Is The Battle On For Stayaway Coventry City Fans?

This Sunday afternoon, over 43,000 Coventry City supporters will be at Wembley Stadium for the Football League Trophy final against Oxford United.

Despite the (justified) welter of criticism that the revamped competition has attracted, a dismal season for the Sky Blues in League One and, most importantly, the off-field issues that continue to weigh down so heavily on the club, fans will be out in force and enjoying a first trip to the national stadium since the 1987 Charity Shield.

It promises to be a good occasion and one which supporters can come together and show the potential of the club for any interested party who may want to put their head above the parapet and try to make an offer that current owners SISU can’t refuse.

That is the hope, although the reality is that things will return to normal when Peterborough United are the visitors to the Ricoh Arena on Saturday 8 April and home fans will number around 7,000

With relegation to League Two still probable, rather than possible, and no sign of any end to the interminable saga of where the club’s long-term home will be, those numbers are set to drop even further next season as people simply refuse to return to CV6 unless something changes.

It's a desperately sad situation but, for those of a Sky Blue persuasion looking for their football fix in 2017/18 there are two very good season ticket offers at local Non-League clubs.

Coventry Sphinx have reduced the price of an Adult season ticket from £100 to £60 (Concessions £40, Under-16's free) and that price will also include entry to Midland Floodlit Youth League home games and a complimentary programme at each first team fixture.

Sphinx’s Midland Football League rivals Coventry United, based in the current season at Sphinx Drive are set to move to the Butts Park Arena after that (the BPA is the home of Coventry Rugby Club and is claimed to be the current focus of CCFC in their search for a new home…but that’s another story).

United were established in 2013 at the time of Coventry City's move to Northampton and have made rapid progress since then.

For 2017/18 they are offering a combined season ticket at £139 which will incoporate both the men's team (£99) and the successful ladies' team (£40) who play in the FA WPL and enjoyed an excellent FA Cup run recently.

11 More For April

In addition to the host of matches that are coming up this Saturday (April 1st), here are some more games that may be of interest during the month ahead.

April 7: England Women warm-up for the European Championships with a double-header of friendlies, firstly against Italy at Port Vale.

Tickets are priced at £7.50 Adults, £3.50 Children and £15 for a Family ticket (2+2) and these are also the prices for the game against Austria at Stadium MK on April 10 (both 7:45pm kick-offs).

April 7: Chelsea Under-23's are in action at Stamford Bridge against Sunderland. Tickets for the 7:05pm kick-off are priced at £5 and £3. 

April 8: Hitchin Town are offering free admission to women and girls, as part of the 'Women at the Game' initiative, when they take on Chippenham Town FC at Top Field.

April 14: Good Friday's game between Weston-super-Mare and Margate will cost a minimum of £1 to watch as the home side throw open their doors for an Open Day. 

April 14: Reduced prices of £10 for Adults and Concessions and free for Under-16's as Woking FC entertain Macclesfield Town in the National League.

April 15: A first ever 'Pay What You Want' game for Abingdon United as they host North Leigh United in the Hellenic League.

April 19: Spurs Ladies take on West Ham United in the FA Women's Premier League South. The significance of the game is that it will take part at White Hart Lane, one of the last ever competitive fixtures at the famous old ground. Tickets are on sale, priced at a maximum of £5. 

April 21: The English Schools Under-18 team meet Wales at the Memorial Ground, home of Bristol Rovers. Tickets for the 7pm kick-off are priced at £6 Adults (seating), £5 Adults (standing) and £3 Children/Students.

April 22: It will cost just £1 to watch Kempston Rovers take on Histon in the Southern League, the wonderfully-nicknamed Walnuts hosting their final home league game of the season.

April 22: Hartlepool United have reduced prices for the League Two match against Barnet. Tickets are priced at £10 Adults, £5 Concessions in all areas of the stadium.

Update

An update to two recent articles...

In addition to the many offers in place for this coming Saturday, April 1st, there is also free admission to the game between Tooting & Mitcham United and South Park in the Ryman League Division One South.

The match kicks off at 3pm but there is plenty going on beforehand with a Community Funday from 1pm. Thanks to the excellent London Football Guide for steering me in the direction of this.

Also on Saturday, Poole Town are offering 'Pay What You Want' admission for the National League South game at home to Concord Rangers.

