Game Of The Week: Queen's Park v Stenhousemuir

A big year in the history of both Queen's Park FC and Hampden Park begins this coming Saturday, January 4th, with a Scottish League Two game against Stenhousemuir.

2019 has seen the members of Scotland's oldest club vote, with heavy hearts perhaps, to end their amateur status in a bid to compete on a more level playing field with both those teams around them ambitious clubs below in the Lowland League.

And if that was not momentous enough the year also saw the sale of Hampden to the Scottish FA for £5 million and a move next door to Lesser Hampden from the beginning of next season (New Year's Eve has seen news that planning permission has been granted for the development of Lesser Hampden to increase capacity to 1,700).

For the National Stadium, which came close to losing out to Murrayfield for that title, it hopefully means a revamp that makes it a better place to watch a game from with many supporters critical of the view from behind the goals and the lack of atmosphere since the change to an all-seater ground.

Hampden Park will be hosting matches at Euro 2020 with Scotland hoping to secure the last place in Group D alongside England, Croatia and the Czech Republic.

The Scots must first come through the play-offs and have home advantage against Israel in March, a game for which ticket prices have been reduced.

Before then, and with no competition from Scottish Premier League matches this Saturday, Queen's Park have a special admission offer...

Can you believe this? Admission prices for the @Ladbrokes SPFL2 game between @queensparkfc and @StenhousemuirFC on January 4 @Hampdenpark have been slashed to just £5. #FiverFootball Check it out - https://t.co/cCtnFYEa3N pic.twitter.com/mrE472tWDc

— Queen's Park FC (@queensparkfc) 30 December 2019

Bradford City’s 2020 Vision

2019 was the year when a famous football name, in the shape of Bury FC, were suddenly erased from the fixture lists with Gigg Lane standing empty and forlorn on Saturday afternoons.

We’ve become used to the 11th hour rescues that have saved many a club in the past but this time there was no white knight and the Shakers (for now) are no more.

With Bolton having just survived and Macclesfield’s future looking bleak it calls into question the whole viability of clubs in League One and Two.

The way all three of the above have been run can be called into question but what is clear is that the battle for financial survival is getting more and more difficult at the lower levels of the Football League.

A recent report highlighted how stretched things in the Championship are becoming as owners chase the Premier League ‘dream’ and the clubs in that division will continue to push for a greater share of income from the EFL to act as some kind of buffer if they fail to make it into the top-flight.

I’ve often felt that leaves League One and Two clubs increasingly in a kind of limbo where they have the extra costs that go alongside being in the EFL without being able to offer spectators the kind of freedoms they get at a lower level and admission prices are a symbol of that in many ways.

One-off reductions are always welcome, of course, but the short-term firefighting often makes it difficult to really make a concerted push to increase supporter numbers year-on-year.

Bradford City are one of the exceptions but it has taken a huge amount of hard work from the Bantams to do so, their offer of low-price season tickets having survived a change of ownership and relegation back to League Two.

Tickets are already on sale for the 2020/21 season under the 'City For All' banner, priced at £150 for those over 16, £100 for under 16's and £25 for under 11's. 

There is also the FlexiCard option, for those unable to commit to a season ticket, with an initial £50 payment and then payment on a matchday of £10 adults, £5 for under 16's and nothing for under 11's. 

Pop Down To Your Local

As the festive season approaches there are a host of fixtures scheduled at all levels of the game and across all parts of the country.

Hopefully the weather, which has seen many a match postponed over the past couple of months (including today), will produce just the right formula for watching football over the holiday period, cold enough to see your breath but with a winter sun in the air.

A good couple of attendances over this time can make a big difference to local clubs but what is striking as I follow the fortunes of a lot of teams on Twitter is how many are becoming genuine community hubs themselves.

That is especially reflected at this time of year in the number of collections being run for food banks, the homeless and other local charities.

And what about the benefits of simply going out to a game and being amongst people?

That’s if you want to, one of the pleasures at non-league level for me is the ability to find a quiet spot and mull a few things over.

I know quite a few people who baulk at the idea of paying a fiver or more to watch something they don’t deem to be a ‘proper’ game but for me that misses the point in many ways.

Wherever you’re going, enjoy the match, thanks for reading the blog this year and Merry Christmas.

Catch A Match Before Christmas

A busy week of action ahead, weather permitting as always at the moment it seems, and here's some games to look out for.

Newhaven FC of the Southern Combination Football League are offering Pay What You Want admission to Tuesday night's home game against Alfold FC.

On Saturday there is free entry for public service workers (police, NHS, fire, ambulance, military) at Gresley FC when they host Selston while it is festive football for a fiver at Banbury United and kids go free for the visit of Needham Market.

In League Two there is also football for a fiver at Morecambe with Newport County the visitors. Concessions are £3 and Juniors £1 when tickets are purchased prior to matchday.

In the Fa Youth Cup there is a big evening ahead on Tuesday, 7pm, for the youngsters of Croydon FC as they have a third round clash at the DW Stadium against Wigan Athletic.

