💸 | The Lowland League is the Affordable Football League. Every club makes an effort to keep admission as low as possible and provide a great day out for the whole family.
— Scottish Lowland League 🏴 (@OfficialSLFL) 27 July 2018
Bring the kids, bring your family, bring your pals. Get them hooked on Lowland League football in 2018/19. pic.twitter.com/AASCnbs2vG
Monday, 30 July 2018
Scottish Lowland Football League
Saturday, 28 July 2018
Under-23 Update
An update to the previous piece on Under-23 football with some Premier League 2 fixtures already announced for the early months of the season.
Liverpool will play Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield on Friday 17th August at 7pm. Kop tickets are on general sale, priced at £3 Adults and £1 for Over 65's, Young Adults and Juniors. These must be purchased by 5pm on the day of the game.
Chelsea have scheduled two matches for Stamford Bridge in August, against Everton at 1pm on Sunday 12th and Derby County at 7pm on Friday 24th. Ticket details have not yet been announced but similar matches last season were priced at £5/£3.
Manchester United are set to play at Old Trafford on Friday 31st August (Stoke City) and Friday 14th September (Reading). The doors of the Theatre of Dreams are usually thrown open for similar fixtures.
Leicester City have pencilled in Monday 13th and Monday 27th August for matches at the King Power Stadium, Derby County are set to play three times at Pride Park before the end of September including an International Cup game against PSG on Friday 28th (the Rams have usually made these matches free admission) and Reading have 1pm kick-offs on Saturday 11th and Saturday 25th August against Wolves and Sunderland.
Liverpool will play Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield on Friday 17th August at 7pm. Kop tickets are on general sale, priced at £3 Adults and £1 for Over 65's, Young Adults and Juniors. These must be purchased by 5pm on the day of the game.
Chelsea have scheduled two matches for Stamford Bridge in August, against Everton at 1pm on Sunday 12th and Derby County at 7pm on Friday 24th. Ticket details have not yet been announced but similar matches last season were priced at £5/£3.
Manchester United are set to play at Old Trafford on Friday 31st August (Stoke City) and Friday 14th September (Reading). The doors of the Theatre of Dreams are usually thrown open for similar fixtures.
Leicester City have pencilled in Monday 13th and Monday 27th August for matches at the King Power Stadium, Derby County are set to play three times at Pride Park before the end of September including an International Cup game against PSG on Friday 28th (the Rams have usually made these matches free admission) and Reading have 1pm kick-offs on Saturday 11th and Saturday 25th August against Wolves and Sunderland.
Thursday, 26 July 2018
Under-23 Football 2018/19
Although
Under-23 football is not to everyone’s taste, perceived as it often is
as lacking a competitive edge, it can provide an affordable way to catch
a match at a big stadium and with the occasional big-name player taking
part.
The main competition at Under-23 level is Premier League 2 which is split into two divisions of 12 teams each.
One of the rules of the competition is that 'each club must host at least three league matches at their main stadium during the course of the season, which helps to enhance the matchday experience for the players and fans.'
Some embrace this more than others and honourable mentions go to Reading and Derby County in this regard as they play as many matches as possible at the Madejski and Pride Park respectively, always offer free admission and flag them up on their websites in good time.
Manchester United usually offer free entry to games played at Old Trafford and also have an excellent partnership with Leigh Sports Village where the majority of their Under-23 fixtures are held and which always offer free admission to spectators.
There is also a Premier League Cup and a Premier League International Cup.
The latter sees 12 Under-23 or equivalent sides from some of Europe’s top clubs take part and with all of the matches taking place in England it occasionally provides for something a little different if two of them are scheduled to play each other.
Paris St Germain are one of the new entrants to the competition for 2018/19.
The other main outlet for Under-23’s is the Professional Development League, fixtures for which can be found alongside those for the competitions listed above on the official Premier League website.
Clubs such as Coventry City and QPR offered free entry in 2017/18 to those matches played at their main grounds although these are often played on weekday afternoons.
The main competition at Under-23 level is Premier League 2 which is split into two divisions of 12 teams each.
One of the rules of the competition is that 'each club must host at least three league matches at their main stadium during the course of the season, which helps to enhance the matchday experience for the players and fans.'
