A Bumper Crop In Kent & Other Friendly News

Friendly details are coming through thick and fast on Twitter at the moment and here's the pick of the week's crop.

Folkestone Invicta have lined up a quartet of Kent derbies in pre-season, starting against Dover Athletic on 6 July and followed by Maidstone United (9th), Gillingham (13th) and Whitstable Town (27th).

Admission to each game is priced at £5 Adults, £3 Concessions and £1 Under-18's.

Elsewhere in the Garden of England, both Folkestone and Canterbury City travel to Faversham Town on the 16th and 20th of July respectively. Admission to each game is priced at £5 Adults, £3 for Over 60's and Students and £1 for 12-17-year-olds.

And there is free admission (with donations very welcome to the Joe Ford Fund) when Erith Town host Phoenix Sports on Wednesday 24th July.

Grantham Town have six home friendlies lined up, starting with the visit of Grimsby Town on Tuesday 9th July.

Admission to each match is priced at £5 Adults, £3 Concessions and £2 for 15-18-year-olds but the Nuneaton Borough game on Saturday 27th July is Pay What You Think entry and there are also special offers in place for 2019/20 season ticket holders who bring a friend through the turnstiles.

Gingerbreads chairman, Nigel Wedgwood told the club website: "We wanted to give our season ticket holders something back, they can come and enjoy pre-season with a friend for nothing. 

"Pre-season should be cheaper, as much as we expect the games to be competitive, both sides will be trying new things; players will be learning how their new team mates play as well as the trialing of new players."

There is also free admission to all Walton Casuals home friendlies, starting with the visit of Fleet Town on 9th July.

The Big 5-0 At Clitheroe & When Stanley Met Mario

Trying to repair what he describes as 'something of a dis-connect between the town and the club in recent times,' Clitheroe FC chairman Lee Sharples launched the new £50 season tickets this week in a bid to re-position the Blues at the heart of their local community.

Concessions are priced at just £30 with free admission included to pre-season, youth and under-21 matches as well as all home league matches in the 2019/20 Evo-Stik League campaign.

I don't usually take too much notice of Premier League and Football League sides who are hosting overseas opposition in pre-season but I can't resist a mention of Accrington Stanley against Olympique Marseille, Mario Balotelli and all.

It's a shame that Marseille aren't heading for the Wham Stadium itself, the game set for the AJ Bell Stadium in Salford on11 July at 6pm, but tickets are well-priced at £10 Adults and £5 Concessions and are available from Monday.

Some friendlies beside the seaside to end with and all home summer fixtures at Margate FC are priced at £5 Adults, £3 Concessions and £1 Under-16's.

Two of the matches will give you even more for your money as there are double-headers on 13 July (when Margate Ladies take on Gillingham) and 3 August (Margate Sports v New Romney).

Remembering Sam Bartram And More Friendly Snippets

The name Sam Bartram is synonymous with Charlton Athletic, a statue of the man who played 579 times in goal for the Addicks between 1934 and 1956 standing proudly outside The Valley.

But his roots were in the mining communities of the North East, being born in South Shields and having played football in Boldon before being spotted by Charlton scouts.

And Boldon CA will host South Shields for the Sam Bartram Cup on Thursday 18 July, 7pm, with admission to the game priced at £5 Adults and £3 Concessions.

Farsley Celtic have three home friendlies scheduled, including a visit from Rotherham United on Tuesday 16 July.

Admission prices will be £5 Adults, £3 Concessions and free for Under 13's.

All home friendlies at Newport Pagnell Town, of the United Counties League, are priced at £2 with a bumper crop of seven matches throughout July.

Slimbridge AFC welcome Bristol Rovers Under 23's to Thornhill Park on Friday July 5 and also have home friendlies scheduled against Gloucester City, Weston Super Mare and Yate Town. 

Admission to each is priced at £5 Adults, £3 Concessions and Under 16's free.

North Ferriby Rise Again & Other Friendly News

Having gradually been run into the ground over the past couple of seasons it was no real surprise to see North Ferriby United finally fold during the 2018/19 campaign but the rapid rise of a 'phoenix' club has been truly heartwarming to see.

