Burnham, Dereham...West Ham

Just a few years away now from celebrating their 150th anniversary, Burnham FC of the Combined Counties League look to have a thriving set-up at the 1878 Stadium in Buckinghamshire.

Pre-season friendlies have been arranged at home to Corinthian Casuals on Wednesday 2 July, London Samurai Rovers (Sat 5th), Binfield FC (Wed 9th), Marlow FC (Sat 12th) and Bedfont FC on Saturday 19th with free admission for each game.

Norfolk club Dereham Town are gearing up for the new season in the Eastern Counties League, with season tickets under £100, and are also offering free entry to their pre-season matches at Aldiss Park.

Five home games are scheduled between the 8th and 24th of July.

And, on a slightly different tangent, a mention of the pre-season friendly between West Ham United and Lille that will take place at the London Stadium on Saturday 9 August.

I've written before that the blog doesn't exist in a vacuum and it only takes a quick glance at a Hammers forum to see plenty of weariness regarding the stadium, it's suitability for watching football and the matchday experience.

But, taken purely on its own terms, tickets for the Lille game do offer the chance of a decently-priced family day out in the school holidays as they are available from £10 for adults and £5 for under-18's.

December Dates

Keep an eye out in December for FA Youth Cup fixtures, hopefully many of which will be played at the main stadium of the clubs drawn at home, with Premier League and Championship teams joining the competition at this third round stage.

Spotted so far...Norwich City versus Brentford at Carrow Road on Monday 9th (£2 adults, free for under-18's) and Preston North End versus Liverpool at Deepdale on Friday 6th (free for season ticket holders from either club, £5/£1 otherwise.)

Similarly in the Premier League International Cup for under-21 teams, there are scheduled fixtures at Molineux (Wolves v Ajax on Wed 4th, tickets £4, £2 and free for under-17's), Carrow Road (Norwich v PSV Eindhoven on Thu 5th, tickets £2 and free for under-18's) and the Riverside.

Wembley will seem a little closer to those clubs who make it through the FA Vase Third Round, with ties to be played on 7/8th December and the same will be true of Hampden Park after the Women's Scottish Cup fixtures that same weekend.

Bolton Wanderers Women host a Festive Family Fun Day on Sunday 1st with free admission to the game against Preston North End (kick-off 2pm at the home of Atherton Collieries) and plenty of activities taking place, while there is pay what you want admission to Wombwell Town against Selby Town in the Northern Counties East League on Tuesday 3rd after the abandonment of the original fixture.

Free by the Sea

There are probably enough pictures on this blog already of the famous old grandstand at Great Yarmouth Town to post another one but if you want to see the real thing then this coming Wednesday evening is a good opportunity.

Thanks to sponsors HTG-UK there is free admission to everyone for the league game at home to Mulbarton Wanderers.

Take a Seat

Take a seat this coming Saturday in the oldest stand in world football, dating back to 1892, at the Wellesley Recreation Ground, home of Great Yarmouth Town FC.

Admission for an important game at the top of the Thurlow Nunn Eastern Counties League First Division, against Stanway Pegasus, is on a Pay What You Want basis.

In the area on Friday evening? The Premier League 2 Under-21 game between Norwich City and West Ham United at Carrow Road (kick-off 7pm) has free tickets available.

A View From Norfolk

Some footballing views from a week spent in Norfolk, home to my favourite ground of all, the Wellesley, home of Great Yarmouth Town FC and the oldest surviving football grandstand in the country.

The public nature of the ground, just one street away from the seafront, means you can stroll around at almost any time and I always take the opportunity when I can even though my visits haven't coincided with a game for some years.

Next home game in the Eastern Counties League for The Bloaters is on Saturday 17 September when they entertain Haverhill Borough.

I was staying further along the coast at Sheringham where the Shannocks enjoyed one of the biggest wins in their history at the weekend, an FA Cup triumph at Lowestoft Town which earned them a place in the 2nd Qualifying Round and a trip to Needham Market a week on Saturday.

Cabbell Park in Cromer was the venue for an Anglian Combination Division 5 game between Cromer Youth OB and Sprowston Reserves, the home side taking a first-half lead from an excellent free-kick before a seven goal blitz from Sprowston after the break.

The ground itself has seen better days but it is good to see a long tradition (the plaque on the left is on display at the RNLI Henry Blogg Museum) of senior football in the town being carried on, and, more importantly perhaps, Cromer Youth FC is home to a large number of junior teams.

Head west along the coast road and you get to Wells-next-the-Sea and, just across from the harbour, the Beach Road home of Wells Town FC, a very pleasant spot to catch some Anglian Combination action.

Finally, all roads in Norfolk lead to Norwich and the same is true of the football club. The Canary Yellow is in evidence every where you go and it is pleasing to see a network of local buses heading off from the local villages and towns every matchday.

No Excuse Needed

To dig out some pictures of the Wellesley Recreation Ground, home of Great Yarmouth Town, and no excuse not to visit this coming Saturday if you're spending Easter in the area.

Admission to The Bloaters' final home game of the season on Saturday, against Framlingham Town, is on a Pay What You Want basis.

