In Praise Of...The FA Youth Cup

First competed for in the 1952/53 season, The Football Association Youth Challenge Cup, to give it its full name, is something of a calm, constant presence in an ever-changing football landscape.

It may go under the radar on a national level but the FA Cup-style structure allows those youth teams affiliated to non-league or lower league clubs to enjoy moments of glory, play at some of the game's most famous grounds and also use any success they do have to attract more youngsters to play, and in many cases, study with them.

All three of those things combined, for instance, at Hemel Hempstead Town FC this week with an excellent victory over Exeter City in the second round of the competition sparking joyous scenes and earning a trip to Sheffield Wednesday and Hillsborough in the next round.

32 ties are due to take place by Saturday 16th December with home ties for the likes of Everton, Sheffield United, Wolves, Leicester City (against Chelsea) and Watford (against Manchester City) all hopefully being played at the host club's main stadium.

I'll update as many as I can on @affordablefooty over the next few weeks.

In Brief...

Paris Match
I'd not long finished reading the editorial in this month's When Saturday Comes, which contrasts the initiative of Fortuna Dusseldorf to offer free football to all supporters with the seemingly ever-increasing cost of watching games in the Premier League, Fulham in particular being picked out, when I caught sight of this press release from Paris FC. Admission to the Charlety Stadium will be free for all men's games in Ligue 2 and women's matches, from the visit of Bastia on November 11 until the end of the 2023/24 season. Each game will be tied in to a wider social initiative as the club look to make, in their own words: 'the sporting spectacle offered on the pitch to be made accessible to everyone, families or groups of friends, football fan or not, regardless of their age or social category.'

Go For A Mo

As part of their support for Movember, Hampton & Richmond FC are offering £10 adult admission to the National League South game against St. Albans on Tuesday 14 November for anyone with, or wearing, a moustache, even a stick-on one!

Capital Idea

Free tickets are available for the Women's Edinburgh Derby at Easter Road on Saturday 18th November, as Hibs and Hearts battle to lift the Capital Cup. 

Donations can be made at the same time as securing a ticket, with the full amount being reinvested back into supporting the Hibernian Girls and Women’s Academy.