(Not Quite) The Last Post

Affordable Football has been up and running as a blog since July 2013 and, with time constraints seemingly ever greater, it's time to nearly call it a day on here.

Thanks to anyone who has ever read an article or spoken to me for a piece. I will keep the blog open and post pictures of any matches I manage to get to.

The Twitter page will continue, however, and hopefully that has been of help over the years in getting spectators to matches and clubs to spectators, the lifeblood of the game at so many levels.

You can buy me a cup of tea in a polystyrene cup here. Cheers!

FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round

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?