Admission is priced at £3 Adults, £1 Concessions for non-season card holders.

Building Up To Boxing Day

Around this time last year I wrote that '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.'

The build-up has already begun for many clubs who are looking forward to a Boxing Day clash with their local rivals and hoping that the weather relents to allow games to take place that can prove so crucial in terms of finances.

Pilkington FC, newly promoted into the North West Counties League, are counting down to a first competitive clash against co-tenants St Helens Town at 3pm on December 26th with admission priced at £4 Adults, £2 Concessions and free for Under 16's while just £10 gets you a seat, a pint, a pie and a programme (contact the club for details).

Tooting & Mitcham United

A notable 5-0 victory away to Chertsey Town in the Isthmian League South Central division on Saturday afternoon puts Tooting & Mitcham into fourth place and also nicely sets up next weekend's clash with Ware FC at Imperial Fields.

The club are offering free admission with a leaflet which can be found on their Twitter page and there will also be a Santa's grotto, face painting and plenty of festive food and drink.

Also coming up this week are a number of FA Youth Cup ties including matches scheduled for Carrow Road, Riverside Stadium, The Hawthorns and the Madejski Stadium.

Manchester United's home game against Lincoln City on Friday evening (13th, 7pm) is not being played at Old Trafford but is free admission at Leigh Sports Village.

Catching A Glimpse

I always like to look out for a ground wherever I am and the central location of Sincil Bank made it easy to have a quick walk around last Sunday morning.

It's always pleasing to me to see a club rooted in their local community and not physically cut off  in an out-of-town location.

The local Lincolnshire Echo reported on how crowds are holding up well despite the upward progress of the last few years, perhaps inevitably given the departure of the Cowley brothers, having slowed slightly.

It was also good to see a busy Imps shop in the city centre.

I was in Lincoln the day after the club's youngsters had made it into the third round of the FA Youth Cup and an away day against Manchester United which sadly won't be played at Old Trafford.

The following ties are being played at Premier League grounds, however.

AFC Bournemouth host Barnet at the Vitality Stadium on Wednesday 11th, 7pm, with tickets priced at £5 Adults, £3 for Over 65's, Under 21's and Students and £1 for Under 16's.

On Tuesday 10th it is Norwich City against Newcastle United at Carrow Road, kick-off 7pm, with admission on the night priced at £3 and £1.

Bramall Lane is the venue for Sheffield United against AFC Wimbledon on Tuesday 17th, 7pm. Admission is priced at £3/£1.

And this coming week in the FA Youth Cup there are scheduled matches at Pride Park and Elland Road among others.

Boxing Day Football In Wigan

Type 'Wigan Boxing Day' into your search engine and a myriad of revellers in fancy dress will pop up on your screen, celebrating the town's traditional big day out.

Going to the match is another fine tradition the day after Christmas and Wigan Athletic are looking to get their biggest crowd of the season through the DW Stadium turnstiles for the visit of Derby County.

Advance ticket prices have been reduced to £10 Adults, £5 for Under 18's and £2 for Under 12's. 

Just up the road there is also a special Christmas ticket bundle offer at Rochdale with four games for the price of three, starting on Boxing Day when Fleetwood are the visitors.

A Christmas Cracker In Morecambe

The last Saturday before Christmas has traditionally been a time when attendances have dropped off slightly, supporters perhaps either shopping, recovering from the night before or saving their money for the fixtures to come over the next week or so.

So you do often see clubs reducing admission prices for matches on this day and that is what Morecambe have done for the home game against Newport County on 21st December.

Buy before the day of the match and prices are £5 Adults, £3 Concessions and £1 for 11-18's.

Trying to run a tight ship financially while remaining competitive on the pitch is a daily struggle for many clubs in the lower divisions but Morecambe, like plenty of others, have also had to deal in recent years with owners whose motivations for getting involved in football were ill-judged to put it charitably.

One of the men who worked tirelessly throughout that period to keep things going was manager Jim Bentley and an era ended recently when he opted to move to AFC Fylde of the National League.

The current owners, who look to have steadied things around off the field, have opted for former Plymouth manager Derek Adams to succeed Bentley and turn the departure of the long-serving boss into an opportunity for new ideas and momentum.

Keep An Eye Out For...

Women's Football Weekend which takes place this coming Saturday and Sunday.

Typing the above into Twitter is proving fruitful already in terms of finding matches, not just the headline acts such as Liverpool against Everton at Anfield or Spurs versus Arsenal at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium but games up and down the country at all levels.

For instance, Kent Football United have a local derby against Gillingham Ladies in the Kent Cup on Sunday at 3pm and are offering free entry to all supporters to their ground in Dartford in a bid to beat the club record attendance of 287.

Durham Women FC of the FA Championship are always very proactive in trying to engage and grow their supporter base and are offering half-price admission on Sunday (12pm v London Bees) to anyone with a season ticket, matchday programme or matchday ticket from any North East club.

