

For the Stirling match, which kicks-off at 1pm, usual admission prices have been scrapped and entrance will be 'Pay What You Want' for spectators.

Coming Up

November 26: Wolverhampton Wanderers have made tickets half-price in all areas of Molineux for the visit of Sheffield Wednesday, an offer that has attracted near-30,000 crowds in recent seasons.

It is the Third Round of the Scottish Cup and reduced prices are in operation at Stirling Albion for their tie at home to Wick. Adults £10, Seniors, Students & Under-16's £5 and free for U-12's.

November 29: Chelsea U23's take on Feyenoord in the Premier League International Cup. The game takes place at Aldershot FC with a 7:05pm kick-off and free admission. Chelsea's matches against Dinamo Zagreb on Friday 16 December and Swansea City on Thursday 22 December at the same venue are also free to enter.

November 30: The FA Youth Cup is at the third round stage with Stevenage and Tottenham Hotspur meeting at the Lamex Stadium (Spurs are classed as the home side). Admission is £5/£2 for the 7pm kick-off.

December 3: FA Cup Second Round weekend and there are reduced prices in operation at Chesterfield FC for their home tie against Wycombe Wanderers. Tickets are £10 Adults and £5 Concessions.

December 4: Selhurst Park hosts Crystal Palace Ladies in an SSE Women's FA Cup tie against neighbours Charlton Athletic. Admission to the 1pm kick-off is £5 if purchased in advance with accompanied Under-12's going free.

December 13: Wrexham are the scheduled visitors to mark the opening of the new 3G surface at The Rock, home of Cefn Druids. Admission to the friendly, kick-off 7:30pm, will be £4 Adults and £1 Children.

December 15: Manchester United U23's take on Sparta Prague in the Premier League International Cup. There is free admission at Leigh Sports Village to both this game and the following week's meeting with Middlesbrough in the same competition.

December 24: There is Christmas Eve action in Scotland and Montrose, who host Stirling Albion in a 1pm kick-off in League Two, are offering 'Pay What You Want' admission to the game.

Five For The Weekend

A selection of matches that may be of interest over the weekend.

It is the Third Round of the Scottish Cup and reduced prices are in operation at Stirling Albion for their tie at home to Wick. Adults £10, Seniors, Students & Under-16's £5 and free for U-12's.

Looking ahead, Stirling are the visitors to Montrose in a Scottish League Two fixture scheduled for 1pm on Christmas Eve and the hosts are offering 'Pay What You Want' admission to that game.

A half-price ticket offer at Wolverhampton Wanderers has proved very successful over the past couple of seasons and it is back for the visit of Sheffield Wednesday to Molineux this coming Saturday with 50% off all tickets in all home areas of the ground.

The game also marks 30 years since Steve Bull and Andy Thompson joined a club that had fallen down the divisions and played in a stadium that barely merited the name, sparking an upturn in fortunes that I well remember from the Central TV and Midlands Today sports bulletins of my youth that showed ‘Bully’ charging through opposition defences to score.

The weekend ends with Huddersfield Town hosting Wigan Athletic, live in front of the Sky cameras on Monday evening.

Having been so proactive with their season tickets in the summer, the John Smith’s Stadium has been a positive place to be throughout the campaign to date and the Terriers have reduced individual prices for the Latics game to £10 Adults, £5 Over-60’s and unaccompanied U-18’s and £1 for accompanied U-18’s (must be pre-purchased).

Darlington FC are tantalisingly close to returning to their home town as the development of the Blackwell Meadows site they are to share with Darlington RFC enters its final stages. For the moment they remain at Heritage Park in Bishop Auckland where Marine are the visitors on Sunday for an FA Trophy tie that kicks off at 3pm.

Adult admission prices have been reduced to £10 for the game, Concessions are £8 and Children £2.

In the same competition, only a little further south, Truro City take on Frome Town at 3pm on Saturday and reduced prices also apply to this match at £10 Adults, £7 Over-65's, £3 Under-18's and Students and free for accompanied Under-12's.

