It was good to see so many people out and about at matches on Sunday and Monday with many non-league clubs reporting record crowds, helped by the postponement of so many games in the Premier League and EFL.
I'll keep updating on twitter over the next few days and wish a happy new year to everyone.
Merry Christmas to everyone who reads the blog or follows on twitter after another rollercoaster year for football clubs up and down the country.
From matches played behind closed doors, to no games at all, to the slow return to normality and back, potentially it seems, to more uncertainty in the weeks ahead.
That will clearly be the case in Wales, where strict new restrictions come into force on Boxing Day while clubs lower down the Scottish pyramid may benefit from the limits that have been imposed on those higher up.
In England, in the absence of information to the contrary, plans are being put in place for fixtures over the festive season and two clubs close to me here in Sheffield are good examples of how football and the local community can be linked.
Stocksbridge Park Steels host Sheffield FC on the 27th and are also collecting for local Food Banks while Dronfield Town are throwing open the doors of the H E Barnes Stadium the following day for the visit of Parkgate.
There are also a number of clubs offering reduced price admission to those supporters of EFL clubs left without a game on Boxing Day due to Covid issues or because their team are away, both in the case of Tavistock AFC where Exeter City and Plymouth Argyle season ticket holders can pay just a fiver on Boxing Day.
Before Christmas, or even longer perhaps given talk of 'curcuit-breakers' and the like.
There's still quite a few matches scheduled for this week which I will try and publicise on twitter.
Redditch United and Stourport Swifts meet in a Worcestershire Senior Cup quarter-final on Thursday evening and the two clubs have agreed free admission to the tie.
Free admission at Buckland Athletic this coming Saturday (18th), for the Toolstation Western League game with Brislington, for those arriving before 1.30pm.
Mulled cider and mince pies are available all day.
Also of interest may be Cymru Premier League football for a fiver at Caernarfon Town this Friday evening, with under 18's getting into the game against Aberystwyth.
There will also be a food bank collection.
With Covid-related postponements on the increase, check before travelling and stay safe but enjoy your pre-Christmas football.
At Ilkeston Town FC on Saturday 18th December with Father Christmas before, a party after and free admission for all to the football match in between, a Northern Premier League clash with Stamford AFC at the New Manor Ground.
If you fancy a double-header then the FA Trophy match between Notts County and Altrincham is a 7.30pm kick-off on that Saturday evening and ticket prices have been reduced to £10 for adults and less for concessions when purchased before matchday.
A great bit of collaboration between Bromley FC and Southend United as they prepare for a double-header of meetings over the holiday period.
Bromley's upward progression of recent years means they will head into Christmas with genuine hopes of being in the Football League next year.
They host the Shrimpers on Boxing Day in a 5.20pm kick-off and all adult tickets have been priced at £5 with accompanied Under-16s getting for a pound.
Getting back into the Football League at the first time of asking may be beyond Southend this season but supporters will be hoping that rock bottom was reached in October when a heavy home defeat left them in the relegation zone and saw manager Phil Brown leave the club amidst protests against chairman Ron Martin.
Legendary non-league figure John Still has recently been appointed to a Head of Football role, working alongside head coach Kevin Maher and football strategist Stan Collymore.
Southend have reciprocated Bromley's prices for the return fixture on 2nd January.
Some lovely footage from York City FC this week of supporters taking their final opportunity to wander around Bootham Crescent and spend a little bit of time at a ground that will have held so many memories for each of them.
And, as a Coventry City supporter who saw Highfield Road demolished and redeveloped without any nod to its past, York's plans to retain a legacy of the old ground within its new use, get a massive thumbs-up.
Will the new LNER Community Stadium be spoken about in the same way in years to come? I hope so even if it doesn't, when I look at pictures of it, quite inspire me the same as glimpses of Bootham Crescent did.
The memories are still to be made of course and even though York's fortunes on the pitch are yet to turn, hope springs eternal.
All tickets for the home game against Chorley on Saturday 11th December are priced at a fiver or less with concessions £3 and under 14's free.
Perhaps the only thing that can outweigh the depressing fact that food banks have became a permanent feature of society over the past decade is the incredible efforts that volunteers go to in running them and providing such a lifeline to so many people.