Also something to keep an eye out for is the upcoming FA Youth Cup third round fixtures which are due to be played by 14th December.

These offer a good opportunity to catch a match at one of the big grounds for just a few pounds.

Premier League teams drawn at home include Sheffield United, Norwich City, Wolves, Tottenham and West Ham although not all clubs will play on their 'home' soil at this stage, Chelsea for instance will take their tie to Aldershot or Kingsmeadow).

The Road To Vienna

Friday saw the draw made for both the quarter and semi-finals of this season’s UEFA Women’s Champions League with British interest in the competition represented by Arsenal and Glasgow City.

After looking as though they may get left behind Manchester City and Chelsea at the top level of the game in England, Arsenal’s resurgence under Joe Montemurro continues with a smooth run to the last eight of the Champions League following on from last season’s FA WSL title win.

They will take on Paris St-Germain in the quarters before a potential meeting with holders Lyon.

Glasgow City, who face Wolfsburg, have arguably already exceeded expectations by getting this far and the success story of the perennial Scottish champions shows no sign of falling away despite the financial imbalance that means they regularly lose their top players to England and elsewhere.

Renewed competition on the domestic front may yet come from increased investment in their Women’s teams from the Old Firm clubs, Celtic especially are promising a major upgrade and inflicted a first league defeat since June 2016 on Glasgow City last weekend.

In recent seasons it has been Hibs Ladies who have managed to inflict some blows on Glasgow in cup competitions and they will meet again in the Scottish Women’s Cup Final at Tynecastle on Sunday 24th November at 4.10pm.

Tickets are on sale now, priced at £7 Adults, £3 Concessions and free for Under 12's.

The Champions League final will be staged at the Viola Stadium, home of Austria Vienna, on Sunday 24th May and tickets are already on sale at the very reasonable price of 12/8 Euros for Adults if you fancy a few days in the Austrian capital.

FA Cup Showcase For North East Duo

This coming weekend sees the competition reach the First Round stage with League One and Two clubs entering the fray and looking to negotiate their path into the Third Round while a number of Non-League sides will be aiming to cause an upset.

An unusual feature of the draw was that one team received a bye because of the expulsion of Bury from the EFL and, therefore, from the cup as well.

Perhaps the only positive to come out of that situation was that the bye went to the lowest-ranked team left in the competition, Chichester City, and with it the First Round prize money of £36,000, from which they have promised to make a donation to the new Bury FC.

Two clubs with big games this weekend offer hope of a brighter future should the Shakers rise from the ashes.

National League North Darlington head to League Two strugglers Walsall in confident mood thanks to some good recent form and also pleased to see the name of the famous old club back in the spotlight, seven years after having to start again in the ninth tier of English football.

Manager Alun Armstrong told The Non-League Paper: "Although it's a non-pressure game, it's a huge opportunity for the club and ourselves to get Darlington on the map a little bit."

Prices at Walsall for a 3pm kick-off on Saturday have been reduced to £12 for Adults, £6 for Concessions and £15 for a Family ticket.

Meanwhile, having been demoted to the National League North for financial irregularities (and been perilously close to going out of business altogether), there is a positive vibe around Gateshead FC at present with new owners and some good results on the pitch.

An excellent article on These Football Times tells how a supporters group was instrumental in saving the club and there is an added bonus in a high-profile cup tie against League Two Oldham Athletic at the International Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

Admission prices have been reduced to £12 Adults, £7 Concessions and £4 for Under 16's with Under 12's free with a paying adult.

Football For A Fiver At Walsall

With the final international break of 2019 soon upon us Walsall FC are looking to get a healthy crowd through the turnstiles of the Banks's Stadium with all tickets for the League Two game at home to Cambridge on Saturday 16th priced at £5.

The lengthy reign of Jeff Bonser as owner of the club was ended in the summer when Leigh Pomlett completed a takeover and also assumed the chairman’s role.

With former Bristol Rovers boss Darrell Clarke taking over after relegation that meant a new start for the Saddlers, one that hasn’t quite gone according to plan as yet as they currently sit in the bottom four of the table.

But the new chairman has been looking to build bridges with supporters, attending a recent fans forum and targeting an average attendance of 5,000.

Interestingly, fans on the UpTheSaddlers forum, when discussing the 5,000 figure, focused less on prices than on the matchday experience at the stadium and improving waiting times for food and drink in particular.

In the West Midlands, the old Sports Argus on a Saturday used to give a brief summary of the day’s games for the ‘Big Six’ on its front page with match reports and club news inside.

Walsall were one of the six (as were my own Sky Blues although we had our own Pink as well) and although always smaller than West Brom or Wolves they were part of the fabric of football in the area.

The landscape is changing fast as the bigger clubs take a bigger share of the money and attention while a plentiful local football scene offers cheap admission and beer on the terraces.

An ambitious outfit such as Solihull Moors have designs on getting into the Football League and competing further for floating fans.

