Farewell (Again) to Bootham Crescent

Back in February I wrote about the final matches scheduled to be played at Bootham Crescent, the historic home of York City FC, before a move to the club's new community stadium.

Of course things didn't quite pan out as expected but the knock-on effect of some further delays with the new stadium has been a further few months at Bootham Crescent and, while York was under Tier 2 restrictions, a brief window for fans to watch one more game in person.

A move to Tier 3 means this Saturday's game against Bradford Park Avenue will now be behind closed doors so, with the Monk's Cross stadium now signed off, the 627 who were lucky enough to see Monday's win against Guiseley may well be the last supporters to have watched a game at Bootham Crescent.

Saturday's game is being streamed live, however, and accessible on a 'pay what you want' basis.

Happy New Year

Thank you to everyone who has read the blog or followed on twitter over the course of 2020, a year that we will all remember of course.

The nature of what I do with both has changed quite a bit over the past few months, firstly as football completely ground to a halt and clubs and their communities helped each other to get through and then during the stop-start season being played out across the UK.

Wednesday's announcement of tighter restrictions in England has brought the majority of football below 'elite' level and it is hard to see the 2020/21 season being completed in the usual manner as a huge amount of matches still need to be played and it is increasingly hard to see the restrictions being eased at any point in the next couple of months.

I'll keep plugging any matches that are taking place, links to live streams and fundraising efforts but for now, stay safe and take care.

Stars of 2020: Donate a Ticket

The whole of the Scottish mainland will be placed into Tier 4 of the country's Covid-19 restrictions on Boxing Day, ending a brief period in which Highland League clubs in Tier 1 were able to welcome supporters and before those in Dumfries and Galloway and the Borders areas could even open their doors.

For the rest of the country it is pretty much no change as they carry on behind closed doors with a busy Boxing Day schedule that includes some long journeys in the Scottish Cup.

More important than ever, perhaps, the Donate a Ticket platform has enabled clubs in Scotland to raise much-needed revenue.

Earlier in the year I asked Ruaridh Kilgour, the founder of Donate a Ticket, how it came into being.

'The idea initially came about when thinking of a way to help my club, Raith Rovers. 

'I wanted a fundraising page that allowed supporters to rationalise a donation and also give clubs a narrative to ask supporters to donate their hard-earned money. 

'By using Donate a TIcket, it brings back a little bit of excitement and competition between clubs and supporters that we're all sorely missing. 

'The Scottish Cup virtual fundraising tournament, in particular, has been a great success and some clubs have even raised more from their virtual ties than they would from an average home gate.'

At the time the amount raised was over £100,000 but at the time of writing nearly £300K has been donated.

Can Marine (and Spurs) Give a New Year Boost?

Whereas just a few short weeks ago the prospect of Boxing Day football looked like something many supporters could look forward to, Saturday's raft of announcements from the various UK administrations have, at a stroke, sent spirits tumbling.

Leagues below the National League in England that are covered by the new Tier 4 restrictions are now on hold, others, where supporters are still allowed, have seen splits among clubs as to whether they wish to carry on without vital revenue from bar and clubhouse takings.

In Scotland, I wrote just last week about Dumfries & Galloway and the Borders areas where plans were being made for the return of fans as they were moved down to Tier 1 of Scotland's Covid restrictions.

That of course has not lasted long as all mainland areas will be under Tier 4 measures after Christmas.

There are still plenty of games taking place over the festive period and if you are heading to a match I hope it really is a cracker.

⚽️ FESTIVE FOOTBALL ⚽️

Potentially first game in over 2 months for the 1st team 🤞

💚 BOXING DAY 💚
1ST TEAM
🏟 HOME v @CreddyAFC
⏰ 11am KO
🏆 @swpleague
💰 Adults £5, OAP £3, 16-21 £2, U16 £1

💚 MONDAY 28TH 💚
1ST TEAM
🏟 AWAY v @CullyRangers_FC
🕑 3pm KO
🏆 @swpleague

— Elmore AFC (@ElmoreAFC) December 21, 2020

Into 2021 and hopefully Marine's FA Cup tie at home to Tottenham Hotspur can provide a bit of a lift to those watching live on the BBC with 500 spectators allowed (currently), elevating the game from a closed-door affair stripped of it's relevance to one where we will be able to hear real voices, shouts of encouragement and the occasional bit of language that forces the commentators into making an apology.

Marine have held their usual admission prices for the priority groups (members, players, staff and fans who have attended as many as possible of the seven home games played up to the end of October.

Opening the Borders

Some welcome news for those in both Dumfries and Galloway and the Scottish Borders last week with the announcement that their regions are being moved down to Tier 1 restrictions.

Especially welcome for those keen to get to a game as it means spectators will be allowed at the likes of Annan Athletic, Queen of the South and Gretna, albeit in limited numbers

Further down the pyramid it also opens up a number of potential matches to watch in the South of Scotland League.

But what the tiers give they can also take away. Highland clubs in the Aberdeenshire area had been hopeful of allowing supporters in once they moved from Tier 2 to 1 but the area has now been hit with a further tightening of restrictions.

The picture south of the border is also mixed.

Late last week brought the news that supporters could attend games in Tier 3 area in England below ‘elite’ level which means clubs at steps 3-6 of the non-league game can now admit fans in restricted numbers.

Some of those leagues are set to resume this coming weekend although restrictions are still  hitting clubs hard in terms of bars and clubhouses remaining closed and that has driven the decision of other leagues to delay their restarts.

NEW OPPONENTS: @HaverhillRovers will now be the opposition on Saturday in a mid-season friendly at the Denny Bros Stadium, KO 3pm, bar open serving meals and drinks, tea bars and Club Shop also open. Free admission, donations accepted:https://t.co/ppAkYNqDef pic.twitter.com/PTiwveMb5g

— Bury Town FC ⚽️ (@BuryTownFC) December 15, 2020

And the sight of supporters in the stands at some of London’s most famous grounds over the past couple of weeks is likely to have been only a fleeting one as the capital looks set to be moved into Tier 3 restrictions this week.