The link between football and food banks is well established, from supporters of top-flight clubs to the clubs themselves further down, many of them community hubs in their own right.
Walthamstow FC of the Essex Senior League are offering free admission to this Saturday's home game against Woodford Town but are asking for donations to the Waltham Forest food bank.
And the following Saturday...
Food for Football | Bring goods to the turnstile and receive free admission on 11th December vs @FCRusthall at Erith Stadium KO 3.00pm. #UpTheDockers #WeAreErith @Bexley_Foodbank pic.twitter.com/usH5dGCzuQ
— Erith Town FC (@ErithTown) December 1, 2021
AFC Darwen were formed in 2009 after the demise of Darwen FC, continuing the fine tradition of football in the Lancashire town, and all those involved have steadily grown the club into a key part of the local community.
Their home game against St Helens Town on Saturday is Pie and a Pint day with your £6 adult admission including a pie and a beer (£3 concessions with a free pie and £1 for children).
And Rossington Main have this...
Special offer for this Saturday! Limited tickets only.
— Rossington Main FC (@RMFC1919) November 30, 2021
For our game against Selby Town on the 4th December. 3pm kick off.
£10 gets you entry to the game, pie, peas and a pint! 🍺 🥧
UTM pic.twitter.com/61Mzvmzptj
That kick-off time fits in nicely with the 12.37 train from Exeter St Davids to Okehampton where it arrives at 1.15.
The significance of the journey is that the train line to Okehampton has recently re-opened after nearly 50 years.
Transport is being laid on from the station to the ground (and back) and your £6 admission fee to the game (plus the cost of a rail ticket) also includes a special commemorative programme.
More details, including how to register your interest, are on the SWP website.
Free Blog PhotosA fresh start at Ipswich Town this season with the famous old club under new ownership and lots of good things going on at Portman Road
A three-game bundle of tickets for matches over the holiday period (starting with the Sunderland visit on 18th December) is on sale, priced at £40 for adults and from £3 to £20 for concessions.
Individual tickets for each of the three games have been reduced in price and supporters have also been raising money to buy bundles for those not in a position to do so themselves, £12,500 having been raised as of Friday.
Tickets have also been reduced in price for the FA Cup tie against Barrow on 4th December, to £10 for adults, £5 and £3 for concessions.
The logistics of co-ordinating Non League Day against the backdrop of the pandemic means this season's NLD will take place later than usual on the 26 March 2022.
But, judging by the number of clubs reporting fantastic crowds on Saturday, for every tweet that you might see from someone who 'hates' the international break, many more people were out on a beautiful autumn day watching a match.
Close to me there were over 650 at Hallam FC and over 400 at Penistone but the turnstiles were clicking across the country.
Coming up this week are FA Cup replays (no more than £10 at Plymouth Argyle for the Sheffield Wednesday tie), Family Fun Day at MK Dons on Saturday with adult tickets available from £10, some interesting FA Youth Cup ties and the next round of the FA Vase while in Scotland it is the next round of the South Challenge Cup.
Next Up is arguably the biggest game in our history!
— Kimberley MWFC (@KimberleyMWFC) November 14, 2021
📆 Tuesday 16th November
⚽️ Nottingham Forest
🏆Notts Senior Cup 2nd Round
🕖 745pm KO
📍 The Stag Ground, Kimberley
🎟 £5 Adults, £3 concessions
🍺 Open from 6pm#nffc @NFFC @NFFCAcademy pic.twitter.com/x63Yhg4sJY
A big achievement for the youngsters of Rugby Town FC to make it to the Second Round of the FA Youth Cup and a home tie against the Under-18's of League One club Morecambe.
Admission at Butlin Road, a second home for me as a youngster when the Sky Blues were away, for a 7pm kick-off on Wednesday 17th, is priced at £3 for adults, £2 concessions and free for Under-16's.
Footage of the celebrations that followed Aylestone Park FC as they defeated Lincoln City on penalties has been widely shared on social media and the second round sees the club host Sheffield Wednesday, also on the 17th but with kick-off at 7.45pm.
Admission to this one is priced at £5 adults and £3 concessions.
Prices from 1857 this coming Saturday at Sheffield FC as the world's oldest club celebrate their latest milestone.
🎉 Celebrate the birth of football like it's 1857.
Come down to the Home of Football, cheer on the Club, and celebrate our birthday - for only a penny.
