The Positive Portman Road Piece

A fresh start at Ipswich Town this season with the famous old club under new ownership and lots of good things going on at Portman Road

A three-game bundle of tickets for matches over the holiday period (starting with the Sunderland visit on 18th December) is on sale, priced at £40 for adults and from £3 to £20 for concessions.

Individual tickets for each of the three games have been reduced in price and supporters have also been raising money to buy bundles for those not in a position to do so themselves, £12,500 having been raised as of Friday.

Tickets have also been reduced in price for the FA Cup tie against Barrow on 4th December, to £10 for adults, £5 and £3 for concessions.

Game Of The Week: Felixstowe & Walton Utd v Canvey Island

'Pay What You Want' admission at the Goldstar Ground this Saturday for an Isthmian League North clash that is crucial for hosts Felixstowe as they currently sit just one place above the bottom of the table.

As with many clubs across the UK the weather this winter has caused plenty of problems for the Seasiders, not just with their playing surface but with the operation of the floodlights at the ground with the building that houses the controls having been damaged by the persistent, heavy rain.

A fundraising page is in operation to try and help with the cost of refurbishing the building and Saturday's match will be followed by a prize draw and auction that will hopefully raise money not just for the floodlights but also the Barts Charity.

Speaking of weather, Poole Town FC have suffered a host of postponements over the past couple of months, the latest being Tuesday evening's game with Salisbury, which have severely impacted on cashflow at the Black Gold Stadium.

Their scheduled home match this Saturday against Truro City will also be 'Pay What You Want' on the turnstiles.

Ipswich Good, Coventry Bad In The FA Cup Pricing Stakes

Monday evening saw the Third Round draw for the 2017/18 FA Cup take place with Premier League and Championship sides entering the competition at this stage.

19 clubs from the top two divisions have been drawn at home and many will reduce prices for their respective fixtures.  

Ipswich Town were quick off the mark to announce that their game against Sheffield United will be priced at £10 for Adults, £5 for Seniors 65+ and Under-23's and £2 for Under-19's.

My very own Sky Blues may be in the basement division but they are charging a minimum of £22 for the visit of Stoke City to the Ricoh Arena.

Normal league match prices (which have attracted plenty of criticism in themselves) are in operation and my annoyance at that, when a maximum of £20 would have been plenty, has been compounded by how it was announced by the club.

"We're delighted to have been able to agree tickets prices at the level we normally would have for a League Two game for the visit of Premier League Stoke City, and thank the Potters for their co-operation," said chief executive Dave Boddy, quoted on the official website.

It is hard to imagine that Stoke would have objected to tickets being priced at £20, especially when their supporters will be handing over £25 if they opt to pay cash on the day.

Update: Newcastle United host Luton Town in the Third Round and tickets purchased before matchday are priced at £10 Adults and £5 for Juniors, Seniors and Students. 

Felixstowe & Walton United, Tonbridge Angels (Non-League Day)

Good times for the Seasiders of Felixstowe & Walton United, Saturday's victory against Wivenhoe Town making it 11 wins out of 11 in the Eastern Counties League this season.

That goes some way to explaining increased attendances in 2017/18 but the club themselves say that gates are up by 500% over the past five years at the Goldstar Ground.

A thriving set-up at all levels will be celebrated on Non-League Day 2017 which Felixstowe are combining with their 'Youth Day'.

Admission to the home fixture with Ely City will be 'Pay What You Want' in addition to the usual free entry for Under 16's.

In the Bostik (Isthmian) Premier League on NLD there is Football for a Fiver at Tonbridge Angels for the visit of Wingate & Finchley FC.

That price is for Adults and Seniors, 13-17's can come in for £4 while accompanied Under 13's are free.

Ipswich Wanderers

The new league season starts on Tuesday evening for Ipswich Wanderers FC of the Thurlow Nunn Eastern Counties Premier Division and they are beginning with a bang as it will be 'Pay What You Like' on the gate.

Kick-off against Walsham Le Willows is at 7.45pm.

There is also 'Pay What You Want' action in Wales as Ton Pentre AFC play Blaenrhondda in a friendly at Ynys Park, kick-off 7:30pm.

FA Vase First Qualifying Round / Woodbridge Town FC

Another road to Wembley begins this weekend when the First Qualifying Round of the FA Vase takes place up and down the country.

The Vase effectively replaced the FA Amateur Cup in 1974 and since then it has offered a host of clubs from small towns and villages the chance to play at Wembley with entry restricted to those teams playing at steps 5-7 of the FA National League System.

I was there in 1983 when VS Rugby defeated Halesowen Town while nearly 20,000 Hereford supporters attended last season's final, won 4-1 by Morpeth Town to continue a fine record for Northern League clubs in the competition.

That 2016 showpiece was the first to be staged as a double-header with the FA Trophy in a move that will hopefully secure the future of the final at Wembley.

Full fixtures

A special mention to Woodbridge Town FC, of the Thurlow Nunn Eastern Counties League, who host their annual Youth Day on Saturday at Notcutts Park.