But Walsall FC are still very much alive and kicking and, perhaps using a phrase we’ll hear a bit over the next six weeks, looking to get out their core vote.

Next Saturday’s FA Cup tie against Darlington has a £15 family ticket available and there is also an FA Youth Cup game at the stadium this Tuesday against Fleetwood for which entry is priced at £5/£2.

No Pitch Inspection Needed In The Highland Sun!

A second visit of the season to a Scottish Highland League and another sunny afternoon (inevitably slightly colder than August in Rothes), in contrast to the deluge that put paid to a large number of fixtures in England.

Kynoch Park, home of Keith FC, is a well-kept stadium in the centre of the Moray town, one where the tradition of a club that was founded in 1910 can truly be felt.

A warm welcome was extended to all, except visitors Strathspey Thistle who were on the wrong end of a 7-1 scoreline and could have easily been in Southampton territory if not for some missed chances and brave goalkeeping.

Derby Days Head Women's Football Weekend

The first ever Women's Football Weekend is scheduled for 16/17 November and the showpiece events will be two FA WSL local derby fixtures set to be played in front of big crowds.

Spurs meet Arsenal at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday 17th at 3pm and tickets are now on general sale, priced at £6.50 for Adults, £3.50 for Concessions and £15 for a family of four.

And Anfield will be the venue for Liverpool against Everton at the same time with tickets £5 for Adults and free for up to 3 accompanied Under 16's.

It's great to see the full weight of the respective home clubs' ticketing and marketing teams being thrown into these fixtures and I'm sure they will be well attended.

Such games, unavoidably perhaps, have the feel of 'one-offs' with many of those watching maybe unaware of the context in terms of league position.

But the bigger picture will be the many thousands enjoying the occasion and hopefully seeking out opportunities to play and watch elsewhere.

And the Women's Football Weekend will be about much more than matches in the WSL as hopefully clubs up and down the country will be able to attract some new faces along. 

I'll highlight as many games as I can on Twitter.

Students Of The Game

This week's Non-League Paper had a nice piece on watching football as a student, Alex Thrower taking in a game at Ramsbottom United for £6 and enjoying the informal nature of the Non-League experience.

If you are at university then there are plenty of opportunities to catch a match and most clubs, from the Premier League downwards do offer a discount on admission.

Beyond that there are often special offers in those towns and cities where the university plays a huge part in local life.

Nick Hornby fell for the charms of Cambridge United in his university days in the city and with 34,000 students arriving back or for the first time in September there are some potential new supporters out there.

United were active at the various freshers fairs and also offered free tickets for tonight's game against Grimsby Town, an offer that over 500 people had taken advantage as of Monday afternoon.

And I have often seen clubs such as Bath City and Aberystwyth Town offer free tickets or vastly reduced admission to games (Bath recently held their Student Day, to coincide with Non-League Day, with £2 entry to a National League South fixture).

Autumn Days At Sandygate

A beautiful autumn day at the world's oldest football ground, Sandygate, as Hallam FC and Swallownest met in the Northern Counties East League Division One on Saturday afternoon.

With no game for either Wednesday or United a crowd of 439 was in attendance, including a group from Germany keen to take in a piece of football history.

Admission was just a fiver for a hard-fought game of few clear-cut chances which the visitors edged by a solitary second-half goal.

A Stirling Scottish Cup Double

The Road to Hampden continues this weekend with sixteen second round ties and the entry of the ten League Two clubs into the Scottish Cup.

A double-bill of action at the Forthbank Stadium in Stirling catches the eye with Stirling Albion hosting Highland League Strathspey Thistle at 3pm on Saturday afternoon.

Strathspey's first round victory was their first ever in the competition and they will travel down with hopes of an upset against the side currently sitting bottom of League Two.

Admission prices are £12 Adults, £8 Seniors & Students, £5 Under 16's and free for Under 12's.

An interesting development in the game over the past few years has been the emergence of university football teams such as Cardiff Met in the Welsh Premier League and both University of Stirling and Edinburgh University in the Scottish Lowland League (the Highland League equivalent and with a route into League Two via a play-off system).

With excellent facilities and the prospect of an academic education to run alongside a football one it is surely a route that more young players will take in the future.

University of Stirling take on Linlithgow Rose at Forthbank on Sunday at 3pm with tickets priced at £6/£3. 

A Pitfall Of Pay What You Want!

Well publicised for a long period before the game took place, the offer of 'pay what you want' admission at Aldershot Town on Non-League Day drew an attendance of 2,786 to the EBB Stadium.

With the offer ending at midnight on the day of the Hartlepool game the club's last update on Friday reported the sale of 1,465 tickets on a pay what you want basis.

A £2 minimum was put in place and at the level that Aldershot play at I think that's fair enough as there is an administrative cost involved while online sales also give an indication of what sort of crowd to expect and what to put in place in terms of catering, stewarding etc.

As a rough comparison, the September Saturday fixture against a Barrow, whose supporters would also have had to travel a long distance, drew a gate of 1,163 so the initiative certainly looks to have been successful on that front.

