Any Chance of Play?

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.

Fancy Signing for Dundee United?

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).

Best Of British

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.

History at York Road and York City

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.

Hanley Town FC

Reading the latest When Saturday Comes magazine this week, I was really interested in an article that highlighted the great work being done by former Stoke City manager Lou Macari for homeless people in his adopted home town.

Searching for a little more information led me to Hanley Town of the North West Counties League Premier Division and now with the name of the Macari Foundation proudly displayed on the back of their shirts.

A fantastic example of how a football club, even in the absence of any action on the pitch, can still be at the heart of its local community, Hanley's home ground is also currently being used as Covid test centre.

Super Caley Virtual Tickets

Even for those leagues that have played on throughout, the 2020/21 campaign has often felt like a slog, matches having the air of something that has to be fulfilled - a means to an end to get to where we need to be for next season more than anything else.

When I've caught games on a Friday evening, the Scottish Championship has felt a little like that as clubs battle with the challenges of covid and their own financial futures while also trying to push for promotion or beat the drop.

At this level the absence of supporters, in the stands or on the terraces, seems even more pronounced as the people missing are not just a background to the game but an intrinsic part of it.

At the time of writing it could be either of the above outcomes for Inverness Caledonian Thistle as they have games in hand on the other teams.

The club from the capital of the Highlands did recently issue a more favourable outlook in terms of their own finances after some very difficult years although recent weather-related postponements highlight how every penny counts.

Formed from a merger of two Highland League clubs in August 1994, Caley Thistle came to wider prominence with their cup win over Celtic just over 21 years ago and the famous headline it produced.

Later this month, live on BBC Scotland, Caley will host clear Championship leaders Hearts, the club where Thistle boss John Robertson retains legendary status from his playing career.

That link, and the help given to Hearts during their own battle for survival a few years ago, has led to a great initiative from the Federation of Hearts Supporters with travelling fans unable to attend the Friday night fixture, and perhaps make a weekend of it.

So, virtual tickets are now on sale, priced either £5 or £10 with the latter being accompanied by a hand-signed ticket and letter from John Robertson himself.

https://ictfc.com/ictfc-announce-first-ever-virtual-tickets-v-hearts

Thoughts of 2021/22 at Horndean FC

Although the 2020/21 season remains, for many, frozen in time and not yet officially over, it's inevitable as the weather bites that thoughts turn to better times ahead.

For Horndean FC, of the Wessex League,  that means getting Five Heads Park in tip-top condition for spectators and players from Under 7's to the First XI.

That means, of course, working out the best way of maximising revenue while complying with whatever rules are in place when football gets the green light to start again.

Restrictions of one kind or another are likely to be with us for a long time to come and  having seen a bewildering number of changes to what they can and cannot do over the last ten months, one of many challenges facing clubs is to how to future-proof themselves against them.

Horndean have launched a crowdunding campaign to help do just that, a £6,000 target being set.

Pledges of £20 or more will be able to claim (or donate) rewards such as match or season tickets and sponsorship packages.