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.