Early for England

I was mulling over an article on prices to watch England at Wembley when I noticed, via the England Football website that an early-bird offer has been put in place for the second of March's Wembley World Cup qualifier, the game against Latvia on Monday 24th.

Tickets, which go on general sale on 28 January, are now priced at £40/£30 for adults (with a £10 discount for concessions available) and £20/£10 for adults and under 16's in the family enclosure section which, looking at the ticket map will be available in around half of the Level 5 area of Wembley.

Given that England host Albania on the Friday before, it is a wise move from the FA as a Monday night in term time against Latvia is a difficult sell.

I don't think it changes the case for such a game to have been played at a different stadium, in another part of the country, and it doesn't change the practicaility or cost of getting to and from Wembley if you live more than a certain distance away, but is worth highlighting as an offer.

Updated 21 January: England Women's U23's have two matches lined up in February, against Germany on the 20th at Walsall FC and against France on the 25th at Stevenage FC. Tickets for each game are priced at £5 adults, £3 concessions and £1 for under 12's.

The Road to Wembley...Updated

 

Begins again this coming Friday evening when five Extra Preliminary Round ties take place, ahead of over 200 matches at the weekend.

Another season, and more changes to the format, means that no replays will take place from the First Round Proper onwards, whether they 'strengthen' the competition as the FA insist they will, remains to be seen but an expanded Champions League will struggle to match the drama provided by some of last season's FA Cup ties, even if I am biased as a Sky Blues supporter!

At this early stage of the season, however, the format remains untouched and the prize, whether financial or sporting, remains something of huge value to all involved.

A great example of this is a Facebook post from Beverley Town FC ahead of their first involvement in the competition since 1919.

The Beavers host Whitley Bay on Sunday 4th August and are encouraging those wishing to attend the game to buy tickets (£6/£4 and free for under-16's) in advance.

Updated Sunday 4th August: Replays may be a thing of the past for Premier League and EFL clubs but there will be plenty this coming midweek.

At Handsworth FC, for example, close to me here in Sheffield, the hosts were denied by an injury-time penalty for South Liverpool FC.

That means a scramble to arrange transport and time off work but Handsworth's after-match tweet didn't moan about fixture congestion, it merely wished their visitors a safe journey home and looked forward to meeting again on Wednesday evening.

A classy reaction, mirrored by the appreciation of South Liverpool for the hospitality they had been shown in South Yorkshire and an example for those higher up the footballing ladder.

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.

National League Promotion Final

Prior to the pandemic, my dad and I had a good run of attending the National League Promotion Final at Wembley Stadium, attracted by an Early Bird ticket offer that allowed you to sit in a really nice part of the ground at a reduced price.

We saw emotional returns to the Football League for Grimsby Town and Tranmere Rovers, the celebrations after these matches showing just how much it meant to the supporters and officials involved with those famous old clubs.

For fans of the two teams who actually make it to the final, Wembley isn't perhaps the ideal choice given that ticket prices for their respective ends have been much higher and because of the short window to arrange travel as well.

But for the neutral, the National League offer of £20 for adults, £10 for concessions and free for Under 16's (one per adult/concession, additional tickets £5 each), which runs until 23rd April is a good one.

Wembley in Sight

 

For the 16 teams left in the FA Vase with Fifth Round Proper ties taking place this coming Saturday, 10th February.

After a dismal weekend for both United and Wednesday, supporters of Sheffield's two big clubs may be looking forward to taking refuge in the welcoming surroundings of Sandygate, home of Hallam FC of the Northern Counties East League.

The Countrymen have made great strides, on and off the pitch, over the past few years and another big crowd will be in attendance for their last sixteen game at home to Lincoln United.

Tickets have been on sale in recent weeks, to help with spectator flows, but on the gate admission will also be available at just £6 adults, £4 concessions.

Wembley in Sight

For those clubs in the last 16 of both the FA Trophy and FA Vase, with ties scheduled to take place on Saturday 12th February.

Lots of reduced prices in the Trophy with adult tickets £10 for the games at Stockport County, Wrexham and York City and plenty of interesting matches in the Vase too.

My hometown club, Rugby Town FC, are looking to replicate their 1983 success in the competition but face a tough trip to North Shields (adult tickets £7) while the students of Loughborough University host Abbey Hey on Campus (tickets £6/£3/£2).

England Women Come Home To Wembley Date

Saturday's defeat by Sweden meant a fourth-place finish for England at the Women's World Cup, the play-off game an anti-climax after the rollercoaster of their semi-final defeat at the hands of eventual winners USA.

A place in the final four was probably in line with expectations prior to the tournament and the Lionesses will certainly have gained new supporters during the course of France 2019 without suddenly catapulting themselves into the mainstream consciousness of the nation.

And perhaps that is for the best, ensuring the domestic game can try and build on the work done by the national team in a steady fashion over the next two seasons, before England hosts the Euro 2021 tournament which will culminate in a Wembley final.