Some embrace this more than others and honourable mentions go to Reading and Derby County in this regard as they play as many matches as possible at the Madejski and Pride Park respectively, always offer free admission and flag them up on their websites in good time.
Manchester United usually offer free entry to games played at Old Trafford and also have an excellent partnership with Leigh Sports Village where the majority of their Under-23 fixtures are held and which always offer free admission to spectators.
There is also a Premier League Cup and a Premier League International Cup.
The latter sees 12 Under-23 or equivalent sides from some of Europe’s top clubs take part and with all of the matches taking place in England it occasionally provides for something a little different if two of them are scheduled to play each other.
Paris St Germain are one of the new entrants to the competition for 2018/19.
The other main outlet for Under-23’s is the Professional Development League, fixtures for which can be found alongside those for the competitions listed above on the official Premier League website.
Clubs such as Coventry City and QPR offered free entry in 2017/18 to those matches played at their main grounds although these are often played on weekday afternoons.
Wednesday, 25 July 2018
Cheadle Town FC
An excellent afternoon in store at Park Road this Saturday (28th July) as Cheadle Town FC of the North West Counties Football League play their final pre-season friendly against West Auckland Town.
A host of activities are on offer from 1pm, including a BBQ and a new kit launch before the match kicks-off at 3pm.
Admission is free ahead of the new season when Cheadle begin their campaign with a home game against Wythenshawe Amateurs who warm-up for that fixture with a friendly at my old friends West Didsbury & Chorlton this Saturday.
As always, admission at West will be £5 Adults, £3 Concessions and free for Under-12's.
A host of activities are on offer from 1pm, including a BBQ and a new kit launch before the match kicks-off at 3pm.
Admission is free ahead of the new season when Cheadle begin their campaign with a home game against Wythenshawe Amateurs who warm-up for that fixture with a friendly at my old friends West Didsbury & Chorlton this Saturday.
As always, admission at West will be £5 Adults, £3 Concessions and free for Under-12's.
Tuesday, 24 July 2018
Seaside Special
Friendlies by the sea coming up over the next week or so as the summer holidays kick in and the weather shows no signs of cooling down!
AFC Blackpool host Merthyr Town this coming Saturday (28th) at the Mechanics Ground in a 1.30pm kick-off that will also see supporters from across the country join in a Fans United Day.
Admission is priced at £3 Adults, £1 Concessions and free for Kids.
Also this Saturday, Bowers & Pitsea are the visitors to the Southwood Stadium home of Ramsgate FC where admission is priced at £5 Adults, £3 Concessions, £1 12-16's and free for accompanied Under 12's.
And Prestatyn Town welcome Northwich Vics over the border for a 3pm kick-off. Admission is priced at £5 Adults, £3 Concessions and Under-18's free.
On Monday (30th) Hastings United host Eastbourne United in a 7.45pm kick-off for which admission will cost £6 Adults, £3 Concessions and Under 16's free.
The following evening (Tuesday 31st) Margate FC take on Thamesmead Town with admission prices £5 Adults, £4 Concessions and £3 Under-18's. These prices are the same for the derby with Ramsgate on Saturday 4th August.
AFC Blackpool host Merthyr Town this coming Saturday (28th) at the Mechanics Ground in a 1.30pm kick-off that will also see supporters from across the country join in a Fans United Day.
Admission is priced at £3 Adults, £1 Concessions and free for Kids.
Also this Saturday, Bowers & Pitsea are the visitors to the Southwood Stadium home of Ramsgate FC where admission is priced at £5 Adults, £3 Concessions, £1 12-16's and free for accompanied Under 12's.
And Prestatyn Town welcome Northwich Vics over the border for a 3pm kick-off. Admission is priced at £5 Adults, £3 Concessions and Under-18's free.
On Monday (30th) Hastings United host Eastbourne United in a 7.45pm kick-off for which admission will cost £6 Adults, £3 Concessions and Under 16's free.
The following evening (Tuesday 31st) Margate FC take on Thamesmead Town with admission prices £5 Adults, £4 Concessions and £3 Under-18's. These prices are the same for the derby with Ramsgate on Saturday 4th August.
Friday, 20 July 2018
Sites You Might Like
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.
