Week Ahead - 29th December

Time has run out on me for a full update for the coming week but a special mention to Handsworth FC here in Sheffield.

Saturday's home game against Albion Sports (kick-off 3pm on the 3rd Jan) is a 'pay what you want' fixture at Olivers Mount.

Keep up to date on our X page and to support Affordable Football, now into our 13th year, click here. Happy New Year to all.

Update: Reduced prices at Whitchurch Alport of the Midland League as they host Studley on Saturday 3rd. £5 for adults, £3 concessions, free for U16s and anyone showing a season ticket from an EFL or Premier League club.

Steel Yourselves

FA Cup Third Round ties take place across the weekend of 9-12 January and there is a good chance here in Sheffield to watch two games in two days.

The 'under new ownership' signs may not yet be in place at Hillsborough as the Owls take on Premier League side Brentford in a 3pm kick-off on the Saturday but the club's administrators say that 'genuine progress' is being made on that front.

Ticket prices for the game have been reduced to £15 for adults, £10 for seniors/under 21's and £5 for under 17's.

Over at Bramall Lane it was a strange summer with Chris Wilder leaving Sheffield United after defeat in the play-off final, the club (still under relatively new ownership themselves) moving in a different direction in terms of coaching and recruitment.

That direction appeared to be heading only one way however and Wilder was brought back for a third spell as manager with results improving, bar one or two blips along the way.

Former Blades boss Nigel Clough brings Mansfield to S2 for a 2.30pm kick-off on the Sunday with tickets priced at £10 for adults, £5 for concessions and £1 for under 18's.

Week Ahead - 22nd December

Christmas week and there is free football at Chatham Town on Tuesday 23rd when Bromley are the visitors in the Kent Senior Cup. Donations are welcome to the Wisdom Hospice Charity.

Much of the talk about Boxing Day football this year has been the lack of games to be played in the Premier League but there are matches up and down the land on the 26th, many of the non-league fixtures in England being local derbies to boot.

The likes of Wealdstone FC and Sutton United in the National League are offering reduced prices to season ticket holders of clubs in the Premier League and EFL.

A mention to Lutterworth Athletic of the Midland Football League for their free entry offer to the home game against Coventry Copsewood at 12.30 on Boxing Day.

Keep up to date on our X page and to support Affordable Football, now into our 13th year, click here. Merry Christmas to all.

Grecians Earn

Perhaps the best news to come out of this week's FA Cup draw was Exeter City landing an away tie at Manchester City.

As this BBC article explains, the revenue generated from the tie will be a massive boost to the club, supporter owned by the Exeter City Supporters' Trust.

There is action at St James Park this coming Tuesday in the Premier League Under-21 Cup.

West Bromwich Albion are the visitors for a 7pm kick-off with tickets priced at £6/£4/£2.

Update: The Manchester City game has been set for 3pm on Saturday 10 January, meaning no live TV boost for Exeter but a classic FA Cup kick-off time which will hopefully be better for those making the long journey, rather than say a Friday or Monday evening.

Exeter City Women are next in action at St James Park on Sunday 25 January, against AFC Bournemouth in the WNL Southern Premier Division.

Advance tickets for that game are priced at £6/£5 and £4.

Week Ahead - 15th December

Two good opportunities to watch a match under the lights at Goodison Park as Everton U21s play their next games in the Premier League International Cup. PSV Eindhoven are the opposition on Monday evening then on Friday it is AS Monaco. 

Both fixtures are 7pm kick-offs with tickets for each priced at £5 adults and £3 concessions.

Our 'Twelve Games of Christmas' piece has details of three non-league games with free admission on Saturday 20th. On the same afternoon there is 'festive football for a fiver' at Bexhill United for their match against AFC Varndeanians (£3 concessions, £1 under-18's).

Keep up to date on our X page and to support Affordable Football, now into our 13th year, click here.

Week Ahead - 8th December

Some good value action in the EFL at the weekend, as well as reduced prices at Southend United and Eastbourne Borough, is covered in our 'Twelve Games of Christmas' article but there is plenty more going on.

The FA Youth Cup is at the 3rd Round stage, Cambridge United hosting Derby County at the Abbey Stadium on Wednesday 10th at 7.30pm. Tickets are priced at £5 adults, £2 under-18's.

Also at the same stage is the Women's FA Cup. Wolves take on Nottingham Forest at 12.15pm on Saturday 13th, the game being the first ever shown live on Channel 4. Advance tickets for the tie, at Keys Park, Hednesford, are £5/£3.

The rest of the fixtures take place on Sunday 14th.

Keep up to date on our X page and to support Affordable Football, now into our 13th year, click here.