Promised Land

One of the main themes of this blog, since its inception, has been the fluctuating fortunes of Coventry City FC, the Sky Blues having spent time in Leagues One and Two as well as being exiled to both Northampton and Birmingham since the very first article on Affordable Football in July 2013.

That touched on how the idea came about for starting the blog, the Sky Blues 'football for a fiver' offer during a run to the area final of the Football League Trophy amidst a dispute over the Ricoh Arena that led to the club leaving the city for the first time.

£10 tickets were in place for the homecoming to Coventry in August 2014 but the next few years were punctuated by various crises, so much so that even over 40,000 fans heading to Wembley in March 2017 was only a temporary respite before relegation to League Two.

Community Day and £5 tickets in February 2018 meant that 28,000 watched a League Two fixture against Accrington Stanley but, even as fortunes slowly improved on the pitch, there were to be more twists in the tale as City headed to St. Andrews for a season.

Fast forward to October 2025 and City headed back to the top of the Championship with victory over Blackburn, a position they were only to relinquish very briefly before sealing promotion in style and sparking celebrations across the city.

I wrote after that game that 'the need to tempt people through the turnstiles isn't a problem at present, demand may soon exceed supply in that regard,' and, of course, that will be even more so in the Premier League next season.

A Place Like Home

Coventry City versus Blackburn Rovers, Saturday 18th October 2025 and the Sky Blues head back to the top of the Championship table, two goals in as many second-half minutes breaking the resistance of a hard-working, disciplined visiting side.

Just over 20 years into its existence, the Coventry Building Society Arena as it is now known has finally become a home for Coventry City FC, not just because ownership of the club and the stadium is now in the same hands, but because it has become a place where you can actually enjoy spending your Saturday afternoon.

Results on the pitch help, of course, and the Sky Blues have continued their upward trajectory of the last few years, seasons that have seen two promotions, two tilts at the Premier League via the play-offs and a dramatic FA Cup semi-final at Wembley.

The Ricoh Arena, as it was, was a spectacularly uninviting place at times, the occasional efforts of those at the club to make it feel welcoming, such as the 2018 Community Day.

Saturday saw the opening of a new fan village in the Arena's Exhibition Hall, open late after the game, to go alongside the bars and food stalls that line the East Stand prior to kick-off. The price of a pint was kept at a reasonable price and, as the marketing messages have been keen to remind people, every penny now spent at the ground goes back into the club.

With tickets for the Blackburn game only available on a ticket exchange in the past few days, it had the look and feel of a big club in action, on and off the field.

Often when I have written about the Sky Blues on this blog since starting it in 2013, it has been in the context of the troubles affecting the club, punctuated by attempts to re-engage with the supporter base through ticket offers and the likes.

The need to tempt people through the turnstiles isn't a problem at present, demand may soon exceed supply in that regard.

Yesterday's ticket cost £32 which, in the context of prices for all manner of things at present, probably doesn't qualify as affordable but isn't extortionate either, although I am well aware that other matches have cost more and that Birmingham City fans were very unhappy with the prices charged to them recently.

A Long Time Gone - Updated

'Take me home, Highfield Road', sing Sky Blues supporters and, even as the years roll by, there's many a moment when I find myself thinking about a place where I spent so much time between the early 80's and Coventry's move to their new stadium in 2005.

I'm sure Everton fans will feel the same in years to come, however nice their new home is (and it looks fantastic from the videos), and are taking in as many memories as they can this season of the sights and sounds of a matchday at Goodison Park.

If you fancy doing just that then tickets for the women's Merseyside Derby, on Sunday 17th November (kick-off 3pm), will be on general sale later this week, priced at £10/£5 and £2.

Updated 22 October: As well as the derby, Everton Women's game against Chelsea on Sunday 3rd November (6:45pm) will also be at Goodison.

Tickets for that one are also priced at £10 adults, £5 for concessions and £2 for under-18s with special bundle packages also available for both matches.

Grab a Seat

Back in 2013 I wrote a piece on transport to and from games, how having bus or train travel included with the cost of your match ticket, or at a reduced price at least, can make a small positive contribution to what, increasingly, can be an expensive day out.

I highlighted at the time how such an initiative had never really been put in place at the Ricoh Arena (as it was then) despite the presence of a train line running alongside it and plenty of talk about a green travel plan when the stadium first opened.

