Happy Valley

A club that has appeared consistently on these pages over the lifespan of the blog has been Bradford City and the Bantams continue to regularly run good value ticket offers in addition to their attempts to keep season tickets competitively priced.

Evidence of their success with that are some impressive numbers, reported by the local Telegraph & Argus newspaper, of 16,352 season tickets having been sold ahead of the current League One campaign.

The latest ticket offer is for the League Cup tie at home to Burnley, on Wednesday 26 August, with all advance tickets (for home and away supporters) priced at £5.

Carabao Cup Round One

All of the ties below are priced at £10 or less for Adults...

The television cameras will be at the Stadium of Light on Thursday 16th August as Sunderland host Sheffield Wednesday, no surprise perhaps as the Black Cats' fall from grace has changed the nature of such a tie to League One v Championship albeit with two big-name clubs.

Prices for non-season card holders are £10 Adults and £5 for Over 65/Under 16's with a family offer available (2 Adults, 2 Under 16's) of £25.

West Bromwich Albion must start in the first round for the first time in many years and League One newcomers Luton Town will look to cause an upset at The Hawthorns on Tuesday 14th August.

Tickets purchased before 12pm on the day of the game are priced at £10, £5 for Under 18's and Disabled supporters and £3 for Under 11's.

Reading are always proactive with pricing of their home cup ties and advance tickets for the visit of Birmingham City on Tuesday 14th August are priced at £7 Adults (£10 matchday), £5 65+ and 18-24 (£10), £3 for those 17 and under (£5 matchday) and £1 for those 12 and under (£5).

£10 Adult tickets are also on sale for the ties at Norwich City, Millwall and Preston among others.

Wembley For £10 Next Week

A quick line on Tottenham's League Cup tie against either Barnsley or Derby County on Tuesday 19th September (as I'm writing the Tykes and the Rams are playing their delayed Second Round tie) for which Spurs are looking to attract a healthy crowd.

While it feels very strange to be talking about a trip to Wembley in September, fair play to Spurs for reducing prices to £10 Adults and £5 for Under 18's and Over 65's.

League Cup: Queens Park Rangers, Newcastle United

Two things certainly worth mentioning about the upcoming third round of the League Cup with a special occasion being marked at Loftus Road and reduced prices at St James’ Park.

Queens Park Rangers were a third division side when they won the League Cup in 1967, beating West Bromwich Albion 3-2 in a thrilling Wembley final, the first in the competition to be staged at the venue as the Football League sought to increase interest among top-flight clubs by also offering a place in Europe for the winners.

A Guardian article from 2012 tells the story of a famous fightback by the R's, capped, implausibly, by a man named Lazarus.

To mark the upcoming 50th anniversary of that triumph, QPR have made tickets for the game against Sunderland on Wednesday 21 September available at just £6.70 for Adults, Over-60's and 18-21's. Under-18's are priced at £5 with accompanied Under-8's free.

Agreement from both clubs is needed to make ticket offers for cup ties and the above prices apply to Sunderland supporters as well.

Tickets must be purchased in advance to qualify for the reduced prices.

In the North East, meanwhile, Newcastle United have reduced prices for their tie with Wolves on Tuesday 20 September to £10 Adults and £3 Concessions, a good move to capitalise on the positive vibes that have been generated by Rafa Benitez and both his and the club’s attempts to re-engage with its supporter base.

Again, buy in advance for the reduced prices.

Early Start for FA and League Cups

August may only just be upon us but both the FA Cup and League Cup will be getting going over the next week or so.

For many non-league sides, this weekend's FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round ties will be their first competitive action of the season, not ideal in terms of preparation but, as usual, the first step on the road to Wembley will be hard-fought and progress through to the next round much-prized.

A full list of all of the matches can be found on the FA website so please do try and get to a game near you.

In the League Cup, meanwhile, which I may get round to calling the 'EFL Cup' at some point although I'm not a huge fan of the re-branding exercise that has been done for the new season, all of the following matches will cost no more than £10 for Adults and all are scheduled for a 7:45pm kick-off on Tuesday 9th August.

Derby County provide an attractive first trip back in the competition for Grimsby Town and the iPro Stadium game is priced at £10 for Adult non-season ticket holders (£7 for season ticket holders) with various reductions for seniors and juniors.

There is a Lancashire derby at Boundary Park where Oldham Athletic take on their fellow Latics, Wigan. Prices have been set at £10 Adults, £5 for Over-65's and Under-18's and £2 for accompanied Under-12's.

Hartlepool United visit Preston North End with all tickets for the Deepdale clash priced at £10 for those 17 and above and just £1 for those 16 and under.

