Regulars on these pages over the past few seasons, West Didsbury & Chorlton FC of the North West Counties Football League have maintained admission prices for the current season at £5 for Adults, £3 Concessions and free for Under 12's.
And they will be the prices on the turnstiles this coming Tuesday, September 3rd, for arguably the biggest game in the club's history.
Stalybridge Celtic, a famous name in non-league circles, are the visitors to Brookburn Road for an FA Cup Preliminary Round replay after being held to a goalless draw by West in last Saturday's original tie despite a three-division gulf between the two sides.
Kick-off is at 7.30pm to cater for the possibility of extra-time and penalties and the club are also asking for volunteers to help with what will hopefully be a bumper crowd.
Before then there is a very local derby in the Women's FA Cup at Brookburn Road on Sunday at 2pm as West Didsbury & Chorlton take on Didsbury FC.
Admission is free to the game.
Friday 30 August 2019
Thursday 29 August 2019
Dreams of Wembley & Hampden Lift The Spirits
It's been a very dispiriting week for football with Bury's expulsion from the Football League in ignominious circumstances, a last-minute takeover of the Shakers not going through because of the sheer scale and complexity of the financial crisis at Gigg Lane.
Previous owners clearly spent money they didn’t have and the myriad ways in which that money was raised, documented superbly by David Conn in the Guardian, brought the club to the point of no return but the EFL have been dicing with this kind of situation for so long, either a last-gasp saviour staving off the threat of financial doom or the problem being put into the long grass (as with my club Coventry City) in the hope that the sheer passage of time will make it go away.
Times were always hard, of course, for clubs such as Bury and in the 1980's, when I first started watching football, the threat of the official receiver was often close at hand as crowds at all levels of the game fell and the possibility of rogue owners eyeing up the stadium or the land it sat on was very real.
But there was still a sense back then that those clubs were equal members of the Football League, smaller than Liverpool or Manchester United but forged in similar circumstances, part of their community and important development grounds for local talent.
Television money was distributed more evenly and a portion of gate receipts from every game went to the visiting club.
Those ties were gradually loosened and then blown away completely by the formation of the Premier League but I'm not going to go down the route of simply blaming the top-flight, as difficult as it is to see the disparity of wealth that now exists.
The EFL have tried to present themselves both as the home of 'real' football but also (with the Championship) as one of the most commercially successful leagues in the world yet they have failed time and time again, from a position of financial strength, to toughen the rules around who can take over a club but also to continually monitor and regulate the finances of each and every club under their jurisdiction.
In the absence of that then I can't see any improvement in the current system whereby Championship clubs, gambling on reaching the top-flight, will want more and more of the EFL cake and, in effect, create a Premier League second division in all but name while those below are left at the mercy of investment vehicles, equity funds, offshore accounts and more.
But the game goes on and its spirit is still there even if becomes harder to find at the higher levels.
It's in the FA Vase which gets underway this weekend (free admission to Bury supporters wearing their shirts at Worsbrough Bridge AFC on Sunday), in the next qualifying round of the Women’s FA Cup (lots of free admission football including Dartford FC versus Hackney Ladies at 2pm on Sunday) and in the Scottish Cup where fourteen clubs are battling it out for a place in the first round proper (£6/£3 admission for Lochee United against Lothian Thistle Hutchison Vale).
Previous owners clearly spent money they didn’t have and the myriad ways in which that money was raised, documented superbly by David Conn in the Guardian, brought the club to the point of no return but the EFL have been dicing with this kind of situation for so long, either a last-gasp saviour staving off the threat of financial doom or the problem being put into the long grass (as with my club Coventry City) in the hope that the sheer passage of time will make it go away.
Times were always hard, of course, for clubs such as Bury and in the 1980's, when I first started watching football, the threat of the official receiver was often close at hand as crowds at all levels of the game fell and the possibility of rogue owners eyeing up the stadium or the land it sat on was very real.