There's plenty to do as in the years I have been writing this blog there has never been a settled feel to the Women's Super League, in terms of scheduling, venues or even teams.

I've disagreed with a number of the reorganisations, seemingly designed to shoehorn bigger clubs (in terms of the men's game such as Manchester United who had no presence in the women's game until this time last year) but there is a great foundation to work with as a family-friendly and affordable source of competitive, quality football.

The next high-profile fixture for England is a Wembley date with Germany on Saturday 9th November at 5.30pm.

Advance tickets are available from just £10 Adults and £1 for Under 16's.

On the domestic front, Chelsea have been quick off the mark with an announcement that their opening game of the FA Women's Super League season, against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday 8th September at 12.30pm, will be played at Stamford Bridge with up to four free tickets available per person.

National League Promotion Final 2019

Something of a damp squib in terms of the game itself and the attendance and atmosphere at Wembley, Saturday's National League Promotion Final nonetheless provided the assembled media with the story they wanted as Salford City eased to victory against AFC Fylde under the watching eyes of co-owners Gary Neville, David Beckham and the rest.

Promotion to the Football League for Salford looks to have divided opinion quite sharply, those defending the involvement of the former Manchester United stars pointing to investment in facilities and youth development (and the fact that wages will be paid on time in contrast to the ongoing situation at Bolton Wanderers for instance) while others are unhappy with the idea of a club suddenly being propelled way above their natural level with reported player salaries that are out of proportion to the kind of crowds and income that they can attract.

The focus of this blog is the game itself, however, and the National League's pricing policy for their showcase event was also the subject of much debate in the week leading up the game.

Early-bird tickets were once again fairly priced (£20 Adults, £10 Concessions for excellent Club Wembley seats on the halfway line) and well-publicised throughout January and February across all National League clubs.

Similar to last year, however, adult supporters from the competing clubs were charged either £36 or £41 once their participation was confirmed. Couple that with late notice to book travel and/or accommodation and it made for a very expensive day out.

Last season's attendance will have covered up the cost, to an extent, as Tranmere Rovers brought a large following but with two teams this year who don't have that kind of fanbase the prices will have put off neutrals who didn’t get early-bird tickets or those in the Salford or Fylde areas who may have come down to support their local side.

So I think there is a decision to make for the National League in terms of whether they want this fixture played at Wembley going forward and, if so, for a better pricing structure to be in place if they do.

Cup Final Update

An update on a few of the competitions that have featured on these pages over the course of the season.

Following last Sunday's semi-finals we know now that the 2019 SSE Women's FA Cup Final will be contested at Wembley on Saturday 4 May, kick-off 5.30pm, between Manchester City and West Ham United.

City will be strong favourites to lift the trophy in front of what is set to be another big crowd with tickets once again priced at £15 Adults and free for kids.

Manchester City will also host this season's FA Youth Cup Final with their Academy Stadium the venue for the game against Liverpool on Thursday 25 April 

Tickets are on sale, priced at £3 Adults and £1 Under 18's, and it should be a good occasion but I'm disappointed both by the decision to make the final a single game (to ease fixture congestion is the reason given) and that it isn't being played at the main Etihad Stadium given that it is the showpiece event at this level of the game and that for many of the players involved it could represent one of the great memories of their footballing career.

Non-League Finals Day at Wembley this year takes place on Sunday 19 May with the FA Vase Final followed by the climax of the FA Trophy.

Chertsey Town and Cray Valley (PM) go first in the Vase before National League promotion hopefuls AFC Fylde and Leyton Orient contest the Trophy final.

A section of the stadium is reserved for neutrals with a ticket for the whole day priced at £25 Adults, £10 Concessions and £1 for Under 16's.

Non-League Finals Day 2019

The final four are gearing up for the final hurdle in both the FA Trophy and FA Vase with a place at Wembley for Non-League Finals Day 2019 at stake.

A couple of big names are still in the hunt in the FA Trophy with Leyton Orient ready for a two-leg semi-final against AFC Telford United and a resurgent Stockport County up against AFC Fylde.

In the Vase Cray Valley take on Canterbury City while Northwich Victoria meet Chertsey Town with all first-leg matches taking place this coming Saturday, 16th March, and return games a week later.

Non-League Finals Day sees both competitions reaching a conclusion on the same day, Sunday 19th May.

Tickets covering both Wembley finals are £25 for adults, £10 for concessions (OAP/Students) and £1 for U16s. Group booking discounts are also available with prices at £12.50 for adults, £5 for concessions and £1 for U16s. 

The National League Promotion Final

Also known as the Vanarama Big Day Out  and usually an exciting climax to the National League season with a second club securing promotion to the EFL alongside the league champions.

I’ve been to Wembley for this game for the past three seasons and seen what promotion has meant to those involved, certainly with Grimsby in 2016 and Tranmere in 2018 as those sides have secured a return to the Football League and, it’s not an exaggeration to say, the very future of clubs that play an integral part in their local community.

