An excellent afternoon in prospect at Wealdstone FC for the pre-season friendly against Bromley on Saturday 28 July.
Admission is priced at £5 Adults, £3 Under 18's and free for accompanied Under 14's with a £10 ticket also available for families (2 Adults, 2 Under 18's).
In addition to the match there is an open training session beforehand and the chance for children to tour the dressing rooms plus a 'meet and greet' with the players in the bar afterwards.
A great example of how accessible the game can be at Non-League level.
Thursday, 28 June 2018
Wednesday, 27 June 2018
Thank You
The Affordable Football blog and twitter page will be five years old in July and I just wanted to say a huge thank you to anyone who has ever read, re-tweeted, notified or been to a game because of something they have seen on either.
The inspiration came, strangely enough, from Coventry City's run to the area final of the Johnstone's Paint Trophy in the 2012/13 season.
The Sky Blues had offered tickets at £5 for the area quarter-final against Sheffield United and were rewarded with an attendance of over 10,000 at the Ricoh Arena at a time when gates were falling amidst deepening discontent with the club's owners.
Prices were held for the semi-final against Preston North End (12,665 coming through the gates) and, to the club's credit, for the area final home leg against Crewe Alexandra. This game took on a life of its own as ticket sales grew and grew until the Ricoh was sold out for the first time for a Coventry home match.
31,054 were there and I sat next to a gentleman who was travelling around the country for the next two weeks and watching a game on most days. He had read about the ticket offer on the City website and it formed an idea in my mind about a website where you could read about reduced price tickets and offers in one place.
I wondered whether there would be enough to write about but that certainly hasn't been a problem as clubs, at all levels, up and down the country are constantly trying innovative ideas to get people through the turnstiles and here's to plenty more to keep up to date with during the 2018/19 season.
The inspiration came, strangely enough, from Coventry City's run to the area final of the Johnstone's Paint Trophy in the 2012/13 season.
The Sky Blues had offered tickets at £5 for the area quarter-final against Sheffield United and were rewarded with an attendance of over 10,000 at the Ricoh Arena at a time when gates were falling amidst deepening discontent with the club's owners.
Prices were held for the semi-final against Preston North End (12,665 coming through the gates) and, to the club's credit, for the area final home leg against Crewe Alexandra. This game took on a life of its own as ticket sales grew and grew until the Ricoh was sold out for the first time for a Coventry home match.
31,054 were there and I sat next to a gentleman who was travelling around the country for the next two weeks and watching a game on most days. He had read about the ticket offer on the City website and it formed an idea in my mind about a website where you could read about reduced price tickets and offers in one place.
I wondered whether there would be enough to write about but that certainly hasn't been a problem as clubs, at all levels, up and down the country are constantly trying innovative ideas to get people through the turnstiles and here's to plenty more to keep up to date with during the 2018/19 season.
Sunday, 24 June 2018
Coventry Copsewood FC
Admission £5/£1. £10 for a family of four and a very worthy cause too. https://t.co/uZQ5gpqbcE
— Affordable Football (@AffordableFooty) 24 June 2018
Friday, 22 June 2018
The Bert Trautmann Trophy
I always like to look for something slightly different in pre-season and this fits the bill as St Helens Town of the North West Counties Football League prepare to welcome TSV Ulbach 1898 (Stuttgart) for a friendly on Saturday 7 July at 5.30pm.
The two sides will play for the Bert Trautmann Trophy. The German goalkeeper may have earned fame through his FA Cup exploits with Manchester City but it was St Helens who he first played for after his release from a prisoner-of-war camp and he was later president of the club.
The match will also celebrate the 70th anniversary of the links between Stuttgart and St Helens as twin towns.
Admission will cost £6 and £3 on the day (Under 16's free with a paying adult) but online discounts are available which reduce this to £4.50 and £2.50.
The two sides will play for the Bert Trautmann Trophy. The German goalkeeper may have earned fame through his FA Cup exploits with Manchester City but it was St Helens who he first played for after his release from a prisoner-of-war camp and he was later president of the club.
The match will also celebrate the 70th anniversary of the links between Stuttgart and St Helens as twin towns.
Admission will cost £6 and £3 on the day (Under 16's free with a paying adult) but online discounts are available which reduce this to £4.50 and £2.50.
Tuesday, 19 June 2018
Another 22 Friendlies For A Fiver Or Less
Some more matches that may be of interest...
Dunston UTS of the Northern League play host to Blyth Spartan, Middlesbrough Under 23's, Morpeth Town and Whickham FC in pre-season, starting on 10 July, with all home friendlies priced at £4 Adults and £2 Concessions.
Eastbourne Borough welcome Langney Wanderers, Charlton Athletic Under 23's, Eastbourne Town and Burgess Hill Town to Priory Lane, first game on 10 July, and have priced admission to each friendly at £5 Adults, £3 Concessions.