To pass time in a leisurely manner is the dictionary definition of whiling and that summed up the opportunity to watch Coventry City's Under-23s at Bramall Lane on Tuesday afternoon.
Admission for non-season ticket holders was £3 for adults and for that price you got a padded seat in the main stand at this fine old ground, as well as a teamsheet.
The official Premier League website has a good fixture list for both Premier League 2 and the Professional Development League, with a number of matches played at the main ground of the host club.
This coming Saturday, all tickets are priced at just £1 as Sheffield United Women host Liverpool at Bramall Lane in the Championship.
Two recent matches in the Sheffield area provided plenty of contrasts but, ultimately the same sense of enjoyment at being out and about at a game.
The first Tuesday in September it may have been but it felt like summer was in the air at Hallam FC as a perfect evening encouraged more than 600 spectators for the Northern Counties East League clash against Shirebrook Town.
Short sleeves and outdoor pints were the order of the day with the action on the pitch, where the visitors conceded two goals and a red card early on, a backdrop to the relaxed air of conversation on the touchline.
Everyone involved at Hallam has done a superb job over the past few years, harnessing the history of the club to modern methods of promotion to get more people through the gate and gradually improving the quality of the facilities available once they are there.
One week later and it was coats and warm drinks needed as Stocksbridge Park Steels hosted Tadcaster Albion. In Turriff in August one of the club officials had talked about a 'dreich day' and that uniquely Scottish word fitted the weather bill perfectly here.
Located around 10 miles from Sheffield, Steels' catchment area of potential supporters comes from mainly within the town itself and, following a recent managerial change, chairman Graham Furniss wrote in his programme notes that regularly getting 250 people into the Eco-Power Stadium (which I like a lot as it has plenty of different vantage points to sample throughout a 90 minutes) would be a real boost to the club.
154 was the attendance for the Tadcaster game but the quality and intensity of the game did reflect that it was two divisions higher in the pyramid than Hallam, Tadcaster's neat build-up not matched by their finishing and Steels eventually benefitting from a man advantage with two second-half goals.
@AffordableFooty on Twitter is into its 9th year and is updated daily. If it has ever been of use in finding a game then feel free to buy me a Wagon Wheel from the tea bar by clicking here.
I was lucky enough to get to two Highland League matches last week, starting with the 3-3 draw between Turriff United and Strathspey Thistle, the home side coming back from a three-goal deficit to earn a share of the spoils.
While not having the glorious backdrop of some of the grounds in the league, The Haughs was very well-appointed, easily accessible from the town and part of a wider complex that seemed very well-used by local children.
With a warm welcome on the gate, and change from a tenner for adults, Turriff's next home game is this coming Saturday versus Lossiemouth.
On Saturday afternoon it was to Seafield Park, home of Strathspey Thistle, and the visit of Keith in lovely late summer sunshine.
Situated just off the very attractive main road in Grantown-On-Spey, the home of The Jags has a mountain view at one end and friendly officials on hand for spectators.
Keith were good value for the three points and Strathspey will hope for better in their next home league fixture against Rothes on Saturday 11 September.
A friendly welcome on the gate, £5 admission (free for my son), £1.50 for a programme but with free teamsheets also being handed out and a pound for a cup of tea meant a good afternoon even before the match started.
As Wembley awaits its biggest game since 1966 the thoughts of 348 clubs on Friday were on the news coming out of the stadium of who they would play in the Extra Preliminary Round of the 2021/22 FA Cup.
The competition, salami-sliced it may have been over recent years, still has the power to excite at all levels of the game as Leicester City fans will surely agree, their Wembley triumph in May surely remaining in the memory bank far longer than 'winning' the race for a Champions League spot.
174 ties will take place on Saturday 7th August and new chapters will be written in the history of 16 clubs taking part for the first time such as Milton Keynes Irish FC (drawn away to Enfield) and Hereford Lads Club (home to Haughmond).
Last season's BBC coverage, from the very first round, was a great addition to the competition and my early money will be on them choosing another club making their debut to be featured this time around.
Macclesfield FC have risen from the ashes of Macclesfield Town and seemingly managed to energise the local community in the space of a few short months.
The presence of director of football Robbie Savage will surely see their tie at home to Burscough be live on the box?