Reading host Plymouth and, in keeping with their policy over recent seasons, the Royals have significantly reduced prices. Matchday admission is a maximum of £10 but advance adult tickets are £7 and advance prices for those 17 and under are just £1. 

Walsall v Yeovil is £10 Adults, £5 Over-60's and £5 Under-18's.

Bramall Lane season ticket holders can watch Sheffield United take on Crewe Alexandra for free with other prices set at £10 Adults, £5 Concessions and £1 Under-18's.

Capital One Cup Second Round: £10 Ties

The next round of the Capital One Cup will soon be upon us with ties taking place in the week commencing 24th August.

Three Premier League teams who have home draws and have reduced prices to £10 for Adults are Crystal Palace (against Shrewsbury), West Bromwich Albion (against Port Vale which should create a good atmosphere as plenty of visiting supporters will make the short trip) and Sunderland, who have regularly cut prices for cup games over the past couple of seasons. They take on Exeter City.

Hartlepool United have an attractive looking home tie with top-flight newcomers Bournemouth and tickets at the Victoria Ground have been set at £10 Adults and £5 Concessions which is commendable as Pools could probably have charged a bit more but are keen to create a good atmosphere in their bid to cause an upset.

Birmingham City host Gillingham and prices are £10 Adults (£8 for Season Ticket Holders), £5 and £1 for Under-13's.

And a late summer evening at Craven Cottage sounds like a pleasant proposition. Fulham take on cup specialists Sheffield United with prices £10 Adults and £1 for Juniors in all areas of the ground.

All ties are set for Tuesday 25th at 7:45pm except the West Brom game which kicks off at 8pm. Please check the official club websites of all the home teams for further details. Some prices may raise on the day of the game.

Reminder: 10 Capital One Cup Ties For £10

The first round of the 2015/16 Capital One Cup takes place in the week commencing August 10th and it gives clubs an early chance to offer cheaper tickets and kids for a quid deals, coming as it does hard on the heels of the opening weekend of the Football League season and also in the school holidays.

The following games all have a maximum adult ticket price of £10 (if purchased in advance, some prices rise on the day of the game) with various discounts for concessions and children.

Blackburn Rovers v Shrewsbury - League One new boys Shrewsbury look to cause an upset at Ewood Park on Tuesday 11th, 7:45pm. 'Kids for a Quid' for those 17 and under, £5 for 18-21's and Over-65's, £10 for Adults.

Bolton Wanderers v Burton Albion - Another side new to League One who are travelling to Lancashire to face Championship opposition. An 8pm start for this one at the Macron Stadium with tickets £10 Adults and £5 Concessions.

Charlton Athletic v Dagenham & Redbridge - An all-London clash at the Valley on Tuesday 11th, 7:45pm with 'Kids for a Quid' for Under-18's in operation. Adults £10, Concessions £5.

Crewe Alexandra v Preston - Wednesday 12th at 7:45pm for this one as Championship newcomers North End travel to Gresty Road. £10 Adults, £8 Seniors, £4 Under-16's.

Oldham Athletic v Middlesbrough: Wednesday 12th again at 7:45pm with tickets £10 Adults, £5 Concessions and £2 for accompanied Under-12's.

Plymouth Argyle v Gillingham: Tuesday 11th, 7:45pm at Home Park with advance tickets priced at £10 Adults, £8 for Students and Over-65's and £5 for Under-18's.

Portsmouth v Derby County: The live Sky game at what should a well-attended Fratton Park on Wednesday 12th, 7:45pm. £10 Adults, £8 Seniors, £5 Young Adults (17-22) and £2 for Under-17's.

Port Vale v Burnley: The first round of the League Cup is an early reminder for teams relegated from the Premier League of their new surroundings. Burnley look to avoid an upset at Vale Park on Tuesday 11th at 7:45pm with Adults £10, Concessions £5 and Under-12's £2.

Swindon v Exeter: Tuesday 11th at 7:45pm. Adults £10, Concessions £5, Kids £2.

Wigan Athletic v Bury: The two Lancashire clubs meet as League One equals on Tuesday 11th at 7:45pm and 'Kids for a Quid' applies to Under-16's. Adults £10, Concessions £5.

Full details on the official club websites of the respective home teams.

Starter For £10: Ten Capital One Cup Ties

The first round of the 2015/16 Capital One Cup takes place in the week commencing August 10th and it gives clubs an early chance to offer cheaper tickets and kids for a quid deals, coming as it does hard on the heels of the opening weekend of the Football League season and also in the school holidays.

The following games all have a maximum adult ticket price of £10 (if purchased in advance, some prices rise on the day of the game) with various discounts for concessions and children.

