Ukraine Under-21's warming up at Bramall Lane on Tuesday evening ahead of their European Championshop qualifier against England.
A crowd of over 22,000 watched the game, attracted by ticket prices of £10 Adults and £5 Concessions (deals were also available for families, Blades season ticket holders and groups) and a child-friendly kick-off time of 6pm.
The Ukraine side were technically excellent and would have left Sheffield feeling slightly hard done by at their 2-1 defeat, Dominic Solanke scoring England's late winning goal.
But it wasn't a case of England simply overpowering their opposition.
The home side attempted to play out from the back at every opportunity (causing themselves some scares in the process) and while a good week for Gareth Southgate's side probably means none of the Under-21 squad will make it to Russia, the barriers of old between the senior team and the age group teams no longer exists and there appears to be a much more fluid process for moving through the ranks.
Bramall Lane will host both the FA Sunday Cup Final on 29 April at 1pm and also the FA Inter League Cup Final on 6 May at the same time. Admission at both matches is priced at £5 Adults and £1 for Under 16's.
A week of affordable action at two of London's top stadiums begins on Tuesday 10 April.
That is the evening that Stamford Bridge hosts Chelsea against Birmingham City in the second-leg of their FA Youth Cup semi-final.
Kick-off is at 7.05pm and tickets will be available until 4pm on the day of the game, priced at £5 Adults and £3 for Juniors (under 20) and Seniors (over 65).
Across town, Villareal are the visitors to the Emirates Stadium on the same evening for a 7pm start in the Premier League International Cup.
General sale tickets cost £4 Adults and £2 Concessions (over 65's or under 16's) and will not be available on the evening of the game with Arsenal strongly urging supporters to buy in advance.
On Friday 13 April the Gunners Under 23's turn their attentions to Swansea City in Premier League 2 with the details the same as for the Villareal match.
At 7.05pm the same evening Chelsea host Spurs at Under 23 level with ticket prices and availability as for the FA Youth Cup tie.
Junior Takeover Day at West Didsbury & Chorlton on Saturday when the club’s junior teams helped out with many of the matchday tasks.
A crowd of 457 came to Brookburn Road for the visit of Congleton Town in the North West Counties League Premier Division, the hosts running out 2-1 winners.
Usual admission prices at West are £5 Adults, £3 Concessions and Under-12’s free of charge with neighbours Maine Road the next visitors on Easter Monday at 3pm.
Always a busy time of year for football up and down the country, the Easter period this year will herald the beginning of a hectic spell for clubs in divisions as far apart as the Highland League and the Western League as the effects of a difficult and prolonged winter have taken their toll on fixtures for the past three months.
There's plenty going on over the holiday weekend, starting at Abingdon United who host a 'Pay What You Like' fixture on Easter Monday when Highmoor Ibis are the visitors to The Northcourt for a 3pm kick-off.
Dronfield Town are offering free admission to the HE Barnes Stadium on Saturday for a Northern Counties East clash with Retford United.
The fight to save Dulwich Hamlet has attracted plenty of positive publicity and season ticket holders of any club can watch the game against Dorking Wanderers (to be played at Tooting & Mitcham) on Good Friday for £5.
In the Football League, tickets have been selling well at Crawley Town where it is 'Pay What You Can' on Easter Monday when Swindon Town are the visitors while tickets are available for £9 Adults/Seniors and just £1 for Children in the Brian Moore Stand at Gillingham for the visit of MK Dons which takes place on Thursday evening (29th) at 7.45pm.
Chesterfield host Newport County on Bank Holiday Monday and there is a 'Kids for a Quid' offer in place. This is also the first of three home matches covered by a 'three for two' deal (buy by 12 noon on the day of the game).
I'll update throughout the week on Twitter.
Amidst some very positive feedback generally about the 2018/19 season ticket pricing policy at Nottingham Forest (on the back of average attendances approaching 25,000 in the current campaign) is the Reds’ introduction of a new price band for 18-23 year-olds.
They will pay just £100 in all areas of the City Ground, a reduction of between £150 and £230 depending on age.