Alfreton FC

The Impact Arena, home of Alfreton FC of the Conference North, ahead of Saturday's game against Altrincham which the hosts won 3-2 thanks to two goals in the final four minutes.

Slightly ramshackle (which I mean as a compliment), the stadium offers plenty of different vantage points from which to watch a match and get very close to the action and also some very tasty looking chips which were extremely popular among the crowd.

The next scheduled home league game is against FC Halifax Town on Saturday 13 December but before then you can watch Nottingham Forest Under-23's in action against Mansfield Town (Tuesday 22 November, 2pm) and Crewe Alexandra (Tuesday 29 November, 7pm). Admission to those matches is priced at £4 Adults and £2 Concessions.

BBC Price of Football Survey

The BBC have released details of their comprehensive survey of ticket prices and other costs associated with attending matches, both in the UK and abroad, and as usual it is generating plenty of interest and follow-up stories.

Some of the issues have been touched upon here at Affordable Football and it is no surprise to see some of the focus now fall upon the fact that watching a game in the Championship, certainly as an away supporter, can often be more expensive than in the top-flight.

I’ve got limited sympathy for Championship clubs, many of whom are spending big amounts in the transfer market in a bid to reach the Premier League and who also seem increasingly dominant within the ‘EFL’ itself, as the Football League Trophy fiasco illustrates.

But it is becoming increasingly difficult for League One and Two clubs to compete on price given the rising costs that they face and with the income distribution model weighted against them. Maintaining full-time football, in modern, well-kept stadiums in towns throughout England will get harder and harder for these clubs.

Elsewhere, FA WSL receives positive praise for its ticket prices, the average in WSL1 being less than £5, but does face a challenge now, with the transition to a winter season, to maintain interest and ensure a competitive top-flight that is not increasingly dominated by one team.

The Welsh Premier League is also cited as a value for money outlet to watch your football, with 2015 prices held and matchday tickets costing £10 or less per game, and I know from writing this blog for the past three-and-a-half years how hard many of the clubs there work to attract new supporters.

Speaking of which, in addition to Aberystwyth Town’s annual student night for the game against Cefn Druids on Friday, Llandudno FC are offering half-price admission when Bala Town are the visitors on Saturday. This means entrance will cost £4 Adults, £2.50 and 50p.

And, one club who earn nothing but praise in the ‘Price of Football’ survey are Huddersfield Town and the the club have reduced individual prices for the televised Wigan Athletic home game on Monday 28 November to £10 Adults, £5 Over-60’s and unaccompanied U-18’s and £1 for accompanied U-18’s (must be pre-purchased).

Five for the Weekend

A selection of matches that may be of interest over the weekend.

Friday evening sees Aberystwyth Town host Cefn Druids in the Welsh Premier League, kick-off 7:45pm.

With the local university playing such a key role in the town itself, the club are always pro-active in trying to attract new supporters to Park Avenue and Friday is the annual student night with university-goers entitled to admission for £2 and a free hot dog

There is FA Youth Cup action at the County Ground on Saturday at 1pm. Swindon Town fans can watch their Under-18’s in action against AFC Sudbury for just £2 Adults, £1 Concessions.

Round Three of the competition, with Championship and Premier League clubs entering, will begin almost immediately so keep an eye on the FA website for fixtures and the chance to watch a match in one of the big stadiums for just a few pounds.

Dulwich Hamlet host Worthing in the Ryman League Premier Division and a bumper crowd should be in attendance, attracted by the chance to ‘Pay What You Want’ on the turnstiles. Surplus money raised above the usual matchday costs will be donated to Football Beyond Borders and Dog Kennel Hill Adventure Playground.

Hamlet’s Ryman League Cup tie against Faversham Town on Tuesday 13th December, kick-off 7:45pm will be half-price admission on the night.