So, in keeping with the positive moves that have been, made over the past year or so, to improve the matchday experience for Sky Blues' supporters, it is good to see a free shuttle bus service being trialled for the upcoming matches against Tottenham and Swansea.

Sunday Best

Wembley Stadium around 45 minutes before the start of the FA Cup semi-final between Coventry City and Manchester United last Sunday.

It was to be an occasion that will live long in the memory of both Sky Blues supporters and neutrals too, judging by the number of messages I received afterwards from friends who follow other teams.

Affordable Football? Ticket-wise I would argue that yes it was, with plenty of price categories and I don't think too many Coventry fans would say they didn't get value for money out of the day although of course the relatively pressure-free atmosphere going into the game as huge underdogs was a factor in that.

For those cheering on the Reds it was obviously less of a novelty, before the logistics and costs of getting to and from the stadium (with the game not finishing until around 6:30pm on a Sunday evening after that unexpected 30 minutes of extra-time and penalties) to factor in.

From that perspective it is a positive move to see United subsidising season ticket holding under-16's for the final and for the kick-off time to be set at 3pm once again.

Saturday, 3pm

Whether you're watching your team in person, or following it from afar, 3pm on a Saturday remains a special time for football supporters.

I'm writing this as my team, Coventry City, play at Sheffield Wednesday, just a couple of miles down the road from where I live.

My status in the ticket-buying pecking order for the Sky Blues these days meant that the away allocation had been snapped up before they went on general sale. 

Despite some kind offers from Owls fans that I know, I opted to stay at home although I will be there on Friday evening when the teams meet again, this time in the FA Cup.

Ticket prices for that game are £15 adults, £10 senior/under 21's and £5 for under 17's.

If you fancy visiting another couple of famous northern grounds next week then Blackburn Rovers Under-21's have a Premier League International Cup tie against Sparta Prague at Ewood Park on Thursday (7pm, £5/£3, under 12's free) while Manchester United Under-21's host Norwich City in Premier League on Saturday at Old Trafford (3pm, £3/£1.50).

With plenty of games once again called off, many others will have been kicking their heels today but spare a thought for those who normally spend their Saturday afternoons at Marske United or Nuneaton Borough with both of those clubs having had to withdraw from their respective leagues in recent weeks.

Millers Night

 

The New York Stadium, around 45 minutes or so before kick-off in Wednesday evening's EFL Championship game between Rotherham United and Coventry City.

10,553 were in attendance,including 2,174 travelling supporters but it was they who went home disappointed as the Sky Blues struggled to make anything meaningful out of their 66% share of the ball and conceded the all-important first goal of the game to Lee Peltier's flicked header from a corner shortly after half-time.

Pushing for an equaliser, Coventry allowed the hosts more and more opportunities on the break and the Millers wrapped up three important points with a second goal late on to end the night in good spirits and looking forward to a local derby at Hillsborough on Sunday lunchtime that Rotherham will go into with a strong belief that they can make it two wins on the spin.

For City, heightened expectations after last season's run to the play-off final and a summer transfer spree funded by the sales of Gus Hamer and Viktor Gyokeres hasn't quite matched up to the reality so far as Mark Robins tries to achieve what may yet prove an impossible task - another year of finishing in a higher position than the one before.

I paid £25 for my ticket and £8 for my son who is 12 and I think that's more than fair at this level of the game.

Rotherham are a club with local owners, a club that works well in the local community and one that offers a simple pricing structure for their home league matches with advance adult tickets for non-platinum games costing £25 or £27 and platinum matches priced at £27 and £29.

Gate receipts will remain an important part of their turnover as they try and battle against the financial odds themselves and secure another season in the second-tier of English football.

The Big 10-Year Piece

This month marks 10 years since I first starting posting here on the blog and also over on twitter as @AffordableFooty and I'm really pleased that it's still going strong and hopefully still letting people know about upcoming matches they may fancy going to.

There's been some constants throughout the years, my local club Hallam FC being one of them.

I've seen The Countrymen go from strength to strength during that time, combining their history in the origins of the game with great use of social media to increase crowds at Sandygate and then keep them coming back with admission still only a fiver for adults and a warm, friendly welcome from their army of volunteers.

