Hampden Hopes

Via BBC Alba, I watched a closely-fought game between Glasgow City and Rangers recently in the Scottish Women's Premier League and those two teams, who have a league rematch this week, will also meet in the Scottish Cup Final at Hampden Park on Sunday 25 May after weekend wins at the famous old stadium in the semi-finals.

Tickets are sure to be well-priced and a neutral section of the ground will also be in place, with an early-bird offer currently running that will give 25% off ticket prices for those registering an interest. More details here.

A few days after the cup final, Hampden hosts Scotland Women against Austria in the Nations League on Friday 30th at 7.35pm. Tickets for that game are priced at £10 adults, £5 concessions and free for under-16's.

A Villa Park Finale for £1

This season's FA Youth Cup final will take place at Villa Park on Bank Holiday Monday, 5 May, at 3pm with Aston Villa's youngsters taking on Manchester City.

All tickets for the game have been priced at just £1 so a great opportunity to catch a match at the famous old stadium, scene of some fantastic matches already this season.

The Kindness of Rangers

Shielfield Park, home of Berwick Rangers since 1954 and, famously, in England but the regular host of football in first the Scottish Football League and now the Scottish Lowland League following relegation in 2019.

The article title relates to a very kindly volunteer at the club who gave my dad and me an impromptu guided tour while we were on holiday in the area recently, sadly leaving just one day before the final home league game of the season, a 4-1 victory against Broxburn Athletic.

Times have been tough since that relegation, the opening of a pyramid system in Scotland allowing for the rise of a number of ambitious clubs but also a fall for Berwick, Cowdenbeath, East Stirling and Albion Rovers, staples of the classified results in my youth but all now in the Lowland League.

But the local community continues to get behind their club, highlighted by a largely upbeat update on the club website a couple of weeks before this photo was taken.

Up in the Highland League it has been another exciting season with a title race decided on the final day once again.

Brechin City (another former Scottish League side) just missed out to Brora Rangers who now play East Kilbride, winners of the Lowland League, for the right to play the bottom side in League Two in a promotion/relegation play-off.

A Good Friday?

A team in the promotion places on a terrible run of form and a side underneath the dreaded dotted line with two wins out of two and renewed hope.

That is the scenario in League Two this coming Friday as Walsall try to end a winless run that now stretches to ten games when they entertain Harrogate Town.

Tickets for the game are priced at £10 for over 18's, £4 for juniors (12-17) and £1 for under 12's with the same offer in place for the final home game against Accrington Stanley.

Back-to-back wins have kept alive survival hopes at Carlisle United and now a huge test awaits at home to league leaders Port Vale.

Brunton Park prices have been dropped to £10 adults, £5 for under 18's (free for under 7's).

Summer on the Isle

As one season begins to draw to a close...thoughts can already turn to the next and something different in the way of pre-season friendlies.

An early contender has to be the FC Isle of Man tournament, taking place between Friday 18 and Sunday 20 July with the hosts joined by Fleetwood Town, Radcliffe FC and Altrincham FC for two semi-final matches, a third-fourth place play-off and the final.

Four matches for £24 (£12 concessions) with special travel packages across to the island available through the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company.

Hampden Road and the Road to Hampden

Hampden Road - the venue, in Mexborough, South Yorkshire, for the Montagu Cup final, the oldest football final still played at its original venue.

It's an 11am start on Easter Monday, 21 April, for AFP Pewter Pot and Westville with admission £3 and free for under-11's.

The Road to Hampden - the Women's Scottish Cup is at the semi-final stage with a Hampden Park double-header on Saturday 26 April (Glasgow City v Motherwell) and Sunday 27th (Rangers v Aberdeen).

Tickets for each game are priced at £10/£5.

Cottage Industry

Two good chances to catch a match at Craven Cottage before the season ends...the under-21 Premier League International Cup is at the semi-final stage with Lyon coming to London on Tuesday 22 April at 7pm. Tickets are priced at £3 adults and £1 for concessions.

And Fulham FC Women take on Sport London e Benfica on Sunday 4 May at 2:30pm with tickets priced at £5 adults and £1 for juniors. 

This time of year is a good one for under-21 matches being played at main club grounds as the weather improves. The official Premier League website has a good fixtures page that covers both Premier League 2 and the Professional Development League.

World's Oldest to New York

Just a few days after I watched Stocksbridge Park Steels recently they made the short journey to Sandygate for a Sheffield Senior Cup semi-final against Hallam FC.

An incredible attendance of 1,255 watched Hallam win and book a place in this season's final where they will play Worksop Town at Rotherham United's New York Stadium.

That game will take place on Thursday 8 May, kick-off 7.30pm, with admission priced at £10 adults, £5 concessions.

The same prices apply at the same venue the previous evening for the Women's Senior Cup final (finalists to be confirmed).

I've got good memories of VS Rugby having success in the Birmingham Senior Cup as a youngster and the county cups remain sought after, whether by smaller clubs enjoying an evening at a Premier League or EFL ground or even the under-21 sides of those bigger clubs who have made their way through the rounds.