Quite a few clubs are throwing open their doors this weekend, including Sutton Coldfield Town for the visit of Histon and Racing Club Warwick as they entertain Stone Old Alleynians.

All Quiet at Great Yarmouth Town

 

 

 

Wide open spaces at the Wellesley Recreation Ground, home of Great Yarmouth Town, on a hot August afternoon.

 

The seaside resort was busy with holidaymakers, thronging to the pier, the arcades and the cafes, but the football ground lay all quiet.

 

Current restrictions mean that any scheduled matches would have to be played behind closed doors, a situation that seems strange to say the least given the wide open spaces of the Wellesley and the busy streets beyond.

 

The hashtag #letfansin is gaining currency across social media as clubs grapple with the increased regulation needed to put games on and the loss of income from supporters not being able to watch.

 

An excellent article on the twohundredpercent website lays out the hugely difficult situation now facing the game at levels below the National League.

But it's to be hoped that supporters will once again be able to watch a game in the shadow of this beauty, the oldest surviving grandstand in the country and worthy of an entry on the Historic England website...

Sheringham FC, Cabbell Park Cromer

Looking good in the August sunshine, the Weybourne Road home of Sheringham FC captured through the fence on Monday afternoon.

The Shannocks enjoyed a solid first season in the Eastern Counties League, lying seventh in the Division One North table before the suspension of action.

Admission prices were under a fiver in that campaign and I'm sure there will be some more great value football by the seaside in the coming season.

I also took a peek at Cabbell Park which I last visited for a game involving Cromer Town a couple of years ago.

The club sadly dropped out of the Anglian Combination the following season but the men's section of Cromer Youth Old Boys are set to play there in the coming campaign and tweeted recently that they had had positive dialogue with the local council about upgrading the facility.

Sheringham FC

I popped my head over the fence at Sheringham FC last summer while on holiday in the lovely Norfolk town.

It turned out to be a successful season for The Shannocks as they won the Anglian Combination Premier Division title and earned promotion to Division One North of the Eastern Counties League.

Admission prices have had to be adjusted for the new level of football but there is still cracking value on offer with Adults at £4, Concessions at £3 and Under 16's free.

If you're in the are on Tuesday evening then there is a big game against Great Yarmouth Town that may be of interest.

Not such good news from another of my favourite places, just along the road, with Cromer Town having to withdrawn from the Anglian Combination due to a lack of players.

The club still exists and hopes to regroup in a local league.

Dereham Town FC

Shaping up for the new season in the Ishmian League Division One North, Dereham Town celebrate Norfolk Day this coming Saturday (27th July) with a friendly against Mattishall, the two teams competing for the Tony Barker Cup.

As well as Pay What You Want admission, with a collection being held for the Big C charity, there are loads of things going on before the match including free face painting for the kids.

I'm often in Norfolk at this time of year and spent an enjoyable evening at Cabell Park, home of Cromer Town, in early August 2018.

The Crabs have put out an appeal for players for the upcoming season in Anglian Combination Division Two as they aim to keep alive a club that has been in existence since 1884.

England Deaf Men's Football Team

It's always nice to be able to use a picture of the famous grandstand at Wellesley Road, home of Great Yarmouth Town and where a Bloaters XI will take on the England Deaf Men's Football Team in a fundraising friendly on Sunday 7th April at 2pm.

The team are looking to fund their trip to the 2019 European Deaf Football Championships in Heraklion, Crete which take place in June and where they will take on Ukraine, France and Sweden in the group stage.

Over £20,000 of a target of £30,000 had been raised as of Monday evening and hopefully the game by the seaside in Yarmouth can add a bit more to that.

Admission is £5 for Adults and free for Under 14's.

Wymondham Town FC

The final photograph of a week in Norfolk and glimpses of various Anglian Combination club grounds comes from Wymondham Town FC as they hosted Wroxham Reserves on Saturday afternoon at Kings Head Meadow in the centre of this attractive market town near Norwich.

Wymondham were 5-1 winners and, as with the match I saw at Cromer Town earlier in the week, both sides deserve credit for their desire to play the ball out from the back, the England influence perhaps stretching to all levels of the game.

The official website shows a thriving community club offering events throughout the week and a number of different teams bearing the colours.

Wells Town FC

A very picturesque setting to watch football, the home of Wells Town FC of the Anglian Combination with the beach railway running alongside, fields behind and the harbour just across the road.

If you're on holiday in the town this weekend then there is a home fixture scheduled for 2.30pm on Saturday.

Cromer Town FC

Cabell Park has been the home of Cromer Town FC since 1922 and although the very future of the club has been at risk in recent years and they now find themselves in Division Two of the Anglian Combination there was no shortage of spirit on display amongst the players despite their 2-0 defeat to Buxton on Wednesday evening.

Both sides tried to play the ball out from the back whenever they could and the whole game was contested in the right spirit with an experienced referee allowing it to pass without incident.

Two early goals earned Buxton the victory and the visitors goalkeeper preserved their advantage with a smart penalty save after the break.