And speaking of fivers it's great to see that that humble note will still get you through plenty of turnstiles around the country.

My own Sky Blues were the original inspiration for the site after the success of their football for a fiver initiative in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy during the dark days of a decade ago when only a run to the semi-finals of that competition kept spirits up.

It was hard to imagine then (and even harder after relegation to League Two in 2017) that the club could be back on the brink of a Premier League return and much more firmly established back in the city. 

Inevitably that means they probably feature slightly less on these pages than a few years ago like when 28,000 watched the League Two game against Accrington Stanley for which tickets were priced at a fiver.

Bradford City's affordable season ticket campaigns have spanned the entire lifespan of this blog and  they show no sign of stopping with over 14,500 already sold for the 2023/24 campaign, a remarkable figure especially as League Two hasn't changed in terms of how difficult it must be to run a club successfully in that division. 

I've written about more than once about new owners coming into the lower leagues with good intentions and special offers for supporters but staying the course has proved difficult for many.

Further down the pyramid it is a testament to thousands of hard-working volunteers that so many clubs have come through the past few years, not only to survive but thrive as hubs for their local community.

Speaking of constants, The Non-League Paper is still going strong, a great source of results and fixtures on a Sunday morning and Non-League Day, the brainchild of James Doe from the London Football Guide, has become part of the football calendar.

I'll also never tire of posting photos of the wooden grandstand at Great Yarmouth Town!

My first article on women's football was in September 2013 and it has been great to see the growth in interest and participation over the following decade, culminating of course in a joyous atmosphere for last year's European Championships, Sheffield enjoying the luck of having both Swedish and Dutch fans in town.

By contrast I didn't write about the Highland League until August 2019 after my parents had moved permanently to the area and I went to a game at Mackessack Park, the home of Rothes FC.

I've been back plenty of times since, to Strathspey Thistle, Keith, Turriff United and Lossiemouth with more competitive football and cracking backdrops to come.

So, a massive thanks to everyone who has ever read these pages and/or followed or liked on twitter. here's to pre-season friendlies!

City Are Back

Really good to see Sky Blues supporters finally getting a chance to see the side in action on home soil this season, with the pitch fiasco that has seen three Championship fixtures postponed and a League Cup tie moved now hopefully put to bed following this week's improvement work.

The midweek clash with Preston North End on Wednesday 31August has been given the go-ahead and tickets for the game will cost no more than £20 and I also like the fact that there is no increase on the day and cash turnstiles are available.

That element of deciding to go to a game on the spur of the moment has either been taken away completely or, at the very least, made more difficult at the top levels in recent years but it is something that the Sky Blues have maintained and very welcome it is too.

Whiling Away an Afternoon

To pass time in a leisurely manner is the dictionary definition of whiling and that summed up the opportunity to watch Coventry City's Under-23s at Bramall Lane on Tuesday afternoon.

Admission for non-season ticket holders was £3 for adults and for that price you got a padded seat in the main stand at this fine old ground, as well as a teamsheet.

The official Premier League website has a good fixture list for both Premier League 2 and the Professional Development League, with a number of matches played at the main ground of the host club.

This coming Saturday, all tickets are priced at just £1 as Sheffield United Women host Liverpool at Bramall Lane in the Championship.

Football for a Fiver and an Unlikely JPT Sell-Out

Coventry City's run to the area final of the Johnstone's Paint Trophy in the 2012/13 season came at a very strange time in the history of the Sky Blues.

It was their first season since relegation from the Championship and a first back in the third tier of English football since the days of Jimmy Hill.

Andy Thorn had stayed on as manager despite the drop but would only last two games of the new League One season while popular former player Richard Shaw had unfortunately overseen a fairly disastrous period in caretaker charge before Mark Robins was appointed as the new boss.

Off the field things were little better with owners SISU increasingly unpopular.

In the JPT, having beaten Burton Albion in an epic penalty shoot-out and then eased to victory at Bootham Crescent, Coventry took on Sheffield United in the area quarter-final in early December.

Mark Robins' changes were slowly taking effect and the Sky Blues were becoming a more potent force in attack thanks to the goals of loanee David McGoldrick.