Saturday’s game between Gosport Borough and Concord Rangers in the National League South is also the Aerial Direct Community Day and is free to watch as long as you obtain a ticket before 5pm on Friday afternoon.

Collections on the gate will be made for the ‘Rays of Sunshine’ charity.

Liverpool Under-23’s take on Reading at Tranmere’s Prenton Park on Sunday, kick-off 1pm and with admission priced at £4 Adults and £1 Children/Concessions.

LFC members and season tickets holders can gain free entry on production of their cards at the turnstiles.

Gillingham FC, Wolverhampton Wanderers

Another ticket initiative in League One, following on from a five-match trial of reduced prices at Oldham Athletic which began with Saturday’s visit of AFC Wimbledon to Boundary Park, a crowd of 3,856 watching a 0-0 draw.

Saturday’s visit of Northampton Town to Priestfield also marked the start of Gillingham’s £25 Family Ticket, covering admission for two Adults and two Under-18’s for all this season’s remaining matches with the exception of the game against Millwall in April.

Tickets are in the uncovered Brian Moore Stand (so a dry day is preferable) and, reflecting that location, individual tickets for the same stand have been reduced to £10 Adults, £5 Under-18’s and Concessions.

Like the Oldham offer, the family ticket and reduced prices apply to away supporters as well.

In the Championship, Wolves have designated the home game against Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday 26 November to offer half-price tickets in all home areas of the ground, an initiative that has seen big attendances at Molineux when tried in recent season.

UEFA Women’s Euro 2017

The tournament, the first 16-team European Championship, takes place in the Netherlands from 16 July to 6 August next year and from a British point of view the standout game of the group stage will be the meeting of England and first-time qualifiers Scotland in Utrecht on Wednesday 19 July.

Matches are also being played in Rotterdam, Breda, Doetinchem and Tilburg and a quick look at the UEFA website indicates that this should be a fairly accessible and affordable tournament for anyone wishing to travel across.

Tickets for all of the group games and quarter-finals are priced at either 10 or 20 Euros, for the semi-finals it is 15 and 30 and for the final, tickets are priced at 20 and 40 Euros.

For those players currently plying their trade in the FA Women’s Super League, preparations for Euro 2017 will be by way of the Spring Series, a transitional campaign that runs from February to May and which is designed to fill the gap as WSL moves to a winter campaign.

Teams will play either four of five home matches and Durham Women FC have been quick off the mark to say that anyone who held a 2016 season ticket will be able to use it to gain entry to their games.

FA Vase: Hallam FC versus Morpeth Town FC

Something slightly different this week, a match preview, rather than a review, of a game local to me which is also an intriguing FA Vase Second Round tie.

Sheffield's Hallam FC are currently riding high in Division One of the Northern Counties East Football League with a big midweek home game against Grimsby Borough that pits third against second.

I've been an occasional visitor to Sandygate since moving to Sheffield in 2001 and, from a distance, the club seem to be in a very good place at the moment.

They have always had the history, being formed in 1860 and playing at the world's oldest football ground but now, with a smart clubhouse that showcases that history, a very active social media presence and continuity on the pitch under the management of Ryan Hindley, it isn't all about the past.

After the Grimsby Borough game comes Saturday's visit of Morpeth Town, the defending FA Vase holders after their Wembley triumph in the face of huge support for opponents Hereford on the first ever Non-League Finals Day.

With the Northern League clubs being traditionally strong in the competition and Morpeth currently placed 3rd in the table, it will be a huge test for Hallam but one that will hopefully attract a good crowd with Sheffield Wednesday not in action and Sheffield United's game at Chesterfield having been moved to Sunday.

Admission at Sandygate for Saturday's 3pm kick-off is priced at £5 Adults, £2.50 Students and Concessions.

Affordable Football on Twitter

Our Twitter page is where I try and update all of the special offers and reduced admission price games that I come across.