The wonderful London Football Guide will endeavour to keep abreast of all the options available to those hoping to catch a match over the festive period.

From Cornwall to The Highlands

If not quite Land's End to John o'Groats.

Cornwall and the Highland area of Scotland are two parts of the country that are currently under their respective Tier 1 restrictions which, hopefully, will have a positive impact for the local football scene.

Supporters in England are currently allowed in both Tier 1 and Tier 2 areas but the higher tier does come with tighter restrictions on the opening of bars, clubhouses and refreshment areas.

For leagues where clubs straddle a number of tiers (with no spectators at all allowed in Tier 3) it makes planning for a potential restart very, very difficult.

An excellent piece in The Non-League Paper at the weekend with interviews across all of the Step5/6 leagues highlighted just how problematic this is, both currently and going forward.

The main league at that level for Cornish clubs, the South West Peninsula League has been able to restart and hopefully supporters will come out in good numbers to their local clubs through the winter months.

FA VASE 2nd ROUND PROPER

This weekend we welcome @FootballBashley all the way from Hampshire.

What a feeling it was to have the football back on Saturday and we’re counting down the days to another historic fixture at Jenkins Park.

See you Saturday!#upthebrook
⚫️⚪️ pic.twitter.com/gViJeau508

— Millbrook AFC (@MillbrookAFC) December 8, 2020

Up in Scotland, the Highland League finally got underway for 2020/21 on the last weekend of November with 11 of the 18 clubs (in the Highland and Moray areas but not Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire) able to admit fans.

Many clubs are starting to embrace cashless payments and online ticket sales and the support of local communities has been invaluable (along with the excellent Donate A Ticket platform) in getting clubs to this point although the cancellation of many of last weekend’s matches served as a reminder that it is not just Covid-19 that will cause disruption over the coming months.

This weekend there is Scottish Cup action before a full, scheduled programme of Highland League fixtures next weekend

All Quiet on the Sheffield Front

The devil is in the detail they say and for football clubs in Tier 3 areas that, sadly, means confirmation of no spectators at matches.

So in Sheffield this weekend, as expected, Sheffield United will host Leicester City on Sunday afternoon behind closed doors.

What has been a twist, given that the previous Tier 3 guidance allowed for supporters to attend games further down the pyramid, is that crowds are not now permitted below National League level.

That means Hallam FC will have to play Saturday’s FA Vase tie at home to AFC Blackpool with the front door to Sandygate firmly locked.

A strange situation in many ways as Hallam, along with hundreds of clubs around the country, had got their Covid-19 protocols firmly in place and were comfortably accommodating 300 spectators prior to the second lockdown.

Frustrating too, especially as those 300 people will be allowed to spend as much time as they like inside the Meadowhall shopping centre on Saturday afternoon.

The FA Vase itself risks becoming something of a farce as clubs are either coming straight into matches this weekend on the back of little or no training or having to make the difficult decision to pull out of the competition altogether, whether for safety reasons given the lack of competitive games or having to travel across tier boundaries or because playing behind closed doors simply isn’t feasible.

But all is not lost locally as matches below the National League System can take place in front of spectators so perhaps a bigger crowd than usual will be making their way here...

WE'RE BACK! And spectators are permitted!

Fixtures for Saturday 5th December -

MEN'S 1st TEAM
⏰ 2pm
🏆 @CountySeniorFL Div 1
🆚 @JfcMain
📍 Tickhill Square, DN12 4AW

MEN'S RESERVE TEAM
⏰ 2pm
🏆 @CountySeniorFL Div 2
🆚 @DevelopmentSPS
📍 @WalesHigh, S26 5QQ
💵 FREE admission pic.twitter.com/Bd0UsJWo7n

— Kiveton Park FC (@KivetonParkFC) December 2, 2020

Clubs Left Reeling By Tougher Tiers

This week's announcement, both of what Tier each part of England would be placed in after the end of the current restrictions on 2nd December and as to what the measures in each tier will entail, has left football clubs reeling.

Taking Tier 3 first and the major impact here is that no spectators are allowed at any level of the game whereas previous restrictions under this tier still meant that fans could watch matches below National League level.

Clubs had put in place numerous protocols and measures to welcome supporters back and the games were a two-way lifeline, financially for the clubs and a welcome diversion for those watching.

Having done all this, on the back of the various fundraising efforts to get them through the first lockdown, its a huge ask of officials and volunteers to 'go again' in modern football parlance, especially when the new tier system has no real end in sight, the promise of a review every two weeks seemingly little more than kicking the can down the road a little.

Supporters can return in Tier 2 areas, welcome news for clubs in Leagues One and Two and the National Leagues (and I'm delighted for those who made a financial commitment in the summer) but the accompanying restriction which will close the vast majority of bars and clubhouses takes away with the other hand what the admittance of fans gives back.

A number of leagues are set to push back their restart date but the next round of the FA Vase will still take place next weekend, albeit behind closed doors for many clubs.

Great work will go behind the scenes to get these games seen in one form or another, Hanley Town of the North West Counties League for instance are looking to live stream their tie with Deeping Rangers, but it means more hours and more hard work for volunteers.

The First Post-Lockdown Game?

Grassroots, or 'non-elite' football in England emerges from its four-week hibernation next Thursday with the following weekend seeing a mixture of FA Vase, league and friendly matches scheduled across the various areas of the country.

But the first game back could well be a friendly between Portsmouth-based Baffins Milton Rovers and Chichester City on Thursday 3rd December at 7.30pm with admission priced at £3 for adults and free of charge for everyone else.

Looking more generally,  there is still a litle bit of confusion as to whether spectators will be allowed back to matches in Tier 3 areas when they are announced.