But there was still a sense back then that those clubs were equal members of the Football League, smaller than Liverpool or Manchester United but forged in similar circumstances, part of their community and important development grounds for local talent.
Television money was distributed more evenly and a portion of gate receipts from every game went to the visiting club.
Those ties were gradually loosened and then blown away completely by the formation of the Premier League but I'm not going to go down the route of simply blaming the top-flight, as difficult as it is to see the disparity of wealth that now exists.
The EFL have tried to present themselves both as the home of 'real' football but also (with the Championship) as one of the most commercially successful leagues in the world yet they have failed time and time again, from a position of financial strength, to toughen the rules around who can take over a club but also to continually monitor and regulate the finances of each and every club under their jurisdiction.
In the absence of that then I can't see any improvement in the current system whereby Championship clubs, gambling on reaching the top-flight, will want more and more of the EFL cake and, in effect, create a Premier League second division in all but name while those below are left at the mercy of investment vehicles, equity funds, offshore accounts and more.
But the game goes on and its spirit is still there even if becomes harder to find at the higher levels.
It's in the FA Vase which gets underway this weekend (free admission to Bury supporters wearing their shirts at Worsbrough Bridge AFC on Sunday), in the next qualifying round of the Women’s FA Cup (lots of free admission football including Dartford FC versus Hackney Ladies at 2pm on Sunday) and in the Scottish Cup where fourteen clubs are battling it out for a place in the first round proper (£6/£3 admission for Lochee United against Lothian Thistle Hutchison Vale).
Wednesday 28 August 2019
A Tweet For The Weekend
🏆 SSE WOMEN'S FA CUP 🏆— BidefordLadiesFC (@BidefordLadies) August 28, 2019
BIDEFORD LADIES AFC VS ST AGNES LADIES AFC
2pm Kick Off
£2 Adult Tickets
Free Entry for Children
With all proceeds being donated to Intagr8- an amazing charity who support many people in and around Bideford ❤️
⭐This Sunday 1st September ⭐ pic.twitter.com/QktqOXJ1Z6
Tuesday 27 August 2019
Still Soccer Saturday For Wolves Supporters
In the lottery of modern day club ownership it looks like Wolves held a winning ticket when they were brought by the Fosun group and the Molineux faithful have had plenty to enjoy since that takeover, including European football at the famous old ground this summer.
I'm writing this with confirmed news about the future of Bolton Wanderers and Bury still hard to come by and there are clearly winners and losers in the new football but few could blame Wolves supporters from simply enjoying the moment.
After all, those of a certain vintage will remember desperate times themselves in the early 1980's and growing up in the Midlands my earliest memories of the old gold were the snippets of action shown on Central News on a Monday evening, Steve Bull inevitably to the fore as he barrelled through opposition defences before celebrating in front of a raucous South Bank terrace as the recovery from relegation to the bottom tier of the Football League began in earnest.
I'm writing this with confirmed news about the future of Bolton Wanderers and Bury still hard to come by and there are clearly winners and losers in the new football but few could blame Wolves supporters from simply enjoying the moment.
After all, those of a certain vintage will remember desperate times themselves in the early 1980's and growing up in the Midlands my earliest memories of the old gold were the snippets of action shown on Central News on a Monday evening, Steve Bull inevitably to the fore as he barrelled through opposition defences before celebrating in front of a raucous South Bank terrace as the recovery from relegation to the bottom tier of the Football League began in earnest.
So it is genuinely pleasing to see them back in the top-flight, at the same ground, and hopefully adding some more layers of history to the famous games against overseas opposition that did much to cement their place in the folklore of English football (and Torino v Wolves does sound like a throwback to an old UEFA Cup tie).
Being in the Europa League does mean plenty of blank Saturdays but there does seem to be a thriving local scene for Wolves supporters to get their football fix from.