And, in addition to the scheduled fixtures at both Tottenham Hotspur and Peterborough United for their respective Women's teams, Birmingham City Ladies will be in action at St Andrew's against Liverpool on Sunday 7th May as the WSL1 Spring Series clicks into gear.

Advance tickets are priced at £7 Adults, £4 Concessions and £18 for a Family.

£110 (Hopefully) To Celebrate Rochdale's 110 Years

I wrote recently about Rochdale, looking ahead to a League One fixture against Port Vale where admission for all was £1 (the match was postponed and will be played on Tuesday 4th April with the same prices applying), that these are 'good times at Spotland, or the Crown Oil Arena as it is currently known, with Rochdale pushing for promotion from League One and in a healthy financial position that was boosted recently by a sell-on fee received from the sale of Scott Hogan by Brentford to Aston Villa.'

Competition remains fierce in the local area, from the big boys of Manchester (and the never-ending diet of live, televised action) to the thriving Non-League scene but, from a distance, Rochdale seem to be in a good place to survive and thrive whatever division they may be in.

It is a far cry from the hand-to-mouth existence of the mid-1990’s as the club board and staff toiled endlessly to keep football alive in the town, a period chronicled superbly in the book ‘Kicking In The Wind’ by Derick Allsop, which went behind the scenes at Spotland for the 1995/96 season.

So it also seems like a good time to launch a season ticket offer that could see the 110th anniversary of the club being celebrated with prices that could reach as low as £110.

From tomorrow (Monday 27th March), supporters will be invited to put down a £50 deposit on a 2017/18 season ticket, the final cost of which will be staged as follows.

Over 2,000 season ticket sales - £250
Over 2,500 season ticket sales - £200

Over 3,000 season ticket sales - £150

Over 4,000 season ticket sales - £110

There's some more devil in the detail, which can be seen on the official Dale website but at first viewing it is an innovative offer.

When I see something like this, I like to dip into a fans forum and get more of a gauge of feeling.

Fan Network has a detailed thread on the subject which is extremely positive about the very fact that the club is making the effort and broadly supportive about the offer itself, slight reservations about the details being both well-argued and well-meaning.

West Didsbury & Chorlton FC

An unexpectedly sunny day at Brookburn Road on Saturday as West Didsbury & Chorlton edged past Abbey Hey in the Hallmark Security (North West Counties) League Premier Division.

The weather was warm today but the welcome is always like that at West, who are at home to Barnoldswick Town on Tuesday evening (£5 Adults, £3 Concessions and free for Under-12's) before a big local derby on Friday...

A date for anybodies diary! Local teams vying for pride of place in the South Manchester derby. pic.twitter.com/sMZSiueKGv

— Maine Road F.C. (@MaineRoadFC) 12 March 2017

Affordable Football For April 1st (No Fool)

Halesowen Town FC take on Skelmersdale United at The Grove and, as part of the club's Community Day there will be half-price admission for anyone donating a football scarf in aid of the Alfie Lund Fund. 

Bring an old scarf along and your entry price will be £5 Adults, £3.50 Concessions, £1.50 Under-16's (accompanied Under-12's free).

Curzon Ashton FC are hosting a Community Family Day with entertainment, VIP events and prize draws taking place and reduced admission of £6 Adults and £3 Concessions for the National League North game against Gloucester City.

'Pay What You Like' at Worthing FC as they take on AFC Sudbury in the Ryman Premier Division, 'a small gesture' of the club's appreciation towards their supporters according to major shareholder George Dowell.

All tickets, in all home areas of the Macron Stadium, are £5 for Bolton Wanderers game against Chesterfield in League One.

Newport County host Crawley Town in League Two and tickets have been reduced to £10 Adults and £1 for Under-16's. The Exiles suffered a hammering by Leyton Orient the last time they made this offer but the appointment of Mike Flynn as manager has renewed hope that they can avoid the drop into the National League.

Elsewhere in the Principality, the semi-finals of the Welsh Cup take place in Bangor (Gap Connah’s Quay and The New Saints kick-off at 2:30pm) and Rhyl (Caernarfon Town meet Bala Town with kick-off at 5:15pm).

Admission to the matches is priced at £7 Adults, £4 Concessions and £1 Under-16’s.

Spurs Ladies At White Hart Lane

With the famous old stadium entering its final weeks (barring a twist in the deal to play at Wembley while the new Spurs ground is completed), Tottenham Hotspur Ladies get the chance to play at White Hart Lane on Wednesday 19 April when they host West Ham United in the FA Women's Premier League.