At 'elite' level no fans will be able to attend games in Tier 3 areas (with 2,000 allowed in Tier 2 and 4,000 but prior to the current lockdown this hadn't been the case further down the pyramid

A Patchy Picture

In keeping, perhaps, with the myriad of different systems and tiers in place across the UK, the footballing landscape is a very patchy picture at present.

England's current lockdown is scheduled to end on 2nd December and, in the absence of any real road map as to what happens next, clubs and leagues below National League level are tentatively making plans to restart either immediately on the weekend that follows or on Saturday 12th.

Higher up the pyramid the government, keen on some better headlines maybe, are hinting that lower tier areas may see supporters back at matches before Christmas but crisis point is surely approaching for a number of EFL clubs.

In Scotland, clubs in the Highland and Moray areas who play in the Highland League (around two-thirds of the teams) are poised to welcome home fans back through the gate when the new season makes its belated bow on Saturday 28th November.

Its counterpart, the Scottish Lowland League, is underway but behind closed doors and a tightening of restrictions in many of the areas where its clubs are based, announced by Nicola Sturgeon on Tuesday, means the prospect of fans coming back seems as far away as ever.

Clubs are working wonders to try and get games streamed live and the Donate A Ticket website continues to prove a lifeline for many.

And some good news from Wales where lower league clubs were finally able to take to the field at the weekend, albeit in friendly matches with no spectators, which meant a return of football in Rhyl as CPD Y Rhyl played their first ever fixture having risen from the ashes of Rhyl FC.

Grounds for Optimism

Amidst hopeful talk of a 'return to normal' by spring, for clubs below 'elite' level in England there is an earlier date to focus on.

With current restrictions due to end on 2nd December leagues around the country are making plans for a resumption.

Having shown that matches can be staged in a safe, secure environment, even in areas under Tier 3, the hope is that the current break will not have too detrimental an impact on the campaign overall.

Lots of ifs and buts remain, of course, but the optimistic football fan can at least think about those grounds tbat he or she either want to get back to or visit for the first time.

Of help in that regard may be a new coffee table book, British Football's Greatest Grounds, by Mike Bayly that has caught my eye on twitter.

I asked six well-known fans to comment on one of their favourite grounds in the book. First up, @camsell59 offers some warming words about @Towlawtown's Ironworks Road.

Order @PitchPublishing to read more about this wonderful British football venue. https://t.co/YwNeKwIA5G pic.twitter.com/G08rIyG92B

— 100GroundsBook (@100GroundsBook) November 9, 2020

The above tweet was a timely one as Harry Pearson's new book 'The Farther Corner' came through the post recently and will take me on an affectionate tour of Northern League grounds over the next few weeks before, hopefully, the football can begin again.

But There's Hope in the Highlands

 

Mackessack Park, Rothes FC

Back in July I wrote about the Highland League's decision to delay the start of their 2020/21 season, at the time to mid-October, as they waited for the green light from the Scottish government both for football to resume and spectators to be allowed in to matches.

A further decision was then taken to push back the start to 28th November and for a 16-game league season (each team playing each other once) to allow some leeway for completing the campaign.

Earlier this week the clubs voted to go ahead with that plan in the wake of the Highland and Moray regions being placed in Tier 1 of the government's coronavirus system which means limited numbers of people able to come through the turnstiles.

Good news on the face of things but nobody involved with either the league or its member clubs is under any illusion as to the problems that may come up.

With Aberdeenshire in Tier 2 it means six teams currently cannot admit spectators, those that can will have a raft of new guidelines to implement (my dad is a volunteer at one such club and I know at first hand the amount of planning that has taken place and will continue to do so) and there remains the prospect of a tightening of restrictions.

"The decision is not without some trepidation," admitted league secretary Rod Houston to the Press & Journal but the alternative, of a blank season, was too much to contemplate.

Goodbye For Now?

Saturday evening's announcement of a new national lockdown in England looks set to herald an enforced a four-week break for the non-league game below the National League.

Confirmation hasn't come through at the time of writing but the guidance all points to any sport below 'elite' level being suspended.

With schedules already tight, and many games already falling foul of Covid-19 guidelines, the worst-case scenario of another season that doesn't end will now be entering people's thoughts.

But leagues up and down the country are better prepared than back in March and have been able to at least discuss the various scenarios that could be thrown up.

To have had the football that we have had since September has been a blessing in many ways, a genuine morale-booster such that a televised Premier League game could never replicate.

Clubs have suddenly had to become experts in online ticketing, one-way systems and track and trace apps and hopefully all that hard work will not go to waste.

A Hunger for the Game

Over the weekend I followed on social media as both Hallam FC and North Ferriby of the Northern Counties East League sold out of tickets in just 15 minutes for their respective home matches this midweek.

Both clubs are currently permitted 300 spectators inside their grounds and the demand to see live football, in a secure, friendly environment, is being replicated it seems across England at non-league levels.

Since then, however, Hallam have been forced to postpone the game due to a Covid-related issue, indicative of the new challenges being faced by clubs (in addition to Hallam now being in a Tier 3 area) but the reaction to it also reflects the generosity being shown by fans of clubs both big and small as many of those who had bought tickets then donated their refund to the Sheffield Children's Hospital.

That support for good causes is also being reflected up and down the country, from the campaigns that have made headlines, such as Marcus Rashford's or the pay-per-view boycott, to countless smaller examples like the money raised this week by Bradford City fans for their FA Cup opponents Tonbridge Angels as spectators have not been permitted to attend the match.

Fans Enjoy Their Non-League Fix...But Restrictions Start to Bite

Reflective, perhaps, of the country as a whole at this moment but there is a very mixed picture across the non-league scene at present.

Two clubs who have featured heavily on these pages over the years show how the current situation can be turned into a positive.