AFC Wulfrunians (who regularly offer concession rates of entry to Wolves season ticket holders) ply their trade in the Midland Football League while Wolverhampton Casuals of the West Midlands (Regional) League have a big home game in the FA Vase this coming Saturday against Bilston Town where admission is priced at £5 Adults, £4 Concessions and £1 for Children.
I have also seen both Rushall Olympic and Dudley Town offer reduced prices to Molineux season ticket holders in the past week or so and there are a host of other clubs in the area well worth a visit.
I have also seen both Rushall Olympic and Dudley Town offer reduced prices to Molineux season ticket holders in the past week or so and there are a host of other clubs in the area well worth a visit.
Sunday 25 August 2019
FA Vase First Round Qualifying
The road to Wembley begins in earnest for the 667 clubs involved in the 2019/20 FA Vase with 268 ties scheduled for the coming weekend.
Not many of the clubs involved in the competition will be able to command over 180,000 followers on Twitter but then Hashtag United probably don't fit into ideas of what a Non-League outfit may look like.
It's a modern-day tale in many respects, a club that exists because of the internet and social media, but the easy route of exhibition matches has been foregone for a shot at climbing the pyramid.
That process began with an Eastern Counties League Division One South title last season and now the Tags are in the Essex Senior League with home matches played at the Chadfields home of Tilbury FC.
To see if the matchday reality can live up to the You Tube package in the club's first ever FA Vase appearance will cost just £3 for Adults, £2 for Concessions and free for Under 12's next Saturday (31st August) against Leyton Athletic.
Not many of the clubs involved in the competition will be able to command over 180,000 followers on Twitter but then Hashtag United probably don't fit into ideas of what a Non-League outfit may look like.
It's a modern-day tale in many respects, a club that exists because of the internet and social media, but the easy route of exhibition matches has been foregone for a shot at climbing the pyramid.
That process began with an Eastern Counties League Division One South title last season and now the Tags are in the Essex Senior League with home matches played at the Chadfields home of Tilbury FC.
To see if the matchday reality can live up to the You Tube package in the club's first ever FA Vase appearance will cost just £3 for Adults, £2 for Concessions and free for Under 12's next Saturday (31st August) against Leyton Athletic.
Saturday 24 August 2019
International Football For A Fiver In September
Some good chances to catch a match next month...
Starting with Wales Under 21's who face a tough task in qualifying for the next European Championships having been drawn alongside Belgium and Germany in their group.
They take on both of those sides in September, facing Belgium on Friday 6th (5pm) and Germany on Tuesday 10th (7pm) with Wrexham AFC hosting on both occasions.
Tickets for each game are priced at £5 Adults and £2 Concessions.
Rodney Parade in Newport hosts Wales Women in their opening qualifier for Euro 2021, Northern Ireland providing the opposition on Tuesday 3rd at 7.05pm. Tickets are priced at £5 Adults and £2 Concessions (16 and under, 65+).
St. Mirren host Scotland Under 21's against San Marino in a European Championship qualifier on Thursday 5th at 7.30pm with two Buddies named in the squad for the game.
Supporters can pay on the gate, £5 Adults, £2 Children.
England Under 20's, meanwhile, are in friendly action against the Netherlands at Shrewsbury Town on Thursday 5th at 7pm.
Tickets are available via the Shrews website and are priced at £5 Adults, £1 Concessions and free for Under 12's.
And there is a mini-tournament for England Under 18's with three matches at non-league grounds in the midlands. They take on Australia at Leicester Road FC on Friday 6th at 7pm, Brazil at Hednesford Town on Sunday 8th at 4pm and South Korea at Alfreton Town on Tuesday 10th at 7pm.
Admission to each game will be £5 Adults, £1 Concessions on the turnstiles.
Starting with Wales Under 21's who face a tough task in qualifying for the next European Championships having been drawn alongside Belgium and Germany in their group.
