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.

Grab a Slice of the Action

Back in 2013 I got the idea for this blog from Coventry City's 'Football for a Fiver' offer during their run to the area final of the Johnstone's Paint Trophy, which culminated in over 30,000 supporters watching the game against Crewe Alexandra.

Nine years on and a fiver will still get you into a match where Wembley is the prize as Wigan Athletic host Sutton United at the DW Stadium on Tuesday 8th March.

Tickets for the Papa John's Trophy Semi-Final are on sale now, priced at £5 for adults and £3 concessions.

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.

The Football League Trophy

Or the EFL Trophy as it is now called.

For many years the Football League Trophy (the Johnstone's Paint as it became known) went along in its own quiet way, the early round fixtures not always being watched by too many supporters but often offering a family-friendly and affordable way to watch competitive action under the floodlights.

I've written on the blog before that it was Coventry City's offer of £5 tickets to their home matches in the competition that got me thinking about a site where similar offers and initiatives were publicised.

Over 30,000 watched the Sky Blues area final against Crewe Alexandra in 2013 and the last two Wembley finals have been watched by a combined total of over 130,000 people.

Competitions are no longer allowed to have their own quiet place in the football calendar, however, and the EFL (itself re-branded from the historic Football League) decided in the summer that the format of the Trophy would be changed to include 64 teams, up from 48 and to move to a group stage for the opening round.

I would have had no problem with the first part of those changes (previously 16 teams had byes to then make a 32-team knockout) if National League clubs had been invited to enter but the clubs who will now compete are actually from the Premier League and Championship and who will be allowed to field Under-23 players.

Quite rightly, in my opinion, there has been a lot of anger about a move which could well pave the way for 'B' teams to be shoehorned into the pyramid in future years, all under the misleading premise that it will somehow benefit the national team at some point.

A number of Premier League clubs have actually turned down the chance to compete and the group stage draw (which also increases the playing burden on clubs with extra matches) has also thrown up some gems such as Shrewsbury having to travel to Middlesbrough (Under-23's) on a Tuesday night.

Sadly, Coventry City were one of the clubs who agreed to the proposal and the Sky Blues are also guilty of promoting their fixture against West Ham United without mention of the fact that it is not the Hammers' first-team who will be attending.

For my own small protest I won't be putting details of ticket offers for matches involving U23/Academy/B teams on Twitter although I will happily say that Gillingham are running a 'Floodlight Football for a Fiver' promotion for their match with Luton Town on Tuesday 30 August and that AFC Wimbledon are donating net profits from the game against Swansea City U-23's (the Dons have actually said that fans, if they do attend any of the group stage matches should do so against Plymouth Argyle) to local charities.

Football For A Fiver: Barnsley FC

The idea for this blog came out of Coventry City’s Johnstone’s Paint Trophy run of the 2012/13 season when the Sky Blues offered £5 tickets for their home ties and attracted over 30,000 to the Ricoh Arena for the Northern Area Final against Crewe Alexandra (we’ll gloss over the result).

 

So it is good to see that Barnsley, who won their Area semi-final at Wigan Athletic recently in a game where all tickets had been reduced to £5, are doing the same for the first leg of the final against Fleetwood Town.

 

All tickets, in all areas of the ground, are a fiver if purchased in advance (£10 on the day) and with the match scheduled for a Saturday (9th January at 3pm) there should be a cracking atmosphere at Oakwell.

Johnstone's Paint Trophy Special

The second round of the competition takes place next week with a number of offers in place which, combined with some family-friendly kick-off times, make it a good option for a night of football under the floodlights.

Stevenage take centre stage with their Football For A Fiver deal as Dagenham & Redbridge are the visitors on Wednesday evening. All tickets in all areas of the ground are £5 when purchased prior to matchday. Under-16's paying on the day will only be charged £5.

The following games all have tickets available for adults at £10.