Fans forum ShotsWeb had an excellent thread on the pay what you want offer with season ticket holders, in the main, pleased to see the club looking to attract new and lapsed supporters and those intending to buy tickets either promising to pay the going rate or make a purchase at the ground to make up the difference.

Fast forward to the end of the game and the one variable that cannot be controlled by those off the pitch, the result!

A 3-0 defeat continued a difficult start to the season for the Shots and left many on ShotsWeb lamenting a bad result in front of a big crowd.

As with so many of us who don't support the big clubs it seems Aldershot fans share the common belief that their club always freeze on such an occasion (on a par, perhaps, with the theory that your club always offers a return to form for an opposition team on a long losing run).

But let's hope some of those who came along on Saturday will have enjoyed the occasion and get back to the Recreation Ground some time soon.

Half Term Hull

A nice idea from Hull City to put together a week of different activities for supporters at the upcoming half-term school break.

Stadium tours of the KCOM have proved very popular and are now sold out but there is also an open training session and a halloween signing session planned as well as other events.

Most importantly, tickets for the home game against Derby County on Saturday 26th October are all half-price in all areas of the ground if purchased before the day of the match.

Not too far away it is good to see the reformed North Ferriby FC establishing themselves in the Northern Counties East League where I am hoping to see them in action at Hallam FC just after Christmas.

This Tuesday (15th) there will be free admission to the Dransfield Stadium for the East Riding Senior Cup tie against South Cave United, kick-off 7.45pm. 

Home Thoughts From New York

A first trip to the New York Stadium last Saturday was also my first glimpse of Coventry City in action this season and I clearly put a hex on the previously unbeaten Sky Blues as they not only lost their first game of the campaign but did so in some style as Rotherham ran out 4-0 winners and could, in truth, have added to that tally.

But the ground itself was well worth a visit, smart and modern of course but a physical part of the town itself and not isolated on the outskirts with only a retail park for company.

That means good public transport links and a sense that Rotherham are playing a part in the local community beyond the usual work that all clubs undertake, something more tangible in the benefits the stadium and the supporters going to it hopefully bring to the town centre itself.

Price-wise, I paid £23 for an adult ticket which in an ideal world would perhaps be lower but the Millers (rightly) have ambitions to establish themselves in the Championship and the financial clout needed to do that grows bigger every year.

In the absence of a fairer distribution of revenue and with the club locally owned and run that means money from ticket sales is crucial.

The New York will host matches at the 2021 Women's Euros.

Rotherham's upcoming League One game against Wycombe Wanderers on Saturday 26th October is a 'Kids for a Quid' fixture while season ticket holders can bring a friend for a fiver when Accrington Stanley visit on Saturday 16th November.

Nine Free Scotland Matches This Month

Scotland hosts three separate UEFA qualifying tournaments in October and there are nine separate opportunities to watch the national team in action at various age groups.

The men's Under-19 team are looking to qualify for the 2020 European Championships in Northern Ireland and come up against Belarus (at Morton on the 9th, 7pm), Andorra (12pm on the 12th at Dumbarton) and Germany (7.05pm on the 15th at Partick Thistle).

For the men's Under-17 team the goal is to make Estonia 2020 and standing in their way are Armenia, Iceland and Croatia.

All three Scotland fixtures will be played at Stirling Albion on the 22nd, 25th (both 7pm) and 28th (8.05pm).

And for the Women's Under-17's, in their bid to be at next year's finals in Sweden, there are games against Northern Ireland on the 14th and Montenegro on the 17th (both 5.30pm kick-offs at the Oriam centre in Edinburgh) and Italy on the 20th, 12.30pm, at Spartans FC.

Admission to all the games is free and more details are on the Scotland National Team page on Twitter.

From Barrow To Bavaria: Non-League Day Offers

Some of the best for next Saturday's Non-League Day, follow NLD on Twitter for updates through the week...

Barrow AFC have reduced admission prices to £9 for Adults and given away thousands of free tickets to local schools for the National League game at home to Dover.

The Giant Axe is the venue for Lancaster City against Ashton United in the Northern Premier League and the Dolly Blues have reduced prices by 50% for the fixture.

Not only is there free admission at Campion AFC for the visit of Retford FC in the Northern Counties East League but there are free season tickets on offer too.

Pay What You Want at Poole Town in the Southern League Premier Division South with Beaconsfield providing the opposition, at the Victoria Pleasure Grounds for Goole AFC against Maltby Main and at Armthorpe Welfare where Skegness Town are the visitors.

It's Town for £2 at Ollerton against Rossington Main and a special mention for AFC Rushden & Diamonds who have an Oktoberfest event later on Saturday evening and will admit anyone arriving in Bavarian fancy dress a few hours earlier free entry for the game against Coalville Town.