They take on both of those sides in September, facing Belgium on Friday 6th (5pm) and Germany on Tuesday 10th (7pm) with Wrexham AFC hosting on both occasions.
Tickets for each game are priced at £5 Adults and £2 Concessions.
Rodney Parade in Newport hosts Wales Women in their opening qualifier for Euro 2021, Northern Ireland providing the opposition on Tuesday 3rd at 7.05pm. Tickets are priced at £5 Adults and £2 Concessions (16 and under, 65+).
St. Mirren host Scotland Under 21's against San Marino in a European Championship qualifier on Thursday 5th at 7.30pm with two Buddies named in the squad for the game.
Supporters can pay on the gate, £5 Adults, £2 Children.
England Under 20's, meanwhile, are in friendly action against the Netherlands at Shrewsbury Town on Thursday 5th at 7pm.
Tickets are available via the Shrews website and are priced at £5 Adults, £1 Concessions and free for Under 12's.
And there is a mini-tournament for England Under 18's with three matches at non-league grounds in the midlands. They take on Australia at Leicester Road FC on Friday 6th at 7pm, Brazil at Hednesford Town on Sunday 8th at 4pm and South Korea at Alfreton Town on Tuesday 10th at 7pm.
Admission to each game will be £5 Adults, £1 Concessions on the turnstiles.
Thursday 22 August 2019
Premier League 2 Fixtures For September
With a number of clubs choosing the opening and closing months of the season to stage Under-23 games at their main stadium, September sees plenty of potential matches to catch for what is usually a fiver or less.
They include the following fixtures but always double check on the social media pages and websites of the clubs for any late changes.
Monday 2nd: Reading versus West Brom at the Madejski Stadium.
Friday 13th: Chelsea versus Brighton & Hove Albion at Stamford Bridge.
Saturday 14th: Arsenal versus Leicester City at the Emirates Stadium.
Monday 16th: Everton versus Blackburn at Goodison Park.
Friday 20th: Brighton & Hove Albion versus Everton at the Amex, Fulham versus Reading at Craven Cottage.
Sunday 22nd: Derby versus Manchester City at Pride Park.
Monday 30th: Newcastle United versus Swansea City at St. James' Park.
An (FA Cup) Tweet For The Weekend
MATCH PREVIEW: A @EmiratesFACup Preliminary Round tie against @ChasetownFC1954 for £5. Your not going to get more value for money and @AffordableFooty anywhere this weekend and after Tuesday's thriller against @HaughmondFC can you afford to miss this.https://t.co/Y9TyUpfkW1 pic.twitter.com/CXMVVcYlpR
— Tividale FC (@TiviFCofficial) August 21, 2019
Wednesday 21 August 2019
Hallam FC v Glasshoughton Welfare AFC
Football for a fiver at Sandygate, home of Hallam FC, on Tuesday evening when an energetic first-half display from the hosts, playing down the slope at the world’s oldest ground, earned them a 3-0 lead at the break, Glasshoughton Welfare consoled only by a late goal that failed to deny the hosts their first win of the season in the Northern Counties East Division One.
Perched high up in the Crosspool district, I always feel that Sandygate amplifies the prevailing weather conditions.
I was there, for instance, last summer the day before England’s World Cup semi-final against Croatia when the baking heat made for a quite beautiful evening looking out from the main stand across the countryside as Hallam took on the youngsters of Sheffield Wednesday in a pre-season friendly.
Last night when darkness came it came quite sharply and there was a definite autumnal chill in the air after half-time.
But there’s always the smartly refurbished bar and the welcoming tea hut to provide warmth and sustenance as the temperature starts to drop and at £5 for adults you are guaranteed a warm welcome, a competitive game and a slice of football history.
The next home game is against Retford FC on Tuesday 3rd September at 7.45pm.
Saturday 17 August 2019
On The Road To Euro 2021
The 2021 Women's European Championships are heading to England with matches at eight venues around the country including a Wembley final.