Bristol Rovers: All terracing & South Stand seats are priced at £10 Adults and £5 Under-16's as the Gas entertain Wycombe Wanderers on Tuesday.

Gillingham: It is £10 Adults, £5 Under-18's and Over-65's and £1 for Under-12's for the visit of Luton Town on Tuesday.

Yeovil: The mighty Sky Blues are the visitors to Huish Park on Tuesday where admission will be priced at £10 Adults and £5 Concessions.

Millwall: A home tie against Northampton for the Lions on Tuesday and tickets are priced at £10 Adults, £5 Over-60's and £1 Under-16's.

Crawley: Southend United are the visitors on Tuesday and admission is priced at £10 Adults, £5 Concessions and £1 Under-11's.

Port Vale: £10 Adults, £5 Concessions and £2 Under-12's at Vale Park on Tuesday night where Blackpool are the visitors.

Fleetwood: The Cod Army take on the Shrews on Tuesday with standing prices £10 Adults, £5 Seniors and Under-18's and £1 Under-16's.

Bury: Morecambe are the visitors to Gigg Lane on Tuesday where prices are £10 Adults, £5 Concessions (including Under-23's and Students), £3 Under-11's and free for Under-5's.

Sheffield United: Admission to Bramall Lane for Tuesday's match against Notts County will be £10 Adults, £5 Concessions and £1 Under-18's.

Crewe: The Railwaymen are charging £10 Adults, £6 Senior Citizens and £2 Under-16's for their game against Wigan Athletic which kicks-off at 7:30pm.

Rochdale: A 7pm kick-off at Spotland for the visit of Chesterfield and admission priced at £10 Adults (17 and over, senior citizens), £5 Juniors (16 and under).

Bradford: A first home tie in the competition for over four years when Barnsley visit on Tuesday with prices set at £10 Adults, £5 Concessions, £1 Under-11's

Football For A Fiver At Stevenage FC

Stevenage host Dagenham & Redbridge in the 2nd Round of the Johnstone's Paint Trophy on Wednesday 7th October at 7:45pm and, if purchased in advance, all tickets in all areas of The Lamex are priced at £5.

Lots of other clubs are offering £10 Adult tickets and Kids for a Quid deals when they host games in the next stage of the JPT so have a look at what your local team are doing.

£5 Tickets At Doncaster Rovers In The Johnstone's Paint Trophy

It was a £5 offer in the JPT that gave me the idea for this site when I saw the impact that Coventry City's ticket initiative had back in the 2012/13 season so I'm always happy to give a plug to any similar deals.

Doncaster Rovers have priced all tickets at £5 for their opening game in this season's competition, at home to Burton Albion on Tuesday 1 September at 7:45pm.

Elsewhere, in keeping with the family-friendly theme of the JPT, Luton Town will kick off against Leyton Orient on the same evening at 7:15pm and an adult (£12) can bring up to four Under-16's to the game for free while Hartlepool United host Sheffield United at 7pm and Under-16s can claim a free ticket if bought from the Ticket Office by 4pm and in conjunction with a full-paying adult.

JPT Area Final: Great Value From Preston North End (And Pretty Good From Walsall Too)

Just 180 minutes from Wembley, Preston North End meet Walsall in the Northern Area Final of the Johnstone's Paint Trophy early in 2015 and both teams have announced very attractive prices for their respective home legs.

PNE, take a bow, with adult prices of either £5 (for Season Ticket holders/Ambassadors) or £6 for general sale, and just £1 (ST holders/ambassadors) or £2 for under-16's.

The Deepdale game is scheduled for Wednesday 7th January at 7:45pm and hopefully the result will leave plenty to play for at the Banks's Stadium on 4th February.

Walsall have announced prices of £10 adults and £5 for over-60's and under-18's.

Hopefully both clubs will be rewarded with full houses and a great atmosphere.

Footy for a Fiver in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy

The Johnstone's Paint Trophy presents an excellent chance for clubs to attract families to their grounds and both Preston North End and Stevenage have taken that opportunity.