Tickets for all areas of the Ricoh Arena were priced at £5 and more than 10,000 took advantage to watch a close tie settled by another shoot-out in Coventry's favour and set up a new year home area semi-final with Preston North End.

Once again it was football for a fiver and this time over 12,000 were in attendance and hopefully the majority of them stayed until the end to watch a dramatic conclusion with two goals for the hosts in injury time turning around a 2-1 deficit.

All of this was in the context of league attendances that averaged just under 11,000 across the season and ever-more ominous rumours that a rent row between SISU and the owners of the Ricoh Arena would see the club leave Coventry at the end of the campaign.

The area final of the JPT paired City with Crewe Alexandra over two legs and the club, to their credit, again offered all tickets at £5.

A first Wembley appearance since 1987's Charity Shield galvanised the city and ticket sales grew on a daily basis to the point that 31,054, just shy of the record attendance for a Coventry game at the stadium, filled the Ricoh Arena in expectation.

What happened next? 

A deflating 3-0 defeat for the hosts told less than half of the story. 

Robins left for Huddersfield before a second-leg that saw City nearly, but not quite, pull back the deficit, a 10-point deduction for entering administration was imposed by the Football League and it was announced that Coventry would be playing their 'home' matches in Northampton the following season.

From hope to despair in the space of a few weeks.

Home Thoughts From New York

A first trip to the New York Stadium last Saturday was also my first glimpse of Coventry City in action this season and I clearly put a hex on the previously unbeaten Sky Blues as they not only lost their first game of the campaign but did so in some style as Rotherham ran out 4-0 winners and could, in truth, have added to that tally.

But the ground itself was well worth a visit, smart and modern of course but a physical part of the town itself and not isolated on the outskirts with only a retail park for company.

That means good public transport links and a sense that Rotherham are playing a part in the local community beyond the usual work that all clubs undertake, something more tangible in the benefits the stadium and the supporters going to it hopefully bring to the town centre itself.

Price-wise, I paid £23 for an adult ticket which in an ideal world would perhaps be lower but the Millers (rightly) have ambitions to establish themselves in the Championship and the financial clout needed to do that grows bigger every year.

In the absence of a fairer distribution of revenue and with the club locally owned and run that means money from ticket sales is crucial.

The New York will host matches at the 2021 Women's Euros.

Rotherham's upcoming League One game against Wycombe Wanderers on Saturday 26th October is a 'Kids for a Quid' fixture while season ticket holders can bring a friend for a fiver when Accrington Stanley visit on Saturday 16th November.

Belated Thoughts From Glanford Park

A few weeks back I went to watch the Sky Blues in action at Scunthorpe where the home side edged a closely-fought game 2-1 to continue an upturn in form that has continued throughout the month.

There was a warm welcome on offer, from the police officers who directed me from the train station to the stewards at the ground who were relaxed about Coventry supporters sitting where they wanted to in the away end rather than sticking to allocated seats.

Although it was only opened in 1988, the first in the new wave of stadium builds, Glanford Park had something of an old-fashioned air about it which for me was a positive but for the club themselves something of a drawback in terms of the commercial opportunities they are missing out on, hence plans in place to redevelop the site completely.

My ticket was £22, probably around par for the division and although the nature of this blog is to highlight special offers and reduced prices I’m under no illusions as to how hard it is for clubs such as Scunthorpe to both survive and be competitive in League One.

Cutting their prices isn’t likely to make much difference to attendances, given the capacity of the ground and the potential fanbase, and therefore a crucial source of revenue would be reduced.

Early-bird prices have been frozen for five seasons and the home fixture against Accrington Stanley on 9th February is 'Grassroots Football Day' with special offers in place for players from local junior clubs and accompanying adults.

For the Sky Blues, this coming Saturday is 'Community Day' at the Ricoh Arena with thousands of tickets given away free to local schools and clubs and the remainder available at just £5 each in all areas of the ground if purchased prior to matchday.

February Footy

Coventry City host their second Community Day for the visit of Gillingham to the Ricoh Arena on Saturday 2nd with thousands of tickets being given free to local schools and clubs and all other tickets on sale at just £5.

Last season's inaugural staging of the event saw over 28,000 in attendance for a League Two clash with Accrington Stanley.