If you are interested in going then you can register with the FA for ticket information as and when it is released.
Phil Neville's England will qualify automatically for the tournament leaving 15 other nations battling it out to join them.
Scotland will be looking to make it to a third consecutive major tournament and open their qualifying campaign against Cyprus at Easter Road, home of Hibernian, on 30th August at 7.35pm.
Tickets are available now, priced at £5 Adults and £2 Children.
Wales and Northern Ireland have been drawn together in Group C and they will meet at Rodney Parade, Newport, on 3rd September at 7.05pm.
Tickets are priced at £5 Adults and £2 for those aged over 65 or under 16.
Before then Northern Ireland face a tough opener against Norway on 30th August. The game will take place at the home of Crusaders FC although I haven't seen any ticket or admission details yet.
If you are interested in going then you can register with the FA for ticket information as and when it is released.
Phil Neville's England will qualify automatically for the tournament leaving 15 other nations battling it out to join them.
Scotland will be looking to make it to a third consecutive major tournament and open their qualifying campaign against Cyprus at Easter Road, home of Hibernian, on 30th August at 7.35pm.
Tickets are available now, priced at £5 Adults and £2 Children.
Wales and Northern Ireland have been drawn together in Group C and they will meet at Rodney Parade, Newport, on 3rd September at 7.05pm.
Tickets are priced at £5 Adults and £2 for those aged over 65 or under 16.
Before then Northern Ireland face a tough opener against Norway on 30th August. The game will take place at the home of Crusaders FC although I haven't seen any ticket or admission details yet.
Wednesday 14 August 2019
A Tweet For The Weekend
We’re delighted to announce that entry to Sunday’s opening match of the @FAWNL season against @SFCWomen will be FREE of charge.
— Stoke City FC | Women (@scfc_women) August 13, 2019
👉 https://t.co/thBff6XGUH pic.twitter.com/pvx1T2ZwWB
Sunday 11 August 2019
Football For A Fiver At Leyton Orient
Providing perhaps a faint sense of hope for supporters of clubs such as Bury and Bolton Wanderers, Leyton Orient have been on the brink and come back stronger with passionate, involved owners placing the O's back at the heart of their local community.
Promotion back to the Football League last season was tempered, of course, by the shock death of manager Justin Edinburgh but the sense of momentum remains strong at Brisbane Road with more than 4,200 season ticket holders having signed up for the campaign.
Pleasingly neither that or the higher level of football has stopped the club offering their 'Football for a Fiver' deal with the games against Walsall on Saturday 12th October and Scunthorpe United on Saturday 16th November already announced.
Promotion back to the Football League last season was tempered, of course, by the shock death of manager Justin Edinburgh but the sense of momentum remains strong at Brisbane Road with more than 4,200 season ticket holders having signed up for the campaign.
Pleasingly neither that or the higher level of football has stopped the club offering their 'Football for a Fiver' deal with the games against Walsall on Saturday 12th October and Scunthorpe United on Saturday 16th November already announced.
Friday 9 August 2019
Wakefield Trinity And The Road To Wembley
The mention of Wakefield Trinity and Wembley in the same sentence usually conjurs up an image of a run to the Challenge Cup Final for the famous Rugby League side but Wakefield Trinity Ladies FC are one of 20 clubs playing in the Extra Preliminary Round of the Women's FA Cup on Sunday 18th August.
Part of the Wakefield Trinity Community Trust, the football team (formerly Wakefield Ladies FC) currently play in the North East Regional Women's Football League and aspire to offer a pathway for young female footballers throughout the local area.
Home matches are played in Fitzwilliam, at the home of Hemsworth Miners Welfare FC, and it is here that the Extra Preliminary Round tie against Farsley Celtic will be played on the above date, kick-off 2pm.
The club are aiming for a gate of 500 and admission is by charitable donation.