Grays Athletic are busy with six home pre-season games scheduled, including a visit from an Ipswich Town XI. Admission prices are £5 Adults, £3 Concessions/Students and £1 16's and under. The matches against Walthamstow FC on 11 July and Hackney Wick (Grays XI) on 25 July are priced at £3 Adults and £1 16's and under.
Irlam FC host FC United of Manchester, Trafford FC, Droylsden FC and Clitheroe FC at Silver Street, FC Utd first up on 3 July, with each match priced at £4 Adults, £2 Concessions and £1 Under 16's.
Stamford AFC are in action against Peterborough United, Corby Town, Kettering Town and Mansfield Town ahead of the new season with each of those fixtures priced at £5 Adults, £3 Concessions and £1 for 12-17's.
Dunston UTS of the Northern League play host to Blyth Spartan, Middlesbrough Under 23's, Morpeth Town and Whickham FC in pre-season, starting on 10 July, with all home friendlies priced at £4 Adults and £2 Concessions.
Eastbourne Borough welcome Langney Wanderers, Charlton Athletic Under 23's, Eastbourne Town and Burgess Hill Town to Priory Lane, first game on 10 July, and have priced admission to each friendly at £5 Adults, £3 Concessions.
Grays Athletic are busy with six home pre-season games scheduled, including a visit from an Ipswich Town XI. Admission prices are £5 Adults, £3 Concessions/Students and £1 16's and under. The matches against Walthamstow FC on 11 July and Hackney Wick (Grays XI) on 25 July are priced at £3 Adults and £1 16's and under.
Irlam FC host FC United of Manchester, Trafford FC, Droylsden FC and Clitheroe FC at Silver Street, FC Utd first up on 3 July, with each match priced at £4 Adults, £2 Concessions and £1 Under 16's.
Stamford AFC are in action against Peterborough United, Corby Town, Kettering Town and Mansfield Town ahead of the new season with each of those fixtures priced at £5 Adults, £3 Concessions and £1 for 12-17's.
Sholing FC
We will continue to offer "Football for a Fiver" every home game for adults and cheap prices for Seniors and Children too. Discounts are also available all season for #saintsfc & #spitfires season ticket holders. #uptheboatmen pic.twitter.com/pXvdUGqBLb
— Sholing FC (@sholingfc) 11 June 2018
Monday, 18 June 2018
Lewes FC, Lewes FC Women
An historic 2018/19 season awaits both Lewes FC and Lewes FC Women with promotion for the men and the women gaining admission to the new FA Women's Championship, where they will rub shoulders with the new Manchester United side among others, just months after headlines were made with the intention for both sides to be paid equally.
The Dripping Pan has become quite a fashionable place to watch football in recent years, especially from the beach huts that have become a feature of the ground, but as with all Non-League clubs it is the hard work and dedication of many people behind the scenes that has made Lewes such a thriving set-up.
A Super Season Ticket is available for 2018/19 that covers all home league matches for both the Men (21 Bostik Premier League games) and Women (11 FA Women's Championship fixtures) and both the Development Squad and Under 18's.
Purchase before the end of June and it will cost £200 Adults and £100 Concessions with a four-month payment option also available.
The Dripping Pan has become quite a fashionable place to watch football in recent years, especially from the beach huts that have become a feature of the ground, but as with all Non-League clubs it is the hard work and dedication of many people behind the scenes that has made Lewes such a thriving set-up.
A Super Season Ticket is available for 2018/19 that covers all home league matches for both the Men (21 Bostik Premier League games) and Women (11 FA Women's Championship fixtures) and both the Development Squad and Under 18's.
Purchase before the end of June and it will cost £200 Adults and £100 Concessions with a four-month payment option also available.
Saturday, 16 June 2018
Well Worth A Visit
The following sites have been invaluable to me in writing this blog and are well worth a visit.
The London Football Guide - James Doe is the man behind Non-League Day and set up TLFG to provide a comprehensive guide to football (at all levels) in the capital and its suburbs. On a weekly basis he runs through all of the fixtures of note and is also happy to answer queries from anyone coming to London and looking to catch a match.
With its focus on a similar patch geographically, The Cold End combines news and match previews with reports, highlights and some great photographs of Non-League football in London, Hertfordshire & Beyond.
If there is anything you need to know about football in Oxfordshire then the Oxon Football blog covers everything from Oxford United downwards while Football in Bracknell is an excellent not for profit site that doesn't leave a stone unturned when reporting on football at all levels in the Berkshire town.
Women’s football features regularly on these pages and the excellent She Kicks website has features, stats and regular fixture updates covering all levels of the game in the UK with Scottish Women's Football performing a similar function in its area.
The official FA WSL site also has an easy-to-navigate fixture list with ticket info and links.
