Hawthorns History

Not a plug for an upcoming game but a nice touch all the same from West Bromwich Albion as they mark 125 years of The Hawthorns.

The doors of the famous old ground will be thrown open for a free event on Wednesday 3rd September, between 8am and 8pm, which includes the opportunity to take a self-guided tour of the East Stand and a gallery of 125 specially chosen Hawthorns images. 

If you want to catch a game at the stadium, Friday evening (29th August) sees the Baggies U21s take on Crystal Palace in Premier League 2, tickets for non-season ticket holders £5/£1.

And WBA Women host Leicester City PGA in the FAWNL Cup on Sunday 7th September, 2pm, tickets priced £2-£6.

September Savers

Tuesday 2nd: Football for a Fiver at Kenilworth Road when Luton Town host Barnet in the Football League Trophy. Tickets are also £5 at Shrewsbury Town for their tie with Walsall and at Bradford City too.

Friday 5th: England Men's U20s take on Italy at the SMH Stadium, home of Chesterfield FC. Tickets are priced at £5 adults, £3 concessions and £1 for under-14's.

Saturday 6th: Cullompton Rangers celebrate their 80-year anniversary with a home game against Torridgeside, pay what you want admission and more.

Monday 8th: Online tickets purchased in advance for Cymru U21s against Denmark at Rodney Parade, Newport, are £4 adults, £2 juniors.

Wednesday 10th: Wolves U21s take on their Real Madrid counterparts in the Premier League International Cup. It's a 7pm kick-off at Molineux, ticket prices to follow but unlikely to be too hefty.

Sunday 14th: Carrow Road for Norwich City Women as they take on Luton Town in the FA WNL. Tickets are priced from £1.75 to £6.75.

Tuesday 16th: Rochdale AFC are offering free admission for all of their home fixtures in the National League Cup this season and they take on Blackburn Rovers U21's in September.

Slow and Steady

You don't hear a great deal about Harrogate Town in the footballing media, possibly because slow and steady progress isn't sexy. 

No big-name players taking their first steps in management, no new owners promising a revolution, no internet votes on which players should be bought and sold.

Just the day-to-day battle of keeping the team competitive in League Two, improving facilities for players and supporters and growing a fanbase with genuine engagement.

With Simon Weaver having been in charge on the playing side since 2009 and his father, Irving, having been chairman since 2011, stability is the watchword in North Yorkshire and although there hasn't yet been a top-half finish since promotion in 2020, many more illustrious names have slipped through the trapdoor into the National League.

A good BBC article from November 2024 sheds more light on the father/son dynamic while, off the field, the new Fan Engagement Plan shows the progress that has been made in that area.

The midweek match against Barrow on Tuesday 19th August is part of a Tenner Tuesdays initiative with tickets £10 for adults, £5 for concessions and £1 for U18's.

Happy Valley

I wrote a piece on Rochdale AFC and the National League Cup a short while, and similar arguments can be made about the Football League Trophy since the introduction of U21 teams into the competition.

But, as Bradford City have said this week, it is a tournament that offers a real chance of winning silverware and at Wembley to boot.

The Bantams have reduced prices to the lowest allowed level for their two home matches in the group stage, against Grimsby Town on Tuesday 2 September (7.30pm) and Everton U21s at a date to be announced.

That means adult tickets are £5 and it is £1 for everyone else. Interestingly, the local Telegraph & Argus newspaper believe the club would have made it just a pound for everyone but were prevented from doing so by the EFL.

Back to Life

Some great photos on Sunday (check out The Dribbling Code on X) of a Montagu Cup match that was played at Millmoor, formerly home of Rotherham United FC, not too far from the Millers' current New York Stadium, and a ground that has been risen from the dead in the past year after investment by Ken Booth jnr, son of ex-RUFC chairman Ken.

It is incredible to see the place come alive again, not only for the action on the pitch and the boost it has given those local teams who have so far played on it, but for some of the reminders of yesteryear, the towering floodlight pylons being just one example.

And, in a real twist, a famous club will be playing at the famous old ground this season as Doncaster Rovers Belles have opted to make it their home for the upcoming campaign.

That speaks to some of the difficulties that the Belles, pioneers of the women's game in England, have had over the past few seasons but the club are determined that their future, hopefully back in Doncaster with Millmoor a temporary home, is a bright one.

Their scheduled fixtures for 2025/26 can be found here.

Town on Track

The milestones keep on coming for Wombwell Town FC having won promotion to Step 5 of the non-league game last season (the NCEL Premier Division) and recently hosting their first ever FA Cup tie as Horbury Town were beaten in an Extra-Preliminary Round replay to set up the visit of Parkgate this coming Saturday (August 16th).

An excellent club website shows the progress that has been made since formation in 2018, both on and off the pitch where the Recreation Ground, nestled inside a go-kart track which makes for some great aerial photographs, is being developed into a genuine community hub that hosts regular events such as a free coffee morning and weekly wellness walk.

The Parkgate game kicks off at 3pm (two trains an hour from both Sheffield and Barnsley stop at Wombwell) and admission is just £5 for adults, £3 for concessions and free for Under-16's.