Loyalty Pays At May & Baker

We all probably have plenty of loyalty cards in our wallets and purses, for free coffees and teas, haircuts or books, so I liked a recent tweet from May & Baker ECFC of the Eastern Counties Football League to say that the first person to qualify for a free game of football this season had passed through the turnstiles.

Go to five matches at the Parkside Stadium and you will get your next one free and matchday prices for 2019/20 are just £5 for Adults, £3 for Concessions and free for accompanied Under 16's.

As the name suggests, May & Baker started life as a factory team, adding Eastbrook Community to their name in 2014.

The Going's Good At Ascot United

A significant development at the Racecourse Ground is now complete with a new 3G pitch in place and an overdue first home game of the season for Ascot United FC on Tuesday 8 October against Guildford City.

As the excellent Football in Berkshire website explains, the Yellaman have had to reverse a number of fixtures to date in 2019/20 but are ready to welcome supporters through the gates with free entry (donations welcome) for the Combined Counties League Premier Division Clash.

Burgess Hill Town FC

Neatly following on from some of the recent articles on the blog, on football in Sussex and Non-League Day, the Hillians have halved admission prices for their FA Trophy fixture at home to Phoenix Sports on Saturday 12th October.

General manager John Rattle told the club website: “We hope to see both old and new faces from the local community coming down to support their local Non-League football club.”

Adult entry will be £5, Concessions £3 and Under 18's free.

An October Festival Of Football

Plenty to get stuck into in the coming month as the season really hits its stride up and down the country.

Non-League Day is the headline event for many, Saturday 12th marking the 10th time that the occasion has taken place and with its reach not just confined to England.

I wrote earlier in the week about Slough Town's excellent offer for their home game with Billericay but there will be many more coming through over the next couple of weeks.

The Non-League Day twitter page is the place to keep an eye on, Croydon FC for instance are offering 'Pay What You Want' admission for their match against Meridian VP in the Southern Counties East League.

Wembley dreams are becoming a little more believable for those clubs still in the FA Vase and the next stage of the competition will take place over the weekend of 12/13th.

Both Crawley Town and Colchester United produced surprise results in the Carabao Cup during the week and a place in the quarter-finals is guaranteed for one of the two after they were drawn together in the fourth round.

Crawley have kept prices low for the tie, to be played on Tuesday 29th with Adult tickets priced at £10, Concessions £5 and accompanied Under 11's free.

On the Under-23 front there are fewer matches set for the main stadiums as summer turns very definitely to autumn but there are games scheduled at Pride Park, Ewood Park, Villa Park and the bet365 Stadium in Premier League 2.

And there is plenty of international football to take in with Scotland Under-21's hosting Lithuania at Tynecastle on Thursday 10th. Tickets are available from the Hearts website, priced at £5 Adults, £2 Under 16's.

Peterborough United is the venue for England Under 20's against the Czech Republic on Monday 14th. Tickets are priced at £5 Adults and £1 for Children and Over 65's.

Slough Town Pull Out All The Stops

Non-League Day 2019 is almost upon us with Saturday 12th October marking the 10th year of the day that aims to highlight all that is good about the game at lower levels.

The offers are starting to come through (keep an eye on the Non-League Day Twitter page) but Slough Town stand out at this stage and deserve a big crowd for their National League South game against Billericay Town at Arbour Park.

General admission prices have been reduced to just £5 with free entry for under 16's but there is also no charge at the turnstiles for season ticket holders from Premier League or Football League teams.

With a host of clubs on Slough's doorstep there should be plenty of potential spectators ready to take up that offer.

AFC:123 At Notts County

There have been plenty of new dawns at Notts County and I wrote positively about the arrival of Alan Hardy when he took over at Meadow Lane so I won't predict a brighter future for the Magpies just yet but Danish brothers Alexander and Christoffer Reedtz have made a positive impression in their short time at the club.

Their initial investment has allowed manager Neal Ardley to steady the ship following a calamitous relegation out of the Football League last season, a host of new arrivals gradually finding their feet in the National League prior to Saturday's defeat at Bromley.

And in the longer term the owners hope to benefit by using their analysis company Football Radar in identifying potential signings.

This Saturday's fixture with AFC Fylde has been designated as a way of saying thanks to the local community for their efforts in keeping the club alive and tickets are priced at just £3 Adults, £2 for those aged 18-21 and Over 65 and £1 for Under 18's (Under 7's free).

Genuine FA Cup Magic At Irlam FC

No need for cliches ahead of this Saturday's FA Cup Second Qualifying Round tie between Irlam FC of the North West Counties League and National League North heavyweights York City.

Quite simply this is the biggest game in Irlam's history with BBC Red Button live coverage and a visit from a club steeped in Football League and FA Cup history, Keith Houchen's penalty against Arsenal and all.

Kick-off is at 12.30pm and the club are urging people to get there as early as possible but there's no price increase from the usual admission costs of £5 Adults, £3 Concessions, £1 Under 16's and free for Under 11's.