Given that these are the lads and lasses who will follow their team around the country (and maybe make some noise at home matches) I think it’s a smart move to try and make the game more affordable for them and a fair one too given that those aged under 25 may be striking out on their own but with lower earning potential (quite sharply in the case of 18-20’s and the Minimum Wage).
Snippets I’ve seen elsewhere on this theme include Shrewsbury Town, who have extended their 19-21 price bracket to 19-23.
CEO Brian Caldwell told the official club website: “Realistically people aren’t earning a lot of money when they are under-24, so I think we are being fair with that.”
And MK Dons have extended their Under 21 season ticket price to Under 25’s as they ‘recognise the competing pressures to watch live football, from both personal finances to lifestyles.'
There are three international matches taking place over the next week that may be of interest.
On Tuesday, at 7.30pm, Wales C (made up of players from the Welsh Premier League) host England C (players from outside of the Football League) at Jenner Park in Barry. Tickets are priced at £7/£3 and £1 for Juniors aged 16 and under.
On Friday Bootham Crescent in York plays host to the Centenary Shield fixture between English Schools Under-18's and their Scottish counterparts. Admission to the 7pm kick-off is priced at £7 Adults, £3 Concessions.
And the following day Molineux is the venue for England Under-21's friendly against Romania, kick-off 5.15pm. Prices are £10 Adults and £5 Concessions with Family tickets also available and discounts for group bookings.
On Monday afternoon at 2pm there is free entry to the Ricoh Arena for Coventry City Under 23's against Huddersfield and there is also free admission to the re-arranged game between Buxton FC and Ashton United on Tuesday evening.
Newport County are offering Football for a Fiver for Saturday's home match against Crewe Alexandra and a similar offer is in place at Leyton Orient for the visit of Woking (Kids/Concessions £1).
And the week ends with free admission to Goodison Park for Everton Ladies against Yeovil in FA WSL1. Kick-off at the Grand Old Lady is 2pm with plenty of activities going on beforehand.
Tickets are now on sale for all matches in this summer's UEFA Under-17 Championship which will be hosted by England and played at Chesterfield, Walsall, Rotherham and Burton Albion in addition to St George's Park and Loughborough University.
There are lots of ways for youngsters to get involved with the tournament in addition to discounts for schools, families and clubs with many of the games played at times designed to encourage school trips.
Amongst the general sale of tickets there are two packages, priced at £10 Adults and £5 Under-17's, one for all three of England's group stage matches and one covering both semi-finals and the final which is set for the New York Stadium in Rotherham on Sunday 20th May.
Wherever that may be for Birmingham City after another 'interesting' season at St Andrew's where Garry Monk is now tasked with keeping Blues in the Championship and with a big game at home to Hull City this coming Saturday.
All tickets have been reduced in price for the match, Adults £10, Senior/Student and 16-18's £5 and Under-16's £1.
The younger generation of City players have had a better campaign and are preparing to face perennial winners Chelsea in the FA Youth Cup.
St Andrew's hosts the first leg on Wednesday 4th April at 7pm and with the game taking place in the Easter holidays a good crowd is likely to be enticed by admission charges of just £1 for both Adults and Concessions.
The Army take on the RAF at Greenhous Meadow, Shrewsbury on Wednesday with two free matches to watch as the Ladies kick-off at 2pm and the Men at 7pm.
On the same evening the Continental Tyres Cup final will be played at Wycombe Wanderers with Manchester City and Arsenal battling it out for the honours.
Tickets for the 7pm kick-off are priced at £7 Adults, £3 Concessions with a £15 Family Ticket also available.
Attention then turns to the FA Women's Cup Quarter-Finals on Sunday 18th with Durham Women FC hosting Everton at New Ferens Park. Tickets are £5 Adults, £2 Under 16/Student/OAP and £12 for a Family and kick-off is at 2pm.
On the Under 23 front Swansea City's Premier League 2 game against Manchester United on Sunday 18th will be played at the Liberty Stadium, kick-off 1pm. Ticket details hadn't been announced at the time of writing but it shouldn't cost too much to take this one one.
Saturday is Family Day at MK Dons with Bury the visitors in League One. Ticket prices have been reduced to £12 Adults and £1 Under-18's in standard areas of the ground.