Few of the thousands of tourists who have stayed in or passed through the town this week may be aware of their existence but The Crabs are still very much there, loyal volunteers providing those who visit regularly with their football fix.

The next scheduled matches at the ground are on Saturday 8th September (2pm) and the following Saturday (2.30pm) against Brandon Town.

Sheringham FC

Sheringham Recreation Ground, home of The Shannocks and a nice, neat ground on the edge of the North Norfolk seaside town.

Next visitors, if you're around over Bank Holiday weekend, are Norwich United Under-21's for a 2.30pm kick-off in the Premier Division of the Hadley & Ottaway Anglian Combination.

Or Great Yarmouth...

Just after I posted the piece on Squires Gate below I saw a tweet from Great Yarmouth Town about their own 'Pay What You Want' offering this Saturday at the Wellesley Recreation Ground.

And on offer is not just one but two matches as the Bloaters and Sutton Common Rovers meet at both reserve and first team level (kick-offs 1pm and 3.30pm).

The club, who host Diss Town in the FA Cup on Saturday 5 August, have been celebrating the 125th anniversary of their famous grandstand this summer and I'm hoping to get down to the ground at the end of August and catch some action.

Great Yarmouth Town FC

Pay What You Want admission this Saturday (4th March) for the 3pm kick-off between Great Yarmouth Town FC and Felixstowe & Walton United in the Thurlow Nunn Eastern Counties League Premier Division.

Boxing Day is Derby Day

One of the best things about Non-League football in England is surely the fact that the festive period sees so many local derbies taking place up and down the country.

Healthy rivalries that rarely overstep the mark allow for clubs to meet, often twice in the space of a few days, and reap the benefits at the gate of bumper attendances.

That stretches from the National League at the top down throughout the pyramid so, for instance and as a purely personal choice, there is an eagerly-awaited clash at the Wellesley Recreation Ground in Great Yarmouth where the Bloaters take on Gorleston Town in an 11am kick-off on Boxing Day, allowing enough time for a good breakfast and a walk along the sea front to shake off the excesses of the previous day.

BOXING DAY DERBY IS BACK!!!

⚽️ @The_Bloaters vs @gorlestonfc
🗓26/12/16 (Boxing Day)
⌚️️11am Kick off
📍The Wellesley

Not to be missed! pic.twitter.com/ggfZjdlA33

— Great Yarmouth Town (@The_Bloaters) 29 November 2016

With Great Yarmouth having been promoted back to the top-flight of the Eastern Counties Premier League last season it means the rivalry has been renewed and the game has received plenty of build-up on social media amongst two sets of players and officials who know each other well.

Wherever you are heading off to over the next few days, enjoy your football and a very Merry Christmas from Affordable Football to anyone who reads the blog or follows on Twitter.

Great Yarmouth Town FC

My yearly trip to Great Yarmouth is normally just to late to catch the Bloaters in action but a walk to the Wellesley Recreation Ground is always in order to catch a glimse of the fine old Grandstand that dominates the setting.

GYTFC featured on the pages of Affordable Football last season with 'Pay What You Want' and reduced admission for Norwich City season ticket holders and I'm sure they will again in 2016/17 after being promoted back to the Premier Division of the Thurlow Nunn Eastern Counties League.

Pre-season friendlies start on Saturday 16 July!

Start The Week With Free Football at Old Trafford & Carrow Road

As the season draws to a close and with the worst of the weather now over, clubs do tend to increase the number of Under-21 matches they play at their home stadium and both Manchester United and Norwich City are offering free admission to their respective fixtures this coming Monday, April 4th.

Old Trafford hosts the Under-21 clash between the Reds and the Blues of Chelsea with kick-off at 7:45pm and turnstiles open from 6:45pm.

The MUFC website also lists the game against Middlesbrough on Monday 11th as being played at Old Trafford.

In their other fixture at the stadium this season, United put seven goals past Norwich City. The Canaries will be hoping for a better result when they entertain Everton at Carrow Road on Monday.

Kick-off is at 7pm and supporters can claim free tickets via the official club website.

Also next week there are ‘Pay What You Want’ matches at Herne Bay FC, on Tuesday 5th against Ramsgate with all proceeds going to the Kent Air Ambulance, and at Stocksbridge Park Steels and Frome Town FC on Saturday 9th.

Birmingham City have a trio of Tuesday evening matches in April and anyone buying a ticket for the matches against Brighton on the 5th and Leeds (12th) will receive a free brief for the Preston game on the 19th.

It is 'Kids for a Quid' at Oldham Athletic when they take on Swindon Town in League One on Tuesday 5th and there are two important qualifiers for the UEFA Women's European Championship.

England Women play Belgium at Rotherham United on Friday 8th, 7:55pm. Admission is priced at £5 Adults, £2.50 Children and £10 for a Family (2+2). England head coach Mark Sampson named his squad for the game earlier this week.

And Scotland take on Slovenia at the Paisley 2021 Stadium home of St Mirren FC, same date and with kick-off at 7:45pm. Prices for this one are £5 Adults and £2 Concessions with a 2 for 1 offer on pre-sale tickets.