A Bad Week But There's Life In Scottish Football Yet

Home defeats by Russia and Belgium last week didn't only end Scotland's automatic qualification hopes for Euro 2020 they also sparked a debate as to whether the game north of the border had reached it's lowest ebb.

The fortunes of the national side will always be one of the main factors in that argument but there was some negative publicity from a BBC survey regarding the cost of watching football in Scotland, although it has led to an interesting discussion about the way forward in this regard.

Even amongst sports administration bodies it seems those in charge of Scottish football have a particularly poor reputation and undoubtedly there have been bad decisions over the years.

But they have also been steamrollered in many ways by the juggernaut that is the English Premier League and the money that is awash at the top clubs across Europe.

For instance I find it hard to comprehend a system that makes Scotland's league champions go through numerous qualifying rounds to reach the Champions League group stage when teams who finish third elsewhere can go straight through.

The structure of the top division, perhaps, makes for a slightly repetitive product because of the number of times that each team plays each other but the tweaks to the play-off system have created an exciting second tier league.

And the opening up of the pyramid has also created a freshness about the lower divisions with the likes of Cove Rangers coming up from the Highland League last season and already looking well set for a second successive promotion.

I've written many times about the Lowland League and the excellent way the league as a whole publicise upcoming matches on Twitter in addition to the individual clubs.

The Highland League, the other potential feeder into the SPFL, is a different, more established league that doesn't tend to go in for anything too flashy but there are some fantastic clubs in beautiful locations that are very rooted in their local community and I've seen at first hand this season how hard volunteers at both Rothes and Strathspey Thistle work to do just that.

All of the Lowland and Highland clubs enter the Scottish Cup this weekend alongside those who have made it through the earlier rounds.

There are 18 ties in total from Fraserburgh down to Gretna, each with a story behind them, some long trips being made and some great games to watch for a tenner or less.

Selby's Century & 'Cheap' Shots

A fine achievement will be marked in North Yorkshire this coming Saturday, 21st September, when Selby Town FC mark 100 years since their first match when they entertain Hall Road Rangers in the Northern Counties East League (NCEL) Division One.

A special programme will be on sale and normal admission prices apply which mean it is just £5 Adults, £3 Concessions and free for those aged 14 and under.

Selby are also scheduled to be at home on Saturday 12th October which is this year's Non-League Day date.

They have an FA Vase tie against Cheadle Town which should prove popular while the NCEL itself is looking to get 500 people through the gate at each of their games that day.

Higher up the pyramid and Aldershot Town of the National League have launched a 'Pay What You Want' offer for their home game against Hartlepool United on Non-League Day.

Tickets must be purchased in advance to qualify for the offer, which has a minimum price of £2.

Staying in the National League and Notts County are marking their new ownership with a 123 offer for the visit of AFC Fylde on Saturday 28th September.

Adult tickets are priced at £3, it's £2 for those aged Over 65 or between 18-21 and £1 for Under 18's.

Non-League Day & Women's Football Weekend

With the opening international break already over, the next two gaps in the domestic top-flight calendar will see the return of an established favourite and the introduction of a new theme.

Saturday 12th October marks the 10th Non-League Day with James Doe's 2010 idea having grown into a superbly marketed platform for clubs up and down the country (and now further afield as well) to try and attract new supporters while cementing their place in the local community.

The NLD page on Twitter is a good place to catch up on everything that is happening and Merstham FC of the Isthmian League Premier Division have been quick off the mark to announce that their home game against Leatherhead will be a Family Day with loads of activities both before kick-off and after the final whistle.

There is free entry for all emergency services personnel and season ticket holders from any club can watch for a fiver.

November's international break, specifically the weekend of 15/16th November, will see the first Women's Football Weekend as the FA seek to capitalise on the positive feeling created by the World Cup and also the opening matchday of the Super League season when large crowds were in attendance at the Etihad Stadium and Stamford Bridge.

There are some big matches scheduled for the weekend, including a North London derby at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, which will clearly sell well but I like the idea of a theme that will encompass all levels of the game over the weekend and I'll give it plenty of plugs on Twitter over the next couple of months.

Brighton Rocks

A terrible title for the article but there are two good opportunities to catch a match under the flood-lights at the Amex Stadium on consecutive Friday nights in September with Brighton & Hove Albion Under 23’s in Premier League 2 action.

The Seagulls youngsters take on Everton on the 20th and then Tottenham Hotspur on the 27th. Both games are 7pm kick-offs and tickets are currently on general sale for both, priced at £5 Adults and £2 for Over 65’s and Under 16’s.

They are also the visitors to Stamford Bridge this coming Friday, the 13th, for a Premier League 2 game against Chelsea for which tickets are still on sale, priced at £5 Adults and free for those Under 20 and over 65.

Resurgent in recent seasons, Brighton are at the head of what seems to be quite a thriving football scene in Sussex generally with a good spread of clubs at all levels of the non-league game and Crawley Town of League Two who have featured regularly on these pages over the past few seasons with some innovative ticket offers.

The Southern Combination Football League covers the county at Steps 5,6 and 7 and has a regularly updated Twitter page.