Non-League Matters is a good resource for fixtures, tables and stats from all levels of the game below the Football League and the Forum part of the site has a section where special ticket offers, free and reduced admission and ‘Pay What You Want’ fixtures can be publicised.
The Northern Counties East Football League is my local Step 5 league and the home of Hallam FC who have featured regularly on the site. The NCEFL website is an excellent resource for results and fixtures while many of the clubs in the league feature on the Non League Yorkshire website which has a wealth of news, match reports and opinion from across the county.
North of the border, Scottish Football Fixtures does exactly what it says in the title with day-by-day fixtures from all levels of the Scottish game and regular Twitter updates.
I've always enjoyed Neil Jensen's writings in the Non-League Paper (the print edition of which is a great source for upcoming fixtures) but they are just the tip of the iceberg of his wonderful Game of the People website which has features and views on football in all corners of the globe.
And a quick word for Partizan Bristle and it's cracking tales of groundhopping in the West County and beyond.
The London Football Guide - James Doe is the man behind Non-League Day and set up TLFG to provide a comprehensive guide to football (at all levels) in the capital and its suburbs. On a weekly basis he runs through all of the fixtures of note and is also happy to answer queries from anyone coming to London and looking to catch a match.
With its focus on a similar patch geographically, The Cold End combines news and match previews with reports, highlights and some great photographs of Non-League football in London, Hertfordshire & Beyond.
If there is anything you need to know about football in Oxfordshire then the Oxon Football blog covers everything from Oxford United downwards while Football in Bracknell is an excellent not for profit site that doesn't leave a stone unturned when reporting on football at all levels in the Berkshire town.
Women’s football features regularly on these pages and the excellent She Kicks website has features, stats and regular fixture updates covering all levels of the game in the UK with Scottish Women's Football performing a similar function in its area.
The official FA WSL site also has an easy-to-navigate fixture list with ticket info and links.
Non-League Matters is a good resource for fixtures, tables and stats from all levels of the game below the Football League and the Forum part of the site has a section where special ticket offers, free and reduced admission and ‘Pay What You Want’ fixtures can be publicised.
The Northern Counties East Football League is my local Step 5 league and the home of Hallam FC who have featured regularly on the site. The NCEFL website is an excellent resource for results and fixtures while many of the clubs in the league feature on the Non League Yorkshire website which has a wealth of news, match reports and opinion from across the county.
North of the border, Scottish Football Fixtures does exactly what it says in the title with day-by-day fixtures from all levels of the Scottish game and regular Twitter updates.
I've always enjoyed Neil Jensen's writings in the Non-League Paper (the print edition of which is a great source for upcoming fixtures) but they are just the tip of the iceberg of his wonderful Game of the People website which has features and views on football in all corners of the globe.
And a quick word for Partizan Bristle and it's cracking tales of groundhopping in the West County and beyond.
Monday, 11 June 2018
Rhyl FC, Prestatyn Town FC
The two resort towns in North Wales are often bracketed together and coincidentally I'd just retweeted news of Prestatyn Town and their pre-season plans when Rhyl FC announced details of their season tickets for 2018/19.
Prestatyn first up where five home pre-season friendlies are scheduled, starting with the visit of AFC Bridgnorth on 7 July.
Admission to each is priced at £5 Adults, £3 Concessions and free for Under 18's.
Over at Belle Vue, Rhyl have reduced season ticket prices for a limited time with an Adult early bird costing just £44.99 (£3 per match), Concessions £39.99 and Under 16's £9.99.
Managing Director Mike Jones told the club weekend: "There is a confidence amongst Club Supporters about the new signings made by the new Director of Football Eddie Maurice Jones over the last week, with good experienced players joining the club.
"We hope that the new price structures will encourage more people to look at the value of buying a season ticket for Rhyl and take advantage of this limited offer."
Prestatyn first up where five home pre-season friendlies are scheduled, starting with the visit of AFC Bridgnorth on 7 July.
Admission to each is priced at £5 Adults, £3 Concessions and free for Under 18's.
Over at Belle Vue, Rhyl have reduced season ticket prices for a limited time with an Adult early bird costing just £44.99 (£3 per match), Concessions £39.99 and Under 16's £9.99.
Managing Director Mike Jones told the club weekend: "There is a confidence amongst Club Supporters about the new signings made by the new Director of Football Eddie Maurice Jones over the last week, with good experienced players joining the club.
"We hope that the new price structures will encourage more people to look at the value of buying a season ticket for Rhyl and take advantage of this limited offer."
Saturday, 9 June 2018
West Didsbury & Chorlton FC
Hardy perennials on Affordable Football since we started, nearly five years ago, and why not when matchday admission prices for the 2018/19 season in the North West Counties Football League season have been frozen for the sixth successive year?