Wednesday, 18 July 2018
Glasgow City FC
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE | Get along and back Scotland's representatives in the Champions League. Free entry to all. Let's get behind the Champions of our nation. pic.twitter.com/XWouQQFzCv
— Glasgow City FC (@GlasgowCityFC) July 7, 2018
Crawley Town FC
There is a sense of stability in the air at Crawley Town ahead of the 2018/19 season as Harry Kewell prepares for his second campaign in charge of the Red Devils.
Having made the move into senior management after working with Watford’s Under-23's, Kewell had to fight the perception that he wouldn't have the necessary steel to negotiate the 46-game marathon that is a season in the basement division of English football, one that has claimed fellow high-profile casualties such as Teddy Sheringham in the past.
Implementing his philosophy and a different way of playing took some time but steady progress was made throughout the year and Crawley finished comfortably in mid-table.
Linked with the vacant Charlton Athletic job earlier in the year, Kewell will now be looking to push for the play-offs and play his part in boosting attendances at the Broadfield Stadium.
The club are also doing their bit in this regard having held successful 'Pay What You Can' matches over the past two seasons as part of a wider move to engage with their local community.
Clubs such as Crawley and Stevenage, who featured on these pages a couple of months ago, have done so well in becoming part of the Football League landscape that it can be easily forgotten how far they have come in such a short space of time and how much effort is needed to keep growing and interacting with supporters old and new.
Crawley's final pre-season friendly takes place on Saturday 28 July against Belgian side KSV Roeselare and tickets for all areas of the stadium will cost just £1.
Having made the move into senior management after working with Watford’s Under-23's, Kewell had to fight the perception that he wouldn't have the necessary steel to negotiate the 46-game marathon that is a season in the basement division of English football, one that has claimed fellow high-profile casualties such as Teddy Sheringham in the past.
Implementing his philosophy and a different way of playing took some time but steady progress was made throughout the year and Crawley finished comfortably in mid-table.
Linked with the vacant Charlton Athletic job earlier in the year, Kewell will now be looking to push for the play-offs and play his part in boosting attendances at the Broadfield Stadium.
The club are also doing their bit in this regard having held successful 'Pay What You Can' matches over the past two seasons as part of a wider move to engage with their local community.
Clubs such as Crawley and Stevenage, who featured on these pages a couple of months ago, have done so well in becoming part of the Football League landscape that it can be easily forgotten how far they have come in such a short space of time and how much effort is needed to keep growing and interacting with supporters old and new.
Crawley's final pre-season friendly takes place on Saturday 28 July against Belgian side KSV Roeselare and tickets for all areas of the stadium will cost just £1.
Monday, 16 July 2018
Carabao Cup Round One
All of the ties below are priced at £10 or less for Adults...
The television cameras will be at the Stadium of Light on Thursday 16th August as Sunderland host Sheffield Wednesday, no surprise perhaps as the Black Cats' fall from grace has changed the nature of such a tie to League One v Championship albeit with two big-name clubs.
Prices for non-season card holders are £10 Adults and £5 for Over 65/Under 16's with a family offer available (2 Adults, 2 Under 16's) of £25.
West Bromwich Albion must start in the first round for the first time in many years and League One newcomers Luton Town will look to cause an upset at The Hawthorns on Tuesday 14th August.
Tickets purchased before 12pm on the day of the game are priced at £10, £5 for Under 18's and Disabled supporters and £3 for Under 11's.
Reading are always proactive with pricing of their home cup ties and advance tickets for the visit of Birmingham City on Tuesday 14th August are priced at £7 Adults (£10 matchday), £5 65+ and 18-24 (£10), £3 for those 17 and under (£5 matchday) and £1 for those 12 and under (£5).
£10 Adult tickets are also on sale for the ties at Norwich City, Millwall and Preston among others.
The television cameras will be at the Stadium of Light on Thursday 16th August as Sunderland host Sheffield Wednesday, no surprise perhaps as the Black Cats' fall from grace has changed the nature of such a tie to League One v Championship albeit with two big-name clubs.
Prices for non-season card holders are £10 Adults and £5 for Over 65/Under 16's with a family offer available (2 Adults, 2 Under 16's) of £25.
West Bromwich Albion must start in the first round for the first time in many years and League One newcomers Luton Town will look to cause an upset at The Hawthorns on Tuesday 14th August.
Tickets purchased before 12pm on the day of the game are priced at £10, £5 for Under 18's and Disabled supporters and £3 for Under 11's.