Hitchin Town secretary Roy Izzard writes an informative weekly bulletin on the club website and this week's update brought positive news about attendances with 523 at the recent game against Leiston, a fixture that Roy estimates would have brought in 350 last season as supporters of local Premier League, EFL and National League clubs look for live football to watch.

The benefits to the club of selling tickets online are also made clear.

My local club, Hallam FC, are also experiencing sell-out crowds of 300 with tickets for this Tuesday evening's visit of AFC Emley being snapped up in under an hour as I write this on Sunday evening.

But, and it is possibly a bridge for Hallam to cross if here in Sheffield we are placed under Tier 3 restrictions, the season in the North West is becoming more fragmented.

The FA Trophy tie between City of Liverpool FC and Cleethorpes Town did not take place on Saturday as the visitors made a decision not to travel for the fixture, a situation that may become more commonplace over the weeks and months to come with more areas coming under the highest set of restrictions. 

A statement on the City of Liverpool FC website explains how last week's changes to the government guidance affect who can attend games but as their landlords Bootle FC make clear, in a piece on their website about what facilities they are allowed to offer, 'operating the club with these limitations is not sustainable forever'.

The £14.95 Question

Sometimes you have to read something twice to check that it really does say what you thought it did and I think that will have been true for many people when learned about plans to charge nearly £15 to watch Premier League games that have not already been chosen for live broadcast.

At a time when the top-flight clubs have just finished spending a collective £1bn in the transfer window it has been criticised by people involved in the game as well as supporters' groups and it was a social media gift for many non-league clubs as they highlighted what you could get at your local ground at 3pm on a Saturday afternoon for the same money.

It may be preaching to the converted in many ways but, with major doubts as to how the rest of the season will pan out and whether it will finish at all, even ten extra people through the turnstiles can make a huge difference and, anecdotally, the absence of crowds higher up the leagues seems to have resulted in a numbers boost further down.

Coming up this week it is the next stage of the FA Cup in England for both men (in midweek with another live BBC option if you can't get to a game as Christchurch against Dulwich Hamlet is being screened on Tuesday evening) and women (next Sunday).

No Non-League Day But...

Non-League Day 2020 would have taken place this coming weekend, coinciding with the international break and no Premier League or Championship matches.

Given the uncertainty over whether or when the season would begin, however, there won't be an organised event taking place this year.

But clubs across England are still working hard to get games on and provide a safe environment for spectators to enjoy an afternoon in the fresh air, amidst plenty of uncertainty and bumps in the road.

Fixtures being called off for positive tests will continue to cause some disruption but the bigger picture is the effect of local restrictions and how they will effect clubs.

Bootle FC, for instance, have taken the tough decision to close all club activities for two weeks, concerned about rising numbers of cases locally and doubtless grappling with a huge administrative effort being placed on volunteers.

There won't be a season for Merthyr Town, their Southern League place mothballed for a year due to the current rules in Wales and the requirements for quarantine have delayed FC Isle of Man's debut campaign in the North West Counties Football League.

Hundreds of matches are still scheduled, however, and there is some great value on offer, Redcar Athletic, for instance, are celebrating their first ever home match in the FA Vase with a £10 deal that includes admission, programme and a pie.

The London Football Guide, by the man behind Non-League Day, will be a great source of games for the weekend in and around the capital.

I'll look to tweet as many details as possible about what's coming up over on @affordablefooty

Reasonably Priced & No VAR

For many, many years the idea of football as ‘one game’ meant that a World Cup or European Cup final was being played to the same rules as a Sunday morning game on the local rec.

From a technical point of view that is still the same, the new handball laws apply to all levels of the game, but the introduction of VAR has finally ended the notion of every match being played under the same conditions.

Since the weekend’s controversial penalty decisions the difference between the top-level (magnified, perhaps, by the absence of crowds) and the game below is as stark as it has ever been.

That presents an opportunity for many. 

I've seen a number of clubs on social media in England promote their upcoming fixtures with the promise of ‘no VAR’ in addition to the other benefits of watching your local team such as the chance to stand on a terrace and/or with a beer in your hand.

It would be nice to think that referees will come in for slightly less abuse in this scenario as we embrace the idea that human error is ok, although in the heat of matches I’m not too sure that will happen.

But in the short-term there is an opportunity for clubs (again, in England only as the return of supporters at any level in Scotland or Wales remains a long way off and even here there are genuine fears about the future for many EFL and National League clubs) to maximise their gate revenue and provide a much-needed focal point for their communities over the course of the next few months.

There May Be Trouble Ahead...

But while there are autumn evenings like the one at Hallam FC on Tuesday then it can seem for a moment as though everything is as per normal in life and football.

Sandygate, standing high above Sheffield in the Crosspool district, hosted a first league game of the season for The Countrymen with Retford the visitors to the world's oldest ground.

Adult admission remains a fiver but your money is no longer passed over to the gateman but transferred electronically online to secure a ticket before they go off sale.

With a maximum attendance of 300 and the extra regulations in place to allow games to go ahead, selling tickets online only allows Hallam to then be confident in the knowledge of how many are coming and who they are.

Apart from the initial changes, giving your name to the friendly volunteers and scanning a QR code for track and trace, the experience was familiar and welcoming with the bar open and small groups engaged in conversation about football and many other topics beside.

Interestingly I bumped into a handful of people who work in the same office, a mixed group of Owls and Blades, who were at Sandygate for the first time and enjoying the laid-back, beer-in-hand vibe.

Given the announcement earlier in the day about spectators at matches higher up, I'm sure they and others will be back as the season progresses.

Good news for Hallam but no club will be completely safe from the impending storm that is surely coming as the effects of a season played in front of empty stands (or not played at all as is a possibility in the National Leagues with the knock-on effects that will have lower down) become clearer.

On the pitch I thought the referee had a good game (despite what the players thought) and when both sides concentrated on the football after a niggly first-half, the second 45 kept the crowd of 281 entertained as the spoils were shared two-apiece.