A - Ashton United welcome EFL clubs Oldham Athletic and Crewe Alexandra (10th and 14th July) to Hurst Cross for friendlies with all tickets priced at £5.
B - Bradford Town of the Hellenic League have four home friendlies scheduled, starting against Trowbridge Town on Wednesday 7th July. Admission for each game is priced at £4 for adults, £2 for concessions.
C - Centenary celebrations at Guildford City where admission prices will be a maximum of £5 this coming season. Home pre-season games (taking place at either Horsham FC or Dorking Wanderers) start on 30 June and are all priced at £5/£3.
D - Diversity in Non-League Football will be celebrated at Punjab United on Saturday 3rd July, Leicester Nirvana FC, Sporting Bengal Utd FC and Sporting Khalsa FC also taking part.
E - Eastbourne Borough FC are selling tickets for two of their home friendlies, against Bexhill United on Tuesday 6th July and Kingstonian on Saturday 24th July, for just £2.
F - Free football at Tamworth FC on Tuesday 6th July for the home friendly against Chasetown.
G - Great value at Stafford Rangers on Saturday 26th June for a Fans Day which includes 2 matches, competitions and more.
H - Horsham FC have five home friendlies lined up, including a game against Crawley Town on Saturday 17th July. Admission to that one is £8/£4/£1, for the other matches it is £5/£3 and free for under 16's.
I - Ilkley Town AFC step up to semi-professional football this season after promotion to the North West Counties First Division was confirmed. Tickets for their friendly against Eccleshill Utd on Saturday 3rd July are available at £5 adults, £3 concessions.
J - Jersey Bulls have made a very successful start to life in the Non-League ranks and are hoping (restrictions very much permitting) to be hosting FC United of Manchester, Cray Wanderers and Hashtag United in a pre-season tournament over the weekend of 10th/11th July.
K - Kentish Football has a comprehensive list of fixtures involving clubs from the county, including Folkestone Invicta where pre-season friendlies are priced at £5/£3, starting on Saturday 26th June against Ramsgate.
L - Lowestoft Town are offering free entry on Friday 2nd July versus Caister. Other home friendlies, including versus an Ipswich Town XI, are £5/£1.
M - Macmillan Cancer Support will be the very worthy recipients of the proceeds from Glasgow United versus Pollok FC on Wednesday 7th July where admission is £5.
N - Northern Counties East League clubs involved in friendlies have their own comprehensive guide on the official NCEFL website.
O - Only a fiver for the pre-season action at Wakefield AFC (concessions £3, juniors free) with three fixtures scheduled at Post Office Road, starting with Hallam FC on Saturday 10th July.
P - Pay What You Want for the Dan Davis testimonial at Felixstowe & Walton Utd FC on Saturday 3rd July.
Q - A quid is all it will cost to watch Coalville Town in their opening friendly of the summer, against Melton Town on Tuesday 13th July.
R - Runcorn Linnets are offering free admission on Saturday 10th July for the friendly with Euxton Villa.
S - Scottish Football Fixtures has a comprehensive list of pre-season friendlies taking place north of the border.
T - Ten fixtures are scheduled for the Aliport Arena, home of Fawley AFC, 5 for the first team and 5 for the reserves. All of them are free entry.
U - Unusual fixture of the summer winner? Probably Wrexham AFC scoring a trip to face MLS side Philadelphia Union at their Subaru Park home. Arranged through the club's new owners, the game, on 29th July, will be free admission with food donations to local charities required to gain entry.
V - VS Rugby may now be known as Rugby Town but my hometown club will always be 'The Valley' to many. Pre-season games scheduled for Butlin Road include the visit of Stourbridge on Saturday 17th July.
W- World's Oldest Derby is the title proudly held by the annual game between Sheffield FC and Hallam FC. Hallam host this year's edition on Tuesday 27th July with admission priced at £5 adults, £3 concessions.
X - Xcellent value at Golcar United for six home friendlies in July which are each priced at £5 adults, £3 concessions.
Y - Yarmouth's Wellesley Recreation Ground, home of Great Yarmouth Town is surely unsurpassed as a place to watch football in the summer. The Bloaters take on Norwich United on Saturday 10th July (a double header with reserves and 1st team), Stowmarket Town the following Saturday and Harwich & Parkeston on the 24th.