Reading are always proactive with pricing of their home cup ties and advance tickets for the visit of Birmingham City on Tuesday 14th August are priced at £7 Adults (£10 matchday), £5 65+ and 18-24 (£10), £3 for those 17 and under (£5 matchday) and £1 for those 12 and under (£5).
£10 Adult tickets are also on sale for the ties at Norwich City, Millwall and Preston among others.
Friday, 13 July 2018
A World Cup Dividend?
Will England’s successful World Cup have an effect on the game across the country?
Another group stage exit, a humbling by
Tunisia or Panama and this could conceivably have been the end of the
national team as a viable institution.
The Football Association would have faced
the mammoth task of trying to sell Wembley matches against the USA,
Spain and Croatia before the end of 2018 and not even the new Nations
League format would have been of much assistance had supporters
finally declared they had had enough.
Broadcast deals for the national team would
also have been a tough sell going forward, hastening the need (or
desire) for the FA to complete the sale of Wembley Stadium.
That deal may still be on the cards,
although a successful World Cup will increase opposition to it, but the
huge achievement of Gareth Southgate and his players has been to make
playing for England look both important and enjoyable at
a time when the domestic game looked to be readying itself to assume
complete control.
A positive effect for clubs outside the EFL
and the much talked about grassroots is always hard to predict but a
stronger, more confident FA (having been vindicated in their reform of
the national team set-up at all levels and of their
choice of Southgate as manager however much they may have been left
with little option) can still do a lot of good for the game.
One example of this is in the increased payments that are on offer this season to clubs participating in the FA Cup which means that even teams knocked out at the extra preliminary round stage, which takes place over the weekend of 11 August, will receive £750.
You also only need to look at the social media pages of Non-League clubs over the past four weeks to see how much England's progress was enjoyed and also how much of an unexpected bonus it brought to bars and social clubs at their grounds as training times were altered and players and supporters alike gathered to watch the various games.
You also only need to look at the social media pages of Non-League clubs over the past four weeks to see how much England's progress was enjoyed and also how much of an unexpected bonus it brought to bars and social clubs at their grounds as training times were altered and players and supporters alike gathered to watch the various games.
Thursday, 12 July 2018
Hallam FC v Sheffield Wednesday Under-23's
It's always good to get the first game of a new season under you belt and there's not many better places in the sunshine than Sandygate, home of Hallam FC.
Sheffield Wednesday Under-23's provided the opposition on Tuesday evening with the two sides lining up to inevitable sound of 'Football's Coming Home' as we anticipated what was to come 24 hours later.
Hallam season tickets are available for the new campaign priced at £65 Adults and £35 Concessions.
Tuesday, 10 July 2018
Newport Pagnell Town FC
Coming this Friday!!!!
— Newport Pagnell Town (@nptfc) 10 July 2018
The price of a adult ticket has been cut from £6 to £4 as a thank you to the fans for your ongoing support!
Swans vs @AFCRD
Friday 13th July. KO 7.30pm
Admission: Adults £4, Concessions £4, Under-18s £2, Under 5s free.@NonLeagueCrowd @AffordableFooty pic.twitter.com/6UYrfHef6W
Wednesday, 4 July 2018
Severn Sport Shield
A pre-season tournament celebrating Gloucestershire football, the Severn Sport Shield takes place next week with four matches scheduled to be played at Thornhill Park, home of Slimbridge AFC.
Gloucester City, Tuffley Rovers and Longlevens AFC also take part with games set to take place on Tuesday 10th, Wednesday 11th (Thursday if England are in the World Cup semi-finals) and a double-header on Saturday 14th.
Admission each day is priced at £5 Adults and £3 Concessions (so two games for the price of one on the Saturday) but a tournament ticket is also available at £10 Adults, £6 Concessions.
Gloucester City, Tuffley Rovers and Longlevens AFC also take part with games set to take place on Tuesday 10th, Wednesday 11th (Thursday if England are in the World Cup semi-finals) and a double-header on Saturday 14th.
Admission each day is priced at £5 Adults and £3 Concessions (so two games for the price of one on the Saturday) but a tournament ticket is also available at £10 Adults, £6 Concessions.
Sunday, 1 July 2018
Football League Friendlies For A Tenner Or Less
The following matches between EFL clubs cost no more than £10 for Adult entry which I think is a reasonable price to pay in pre-season.