Back at Sandygate

 

The above photo was taken in early March as Hallam FC hosted North Ferriby at Sandygate in Sheffield, the last game I saw before the suspension of football.

I'm hopeful of being back at the ground this coming Tuesday for the opening game of the new season in the Northern Counties East Football League (NCEFL).

So much has changed since then, of course, but clubs up and down the country are working so hard to get games on in front of spectators.

For Hallam that means a cap on attendance numbers and online ticket sales - still just a fiver for adults - but I'm sure the warm welcome and friendly atmosphere will be the same.

The Big Kick-Off in FA Women's National League

This Sunday sees the FA Women's National League 2020/21 season get underway with matches across England and spectators welcome.

In many ways the FA WNL will perform a similar function to the non-league men's game has over the past few weeks, providing value for money football and a welcome chance to get out to a match while the elite game remains behind closed doors.

The league is branding itself as the #HeartbeatOfWomensFootball on social media and that reflects the depth of the competition which encompasses two Premier divisions (Northern and Southern) and four regional divisions beneath.

Perhaps it also reflects that the Women's Super League, for all of the top stars who have come to play in it this year, is increasingly resembling a closed shop and one where the interests of supporters is secondary to the business interests.

Although a route from the WNL into the Women's Championship does still exist it was closed off by the suspension of action last season and is also not solely dependant on results on the pitch.

There are some great websites and blogs covering the game at this level, She Kicks being a great source of fixtures and information.

Fixtures on the opening day include Middlesbrough versus Hull City (tickets available online priced at £3 adults and just 1p for accompanied children) and Poole Town against Southampton FC (admission by donation).

Next Steps Along the Bumpy Road

Watching the excellent BBC coverage of Stocksbridge Park Steels against Stalybridge Celtic in the FA Cup on Saturday afternoon you could almost feel as though football life was back to normal as supporters enjoyed the game, swapped ends at half-time and clapped their teams off at the end of a well-contested tie.

But many bumps in the road lie ahead, in England where clubs are being warned to comply with the new Covid-19 guidelines that come into force on Monday, in Scotland where friendly fixtures outside the top-flight are now being played, albeit behind closed doors, and in Wales where the grassroots game remains in limbo amid fears an entire season may be lost.

A busy week ahead sees the league season begin at Steps 3 and 4 of the non-league game in England, the Northern, Southern and Isthmian Leagues having again worked together to attract a joint sponsor and also in the FA Women's National League where some very competitive football will be played at very affordable prices.

It is also the opening round of the FA Vase and the next stage of the FA Women's Cup.

Information about as many games as I can will be on twitter throughout the week.

Finding a Fixture

As the 2020/21 season slowly begins to find its feet, here's a quick look at good places to find upcoming fixtures.

The FA Cup moves on to the Preliminary Round stage at the weekend while the FA Youth Cup is also underway.

All FA competitions have their own page on the FA website with upcoming fixtures for each.

Most major websites, such as BBC Football, have fixture lists which cover the main leagues in each of the home nations.

Once you go below that then the individual league websites are great sources of information, the Northern Counties East Football League (NCEFL) and the Combined Counties Football League (CCFL) being just two such examples.

The excellent Non-League Paper comes out every Sunday and has a fixture guide for the week ahead, covering all levels of the game in England below the EFL.

If you're loking regionally then the London Football Guide is a long-established website that gives a rundown of all the matches taking place in and around the capital over the coming week, including those at under-23 level involving Premier League and EFL clubs.

And I also like The Shrew is Away on twitter which covers what's happening in the Shropshire area.

With Scottish and Welsh football below the top-level not yet up and running I will look at those in more detail over the next month or so.

The Ritual

On a Saturday lunchtime in late February, shortly before the suspension of football at all levels of the game, I sat in a pub near to my house in Sheffield and had lunch with my dad as Leeds demolished Hull City on the television screens dotted around.

Behind us sat a group of Sheffield Wednesday supporters that grew bigger as time went on, each new arrival greeted with warmth as the beer flowed freely.

The conversation touched on lots of topics, families, work, the bets on the horses that afternoon.

With Wednesday already destined at that stage to be neither in the play-offs or relegated (not withstanding the outcome of an EFL enquiry into a breach of financial rules) there wasn't really much to say about the football and as kick-off time drew closer there wasn't exactly a huge desire to get out of the pub and make the final journey to Hillsborough.

But eventually a couple of taxis were summoned and the group made their way to the ground.

I arrived home around quarter past three, by which time Derby were already a goal to the good with two more added by the half-hour mark. 

You could almost hear the cries of 'we should have stayed in the pub' that I'm sure would have come from this group of friends.

It's a ritual that could have been observed in many pubs around Sheffield and the whole country on that day and many others, the match itself as merely the backdrop for the ritual of meeting, chatting, eating and drinking.

The rituals are now suspended, of course, and who knows at the upper levels of the game when, and in what format, they will return.

But competitive, league football is back this coming weekend and there are lots of Saturday, 3pm, games for supporters old and new to watch and maybe form new routines as they wait for the gates to open again at their club.

For Ipswich Town fans, perhaps, at Ipswich Wanderers of the Eastern Counties League with admission to their game against Mulbarton Wanderers priced at £7 Adults, £5 Concessions and free for Under-12's, plus have a beer pitch-side.

Or Southend supporters who can watch Southend Manor for £5 Adults, £3 Concessions and free for Under-16's. They host Sawbridgeworth Town in the Essex Senior League on Saturday afternoon.

Tickets Please...

It's a long time since you have needed a ticket to watch a match at Butlin Road, home of Rugby Town, probably since some of the big FA Cup games during the reign of Jimmy Knox when the club were still known as VS (Valley Sports) Rugby.

But 'The Valley' are one of many clubs adapting to the new reality of restricted numbers of spectators being allowed in to grounds and the requirement to keep a record of everyone who comes through the turnstiles, Tuesday evening's friendly against Barwell Town being a ticket only affair.