"The players can't wait and they are all determined to deliver a performance that reflects what they've achieved so far this season," manager Karen Hills told the official Spurs website as her side sit top of the FA WPL and also through to three cup finals.

Tickets for the 7pm kick-off are priced at £5 Adults, £3 for Adult members/season ticket holders and £1 for both Under-16's and Over-65's.

Also in action at their main stadium are Peterborough United Ladies as they take on Crystal Palace at the ABAX on Saturday 20th May at 6pm.

Tickets cost £3 Adults and £1 for Under-18s and Over-60's.

Update

An update on two recent articles, firstly Non-League Finals Day 2017 which, we now know, will feature York City against Macclesfield Town in the FA Trophy Final and Cleethorpes Town versus South Shields in the FA Vase. 

The finals of both competitions will take place on the same day, Sunday 21st May, at Wembley with a combined ticket for priced at £25 for Adults, £10 for Concessions and £1 for Children.

And another addition to a busy Saturday 25th March comes at Bradford Park Avenue where prices for the National League North fixture against Altrincham have been reduced from £11 to £6 for Adults and with various discounts in all other categories.

The National League Versus The British Army (X3)

A quick line about a trio of representative matches that are taking place on Wednesday 29th March between National League XI's and the British Army.

Three separate National League sides, drawn from clubs in the North and South divisions, will take to the field at the homes of Eastbourne Borough, Tamworth and Harrogate Town respectively with all three matches costing just £5 to attend for Adults, including a programme, and free for both Seniors and Juniors.

Brian Barwick, chairman of The National League, said: "This is an innovative approach and we are pleased that with the cooperation of our member clubs we will be able to consolidate the relationships we have collectively and individually with the Army. 

"We look forward to three enjoyable encounters on the field and meeting up on the evening in three different parts of the country, thus enabling fans to come and support these matches. Our grateful thanks are extended to everyone who is working to make each a success."

Albion Rovers FC

Albion Rovers v @EastFifeFC Tues 21st March. 7.45pm @ExselGroup Group Stadium will have reduced prices of £5 for adults/conc / kids £2.

— Albion Rovers F.C. (@albionrovers) 18 March 2017

It's good to see Albion Rovers, featured prominently on these pages when they offered 'Pay What You Want' season tickets, back again with this offer for their midweek home fixture.

Saturday 25th March

Next Saturday is shaping up to be a busy day with plenty going on, especially at Non-League level.

It's a good time to put an offer on as the weather gets better, the Premier League and Championship take an international break and clubs require either an extra push from fans or a chance to say 'thanks for your support' during the season to date.

It is 'Pay What You Want' at Didcot Town FC when Yate Town are the visitors in the Southern League Division One South & West.

'Footy For A Fiver' at Grays Athletic with half-price Adult admission to the game against Enfield Town. Concessions and Students are £3 and Under-16s £1. This is a reciprocal offer after Enfield reduced prices for Grays' visit in January.

There is free admission at Sholing FC for the visit of Bournemouth Poppies, a second 'club day' of the season for the Boatmen where all current and former players from any of the various Sholing teams are encouraged to attend.

And there is also a repeat free admission offer at Dronfield Town where Nostell Miners Welfare are the opposition in the Northern Counties East League.

There is UEFA European Women's U17 Championship qualifiers at both AFC Telford United and Hednesford Town on Saturday. Admission to the England match against Poland (Telford, 2pm) will cost £3, £1.50 and £1, Germany versus Italy at Hednesford (also 2pm) is free of charge.

Bury supporters (and neutrals in the Manchester area looking for a game) can watch the Shakers home game against Fleetwood Town in League One for £10 Adults, £5 Concessions and £1 Under-11's.

Keep up to date with Affordable Football on Twitter and by clicking the 'Coming Up' tab at the top of the page.

Non-League Finals Day 2017

We're close to knowing which teams will be taking part in Non-League Finals Day 2017 with the FA Trophy and FA Vase both at the semi-final stage.

Macclesfield and Tranmere Rovers drew 1-1 at Moss Rose on Saturday and will meet in the Second Leg at Prenton Park this coming weekend. Tickets for the game have been reduced to £10 Adults, £5 Seniors and Young Persons and £1 for Under-18's.