I had an idea of a 'road to Wembley' style series of articles for the Women's FA Cup, based on the old 'Journey To Wembley' book that I wrote about last year, but it is already being done, in really good detail, by The Giant Killing Adventure blog which is taking the game between Mossley Hill and Burnley Belvedere as its starting point.
Part of the Wakefield Trinity Community Trust, the football team (formerly Wakefield Ladies FC) currently play in the North East Regional Women's Football League and aspire to offer a pathway for young female footballers throughout the local area.
Home matches are played in Fitzwilliam, at the home of Hemsworth Miners Welfare FC, and it is here that the Extra Preliminary Round tie against Farsley Celtic will be played on the above date, kick-off 2pm.
The club are aiming for a gate of 500 and admission is by charitable donation.
I had an idea of a 'road to Wembley' style series of articles for the Women's FA Cup, based on the old 'Journey To Wembley' book that I wrote about last year, but it is already being done, in really good detail, by The Giant Killing Adventure blog which is taking the game between Mossley Hill and Burnley Belvedere as its starting point.
Wednesday 7 August 2019
An FA Cup Tweet For The Weekend
NEXT UP⬇️⬇️⬇️
— IRLAM FC (@IrlamFC) August 7, 2019
FA CUP ACTION AT SILVER STREET!
📅 Sat 10th August
🏟️ The @AmbitekRec Silver St M44 6JJ
🕒 KO 3PM
🏆 @EmiratesFACup Extra Preliminary Round
🆚 @AshtonAthletic
🎟️ £5/£3/U16'S £1/ U11's free
⚽️⚽️⚽️ pic.twitter.com/EYPrP8XRlQ
Monday 5 August 2019
Sheringham FC
I popped my head over the fence at Sheringham FC last summer while on holiday in the lovely Norfolk town.
It turned out to be a successful season for The Shannocks as they won the Anglian Combination Premier Division title and earned promotion to Division One North of the Eastern Counties League.
Admission prices have had to be adjusted for the new level of football but there is still cracking value on offer with Adults at £4, Concessions at £3 and Under 16's free.
If you're in the are on Tuesday evening then there is a big game against Great Yarmouth Town that may be of interest.
Not such good news from another of my favourite places, just along the road, with Cromer Town having to withdrawn from the Anglian Combination due to a lack of players.
The club still exists and hopes to regroup in a local league.
Saturday 3 August 2019
Rothes FC
A beautiful day in Speyside whisky country and a lovely setting for the Highland League match between Rothes FC and Forres Mechanics at Mackessack Park.
Adult admission to the game was £8, concessions £4 and there was a warm welcome on offer from the club officials, one of whom outlined both the parlous state the club had been in just three years ago when a previously unknown tax bill needed paying asap.
With help from a local business and the generosity of individuals, a new committee steadied the ship, paid the bill and began the process of improving the ground, which looked very smart today after a summer lick of paint.
It was also a stark reminder of the effort needed to keep a local club alive with committee members doing their bit in addition to having their own jobs and lives.
There was plenty to smile about this afternoon, in addition to the weather, as the home side ran out 4-1 winners.
The next home game is against Nairn County on Saturday 17th August.
Thursday 1 August 2019
North Sunderland FC
My visit to Seahouses didn't coincide with a game at North Sunderland FC of the North Numberland League but it was a pleasure to see the Seafield Sports Park ground looking immaculate on Thursday evening ahead of the new season.
Update: The club have contacted me to say that they host AFC Newbiggin on Saturday (3rd August) at 5pm in the Stephen Carey Cup Final.
A Tweet For The Weekend
Next weekend we make our @ComCoFL and Step 6 debut
— Westside FC (@WestsideFc_) 28 July 2019
📅 Saturday 3rd August
🆚 @FCDGalicia
🏟 Chalky Lane, KT9 2NF
⏰ 3PM KO
🎟 £5 Adults, £3 Concession pic.twitter.com/atVtAEhX7w
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