It's a strange situation, befitting the strange times that we are in but selling tickets, not just online but in person, is one of many ways in which clubs have stepped up to the mark in recent weeks in order to get fans back in, track and trace apps, one-way systems and plenty of information on social media all contributing to what seemed like a successful return of supporters over the weekend.

Many of next week's FA Cup extra preliminary round ties are all-ticket given the limits on capacity but it is great that spectators will be watching the first competitive action of the season.

There Are Many Roads to Wembley

And a number of them get underway in September, a positive sign perhaps of football making a slow return to something approaching normality although there remain plenty of indicators of a long road ahead on that score.

With so many competitions fighting for attention in a congested 2020/21 season it was perhaps inevitable that the FA Cup is once again diminished, with no replays at all and a 50% cut in prize money that will disproportionately affect the smaller teams.

But despite that, and a midweek start for the extra preliminary round at the beginning of September the cup still represents so much to so many and with restrictions slowly being lifted on supporters being allowed into grounds it will represent the first competitive action of the campaign for many players and fans alike.

As clubs get to grips with the increased regulations allowing spectators back in it does mean that just turning up and passing your cash through the turnstile may not be possible just yet so please check if you are planning to go to a game.

20 clubs will be taking part for the first ever time, including Hashtag United as they complete the journey from YouTube to FA Cup and former FA Sunday Cup winners New Salamis FC (tickets for their home tie against Colney Heath FC are available, priced £7).

Sunday 6th September sees the extra preliminary round of the Women's FA Cup, the anomaly here being that the 2019/20 competition is still to be played to a conclusion.

Take a peek at the social media accounts of some of the 174 clubs involved at this early stage and again you can see how much it means to be taking part.

There's a mammoth weekend of FA Vase fixtures taking place over the weekend of 19/20 September as 442 clubs enter the competition at the first qualifying round phase, including the newly-formed Bury AFC whose supporters will hopefully be able to enjoy the very pleasant experience that is an afternoon at West Didsbury & Chorlton, while the FA Trophy begins a week later.

Clubs Move Quick To #LetFansIn

Tuesday evening saw news break that supporters will be allowed to watch matches at Step 3 in England (below National League level) following the #LetFansIn campaign of recent weeks.

Or should that read that supporters were already allowed to watch matches, just that nobody seemed to know, as the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport say they have 'clarified' the guidelines that already exist for 'non-elite' sport.

Clarification from the Football Association is expected on Wednesday but a number of clubs have unleashed months of pent-up frustration already with tweets about matches this Saturday at which spectators will be allowed.

AFC Portchester are offering free admission to the friendly against Cribbs, Hednesford Town against Kettering Town at Keys Park is £5 Adults, £3 Children (free to season ticket holders) and Brimscombe & Thrupp versus Cirencester Town is also a fiver.

Plenty more to come I would imagine and I will put as many as I can on Twitter.

Enjoy the game!

All Quiet at Great Yarmouth Town

 

 

 

Wide open spaces at the Wellesley Recreation Ground, home of Great Yarmouth Town, on a hot August afternoon.

 

The seaside resort was busy with holidaymakers, thronging to the pier, the arcades and the cafes, but the football ground lay all quiet.

 

Current restrictions mean that any scheduled matches would have to be played behind closed doors, a situation that seems strange to say the least given the wide open spaces of the Wellesley and the busy streets beyond.

 

The hashtag #letfansin is gaining currency across social media as clubs grapple with the increased regulation needed to put games on and the loss of income from supporters not being able to watch.

 

An excellent article on the twohundredpercent website lays out the hugely difficult situation now facing the game at levels below the National League.

But it's to be hoped that supporters will once again be able to watch a game in the shadow of this beauty, the oldest surviving grandstand in the country and worthy of an entry on the Historic England website...

Sheringham FC, Cabbell Park Cromer

Looking good in the August sunshine, the Weybourne Road home of Sheringham FC captured through the fence on Monday afternoon.

The Shannocks enjoyed a solid first season in the Eastern Counties League, lying seventh in the Division One North table before the suspension of action.

Admission prices were under a fiver in that campaign and I'm sure there will be some more great value football by the seaside in the coming season.

I also took a peek at Cabbell Park which I last visited for a game involving Cromer Town a couple of years ago.

The club sadly dropped out of the Anglian Combination the following season but the men's section of Cromer Youth Old Boys are set to play there in the coming campaign and tweeted recently that they had had positive dialogue with the local council about upgrading the facility.

A Waiting Game in the Highlands

A short break in the Scottish Highlands visiting family recently provided a welcome change of scene as lockdown measures continue to be lifted but it was bittersweet in one sense as the conditions were perfect for what would have been the start of the Highland League season this weekend.

Glance through the social media pages of any of the clubs in the league and you will invariably find pristine pitches that have been lovingly worked on over the past few months and that are crying out for football to be played on.

The Highland League clubs collectively took a very early decision to end the 2019/20 season and declare Brora Rangers as champions, their pragmatic approach proved right by subsequent events but soured by the fact that Brora were denied the chance to take their place in play-offs with the Lowland League winner and the bottom side in the SPFL.

Although clearly unhappy at the drawbridge being pulled up, league secretary Rod Houston gave an excellent interview to the Northern Goal podcast earlier this week in which he looked ahead at the practicalities involved in getting a 2020/21 campaign completed if the current mid-October start date for matches to be played in front of supporters is maintained.

One of those factors is the weather in the area which makes postponements inevitable, and sometimes prolonged, during the winter and often leaving a backlog of games to be played which in turn increases midweek calls on players who have jobs elsewhere.

That increases the frustration of no football at a time of year when the Highlands looks so stunning, as in early August 2019 when I was lucky enough to catch a game at the beautiful home of Rothes FC, Mackessack Park.