Saturday will also see the return leg of the Lincoln City versus York City tie (the two teams met on Tuesday evening and York gained a surprise 2-1 victory) with prices at Sincil Bank, for an all-ticket game, set at £10 Adults and £5 Concessions/Juniors.

The FA Vase semi-final first-legs saw Bromsgrove Sporting and Cleethorpes Town draw 1-1 while South Shields won 2-1 at Coleshill Town FC.

Return legs take place this Saturday with both home clubs set to sell out for the occasion.

The finals of both competitions will take place on the same day, Sunday 21st May, at Wembley with a combined ticket for Non-League Finals Day priced at £25 for Adults, £10 for Concessions and £1 for Children.

Twitter Update

The Affordable Footy page on Twitter is updated daily with details of reduced price admission, 'Pay What You Want' matches and anything else that may be of interest.

This week, for instance, there is...

Free admission to Mens & Womens Army v RAF games in Aldershot on Wednesday. 3/7pm. https://t.co/FmG0fPCmRr

— Affordable Football (@AffordableFooty) 13 March 2017

And a number of clubs and supporters kindly send me details of things that are going on, such as...

Hopefully this Saturday the local youth will #supportyourlocalclub for free @bloatersyouth @AffordableFooty @NonLeagueCrowd @NonLeaguePaper pic.twitter.com/b3KaNmrlas

— Great Yarmouth Town (@The_Bloaters) 13 March 2017

Sheffield FC Ladies

Sunday afternoon brought a long-overdue first visit to the Coach & Horses Ground in Dronfield, home to both Sheffield FC and Sheffield FC Ladies.

Admission to the WSL2 Spring Series match against Everton Ladies was £5 for me (£2 Concessions with discounts and a family ticket available if bought online, in advance) and the game itself was hard-fought, Everton earning what I felt was a deserved 2-1 victory thanks to a slightly fortuitous own goal.

The lure of promotion is obviously lacking in the Spring Series, as WSL adopts a winter schedule, but the presence of newly-relegated Doncaster Rovers Belles and league newcomers Brighton & Hove Albion has freshened things up.

Sheffield are next in home action against Oxford United on Saturday 15 April while Everton will be happy with their preparation for a big FA Cup derby against Liverpool Ladies on Sunday 19 March.

That kicks off at 2pm at the Select Security Stadium in Widnes (used by both clubs although Liverpool are the ‘home’ team next weekend) with tickets priced at £5/£2.50 and £12 for a family.

Coming Up: Next Week

A busy week ahead...

March 14: Admission prices for both legs of the FA Trophy semi-final between York City and Lincoln City have been mutually agreed as £10 for Adults and £5 for Concessions. The return tie takes place at Sincil Bank on Saturday March 18. The first leg at Bootham Crescent has now been designated as an all-ticket game.

March 15: 'Pay What You Want' admission for Canterbury City against Erith & Belvedere in the Southern Counties East Football League.

March 17: Group 4 of the Elite Round qualifiers for the UEFA Under-17 European Championship takes place in Scotland on March 17th, 19th and 22nd.

There are six matches in total, taking place at the homes of St Mirren, Dumbarton and Greenock Morton and admission to all of them will be free.

March 18: The second-leg of the FA Youth Cup semi-final between Chelsea and Spurs takes place at Stamford Bridge. Tickets for the 5:15pm kick-off are priced at £5 Adults and £3 for Concessions.

March 18: It is also semi-final second-leg day in the FA Trophy, Tranmere Rovers hosting Macclesfield Town at Prenton Park. Admission prices have been reduced to £10 Adults, £5 Concessions and £1 Under-18's. 

March 19: The Mens and Womens Varsity Football matches take place at Barnet FC from 1pm. Admission to The Hive will cost £10 Adults, £8 Students and Concessions, £5 for Barnet members and £1 for Children up to the age of 14.

March 19: WSL1 clubs enter the Women's FA Cup at the 5th Round stage and Liverpool Ladies are pitched straight in to a Merseyside derby with Everton Ladies. Tickets for the 2pm kick-off in Widnes are priced at £5/£2.50 and £12 for a family of four.

Abingdon United FC

We are delighted to announce that our game Vs @NorthLeigh_FC United will be our very first 'Pay what you like day' #AUFC pic.twitter.com/G2tnxZE8iW

— Abingdon United FC (@AbingdonUtd) 1 March 2017

As the above tweet says,  'Pay What You Want' is coming to Northcourt Road next month for a Hellenic League Division One West match.