Blackburn Rovers v Shrewsbury - League One new boys Shrewsbury look to cause an upset at Ewood Park on Tuesday 11th, 7:45pm. 'Kids for a Quid' for those 17 and under, £5 for 18-21's and Over-65's, £10 for Adults.

Bolton Wanderers v Burton Albion - Another side new to League One who are travelling to Lancashire to face Championship opposition. An 8pm start for this one at the Macron Stadium with tickets £10 Adults and £5 Concessions.

Charlton Athletic v Dagenham & Redbridge - An all-London clash at the Valley on Tuesday 11th, 7:45pm with 'Kids for a Quid' for Under-18's in operation. Adults £10, Concessions £5.

Crewe Alexandra v Preston - Wednesday 12th at 7:45pm for this one as Championship newcomers North End travel to Gresty Road. £10 Adults, £8 Seniors, £4 Under-16's.

Oldham Athletic v Middlesbrough: Wednesday 12th again at 7:45pm with tickets £10 Adults, £5 Concessions and £2 for accompanied Under-12's.

Plymouth Argyle v Gillingham: Tuesday 11th, 7:45pm at Home Park with advance tickets priced at £10 Adults, £8 for Students and Over-65's and £5 for Under-18's.

Portsmouth v Derby County: The live Sky game at what should a well-attended Fratton Park on Wednesday 12th, 7:45pm. £10 Adults, £8 Seniors, £5 Young Adults (17-22) and £2 for Under-17's.

Port Vale v Burnley: The first round of the League Cup is an early reminder for teams relegated from the Premier League of their new surroundings. Burnley look to avoid an upset at Vale Park on Tuesday 11th at 7:45pm with Adults £10, Concessions £5 and Under-12's £2.

Swindon v Exeter: Tuesday 11th at 7:45pm. Adults £10, Concessions £5, Kids £2.

Wigan Athletic v Bury: The two Lancashire clubs meet as League One equals on Tuesday 11th at 7:45pm and 'Kids for a Quid' applies to Under-16's. Adults £10, Concessions £5.

Full details on the official club websites of the respective home teams.

20,000 Crowd is Derby's Capital One Cup Aim

The third round of the Capital One Cup takes place in the week commencing 22 September and having attracted 16,000 to the iPro Stadium for their tie against Charlton Athletic with a maximum adult price of £7, Derby County are aiming to get 20,000 through the gate when they host Reading in another all-Championship clash.

Prices have been kept at the same level and are £5 for season ticket holders, £7 for non-season ticket holders and £1 for all aged under 16.

Chief Operating Officer John Vicars told the official Rams website: “Clearly we are not going to be able to do this for every cup game but our ticket pricing for the Charlton tie proved to be very popular so we’re pleased to announce that it will be the same again for the Reading tie.

"We saw a 16,000 crowd against Charlton, which was a tremendous effort, and with a place in the last sixteen up for grabs for the winners of the Third Round tie next month, I would like to think that even more people will buy into what we are trying to achieve so an attendance of 20,000 should be possible."

A number of other clubs have reduced prices for their ties. Fulham versus Doncaster at Craven Cottage for instance is priced at £10 for adults, £5 for over-65's and 16 to 20-year-olds and £1 for under-16's if purchased before matchday while West Brom versus Hull is £10 for adults and £5 for under-17's, again if purchased before matchday.

Capital One Cup: Derby County Lead the Way

The draw for the second round of the Capital One Cup was made last week and threw up some interesting ties.

While Manchester United's visit to MK Dons won't need any reduced prices, judging by the queue for tickets when they went on sale, plenty of clubs have already announced special offers.

Derby County, always on the ball with affordable offers for their supporters, have cut prices to £5 for season ticket holders and £7 for other adults when they host Charlton Athletic on Tuesday 26 August. Under-16's can attend for just £1.

Much of the focus on the cost of watching Premier League football this season has fallen on London clubs such as West Ham United but the Hammers did offer plenty of concessions for cup ties last year and have done so again for the visit of Sheffield United.

Adults, Under-21's and Over-65's can attend for £10 if tickets are purchased in advance while Under-16's tickets are priced at £5.

Watford host Doncaster Rovers and tickets are priced at £10 for adults, £5 for young adults (16-19), students and over-65's. Under-16's tickets are just £1.

Under-16's tickets for Aston Villa's home tie with Leyton Orient are all priced at £5 with adult tickets in the North Stand/Family Stand costing £10.

Family Feel For Capital One Cup

With the Football League season kicking off this weekend and the opening round of the Capital One Cup next week it is a busy time for clubs up and down the land.

With the school summer holidays in full swing the League Cup ties provide a great chance to take your kids to a competitive game as the competition sponsors have teamed up with all clubs involved so that adult fans can buy up to five childrens' tickets for each game at only £1 each.