But there was certainly no axe to grind from the league secretary against the approach of the government in Scotland, merely a refreshing perspective on the wider issues involved.

The Donate a Ticket platform has been invaluable in adding to the club's own fundraising efforts and a warm welcome (as well as change from a £10 note) will await you should you find yourself at a Highland League ground in the future.

It's Good to be Back...

It's nice to be writing about an upcoming season, ticket prices and offers as clubs in England make plans for a September start to the 2020/21 campaign.

A lot of work is being done to make grounds safe for spectators and of course there remains some uncertainty about what lies ahead, in terms of how many people will initially be allowed in and whether the new season will face disruption of its own, but there is also a genuine buzz at the prospect of being able to stand on the terraces and take in a game.

Catching the eye at this early stage are Rusthall FC of the Southern Counties East Football League where an adult season ticket is £60 and you can even pay by instalment at £10 per month.

Adults can watch all home Hellenic League and League Cup games at Tuffley Rovers in the coming campaign for just £40 while at Barnoldswick Town of the North North West Counties Football League it is £80 for an adult season ticket and 2019/20 holders can renew for half price having lost out on a handful of matches following the suspension of action.

Our twitter page is updated daily with news of season tickets, admission prices and more.

What Will Happen to the Inbetweeners?

I always enjoy pieces by Roger Titford in When Saturday Comes that look at the sociological side of the game and there's an excellent article in the recent 400th issues that looks back to the state of the game in the wake of World Wars I and II and how it may look after coronavirus. 

A phrase about those 'in between' the big clubs and those in non-league struck a chord as I have thought for some time that many in Leagues One and Two are stuck between a rock and a hard place as the riches above them get greater. 

Having to run to stand still financially means significantly reduced ticket prices are hard to deliver while all-seater, sometimes out of town, stadiums do not deliver the kind of beer-in-hand vibe of the terraces that some non-league clubs are tapping into. 

As I wrote about Grimsby Town recently, the recent suspension of football has merely reinforced how the Mariners and so many others remain a focal point for their respective towns. 

Fundraising efforts, supporters not claiming season ticket refunds and fans already signing up for next season, without knowing when and what that will look like, have been in evidence from Carlisle United to Crawley Town and all points in between while the Premier League and Championship have been played to their conclusion but the future still remains very uncertain.

Tuffley Rovers FC

*SEASON TICKETS NOW AVAILABLE*

We should soon have a date for the start of the 2020/21 season, so we can confirm the availability of season tickets & the price is unchanged - JUST £40 for Adults; £30 (concessions).

Contact admin@tuffleyroversfc.co.uk for further details. pic.twitter.com/XrKJ23uiYG

— Tuffley Rovers FC (@TuffleyRoversFC) July 15, 2020

Southend Manor FC

Founded in 1955 as a boy's football club, Southend Manor FC compete in the Essex Senior League and are hoping to reach out into their local community and further afield when the 2020/21 season gets underway.

Admission prices have been reduced from £7 to £5 for Adults and from £5 to £3 for Concessions with free admission to all NHS employees as well.

Speaking to the club website, media officer Andy Wilkins commented: "We hope this reducing of prices will mean more people will be enticed to visit us at our Southchurch Park home whether it for the first time or 100th time."

With Southend United having endured a very poor season perhaps one or two of the disillusioned Roots Hall faithful may look for a different football experience next season.

The future of programmes is a keenly-debated topic among the non-league fraternity and Southend Manor are sticking firmly with the printed version, available for £2 on matchdays but for £1 plus P&P for those from further afield keen to get hold of a copy.

Altrincham v Chester – Fan Powered Play-Off

Moss Lane, home of Altrincham FC and a place I know well, would usually be bustling for a meeting between the Robins and Chester FC.

A fairly short distance between the two places, direct train links and supporters able to stand on terraces make for what you might call a ‘proper’ football occasion.

Things will be different next Sunday (19 July), ironically given that it will be a hugely important game with plenty at stake in the National League North play-offs.

The J.Davidson Stadium, as it is now known, will be closed to all but the players and key officials in a scene we have become familiar with over the past few weeks.

But the fact that the game is being played at all is a triumph in itself, firstly on the part of clubs in both the National League North and South who managed to get an original decision that play-offs wouldn’t be taking place overturned and on the part of supporters who have raised funds to help their respective clubs take part and help meet the costs of testing and increased safety measures.

Both Altrincham and Chester, already strongly rooted in their respective communities, have had very successful fundraising campaigns since the suspension of football in March, money that will go a long way to securing each club's future, but that has not stopped their fans from rallying around again in the past week or so to give them a shot at promotion.

It is hoped that the game will be available on a pay-per-view platform and I'll put details on Twitter as and when they are known.

Good Value in The Far Corner

There are plenty of contenders for my favourite football book of all time but there is a clear winner for the one that I have re-read more than any other.

Harry Pearson's The Far Corner is the author's story of his travels around grounds in his native North East of England during the 1993/94 season.

To me it deserves every superlative ever given to it and like many other people I've often wondered whether there would ever be a follow-up.

The Farther Corner is the answer to that and although its publication has been delayed by this year's events it will be gratefully received when I do get my hands on it.

The Northern League provided the main focus of the original book and, at a time when it was still relatively affordable and easier logistically to watch Newcastle, Sunderland and Middlesbrough, the author has since said (in an interview with Mundial) that looking back it was perhaps the lowest ebb in the fortunes of Non-League football locally.

Harry was in melancholy mood after a visit to once-mighty Willington and pondered at another point how so many clubs had shown the resilience to survive in an area continually battered by economic storms.

Survive they have, however, and thrived in many cases as people seek out a cheaper, more enjoyable matchday experience.

In common with so many clubs all across the UK there has been a big fundraising drive over the past few months and an astonishing response from supporters (of the clubs themselves and the game in general).