Both clubs are at home in the opening round of the competition with games against Shrewsbury and Gillingham respectively taking place on Tuesday 2 September.

PNE have pegged prices at £5 and just £1 for under-16's while club ambassadors and Shrews season ticket holders will pay just £4 if purchasing tickets in advance of matchday.

Stevenage tickets will cost £5 for all ages if purchased in advance, under-16's who pay on the night will still be at the same price while other tickets will be £10.

It's Cheaper Up North (In The JPT)

The Johnstone's Paint Trophy has reached the area semi-final stage with ties set to take place in the week commencing Monday 9th December and all four host clubs having reduced their prices.

Newport County take on Peterborough United with adult tickets purchased in advance costing either £13 or £15 and then varying reductions for concessions.

Swindon Town's game against Stevenage is priced at a maximum of £15 for adult tickets.

In the Northern Area, meanwhile, both Oldham Athletic and Fleetwood Town have capped priced at £10 for adults as they prepare to take on Chesterfield and Rotherham United respectively.

Gateshead, meanwhile, are hoping for a 3,000+ crowd for their re-arranged FA Cup 1st Round replay against Oxford United on Thursday 5 December for which ticket prices have been cut to £5. In the meantime, the club are also offering tickets priced at £10 for adults, £5 for concessions and £2 for under-16's for their FA Trophy home clash with Hednesford this Saturday.

Football For A Fiver In The Johnstone's Paint Trophy

One of the inspirations for starting the Affordable Football blog came from Coventry City's run in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy last season and the momentum that was generated by the club's 'Football For A Fiver' offer.

It started with the game against Sheffield United where a crowd akin to a League One fixture turned up and, because they were all seated together in one stand, created an excellent atmosphere as the Sky Blues triumphed on penalties.

The offer was repeated for the televised game against Preston North End where the last-gasp drama of two home goals in stoppage time ensured scenes never seen before at the Ricoh Arena.

To their credit the club once again priced adult tickets at £5 for the area final against Crewe Alexandra and the offer took on a life of its own as over 30,000 packed into the stadium.

Virtually since the final whistle blew at that game then the fortunes of Coventry City nosedived dramatically (although the two things were not really connected) so it is very difficult to judge what effect the JPT run and the £5 tickets would have had on long-term support. It may have been that there was no impact at all in terms of numbers but the goodwill generated was substantial.

Peterborough United and Preston North End will be looking to do something similar with their offers for this season's 2nd Round stage which takes place in the week commencing 7th October.

All tickets for Posh's game against Brentford are £5 while PNE's local derby with Oldham is priced at £5 for over 16's and £1 for under-16's.

Painting The Towns and Cities (Johnstone’s) Red

It was last season’s Johnstone’s Paint Trophy that gave Coventry City supporters their best memories for many years and also acted as an inspiration for the Affordable Football blog.

‘Football For A Fiver’ was the club’s offer as they progressed through the rounds via home games against Sheffield United and Preston North End to a Northern Area final against Crewe Alexandra that was witnessed by over 30,000 fans at the Ricoh Arena.

All three fixtures created superb atmospheres as families watched together and lapsed CCFC fans were attracted back.

The competition has its detractors but the vast majority of clubs will be offering reduced price tickets for their games this season while the evening kick-off times are often brought forward to reduce the possibility of late finishes (games also go straight to penalty shoot-outs) for children who are there.

Last Saturday saw the 1st Round draw being made with ties taking place in the week commencing Monday 2 September.

Coventry have a bye for this season’s opening round but, ironically, are likely to attract a record low crowd if they have a home tie due to their current circumstances.

Affordable football elsewhere this month? There are plenty of offers from the clubs themselves and the sponsors for the Capital One Cup 2nd Round (adult tickets for Norwich v Bury for example are £10 and Shakers fans can also travel free to the game) while the reserve team leagues are also kicking into action which sometimes offer the chance to sample a match for just a couple of pounds.