Three free U-19 international matches coming up at @Rhylfc starting with England v Lux, Thursday 5pm. https://t.co/dccL8e8Tm3

— Affordable Football (@AffordableFooty) 7 November 2016

Plenty of clubs and supporters get in touch with details of their upcoming matches and I try and re-tweet as many as I see in time.

Hopefully see you there!

Price Reductions at Oldham Athletic

‘We have got it wrong’ is the message from interim chief executive Mark Moisley as Oldham Athletic start a five-game trial of reduced prices which they say will make them the cheapest club to watch in League One.

Starting with the AFC Wimbledon match on Saturday 12th November, tickets purchased in advance will cost £15 Adults, £10 Concessions and £5 Under-16’s (on the day prices will be £20/£12 and £5).

The Oldham Evening Chronicle quotes Mr Moisley as saying: "The supporters' survey we produced provided us with the feedback that fans have not been happy with the pricing we have put in place this season.

 

"So we have looked back at it and said that we have got it wrong.

 

"I don't necessarily think our communication with fans has been brilliant in the past and it's something we are keen to rectify.”

The often-quoted threat to attendances at Oldham, and their League One rivals Bury and Rochdale, is from the two big Manchester clubs but there is also pressure from below with a thriving local scene at Non-League level.

I called League One a ‘limbo land’ in an article earlier in the season and many of its clubs are trying to square a difficult circle of investing for a tilt at promotion while dealing with rising costs and the apparent loosening of the bonds between all of the members of the Football League which is seeing the Championship take the majority of the revenue and publicity generated.

Equally, I don’t want to dismiss the comments of Oldham supporters about the poor quality of the fare on the pitch and the ‘death by a thousand cuts’ approach which made them favourites for relegation at the start of the season, a billing that they are currently living up to.

But, the offer that has been made is a fair one, it applies to away supporters as well, and hopefully it can make a difference and offer some hope of a brighter future.

Tickets for this Saturday’s FA Cup home tie against Doncaster Rovers at Boundary Park are priced at £10 Adults, £5 Concessions and £1 for Under-12’s and can be purchased on the turnstile for the 3pm kick-off.

FA Youth Cup at Bramall Lane

A trip to Bramall Lane on Tuesday evening for the FA Youth Cup tie between Sheffield United and Crewe Alexandra.

There used to be periodic talk of using the Don Valley Stadium site to build a shared, bigger ground for United and Wednesday but DVS has now gone and those ideas with it.

And, while I don’t go too often to matches at either the Lane or Hillsborough, living in Sheffield it's good to have both stadiums at their traditional sites, easily accessible by public transport and with a wealth of pubs and eating places within walking distance.

The FA Youth Cup itself offers a good chance to watch a competitive game, under the floodlights, usually for less than a Fiver (admission on Tuesday was £3 Adults and £1 Concessions) and with family-friendly 7pm kick-offs.

The celebrations from the Blades youngsters when they scored a deserved late winner showed how much it meant to them to progress to the next round.

There are still some First Round ties to be played over the next few days. As with the FA Cup, Premier League and Championship clubs enter the competition in Round Three.

Coming Up

November 5: There is free admission for all spectators as Sholing FC host Brockenhurst in the Wessex Premier League, at Chipstead FC where Walton Casuals are the visitors and at Griffin Park as Brentford B take on Manchester United U23's in a friendly.

November 6: The final day of a fragmented FA WSL season sees all matches in WSL1 kick-off at 6pm after a 2pm start in WSL2 where Aston Villa Ladies will be looking forward to their match against Watford Ladies at Villa Park. Admission is priced at £5/£1 and is free for Villa season ticket holders if they register their details.

A special ticket offer is available to watch both Durham Women and Sunderland Ladies in home action (kicking-off at 2pm and 6pm respectively) which costs £6 Adults and £3 Concessions.

November 10: Stevenage FC host England Under-18's for their game against Poland, kick-off 7pm. Tickets at the Lamex Stadium will cost £3 Adults, £1.50 Concessions and just 50p for group bookings of 15 people or more.