What I like about the initiative is that the club have announced it early, allowing for plenty of time to build up publicity locally and on social media.

It is also Easter Saturday so there is no competition from the Football League (Oxford United are away on Good Friday) or the National League.

Hopefully the day will provide plenty of positive feedback and leave local people intending to come back a few times next season.

Northcourt Road is also the home ground for Oxford United Women and they take on Aston Villa Ladies in the Spring Series this Sunday (12th March) at 2pm.

Tickets are priced at £4 Adults and £1.50 Concessions when purchased in advance (£5/£2 on the day).

A Look At League Two

Having seen a good take-up of their previous two, similar, ‘Buy One Get One Free’ deals, Mansfield Town are repeating the offer as they face two of the current top three in the division.

Anyone who purchases a ticket for this Saturday’s home game against Plymouth Argyle can claim a free ticket for the visit of Carlisle United the following Saturday (18th March).

And a similar initiative is in place at the Globe Arena where Morecambe are preparing for home matches against Yeovil Town this Saturday and Newport County on Tuesday 14th March.

Buy in advance for the Glovers clash and you will get a free ticket for the Newport game.

Notts County’s new owner Alan Hardy continues to be very active in terms of pricing at Meadow Lane and is repeating the ‘12th Man for £12’ offer as Hartlepool United come visiting this Saturday.

The two sides are currently just above the relegation zone, albeit with a bit of a cushion over Leyton Orient.

All Adult, 60+ and 18-21 tickets are £12, Under-18’s £5, accompanied Under-16’s £3 in the Family Stand and Under-12’s are free.

Something Slightly Different

Some slightly different, but still very competitive matches that may be of interest this month...

March 12: The semi-finals of the FA Sunday Cup take place at the homes of Guiseley AFC and Dagenham & Redbridge. 

As the title suggests, the competition is open to clubs who ply their trade in Sunday leagues up and down the land. Holders New Salamis, from London, are into the last four again this time around.

Admission to both games is priced at £4 for Adults and £1 for Under-16's and OAP's.

March 19: The Mens and Womens Varsity Football matches take place at Barnet FC from 1pm, the first time both matches have taken place on the same pitch at the same venue.

The mens game, first played in 1873, kicks off at 4pm.

Admission to The Hive will cost £10 Adults, £8 Students and Concessions, £5 for Barnet members and £1 for Children up to the age of 14.

March 29: A trio of representative matches between the National League and the British Army will all kick-off simultaneously at Tamworth FC, Harrogate Town and Eastbourne Borough respectively. 

Admission will be priced at £5 for Adults (including programme) and free for both Seniors and Juniors.

Bradford City FC

🎟 Bradford City 2017/18 Season Tickets are now on sale
Become part of our #TeamTwenty!

Secure yours 👉 https://t.co/ttEw28ISIf #BCAFC pic.twitter.com/dNqmJElozA

— Bradford City AFC (@officialbantams) 1 March 2017

It has come to be expected at this time of year and Bradford City did not disappoint when announcing last week that season tickets for the 2017/18 campaign, purchased before 29 April, would cost £149 for Adults, Seniors and Students, irrespective of what division the Bantams will be playing in.

Championship football remains a strong possibility as Stuart McCall’s side are currently in the play-off places and continuing the upward progression of the past few years under Phil Parkinson.

Successful teams will nearly always attract improved attendances but the Bradford model, which began in the summer of 2007 with a push to attract 10,000 season ticket holders through a partnership with the Telegraph & Argus, showed in its early years that it was relatively resistant to performance on the pitch as they regularly turned in the biggest gates in League Two despite a struggle to avoid falling out the Football League.

What is also interesting about the Bradford offer for the 2017/18 season is that it has survived a change of ownership of club, German duo Stefan Rupp and Edin Rahic taking over in the summer of 2016 but promising to ‘respect the traditions’ laid down by Julian Rhodes and Mark Lawn.

That seems to have been the case, helped by chief operating officer James Mason remaining in position, with former favourite McCall coming back when Parkinson’s surprise departure raised concerns about the future direction of the club.

You could argue that the anticipation of low prices is now such that to change tack would risk alienating a significant percentage of potential buyers but the model is clearly working from both a financial, football and public relations point of view.