In addition a number of clubs have reduced prices for their home games to £10 for adults so check out your local team's official website to see what is happening.

Capital One Cup Update

In addition to the special promotion being run by the sponsors whereby for all first round games an adult can buy up to five children's tickets for just £1 each, the following clubs have already announced ticket prices for their home ties and at each of them there are £10 tickets available for adults in some or all areas of the respective grounds..

Shrewsbury Town, Leyton Orient, Oldham Athletic, Bolton Wanderers, Southend United, Crawley Town and Burton Albion.

More to come in due course.

£1 Children's' Tickets Across Capital One Cup 1st Round

After subsidising a number of 2 for 1 ticket offers in the early stages of last season's competition, Capital One have announced a new initiative for the 1st Round of this year's League Cup.

The sponsors have teamed up with the 72 clubs entering the tournament at the opening stage to launch an offer whereby adults can buy up to five children's tickets for £1 each.

With the draw having been made on Tuesday, details are starting to appear on the official club websites of the teams who have been drawn at home.

Sunderland’s Ticket Stance Is Just Capital!

The draw for the Capital One Cup semi-finals may have set up a ‘dream’ final between the two Manchester clubs but Sunderland’s stance on making the competition an affordable one for their supporters should ensure a great atmosphere at the Stadium of Light on Tuesday 7th January when they play the first leg of their tie against Manchester United.

It will be the fifth consecutive home game in the competition for the Black Cats and ticket prices of £15 and less to date have been rewarded with combined attendances of 73,815 coming through the turnstiles (the tie against Southampton was re-scheduled at short notice as Newcastle were also at home in the competition at that stage).

Faced now with a big game against the champions, Sunderland have resisted the temptation to hike up prices at this stage and instead will charge £20 for adults and £5 for supporters aged under 16 and over 65.

Merry Christmas to everyone reading the blog and enjoy your football over the festive period. Tweet us @affordablefooty, especially if you are going to Carlisle United on Boxing Day dressed as Santa for free entry, heading to Berwick Rangers on Saturday 28th where the game is free entry thanks to the Supporters Trust (donations welcome) or paying what you want at Vauxhall Motors on the same day!

Capital One Cup Still Needs A Push At This Stage

The 3rd Round of the Capital One Cup takes place next week and, while some ties sell themselves (Manchester United versus Liverpool and Swindon v Chelsea which is a sell-out), Wembley is still far enough away that attendances are likely to be on the low side without incentives and special offers being put in place.

Sunderland have offered a £10 adult ticket for the fixture with Peterborough United and will be hoping to build on the 18,992 crowd that attended against MK Dons in the previous round.

Hull City versus Huddersfield tickets are £12 for adults before 6pm on the day of the match while Burnley against Forest is £10 for home season ticket holders when purchased in advance.

Elsewhere there are quite a few clubs who have priced the game at £15 for adults which would seem to be a fair price. Upwards of that and it becomes harder to attract either the floating fan or a season ticket holder who needs to pay extra to attend the game.

An update from our last post about attendance worries and Stoke City have put season tickets back on sale for a 16-game period after sales fell over the summer with a corresponding drop in attendances for the first two games of the season.

As chief executive Tony Scholes implies, ex-season ticket holders, suddenly faced with matchday prices of £25 (against Crystal Palace) and £40 (Manchester City) will very soon get out of the habit of going to games.

Villa, West Ham & Sunderland look for healthy League Cup crowds

The 2nd Round of the Capital One Cup takes place next week and a number of clubs are offering reduced price tickets for their games in addition to another two-for-one offer instigated by the sponsors themselves.

Premier League teams not involved in European competition enter the League Cup at this stage and for those with home ties it needs some creative marketing to ensure healthy attendances.

Three clubs to have caught the eye are Sunderland, West Ham and Aston Villa with all adult tickets at the Stadium of Light and Upton Park just £10 for their games. With the school holidays still going strong it offers a chance for a families to attend games together and (hopefully) see two sides who will be making a determined effort to win the competition.

Adult tickets for the Villa game start from £10 while the club's 'Villa Cash' scheme seems to be a genuine attempt to reward supporters for their commitment.

Season ticket holders were given 5% of their outlay back as a Villa Cash balance (£20 for a £400 season ticket for instance) and all further purchases with the club are similarly rewarded.

That makes a game like the cup tie with Rotherham potentially free and allows for more flexibility than when offers are designated for particular games.

Also beginning next week are a series of three England Under-17 fixtures at the Pirelli Stadium with games against Portugal (Wed 28th), Turkey (Fri 30th) and Italy (Sun 1st September). Tickets are just £1.50 for adults and £1 for concessions.