The future remains hugely uncertain for the Sky Blues as their deal to play at the Ricoh is once again approaching its end and the ongoing legal action being pursued by the club’s owners make the prospect of any deal with Wasps over an extension unlikely at present.

Mark Robins has worked wonders on the field to drag City back from what looked to be a freefall through the divisions and engagement with supporters (such as with the Community Day event) has been much improved over the past year or so.

Here's hoping that I will be writing about a third staging of the Community Day in CV6 next season.

Similarly improving on the field against a continuing backdrop of dissatisfaction with unpopular owners are Charlton Athletic, Lee Bowyer having guided his side into the thick of the promotion chase.

The offer of Football for a Fiver is a longstanding initiative at the Valley and it is in place for the League One fixture at home to Blackpool on Saturday 16th.

I've got my tickets for the Women's Continental League Cup Final at Bramall Lane on Saturday 23rd (kick-off 12.15pm) with the participants to come from semi-finals between Arsenal and Manchester United and Chelsea and Manchester City (tickets for this game at Kingsmeadow on Wednesday 6th are available priced at just £3 Adults and £1 Concessions).

Early-bird prices for the final are £7.50 Adults (£10 afterwards) and £1 for Concessions.

Community Day 2019 at Coventry City

After the success (off the field) of last season’s Community Day, which attracted a crowd of over 28,000 to the League Two fixture between Coventry City and Accrington Stanley, the Sky Blues will be repeating the event for the game against Gillingham on Saturday 2 February 2019.

It means thousands of tickets will be distributed to local schools and all other tickets, in all areas of the Ricoh Arena, will cost just £5.

Things have certainly improved for City supporters over the past couple of years from the nadir of relegation in 2016.

Mark Robins has presided over two Wembley victories and a promotion and, slowly, attendances at the ground are creeping back up.

Owners SISU remain hugely unpopular for presiding over the decline and, more importantly, the move out of the city to Northampton in 2013.

The spectre of that happening again remains as the current agreement to play at the Ricoh lasts only until the end of the current season and talks with owners Wasps are on hold due to the ongoing legal action being taken by the football club owners.

But those in charge of the day-to-day running of the club are always keen to stress that those matters are not instigated or affected by them and there is no doubt that communication with supporters has improved drastically over the past 18 months.

Not far away and a club that has close ties with Coventry City have come through a difficult period of their own in recent months, Nuneaton Borough facing the very real threat of going out of existence before a recent takeover.

Their National League North fixture against Guiseley on Saturday 22 December has reduced prices of £10 Adults and £1 for Under 16's.

Barnsley U23's v Coventry City U23's

An afternoon off work to catch the Sky Blues Under 23's in action at Barnsley on Friday, the hosts winning the game 1-0.

This one took place at the Tykes smart Training Ground/Academy set-up behind the main Oakwell ground but both the grass pitch that this game was being played on and the 4G next to it had ample seating areas and vantage points to watch from.

The action itself can sometimes play second fiddle in these sorts of surroundings as you will often be stood next to plenty of faces you half-recognise, former professionals now involved in the game as coaches or scouts and looking at potential signings for their clubs.

Their presence on the sidelines forms part of the fabric of football up and down the country but the sound of German voices alongside them this afternoon from members of Barnsley's first-team coaching staff shows that the game is becoming ever more global.

Barnsley's next scheduled Under 23 home fixture is on Friday 14th September against Crewe Alexandra. Games played at the main stadium are usually free admission as well.

Coventry City Community Day

Unfortunately you cannot always organise the right result to go with a day that was otherwise very successful for Coventry City.

Just a few hours after announcing that they would be playing at the Ricoh Arena once again in 2018/19 the Sky Blues attracted more than 28,000 supporters through the turnstiles for their League Two fixture against Accrington Stanley.

Justifiably much-maligned by their fans over the past couple of seasons for high prices and a distinct lack of customer-friendliness, City did everything right for this one with thousands of free tickets for local schoolchildren, £5 tickets for everyone else, reduced price programmes, free parking available and a supporter village before the match.

Dominant at home in recent matches, Mark Robins injury and illness-hit side went behind early and never got in a blow at a well-organised Stanley side.

Empty seats aplenty were in evidence before the final whistle but the children at the game seemed to enjoy it and it keeps the club firmly in their mind for the future.