Having hopefully now come through the curtailment of the 2019/20 season, attention is now slowly turning towards a 2020/21 campaign that may yet look familiar in terms of its length and spectators being allowed to watch.

Season ticket offers that I have come across in the North East so far include £25 at Middlesbrough Women, £35 for an adult at the re-born Newcastle Blue Star (of the Northern Football Alliance and whose classic black-and-white kit is selling very well) and a discount of £15 for Sunderland season ticket holders from the current campaign at Seaham Red Star.

Something to Report!

Caution still abounds but clubs in England are making tentative plans for both a pre-season and a 2020/21 campaign that may yet look familiar.

The arrangements in place at present still have plenty of caveats attached but friendlies are being announced and season tickets are being put on sale.

The AcreTweed Stadium is looking in great condition!!

Who’s missing seeing the Woods in action??#UpTheWoods pic.twitter.com/B3JeCSd5z9

— Northwood Football Club (@NorthwoodFC) June 24, 2020

A word on Northwood FC of the Isthmian League who have featured on these pages previously with their tireless efforts to get more people through the turnstiles at Chestnut Avenue.

For the coming season there are season tickets on sale at just £45 for all league matches and the Woods have also linked up with Donate a Ticket to raise funds.

The Importance of Fans is Laid Bare

Two different ways of consuming Sunday evening's Merseyside derby made for an interesting contrast as I listened to Five Live out in the garden for the first half before watching the second on the television as it had been made available free-to-air.

There was no pretence to the radio commentary and with no added crowd noise it was left to John Murray and Mark Lawrenson to get across what was happening on the pitch while also painting a picture of the unique circumstances surrounding the game.

To me they did so successfully and it had the feel of Test Match Special in that the importance of the match wasn't overstated and the idea of real life continuing outside the ground was acknowledged.

In contrast the television commentary seemed lost in the midst of the piped atmosphere (I know that this option can be turned off if you have Sky itself) and I find it curious that the broadcasters have such little faith in the action on the pitch to hold the attention.

The importance of the crowd to the TV coverage has been laid bare over the past week or so, not just as a visual backdrop but also for the context it gives to the key moments that take place during the game.

Clubs have paid due lip service to the importance of their fans but will it mean anything in practice when spectators are allowed back into grounds in terms of season ticket and matchday prices and the availability of tickets to different age and social groups.

Like so many aspects of life at the moment we can only wait and see.

Club & Fans Work Together at Grimsby Town

Wembley Stadium ahead of the 2016 National League Promotion Final

I was at Wembley four years ago then Grimsby Town won back their Football League status with an exciting win against Forest Green Rovers in the National League Promotion Play-Off and saw at close hand what it meant for those connected to the club.

Similar to when Tranmere Rovers were victorious in the same game two years later it seemed to be relief rather than elation that poured out upon a return to the 92.

The glory is in the cities but the fabric of football in this country is often to be found in towns up and down the land where the local club can still be an important part of the community in which it stands.

Grimsby’s experience since the suspension of League Two action is the perfect example of that.

Those in charge of the club have the unenviable (even before the coronavirus outbreak) task of trying to run a steady financial ship, put a competitive team onto the field, make ticket prices affordable enough to keep the loyal fanbase coming along to matches and reach out into the local community to try and attract the next generation of supporters.

A good working relationship with the hardcore support is vital, therefore, and the Town hierarchy have been very quick to praise the role of fans in raising funds over the past couple of months.

The Mariners Trust has been to the fore, promoting share ownership as a means both of generating funds and giving a feeling of genuine involvement in the club. 

There is also a crowdfunder in place while many fans have also opted not to take a refund for the unplayed matches on their 2019/20 season tickets.

Your amazing support continues.
Shares. £40200
Crowdfunder £ 11723
Ebay/Others. £ 2066
Total Fundraising £53989

ST replies so far are 810 of which 680 have donated back to club, worth £33k.

— MarinersTrust (@MarinersTrust) June 18, 2020

A Small (Contactless) Price to Pay?

One of the pleasures at watching football the further down the pyramid you go is that many of the traditional accompaniments to the game are still in place.

One of these is the old-fashioned turnstile with 'crooked piles of coins ready to be issued with an accompanying grunt for those fans paying with a note' as Daniel Gray writes so beautifully in Black Boots & Football Pinks.

It's not always as grand as a turnstile, of course, sometimes there's just a table and a friendly face ready to take a fiver or give change for ten.

But on the path back to watching football in the flesh then presumably more and more clubs will follow the trend that has been set over the past few months and embrace the world of contactless payments.

I recently completed a survey, devised by Ian Nockolds of the Toolstation Western League podcast which asks people connected to (or supporters of) football at Steps 5 and 6 of the pyramid in England to give their preferences for what they would be prepared to put up with in order to attend matches.

This is ahead of an FA meeting with leagues at those levels on 19 June in which the way forward will hopefully become a little clearer.

Contactless payments was on the list and although for me it is a small pleasure to hand over my money it will be a small price to pay to pass through the turnstiles once again.

Retro Action at Hitchin Town

The Canaries of Hitchin Town are a club I have written about a few times on the blog over the years especially during the battle to save their historic Top Field ground.

In existence since 1928, Hitchin have also moved with the times, offering online tickets for example.

I've always liked the regular updates from club secretary (and treasurer) Roy Izzard, on the official website, as they give a clear account of events both on and off the field and lots of detail, for instance on how the 'Pay What You Want' matches tried previously have compared to normal attendances and gate income.

With no date as yet as to whether and when the 2020/21 season will begin, Hitchin are looking to keep things ticking over during the 'normal' close season period and are showing a series of classic matches over the coming weeks.

The first game is a clash with Enfield Town from 1993 which will be screened from 7pm on Tuesday 16 June with tickets available at £5 and £2.

Local newspaper The Comet also seems to enjoy a good relationship with the club and reported recently on a financial boost given to the Canaries by their Top Field landlords.