Z- The Zebras, Brigg Town FC, are proudly a Community Interest Club and the 7th oldest in the world. They have six home friendlies lined up, starting on Saturday 26th June against Barton Town. Admission for each game is priced at £5 adults, £3 concessions and free for accompanied under 16's.
Please check with clubs' official websites and/or social media pages. Pre-season games can change at the best of times and there is still some uncertainty out there around current restrictions.
It will be 'football for a fiver' as usual at Hallam with tickets for adults priced at £5 and concessions £3.
The club are hopeful of being able to operate at full capacity for the game although the constantly changing picture on restrictions may change that of course.
I'm looking forward to the feast of football that's coming to our screens over the next few weeks (with the BBC showing the Copa America as well as the Euros) but, although Wembley is the main venue for the delayed Euro 2020 tournament, the multi-host format and of course the pandemic mean this is very much a made for television spectacle.
The Rugby League World Cup this winter looks set to be the first post-lockdown major sports event that looks and feels 'normal' in the UK but in football terms it will Uefa Women's Euros 2022, hosted at 10 venues in England next July.
Old Trafford has the opener, Wembley the final and there matches in between in Manchester, Leigh, Rotherham, Sheffield, Milton Keynes, London, Brighton and Southampton.
I know already there are plenty of plans here in South Yorkshire for the tournament to have a lasting impact and the ticket information points to a family-friendly, accessible set of matches.
Tickets for group matches not involving England start at £10/£5 and even the Wembley final will have tickets available at £15/£7.50.
Creating a ticket account with Uefa before July will get you priority access before the final draw is made in late October.
Updated 21 December...Well the Rugby League didn't happen so my tickets for England v Greece at Bramall Lane have been rolled over to 2022 but I will be at the same venue for Netherlands against Sweden in the Euros.
Remaining tickets for the tournament go on general sale in February.
A mention for an upcoming book which may be of interest, The Scottish Non-League Senior Football Review 2021, to give it its full title, which is available to pre-order now.
A truncated season it may have been but there will still be plenty to pore over in the book in terms of stats while the future of the Scottish Football Pyramid will also be looked at, a hot topic after the news that Old Firm 'B' teams will be entering the Lowland League next season, supposedly for one year only.
As supporters begin (more cautiously, as has been the way in Scotland throughout the pandemic) to be allowed back into matches north of the border, it is also great to see the excellent Scottish Football Fixtures website back up and running with a daily guide to matches at all levels of the game.
But spectators are welcome back at football matches in England from Monday.
When everything was locked down the fact that we couldn't go to matches (those that were taking place) was a shame but the long wait has been compounded, for many, by the things that people have been able to do over the last month that seem, on the face of it, more dangerous than standing outside at a game.
I've been to Meadowhall shopping centre, a very busy holiday park and shivered outside the pub but now I can look at the upcoming fixtures and, even if I don't go, I could if I wanted to.
And, although we're in a strange period that's not quite pre-season for 2021/22 or the finale to the current season, there is lots going on, from delayed cup finals to local tournaments.
The twitter page has been very busy this week and I'll keep that updated as much as possible.
POST-LOCKDOWN FRIENDLY TOURNAMENT...
Opening night fixtures!
All games are £5 adults, £1 concessions and FREE for U16s!
Pick a game and enjoy live non-league footy again!@SheppeyUFC v @PUFC_Gravesend @Rochesterutdfc v @ChathamTownFC #May18th #backtogether@KentNLPodcast pic.twitter.com/MmJiVJTcDf
Sitting close to the halfway line that day it was clear to see how much the result meant, both to Mariners' supporters and those in official positions at the club.
Returning back to the National League will, of course, have hit people hard and it has been a dismal season, on and off the pitch.
But the man who masterminded that promotion, Paul Hurst, is back in charge and, more significantly, a takeover of the club by Andrew Pettit and Jason Stockwood has recently been completed.
The Mariners Trust continue to do great work connecting the club and the community.
Much has changed since then, of course, but a recent website post from Radcliffe chairman Paul Hilton painted an encouraging picture despite all of the hurdles that have been placed in the club's way since then.
All season tickets from the truncated 2020/21 season are being rolled over to the new campaign at no extra cost and the Neuven Stadium will host the final of the Bolton Hospital Cup on 17 May, the first day that spectators are allowed back into grounds.