Coventry City Pull Out All The Stops For Community Day

I've been critical throughout the past two seasons about Coventry City's lack of engagement with supporters, over and above the headline off-field issues that continue to pose a genuine threat to the club’s future, on ticket prices and the general matchday experience at the Ricoh Arena.

That has exacerbated the low crowds that have become synonymous with home games at the stadium as disenchantment with owners SISU has grown.

Fans remain wary about the catalogue of errors that have pushed City down into League Two and worried that there is still no announcement as to where home games will be played next season.

It may be a one-off but the Sky Blues have got it spot on with their Community Day plans, however.

The visit of Accrington Stanley to CV6 on Saturday 10 February will see the North Stand of the Ricoh filled with local schoolchildren and their teachers/parents.

All other tickets have been made available at £5 each (with reduced prices also on Premium Lounge and Executive Box seats).

And a decent extra touch is the provision of free off-site parking on the day as well, at one site initially but with more potentially to come.

Public transport options are poor for getting to the Ricoh (despite a railway station finally being completed next to the stadium a couple of years ago) but the cost of parking is an extra expense on top of ticket prices in excess of £20 for League Two football.

£5 Football Is Back At Coventry City

Affordable Football started out, tentatively, as a blog and on Twitter in the summer of 2013. It's inspiration came, strangely enough, from Coventry City's run to the area final of the Johnstone's Paint Trophy in the 2012/13 season.

The Sky Blues had offered tickets at £5 for the area quarter-final against Sheffield United and were rewarded with an attendance of over 10,000 at the Ricoh Arena at a time when gates were falling amidst deepening discontent with the club's owners.

Prices were held for the semi-final against Preston North End (12,665 coming through the gates) and, to the club's credit, for the area final home leg against Crewe Alexandra. This game took on a life of its own as ticket sales grew and grew until the Ricoh was sold out for the first time for a Coventry home match.

31,054 were there and I sat next to a gentleman who was travelling around the country for the next two weeks and watching a game on most days. He had read about the ticket offer on the City website and it formed an idea in my mind about a website where you could read about reduced price tickets and offers in one place.

I wondered whether there would be enough to write about but that certainly hasn't been a problem as clubs, at all levels, up and down the country are constantly trying innovative ideas to get people through the turnstiles.

The Sky Blues were very proactive in that area two seasons ago but disappointingly have not been so since, moving from a 'twenty's plenty' stance in 2015/16 to higher prices now despite being in a lower division.

Add some PR own goals (such as footage of stewards ordering supporters to sit in their numbered seat at a Football League Trophy game despite their being just the 31,180 empty places in the ground) and it has intensified the bad feeling around the club, on top of the ownership and stadium issues, at a time when Mark Robins has put together a competitive side who are firmly in the League Two promotion mix.

But for the visit of Accrington Stanley to the Ricoh Arena, on Saturday 10 February, City have gone all out and have priced tickets at £5 in all areas while local schoolchildren will be handed free entry with their families in the North Stand.

The Coventry Derby This Weekend

Although Mark Robins is a popular figure among supporters and has put together a squad capable of challenging for promotion this season, thousands of Coventry City fans are simply out of the habit of going to home matches.

Last Friday, the Sky Blues played Wycombe Wanderers at the Ricoh Arena. Two teams in the play-off places with many people having finished work for the Christmas holidays.

Belatedly, the club put a ticket offer in place for groups of six or more (£15 each) or ten or more (£10 each) but only 7,234 watched an exciting game that ended 3-2 to the hosts.

Even promotion and a change of ownership is unlikely to change anything overnight and the issue has, in my opinion, been compounded in the past year by the abandonment of the £20 maximum ticket price that was introduced for the 2015/16 season and which, together with some exciting football on the pitch for the first half of the campaign, saw a steady increase in crowds.

Of course there are still many who need their football fix and back in the summer I wrote about local Non-League clubs Coventry Sphinx and Coventry United and their efforts to entice Sky Blues supporters with their season ticket prices.

Both sides are going along quite nicely in the Midland Football League at present and meet at Sphinx Drive this Saturday in an eagerly-awaited derby clash which should, with Coventry City away at Carlisle United, attract a very healthy attendance.

Admission is priced at £6 Adults, £4 Concessions and free for Under 16's.