Mansfield Town will test themselves against a quartet of Championship clubs during pre-season starting with Derby County on Wednesday 18 July (7.30pm). Both Sheffield clubs and Rotherham United will also visit the One Call Stadium.
Each fixture is priced at £10 Adults and £5 for Over 65's and Under 18's.
Peterborough United welcome Bolton Wanderers to the ABAX Stadium on Saturday 28 July with free admission for Posh season ticket holders and admission prices (if purchased prior to the day of the game) of £8 Adults, £5 for Seniors (60+) and Under 22's and £1 for Under 18's.
Matchday prices are £10, £7 and £1.
Port Vale are in home action against Blackburn Rovers on Saturday 14 July then Blackpool and Shrewsbury Town on the following two Saturdays. Tickets for each game are priced at £10 Adults and £5 Concessions (0-21 and 62+).
Rochdale have friendlies lined up against Championship duo Hull City (Saturday 21 July) and Middlesbrough (Tuesday 24 July) with admission to each priced at £10 Adults, £5 Juniors.
Scunthorpe United take on Nottingham Forest at Glanford Park on Wednesday 25 July (7.30pm) and terrace tickets are priced at £8 Adults, £4 for Over 65's and Under 21's and £2 for Under 18's. Seat prices are £10/£5 and £2.
West Bromwich Albion host the mighty Sky Blues on Saturday 28 July with the clubs playing for the Cyrille Regis Memorial Trophy, a nice touch and hopefully a game that will become a regular fixture over the next few years.
Admission to The Hawthorns is priced at £5 for Under 18's and £10 for everyone else.
Wycombe Wanderers entertain Brentford on Tuesday 17 July at Adams Park as they continue preparations for life in League One. Tickets are priced at £10 for Adults (19+) and £5 Juniors (18 and below).
Yeovil Town welcome Swansea City (Wednesday 11 July), Bristol Rovers (Tuesday 17) and Plymouth Argyle (Saturday 21) to Huish Park.
Swansea tickets are £10 Adults, £5 Senior/Young Person and free for Under 16's. The other two matches are £6/£3 and free for U16's.
Mansfield Town will test themselves against a quartet of Championship clubs during pre-season starting with Derby County on Wednesday 18 July (7.30pm). Both Sheffield clubs and Rotherham United will also visit the One Call Stadium.
Each fixture is priced at £10 Adults and £5 for Over 65's and Under 18's.
Peterborough United welcome Bolton Wanderers to the ABAX Stadium on Saturday 28 July with free admission for Posh season ticket holders and admission prices (if purchased prior to the day of the game) of £8 Adults, £5 for Seniors (60+) and Under 22's and £1 for Under 18's.
Matchday prices are £10, £7 and £1.
Port Vale are in home action against Blackburn Rovers on Saturday 14 July then Blackpool and Shrewsbury Town on the following two Saturdays. Tickets for each game are priced at £10 Adults and £5 Concessions (0-21 and 62+).
Rochdale have friendlies lined up against Championship duo Hull City (Saturday 21 July) and Middlesbrough (Tuesday 24 July) with admission to each priced at £10 Adults, £5 Juniors.
Scunthorpe United take on Nottingham Forest at Glanford Park on Wednesday 25 July (7.30pm) and terrace tickets are priced at £8 Adults, £4 for Over 65's and Under 21's and £2 for Under 18's. Seat prices are £10/£5 and £2.
West Bromwich Albion host the mighty Sky Blues on Saturday 28 July with the clubs playing for the Cyrille Regis Memorial Trophy, a nice touch and hopefully a game that will become a regular fixture over the next few years.
Admission to The Hawthorns is priced at £5 for Under 18's and £10 for everyone else.
Wycombe Wanderers entertain Brentford on Tuesday 17 July at Adams Park as they continue preparations for life in League One. Tickets are priced at £10 for Adults (19+) and £5 Juniors (18 and below).
Yeovil Town welcome Swansea City (Wednesday 11 July), Bristol Rovers (Tuesday 17) and Plymouth Argyle (Saturday 21) to Huish Park.
Swansea tickets are £10 Adults, £5 Senior/Young Person and free for Under 16's. The other two matches are £6/£3 and free for U16's.
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