Players and families from all of the club's 20 teams will all be in attendance and there is free admission for all spectators for the Vase tie with Hatfield Town which kicks off at 3pm.

Beer & Football in Leek and Lowestoft

Two weekends of pre-season friendlies that have beer festivals attached…or vice versa depending on your preference.

Leek Town host a Beer Festival at Harrison Park on Friday 22, Saturday 23 and Sunday 24 July with beers provided by the Lymestone Brewery.

On the Saturday, the Blues will take on a Stoke City XI at 2pm with admission priced at £5 Adults, £3 Concessions and free for Under-11's .There will be music and entertainment afterwards.

The following day it is the Chris McMullen Memorial Trophy match against Leek CSOB, kick-off at 2pm again and with admission priced at £3 Adults and Concessions and free for Under-11's.

I’ve covered this fixture before on Affordable Football and it marks the contribution that Chris McMullen made to both clubs.

The 2016 Lowestoft Town Beer Festival takes place at Crown Meadow over the weekend of 15/16 and 17 July, supported by the Green Jack Brewery and with plenty of music and entertainment across the three days.

Included as part of the festival, the Trawlerboys will play a friendly against Wroxham on Saturday 16 July at 3pm while LTFC Ladies will take on West Ham United the following day at 1pm.

Lowestoft Town FC, Northwood FC

Lowestoft Town will kick-off the new season in the Premier Division of the Ryman League after relegation from the National League North in heartbreaking fashion on the final day of the 2015/16 campaign.

The Trawlerboys location will always mean a degree of travelling but it was a really tough roll of the dice that placed them in the northern division of Non-League's second tier when they were promoted in 2014.

That meant a steady stream of lengthy away trips and a consequent struggle to attract players given the work/football balance that always has to be taken into account at that level of the game.

A Suffolk Senior Cup triumph at least ended the season on a positive note and, as always, pre-season marks a new beginning for the club.

Home friendlies against Waveney on Tuesday 5 July at 7:15pm and against Wroxham on Saturday 16 July at 3pm will have free admission to all spectators.

The Wroxham match takes place at the same time as the LTFC Beer Festival and on the Sunday, the club's Ladies team will take on West Ham United in a friendly at 1pm with free entry as well.

Having finished in the top ten of the Evo-Stik Southern League Central Division in each of the last three seasons, Northwood FC are aiming for a play-off place in 2016/17.

The Woods, in existence in their current guise since 1926, are offering season tickets for the whole of their league campaign at just £30 per person thanks to support from local business Oscar and Hunt Residential.

£30 is the cost for all categories, Adults, Concessions and Juniors and the season ticket also includes social membership to the newly-refurbished clubhouse and any league games played by the club's reserve and youth teams at Chestnut Avenue.

East Anglian Special: Ipswich Town & Norwich City

The League Cup 3rd Round draw which handed them a trip to face Manchester United has been dominating the thoughts of Ipswich Town supporters over the past few days as the logistics of getting a ticket and travelling to Old Trafford will have been uppermost in their minds.

But the Suffolk club have announced two ticket offers for the matches either side of their trip to Manchester which hopefully will ensure some healthy attendances at Portman Road as Mick McCarthy once again tries to mount a promotion challenge on a budget that pales into comparison with many other clubs in the division.

The televised home game against Birmingham City on Friday 18th September is Kids for a Quid for Under-16's while season ticket holders can buy up to four additional tickets for the match against Bristol City on Saturday 26th for £10 Adults, £8 Concessions and £3 Juniors.

Up at Carrow Road there are three good opportunities to catch the Canaries in action in September.

So good at promoting their Under-21 fixtures as a family-friendly event, Norwich's development side take on PSV Eindhoven in the Premier League International Cup on Wednesday 2nd and then Liverpool in a league fixture on Monday 21st . Tickets to both games, which are 7pm kick-offs) are available free.

Meanwhile, City's Capital One Cup tie against fellow Premier League club West Bromwich Albion (Wednesday 23rd, 7:45pm) has been attractively priced at £10 for Adults and Over-65's and just £1 for Under-17's.

Walsham Le Willows FC

After securing their status in the Thurlow Nunn Eastern Counties League Premier Division for next season, Walsham Le Willows hosted a 'Pay What You Want' day at Summer Road on Saturday for the visit of FC Clacton.

The Willows still have one big game left, the League Challenge Cup final against Norwich Utd at the home of Diss Town on Bank Holiday Monday at 3pm.

Long Melford FC

Another belated mention, this time to Long Melford FC of Suffolk, who clinched the Thurlow Nunn Eastern Counties Football League First Division title on Saturday afternoon with a 4-0 victory against Downham Town.

With the first record of the club being in 1868, the Villagers have a long and proud tradition of providing football in their local community. They moved up to the Eastern Counties League in 2002 and next season will be teasting their mettle at a higher level than ever before.

298 watched Saturday's game at Stoneylands for which 'Pay What You Want' was in operation.