On the same evening, Arsenal send an XI to Top Field to mark the switch on of the new Hitchin Town floodlights. Admission to the 7:45pm kick-off is on a 'Pay What You Want' basis.

November 19: ‘Pay What You Like’ for admission at Dulwich Hamlet as they entertain Worthing in the Ryman League Premier Division, all proceeds over and above usual matchday costs will be donated to good causes.

November 21: Free entry to Manchester United Under-23's against Sunderland at Leigh Sports Village, kick-off 7pm. There are further free Manchester United games at the same venue scheduled for Thursday 15th and 22nd of December against Sparta Prague and Middlesbrough respectively.

Sholing FC, Chipstead FC

Two clubs are throwing open their doors on Saturday 5th November for free admission to their respective matches.

Sholing FC host Brockenhurst in the Wessex Premier League, kick-off 3pm.

FA Vase winners in 2014, the Boatmen, who play in red and white stripes, will hope to attract a healthy number of Southampton supporters to the game as the Saints are not in action until an away trip to Hull the following day.

Surrey’s Chipstead FC are at home to Walton Casuals in the Ryman League Division One South. Kick-off is at 3pm with the clubhouse open to show the televised FA Cup tie between Merstham and Oxford United which kicks off at 12:30pm.

@AffordableFooty Any extra beyond the 40+ we normally get for such a game hopefully-football on the big screen in the bar before & after too

— Chipstead FC Surrey (@chipsteadfcsurr) 29 October 2016

As with Sholing’s, the Chipstead club website is an indicator of how much a part of the community the club are, with football at all age levels from 7-years-old up to walking football for the over-50’s.

Chipstead also have an ongoing offer throughout the season which allows reduced price admission of £5 for season ticket holders of either Crystal Palace or Sutton United.

Busy Start To November

A busy start to November with plenty of opportunity to catch matches up and down the country.

 

Both the FA Youth Cup and the FA Cup itself have reached the First Round Proper stage with clubs from Leagues One and Two entering the fray.

 

In the FA Youth Cup that means plenty of opportunity to watch games under the lights at a club’s main ground.

 

The full draw is available on the FA website but, for example, there are matches at Bramall Lane on Tuesday 1st November at 7pm as Sheffield United host Crewe (admission free for season ticket holders, £3 Adults and £1 Concessions) and Roots Hall the following evening at 7:30pm when Southend United take on Leyton Orient (admission £3 Adults and £1 Concessions/Under-16’s).

 

In the senior competition, boosted by the recent announcement of a lucrative new overseas television deal which will hopefully see prize money in the early stages of the cup be improved, a number of clubs have reduced prices to a maximum of £10 for their First Round home ties.

 

Oldham Athletic against Doncaster Rovers, for example, on Saturday 5th November at 3pm, is priced at £10 Adults, £5 Concessions and £1 Under-12’s.

 

Stockport County, meanwhile, want to pack Edgeley Park for the game against Woking on the same afternoon after reaching the First Round for the first time since 2012. Admission prices have been reduced to £10 Adults, £7 Concessions and £4 for 6-17-Year-Olds.

 

It’s a positive move to reflect a positive mood at the Hatters, chairman Richard Park telling the official club website: "The fact we can reduce prices to this level also demonstrates that the club is moving into profitability for the first time in many years.  We have a positive cash flow, which means we can plan for the future with a lot more confidence.  As a Board we've taken some difficult decisions but the journey we began two years ago, towards a sustainable and debt-free football club, is well on course.”

Bonfire Night weekend also sees the final day of the FA WSL season with a special ticket offer in place to watch the two North-East clubs in the competition, Durham WFC and Sunderland Ladies in action at 2pm and 6pm respectively, priced at £6 Adults and £3 Concessions.

 

Saturday 5th also sees free football at Sholing FC as they entertain Brockenhurst in the Wessex Premier League and at Chipstead FC for the game against Walton Casuals.