Former chairman Les Hare is back on board at North Ferriby FC amid a commitment to run a not-for-profit community club (there's some nice photos on Twitter of supporters mucking in to get the ground looking shipshape).

They will start off in the Northern Counties East League Division One next season and I'll be keeping an eye out for their trip to face Hallam FC.

Before then there is a friendly against a Scunthorpe United Under-23 side on Monday 29 July, 7pm, with admission priced at £5 Adults and £3 Concessions.

Five home friendlies are scheduled at Stockton Town FC, starting against Spennymoor Town on 3 July. Admission to each game is priced at £4 Adults, £2 OAP's and free for children.

Paget Rangers have three home matches to warm-up for the new Midland Football League campaign, a Tamworth XI visiting first on 8 July. Admission to each game is priced at £3 Adults, £1 Seniors and free for children.

And every Saturday in July will see a home friendly at Rhyl FC, including against an Everton U23 side on the 27th. Football by the sea is priced at £7 Adults, £5 Concessions and £2 Juniors (accompanied U11's free).

UEFA Women's Under-19 Euros

Ahead of Sunday's big World Cup clash between Scotland and England in Nice, a couple of snippets that may be of interest.

Scotland hosts the Under-19 Women's European Championships between 16 and 28 July with eight nations battling it out not only to lift the trophy but to earn a place at the U-20 World Cup next year.

Matches take place at the homes of Partick Thistle, St Johnstone, St Mirren and Stirling Albion, Saint Mirren Park being the venue for the final at 5pm on Sunday 28 July.

Tickets are now on sale from the Scottish FA with group stage games priced at £2 Adults, £1 Concessions and knockout matches £5 Adults, £2 Concessions.

Perhaps in anticipation of a successful World Cup, the FA have scheduled England's friendly against Germany on 9 November, at 5.30pm, for Wembley with advance tickets priced at just £10 Adults, £1 Children.

First Look At Friendlies

Lots of pre-season games are being announced across the country and here's a few that have caught the eye so far.

Gainsborough Trinity host a festival of Lincolnshire Football on Saturday 6 July with Lincoln City and Lincoln United also taking part.

The three clubs enjoy a good relationship with each other and Trinity chairman Richard Kane told his club's official website: "It will be a real privilege to share the afternoon with our neighbours and we're looking forward to some exciting football."

Three 60-minute matches will be played at 1, 3 and 5pm and advance tickets are available, priced at £10 Adults, £6 Concessions and £4 for Under 16's with a Family ticket (2+2) costing £20.

It will cost just £2 Adults and £1 Concessions (accompanied Under 16's free) to watch pre-season friendlies at AVRO FC of the North West Counties Football League.

They host Curzon Ashton (Wednesday 3 July), Prestwich Heys (Wednesday 10 July) and Lower Breck (Saturday 13 July) in their home friendlies.

My hometown club Rugby Town welcome a Coventry City Under-23 side (Tuesday 23 July) and Bedworth United (Saturday 27 July) to Butlin Road with admission to the matches priced at £5 Adults and £3 Concessions.

Three home friendlies are currently pencilled in for Goole AFC with admission at £5 for Adults and £3 for Concessions with similar prices in place at Ramsgate FC for their three home matches which include the visit of Crystal Palace Under 23's.

Don't Worry - Pre-Season Starts Next Week

As one Champions League season ends then preparation for a new one begins and with the first qualifying round starting in early July that means a return to pre-season training for Welsh champions The New Saints on Monday.

If you're after a football fix next weekend then TNS are offering free admission to their 2pm kick-off against Ynys Môn with the footballers representing Anglesey building up to an important tournament of their own.

The 2019 Inter-Island Games are taking place in Gibraltar but for logistical reasons the football tournament is being on the beautiful Welsh island and both the Ynys Môn mens and womens teams are hoping for success.

There is free admission to their respective matches, starting on Sunday 16 June with games against the Western Isles at the home of Holyhead Hotspur.