After that Radcliffe game I took the tram into Bury where the pubs were getting busy with fans who had been at the Shakers game that afternoon, a 1-1 draw with Port Vale in the final league fixture of the campaign.
It had been an exciting season on the pitch, with promotion to League One having been secured by Ryan Lowe's side, but the club's financial issues were already well-known at this point and the game would turn out to be the last played by Bury FC.
Thanks to the hard work of many people involved at Bury AFC, a vibrant, supporter-owned club looks to be on the rise and hopeful of bringing the game back into the town, playing their games at Radcliffe in the meantime.
The recent publication of the updated guidance from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) meant a false start for many clubs at Step 7 of the English pyramid who were expecting to be able to welcome spectators through the turnstiles from next Saturday and it will be a few more weeks now until going to a game becomes a reality again at all levels.
When the time comes, the following sites have proved invaluable to me over the years in finding fixtures.
The London Football Guide - James Doe is the man behind Non-League Day and set up TLFG to provide a comprehensive guide to football (at all levels) in the capital and its suburbs. On a weekly basis he runs through all of the fixtures of note and is also happy to answer queries from anyone coming to London and looking to catch a match - I'm really looking forward to the site being back up and running once spectators can go to games.
Football in Berkshire is an excellent not for profit site that doesn't leave a stone unturned when reporting on football at all levels in the county.
The excellent She Kicks magazine also has a website with features, stats and regular fixture updates covering all levels of the women's game in the UK with Scottish Women's Football a great source of information north of the border.
The official FA site also has an easy-to-navigate fixture list with ticket info and links and it always worth searching for sites or social media pages that cover your local area, for example Hants Womens Footie (@hantswomans on Twitter).
The Northern Counties East Football League is my local Step 5 league and the home of Hallam FC who have featured regularly on the site. The NCEFL website is an excellent resource for results and fixtures and there are many similar sites covering leagues up and down the country.
And, for the pleasure of having the fixtures actually in your hand, the Non-League Paper is published every Sunday and still costs just £1.50, an incredible achievement. As well as comprehensive coverage of games played the previous day, and the non-league scene generally, they have detailed fixture lists at the back of the paper.
🏆 WE ARE BACK 🏆
— Peckham Town FC (The Menace) (@PeckhamTownFC) April 1, 2021
The defence starts here...
⚽ The #Menace vs @Croydon_FC
🏆 @LondonFA Trophy, Round 2
🕜 1.30, Saturday 24 April
💷 £3 adults, children free
📰 £1 programme
🍺 £3 @brick_brewery cans
😷 See website for our COVID rules
🇹🇭 #Peckham #Dulwich #MenaceLifeAintEasy pic.twitter.com/EIolLcbNx7
A little more detail on some of the posts on @AffordableFooty over the past week.
Although there is disappointment that supporters are not set to be allowed to watch grassroots football after the next stage in lockdown easing, from 29th March, clubs are moving ahead with plans for friendlies and mini-tournaments.
Seaford Town FC, for instance, are looking forward to their matches in the Southern Combination Football League Supplementary Shield, with live streaming , costing £5 (free fir season ticket holders) in place for fixtures on the 10th, 13th and 17th April.
Excitement is also building for the return of the Women's FA Cup with Second Round ties scheduled for Sunday 4th April.
Crawley Wasps host Gillingham on that day and a live stream is available for £5 while Billericay Town's tie against Ipswich is live on the hosts' You Tube channel.
As good as it to see competitive action coming back, it is also great to see initiatives such as Mental Health Football in Oldham making its return and offering the benefits of a no-pressure, no-expectation kickabout every Friday.
#ComeBackStronger is the aim for Farnham Town as they raise funds for improvements aimed at forging a stronger community bond and creating a better matchday experience.
And, as someone with keen interest in the Highland League it is hard to argue with this tweet about the toppling of Scottish Championship leaders Hearts earlier this week.
👏 One of the all-time Scottish Cup upsets.
— Scottish Cup (@ScottishCup) March 23, 2021
Congratulations to @brorarangers – they'll welcome @StranraerFC in the Third Round.#ScottishCup pic.twitter.com/iBCcz1mvuz
A little more detail on some of the posts retweeted on @affordablefooty over the past few days.