And there is international football at Luton Town on Friday evening, 7pm, with the English Schools FA Under-18's taking on the Republic of Ireland. Tickets are priced at £8 and £5.
A busy spell of in League Two, with Carlisle United, Crawley Town and Newport County all offering various deals for upcoming fixtures, and Grimsby too are looking to get more through the Blundell Park turnstiles for two importanct matches in their battle to stay in the Football League.
Anyone buying a ticket for this Saturday's visit of Port Vale can claim a free brief for the Stevenage clash on Good Friday and there also 'Kids go Free' and season ticket holder offers for both matches.
Fellow strugglers Chesterfield have a 'Three for Two' offer on their final three home fixtures of the season starting with the visit of Newport County on 2 April which is also a 'Kids for a Quid' fixture.
March 14: The Continental Tyres Cup final will be played at Wycombe Wanderers
with Manchester City and Arsenal battling it out for the honours.
Tickets for the 7pm kick-off are priced at £7 Adults, £3 Concessions.
March 20: Wales
C (made up of players from the Welsh Premier League) take on England C
(players from outside of the Football League) at Jenner Park in Barry.
Tickets are priced at £7/£3 and £1 for Juniors aged 16 and under.
March 21: Manchester City Women host Linkoping in the UEFA Champions League and tickets are available, priced from £2 to £8.
March 23: Bootham Crescent in York
plays host to the Centenary Shield fixture between English Schools
Under-18's and their Scottish counterparts. Admission to the 7pm
kick-off is priced at £7 Adults, £3 Concessions.
March 24: Molineux hosts England Under-21's friendly against Romania, kick-off 5.15pm. Prices are £10 Adults and £5 Concessions with Family tickets also available and discounts for group bookings.
March 24: Football for a Fiver at Newport County as they host Crewe Alexandra in League Two.
March 25: Free entry to Goodison Park for Everton Ladies against Yeovil in FA WSL 1. Kick-off 2pm.
March 27: Sheffield United
host the European Championship qualifier between England Under-21's and
Ukraine. Prices are £10 Adults and £5 Concessions with Family tickets
also available and discounts for group bookings.
March 28: Kingsmeadow is the venue for Chelsea Ladies Champions League clash with Montpelier. Tickets are priced at £6/£3.
March 31: There is free admission to all for the Northern Counties East League game at Dronfield Town where Retford United are the visitors.
Two interesting matches coming up at the Manchester City Academy Stadium, the 7,000 centrepiece of the hugely impressive Etihad Campus later this month.
On Wednesday 21st, at 7.30pm, Manchester City Women host Linkopings in the first-leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie.
Ticket prices for Adults range from £4 (standing) to £8 (category A seating) with reductions for Under 22's and Over 65's.
The following Tuesday, the 27th at 7pm, sees England Under-20's take on Portugal in an international fixture for which tickets cost £3 Adults and £1.50 Concessions.
After a weekend that has seen the football programme across the UK decimated by the weather hopefully next week will prove to be a delayed start to Spring and allow teams to begin eating into the backlog of fixtures that is building up in leagues up and down the country.
Salford City are offering free admission to their re-arranged National League North fixture with Tamworth on Tuesday evening, kick-off 7.45pm and those Tamworth supporters who do not make the journey north can watch a match for free at home as well as the club’s Under-21’s have a Fazeley Charity Cup clash with Sutton United at The Lamb.
Just up the road from Tamworth, Nuneaton Town host Walsall in the Birmingham Senior Cup and have priced admission at £5 Adults, £3 Concessions and £1 for accompanied Under 16's.
On the Under-23 front there are some good opportunities to catch a match at one of the big stadiums this week.
Leicester City take on Liverpool in Premier League 2 at the King Power Stadium on Monday at 7pm with admission priced at £3 Adults and £1 Concessions and the same prices apply at Anfield on Friday night at 7pm when Liverpool meet Manchester United (ticket sales end at 5pm on Friday with no walk-up admission) and Watford for Monday's 7pm clash with Charlton in the Professional Development League.