Entrance to Brookburn Road will cost £5 Adults, £3 Concessions (Over 60, 13-16 year olds) and free for accompanied Under 12's.
Chairman Glyn Meacher told the club website: “We’re delighted that we can continue to make watching our football club as affordable as possible for as many people as possible.
"We're very fortunate as a football club that the continuing increase in the number of people coming to watch us and the unprecedented crowds we saw at Brookburn Road last season has allowed us to keep as many of the prices the same despite the increasing costs of running a football club."
Wednesday, 6 June 2018
22 Pre-Season Friendlies for a Fiver or Less
Just to kick-off things off for the summer...keep following us on Twitter for daily updates
Bracknell Town have five scheduled matches starting against Wealdstone on 30 June followed by Harrow Borough (7 Jul), Knaphill FC (17 Jul), Banbury United (21 Jul) and Windsor FC 24 July.
Admission to each fixture is priced at £3 Adults, £1 Concessions and free for Under 16’s.
Chorley FC are in action against Blackburn Rovers Under 23’s on 14 July, Tranmere Rovers on 24 July and Fleetwood Town on 30 July.
Each game has a flat admission charge of £5 with Under 12’s free.
Hall Road Rangers welcome Bridlington Town on 4 July and North Ferriby United the following week.
Under 16’s go free, Adults are priced at £5 and Concessions £2.50.
Runcorn Linnets have home fixtures scheduled for 17 July against Ashton United, 28 July against Widnes in the NWCFL Champions Cup and 4 August against Witton Albion.
Pre-season games priced at £5 Adults and £3 Concessions with accompanied 16’s and under going free.
Sevenoaks Town kick-off a packed pre-season with the visit of Margate on 10 July. Four more home matches are scheduled (Dartford 14 Jul, Tonbridge Angels 17 Jul, Maidstone 24 Jul and Tunbridge Wells 28 Jul) with each game priced at £5 Adults, £1 Under 16’s and a ticket for all five available at £18.
Swindon Supermarine host their first pre-season tournament with two matches on 28 July and two the following day and Bradford Town, Banbury United and Hungerford Town invited along.
Admission per day is priced at just £5 Adults and £3 Concessions.
As always in pre-season please check with the clubs involved on their websites and social media pages for changes to the scheduled games.
Bracknell Town have five scheduled matches starting against Wealdstone on 30 June followed by Harrow Borough (7 Jul), Knaphill FC (17 Jul), Banbury United (21 Jul) and Windsor FC 24 July.
Admission to each fixture is priced at £3 Adults, £1 Concessions and free for Under 16’s.
Chorley FC are in action against Blackburn Rovers Under 23’s on 14 July, Tranmere Rovers on 24 July and Fleetwood Town on 30 July.
Each game has a flat admission charge of £5 with Under 12’s free.
Hall Road Rangers welcome Bridlington Town on 4 July and North Ferriby United the following week.
Under 16’s go free, Adults are priced at £5 and Concessions £2.50.
Runcorn Linnets have home fixtures scheduled for 17 July against Ashton United, 28 July against Widnes in the NWCFL Champions Cup and 4 August against Witton Albion.
Pre-season games priced at £5 Adults and £3 Concessions with accompanied 16’s and under going free.
Sevenoaks Town kick-off a packed pre-season with the visit of Margate on 10 July. Four more home matches are scheduled (Dartford 14 Jul, Tonbridge Angels 17 Jul, Maidstone 24 Jul and Tunbridge Wells 28 Jul) with each game priced at £5 Adults, £1 Under 16’s and a ticket for all five available at £18.
Swindon Supermarine host their first pre-season tournament with two matches on 28 July and two the following day and Bradford Town, Banbury United and Hungerford Town invited along.
Admission per day is priced at just £5 Adults and £3 Concessions.
As always in pre-season please check with the clubs involved on their websites and social media pages for changes to the scheduled games.
Saturday, 2 June 2018
Swindon Supermarine FC
The Marine have featured before on these pages with their imaginative use of sponsorship deals to offer reduced price admission to supporters not just as a one-off but through an entire season.
That was the case in 2017/18 and what a campaign it proved to be, culminating in a penalty shoot-out victory against Wimborne Town that secured promotion to Step 3 of the Non-League pyramid.
The club will host their first ever summer tournament on the weekend of 28/29 July and have invited Hungerford Town, Banbury United and Bradford Town along with two matches on Saturday, two on Sunday and admission prices per day of just £5 Adults and £3 Concessions.
That was the case in 2017/18 and what a campaign it proved to be, culminating in a penalty shoot-out victory against Wimborne Town that secured promotion to Step 3 of the Non-League pyramid.
The club will host their first ever summer tournament on the weekend of 28/29 July and have invited Hungerford Town, Banbury United and Bradford Town along with two matches on Saturday, two on Sunday and admission prices per day of just £5 Adults and £3 Concessions.
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