It was very sad to read a statement from Percy Main Amateurs this week that explains why over 100 years of football at the club looks to be coming to an end soon, despite the best efforts of volunteers, and goodwill from other clubs, over the years.
Tiers three to six of the women's football pyramid have seen their seasons curtailed, with many questioning whether the top two divisions of the game in England, the WSL and Championship, are now becoming ever more detached from the leagues below.
The FA Cup is continuing and Kent Football United are among those clubs looking to keep busy with a number of friendlies scheduled for April and May.
A nice touch from Walsall, highlighted in the Express & Star newspaper this week, as the Saddlers have launched a new third kit for the 2021/22 season which has the names of supporters who did not claim a refund on this year's season (who also get a discount on the shirt itself) included in the design.
I saw the above in a tweet from Kieran Maguire at his excellent PriceOfFootball twitter page where the finances of the game are analysed.
Kieran's expertise comes across in this recent BBC Radio Nottingham podcast which discusses the latest set of accounts at Forest in the wider context of the Championship and Covid-19.
And a nice charity fundraising idea from not too far from me here in Sheffield...
Check out Main’s new charity idea for 21/22 and beyond. Lend and exchange your sports books. It’s a trial we hope to make a few charity pounds for. https://t.co/Hn5EE4afFK #UTM pic.twitter.com/OHPtu6DJV9
— Maltby Main FC. (@MainMaltby) March 18, 2021
A little more detail on some of the things I've retweeted on @AffordableFooty over the past few days.
With the non-league season in England curtailed below National League level, but the planned easing of lockdown restrictions allowing clubs to play (and hopefully spectators to watch, although the guidance isn't totally clear in this respect as to when that may be), a number of cup competitions and mini-tournaments are being organised.
The Post Covid Lockdown Charity Cup is exactly what it says on the tin for 12, Midlands-based sides from April 17 onwards, while Bristol Manor Farm FC are hosting the Steve Hillier Memorial Cup, from the same date, in honour of their former secretary.
Fundraising is underway for improvements to Villa Park, not that one but the home of Aberlour Villa FC of the Moray & District Welfare League and in a beautiful part of Scotland.
They are hoping to build a new pavilion in time to celebrate 100 years in existence in 2024.
Monday was International Womens Day and Bury AFC went into some really interesting detail on how they hope to establish a successful and sustainable women's team and tap into the increased interest in girl's football in the area over the past few years.
And finally, even though football at Sandygate may be over for this season I may still try and make a visit...
It comes in pints?!... 🍻
— Hallam FC (@HallamFC1860) March 8, 2021
With alcohol sales being permitted from the 12th of April, we will once again be opening the 1860 Bar with Sheffield’s biggest beer garden!*
Opening days & times below 👇🏻
3-11 Friday 16th
12-11 Saturday 17th
*It might be... 💙#HallamFC pic.twitter.com/PRwKHCp3hY
A little more detail on some of the things I've retweeted on @AffordableFooty over the past few days.
With supporters not able to watch the Continental Cup Final on March 14, Chelsea Women Supporters Group have produced a virtual ticket for their game against Bristol City
Costing from £5 it offers entry into a prize draw while raising money for two charities.
Frome Town chairman Derek Graham has written an excellent piece for his club's website, updating on all aspects of the club and highlighting just how difficult things have been financially in the absence of spectators and income from functions and events.
Looking forward, season tickets for 2020/21 are being rolled over the next campaign and a pre-season friendly has already been arranged, against Bath City on July 16.
Before then, lots of clubs are arranging mini-tournaments for when restrictions ease, witu most league seasons having been curtailed.
Clitheroe FC are one such with eight clubs joining their Spring Festival. Two games a day will be played on the last three weekends in April with a final on Sunday 1 May.
At present, spectators cannot attend but the matches will be streamed.
Bishops Cleeve FC, meanwhile, are progressing nicely with their fundraising attempts to build a new community sports hub.
England manager Gareth Southgate is among those to have backed the efforts and there are some great rewards on offer to those donating.
And, with the Cymru Premier making its return this weekend, here's a cracking shot of a ground with a very striking backdrop.