Same Again as Ipswich Host Saints in FA Cup

Following the success of Sunday's FA Cup tie at St Mary's, which attracted a crowd of over 31,000, Ipswich Town will charge the same prices when Southampton come to Portman Road for the replay on Wednesday January 14.

Adults will be charged £10, concessions £5 and under-16's £3 and, although the midweek date means Saints won't be able to match the 5,500 travelling fans who came to the South Coast, a healthy crowd should be in attendance.

What was interesting was the way the first tie caught the imagination thanks to the two clubs working well together to reduce prices to the minimum and increase the allocation for Ipswich fans. That in turn seemed to have a knock-on effect on the number of home supporters going to the game and, who knows, on the strength of the teams sent out by their respective managers.

Southampton & Ipswich Work Together To Boost FA Cup Crowd

Good times for Ipswich Town supporters as Mick McCarthy’s cut-price side continue to defy the odds at the top of the Championship and a 4,700-strong army prepares to travel to Southampton for the FA Cup Third Round tie at St Mary’s on Sunday 4 January.

The numbers making the trip are a testament to the two clubs working together to ensure as big a crowd as possible goes to the game for as affordable a price.

Agreement between the clubs meant that Southampton could charge the minimum adult price of £10 (£5 concessions and £3 juniors) and when that caught the imagination of Ipswich fans, who sold out their initial 3,100 allocation, the Blues of Suffolk asked about the possibility of another batch of tickets.

Away clubs are entitled to 10% of the tickets for an FA Cup tie on a ‘sale or return’ basis but a further allocation usually requires payment in full with the visitors taking the chance that they may not shift every seat.

The potential financial cost of this is what stopped Coventry City taking further tickets for their trip to Arsenal last season but here the two clubs have worked together as Lee Hyde, Town’s director of retail operations told the official Ipswich website.

"They've moved a number of conditions which are usually in place that can restrict a club’s reluctance to 'gamble' financially when taking the extra five per cent that away Club’s are entitled to in the Cup."

"Southampton have also agreed to move around 1,200 Season Ticket Holders to accommodate the increased allocation from Town."

Good work from the Saints and one that will hopefully boost the number of their own fans going to the game as they realise a big away following will be there to banter with and whip up an atmosphere.

Attendance Worries

With summer well and truly over and the football season slowly getting into full swing, Affordable Football looks at some of the stories around attendances and prices that have made the news recently.

Stoke City are looking at ways of boosting ticket sales after being around 2,500 short of capacity for their first two Premier League home games, including an attractive looking fixture against Manchester City.

“Our season-ticket sales are down, although I don’t have the precise figure of how much, and therefore we have to fill more seats on match days," said chairman Peter Coates, quoted in the Stoke Sentinel.

“We are looking at a number of initiatives I’d rather not go into at the moment, but we do feel they can work."

The Potters have tried hard during their time in the Premier League to keep prices realistic for their fan base and were also very quick to use the increase in television money this summer to offer free away travel for their supporters.

Their small drop in attendances looks like being down to a combination of factors, not least the general economic climate and the fact that being in the top-flight is no longer a novelty for the club, but a top-price ticket of £47 for the City game would not have convinced casual fans to come along.

The BBC's well-publicised 'Price of Football' survey, released last week, claimed Ipswich Town had the costliest season ticket in the Championship as well as the most expensive match-day experience in the division.

Some of the headlines in the survey were misleading as they related to a very specific type of ticket and a club spokesman told the BBC:  "We recognise that we are more expensive in some areas of ticketing than a number of Championship clubs but in other areas we are very comparable with our league rivals," said a club spokesperson.

"We have frozen season ticket prices for the third successive year and the seventh time in 11 years. Our supporters under the age of 11 could again purchase a season ticket for just £10."

What is indisputable is that Town recorded their smallest league attendance since 1999 (15,276) against Middlesbrough at the weekend. Those who were at Portman Road saw an impressive 3-1 win and boss Mick McCarthy said his aim was to keep putting out a successful team in the hope that more people would be tempted back.

But good results on the pitch and low prices are not always a foolproof combination if supporters feel alienated from the club they support.

To try and offset some of the cost (financially and emotionally) of moving the club away from the city that bears its name, Coventry City (my own club) offered the lowest season ticket prices in League One.

The Sky Blues have also won three and drawn one of their four 'home' games so far this season but recorded their lowest ever league gate when Colchester came to Sixfields recently and have yet to tempt more than 1,676 of their own fans to make the journey.

It's not that people don't want to watch Steven Pressley's exciting young team. Around 4,000 are expected follow City at Port Vale this weekend!

Affordable Football to look out for in the next few days includes England's Senior Women as they embark on their World Cup qualifying campaign.

As they embark on a new era after the departure of Hope Powell from the FA, the Three Lions take on Belarus at Dean Court, Bournemouth on Saturday afternoon and Turkey at Fratton Park, Portsmouth on Thursday 26 September.

Tickets for both games are available for just £5 for adults and £2.50 for concessions, There are further discounts for family and group tickets.