Bath City FC Community Day

It's target 2,000 at Twerton Park on Saturday 14 September when Bath City take on Eastbourne Borough in the National League South as the game has been chosen as the club’s Community Day fixture for the 2019/20 season.

Admission on the turnstiles will be 'Pay What You Like' with lots of family activities going on be-forehand.

1,585 attended last season's Community Day fixture and with the feelgood factor growing over the club being community owned it is hoped that that figure is easily beaten at the weekend.

10% of all gate receipts will go to the Bath City FC Foundation.

It's a double-header of affordable action at Twerton Park over the course of the weekend as Bath City U18's have an FA Youth Cup tie against Frome Town at 7.45pm on Monday 16th for which admission will be £3 Adults, £1 for Under 16’s.

International Break Action

Moaning about the international break and 'no football' is a standard social media trope but out in the real world there's a host of matches all across the country this weekend in competitions where the sponsors range from global airline giants to the producers of top-notch treats to go with your cup of tea!

The Emirates FA Cup is at the First Round Qualifying stage and that means a bit of history at Yockings Park in Shropshire where Whitchurch Alport host their first ever game in the competition, Leek Town the opposition for a 3pm kick-off on Saturday (7th September).

Admission prices are £6 Adults, £4 and £1. A full fixture list for the weekend is on the FA website.

Clubs from all four home nations and the Republic of Ireland are taking part in the Scottish Challenge Cup, sponsored by Tunnocks Caramel Wafers, and that throws up some interesting ties such as Kelty Hearts (of the Scottish Lowland League) hosting Solihull Moors from the National League in England.

Admission prices at New Central Park at 3pm on Saturday are £10 Adults, £5 Concessions.

Those same prices are in operation at Tannadice on Saturday (Dundee United versus Arbroath) and Sunday at Dens Park (Dundee versus Elgin City) which gives the opportunity of a double-header.

If you're a season ticket holder for a club without a match this weekend then keep an eye out locally for fixtures to go and the occasional reduced price admission offer.

Penistone Church FC of the Northern Counties East League, for instance, are offering entry at £3/£1.50 (usually £5/£3) for season ticket holders of Barnsley, Leeds United, Sheffield United and Sheffield Wednesday.

Women’s FA Cup Preliminary Round

A pleasant late summer (or early autumn day) at the very neat and tidy Oughtibridge War Memorial Sports Ground yesterday as the home side recovered from losing an early goal to see off neighbours Sheffield Wednesday and earn a place in the First Qualifying Round of this season’s competition.

I wrote last week about the spirit of the game, in the wake of Bury losing their place in the Football League, and it was evident at Oughtibridge with friends and family of the players on both sides mingling on the touchline as a well-contested game was played out.

For both sides, wherever their football takes them in future, they can say with pride that they played in the FA Cup.

Monday’s draw saw Oughtibridge handed a tough trip to Peterborough United on Sunday 22nd September.

Pay What You Want

Pay What You Want matches have become a regular part of the footballing landscape over the past few years, especially at Non-League level in England but also as far up the pyramid as Brentford in the Championship and Inverness Caley Thistle in Scotland’s top-flight.

Motivations vary for making such an offer.

It can be tied in with a fundraising effort such as Hitchin Town’s Floodlight Fund, which was launched with a PWYW game to kickstart the bid to replace the ageing bulbs at Top Field, or act as a piece of positive publicity to spread the word about a club to the local population.

Albion Rovers enjoyed a year of such publicity when they offered Pay What You Want season tickets for the 2014/15 campaign, the media in Scotland and further afield taking notice of the Coatbridge club who (coincidentally?) gained promotion that very season.

Pay What You Want can happen in pre-season, a chance to get new spectators through the door and show off the improvements to the ground that have taken place over the summer, or it can come in the final match of the campaign, an opportunity to thank everyone for their support through the year.

Timing is an important factor, both in giving plenty of notice for the fixture to be publicised and in making the most of a date that gives the maximum amount of people in the area the chance to make your game.

International breaks are the most obvious example and Non-League Day sees a host of Pay What You Want matches up and down the country but it also helps if the nearest Premier League or Championship side are without a match until the following day or are facing a long away trip.

Publicity-wise, the social media age gives clubs a huge opportunity to market their game in the weeks leading up to it but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a place for a good old-fashioned poster or leaflet run in the local area.

And it is not just football where you can Pay What You Want.

It has been applied to theatre productions, new music releases (most notably when Radiohead made their ‘In Rainbows’ album available on such a basis in 2007) restaurants and cafes.

The difference when eating out in such an establishment is usually that people hand their money over when they have finished, based on what they felt the meal, or whole experience, was worth.

So, will the next innovation in football be PWYW as you head out of the ground, dependant on how entertaining your 90 minutes has been? 

Well, Hadley FC of the Essex Senior League tried just such a scheme for their final two games of the 2018/19 season, allowing spectators to donate after the final whistle.