The Rock is looking great and being repaired and resurfaced in preparation for our @CymruLeagues return this Saturday against @BarryTownUnited 🏟
— Cefn Druids FC (@CefnDruids) March 3, 2021
Not much longer now! ⚫️⚪️ pic.twitter.com/zlSDUc8Fr3
The familiar refrain of the cricket season but from April onward it's a question that will apply to football too following confirmation from the Football Association that the Non-League season at Steps 3-6 is to be curtailed.
That means a second successive campaign will end in this way but a major difference between now and a year ago is that clubs have been the provisional go-ahead to make a return to action as part of the much-talked about road map announced last week.
So each of the leagues below the National League now have decisions to make as to whether they look to organise some kind of competitive action, such as a mini-league or cup, for their members, some, such as the United Counties League already announcing that they are preparing something along these lines.
It is slightly unclear, as yet, whether supporters will be allowed back to watch grassroots football ahead of their return to bigger grounds at a higher level and there is also the important factor for many of when they will be allowed to open their bars and clubhouses but many clubs are being positive and tentatively penciling in dates to get back on the grass.
With the 7th of March marking exactly one year since supporters attended a match at Tannadice, Dundee United are aiming to make their home game against Celtic on that day a 'virtual' sell-out.
Tickets are on sale, priced £5 each with each one offering entry into a prize draw.
What I like about the draw is that the top prize is one that cannot be brought with the winner becoming part of the United squad for next season, complete with social media signing announcement, squad number and place in the team photograph.
It's a prize I would probably run a mile from if I won it but it will appeal to many, works well in the age of social media and is reflective perhaps of the kind of work clubs are having to put in to keep their fanbases engaged after a year of no access to stadiums (and no real indication in Scotland as yet to when that situation may change).
Televised football is all we have at the moment and, without a subscription to any of the relevant channels, I've found myself using the BBC to keep up with the main events across a host of different leagues and competitions.
Five Live for Premier League commentaries and Radio Sheffield for the local scene (as a neutral I think the coverage of all the region's teams to be comprehensive) have always been staples but technological developments such as the iPlayer and red button have allowed the television offering to suit the needs of the committed but casual supporter.
Previously I felt the BBC didn't always make the best of the rights that it had, a prime example being The Football League Show, covering the Championship, League One and Two, which usually ended up being shown after Match of the Day and into the small hours of Sunday morning.
Also the FA Cup coverage almost petered out a little once the Premier League teams joined the competition as the main game chosen often tilted too much towards the bigger clubs.
Now, however, the BBC offers the chance to catch all the highlights from each of the UK's top divisions (with s4c available through the iPlayer) and I think it is important that the national broadcaster is able to do that. Coverage of the EFL sits better on its current home of Quest but so many of the local radio stations provide a great link.
In a season of matches played behind closed doors, the FA Cup has provided something different and clubs all over the country, all the way back to Maine Road and Squires Gate in the first preliminary round, have featured.
The ability to show matches on different platforms has largely taken away the problem of the one game chosen being a damp squid.
Add in the continuingly excellent radio commentaries (and lots of other football-related stuff, such as documentaries and podcasts) and I think it's a good moment for the beeb.
Tuesday night was a historic one for both Maidenhead United and York City as they both celebrated landmark occasions.
The York Road ground in Maidenhead welcomed its first visitors on February 16, 1871, which meant the visit of Stockport County this week marked exactly 150 years of football in the heart of the town.
An excellent piece in the Maidenhead Advertiser earlier in the week highlighted both the historic nature of the game but also of the challenge facing Maidenhead and so many other clubs at this time, a live stream of Tuesday's night match would, it was hoped, bring in much-needed funds.
Last weekend's The Non-League Paper also ran a feature on York Road and the thoughts of club chairman Peter Griffin as plans are stepped up for a new stadium, that town-centre location making it increasingly difficult to make any further improvements while the land it sits on becomes increasingly valuable.
As Peter says, "It sets the club up long-term and means we would be not only debt free but self-sufficient."
The same evening, amidst the chaotic National League North season, York City played their first ever fixture at their new Community Stadium with a live stream on a 'pay what you can' basis hopefully bringing supporters a taste of what they can expect when they are able to watch matches in person again.
A chance to say a proper farewell to Bootham Crescent may have been lost amidst the pandemic but I hope the future is bright for the Minstermen.