Leyton Orient will be looking to do the same (they will hope by winning the league and not having to go through the play-offs) this season but the nature of the National League means that it is not just the more traditional clubs who are vying to go up. Forest Green were the victors in 2017 and the likes of Salford City and Harrogate are well-placed to continue their impressive progress of recent seasons by earning a spot amongst The 92.

This season's National League Promotion Final takes place on Saturday 11 May 2019 and early-bird tickets (for good seats in an neutral area of the stadium) are priced at £20 Adults, £10 Seniors and free for accompanied Under-16's until 28 February. 

A World Cup Dividend?

Will England’s successful World Cup have an effect on the game across the country?

Another group stage exit, a humbling by Tunisia or Panama and this could conceivably have been the end of the national team as a viable institution.

The Football Association would have faced the mammoth task of trying to sell Wembley matches against the USA, Spain and Croatia before the end of 2018 and not even the new Nations League format would have been of much assistance had supporters finally declared they had had enough.

Broadcast deals for the national team would also have been a tough sell going forward, hastening the need (or desire) for the FA to complete the sale of Wembley Stadium.

That deal may still be on the cards, although a successful World Cup will increase opposition to it, but the huge achievement of Gareth Southgate and his players has been to make playing for England look both important and enjoyable at a time when the domestic game looked to be readying itself to assume complete control.

A positive effect for clubs outside the EFL and the much talked about grassroots is always hard to predict but a stronger, more confident FA (having been vindicated in their reform of the national team set-up at all levels and of their choice of Southgate as manager however much they may have been left with little option) can still do a lot of good for the game.

One example of this is in the increased payments that are on offer this season to clubs participating in the FA Cup which means that even teams knocked out at the extra preliminary round stage, which takes place over the weekend of 11 August, will receive £750.

You also only need to look at the social media pages of Non-League clubs over the past four weeks to see how much England's progress was enjoyed and also how much of an unexpected bonus it brought to bars and social clubs at their grounds as training times were altered and players and supporters alike gathered to watch the various games.

National League Promotion Final 2018

Less than a minute into Saturday's National League Promotion Final and it looked as though Tranmere Rovers would be experiencing the disappointment of defeat for a second successive season after nerves got the better of Liam Ridehalgh and he was dismissed for a lunging challenge after losing control of the ball.

However the red card seemed to temporarily unnerve opponents Boreham Wood, as if they were unsure what approach to now take to a game they had entered as underdogs.

During those crucial next few minutes Tranmere managed to get their noses in front and then made a tactical substition that allowed them to regroup and invite Boreham Wood to try and break them down.

So successful was the Rovers rearguard that they only conceded one clear-cut chance in the remainder of the first half but that was enough to pull Boreham Wood level deep into stoppage time.

The pattern continued after the break in a match of few chances but one that was an absorbing battle of wits and was decided by James Norwood's header less then ten minutes from time.

An explosion of joy at the final whistle made it clear how much promotion meant to a Tranmere club who came so close last year and, although it's so often a football cliche, the support that came relentlessly from the stands really did seem to make a difference to the players on the field when they needed it most.

It was good to see, too, how the players made sure that chairman Mark Palios got to lift the trophy and how he was cheered by fans when appearing on the big screen.

I wrote in May 2015 about how determined both Mark and Nicola Palios were that relegation out of the Football League would not spell the end of the club and huge credit goes to both of them and everyone at Prenton Park for embracing the challenge of the National League while trying their utmost to get out of it, all the while trying to put Tranmere on a more secure economic footing.

As for the occasion itself this was the second year that I had taken up the 'early-bird' offer for neutral supporters to attend the National League Promotion Final for £20 (£10 concessions) which gives the buyer prime seats in the Club Wembley section of the stadium.

Many Non-League clubs were represented in this area and it offers a prime view of both the action and the after-match celebrations but prices for the two competing teams were more expensive which may reflect the costs involved for the National League to hire the stadium for their showpiece occasion.

The overall attendance of 16,306 also reflects the fact that Boreham Wood are a club very much on the up but who are at present trying to grow their supporter base. 

Will the game be in North London game next year? Perhaps the potential sale of Wembley will be one of the factors in that.

Thatcham Town FC

A squad made up of first team players and trialists head to @Thatcham_TownFC this Friday for an end of season friendly!

Entry to the game will be half price meaning it’ll be £3 for adults, £2 for concessions & 50p for children! #UpTheStoke ⚽️🔵 pic.twitter.com/Yej0S8uKiX

— Basingstoke Town FC (@Basingstoke_FC) 9 May 2018

A friendly tune-up for Thatcham Town this Friday ahead of their appearance in the FA Vase Final at Wembley on Sunday 21 May.

The Vase showpiece kicks-off at 12.15pm with Stockton Town the opposition before Brackley Town and Bromley FC contest the FA Trophy Final at 4.15pm as part of Non League Finals Day.

Tickets covering both matches are available, priced £25 Adults, £10 Concessions and £1 for Under 16's.

A Wembley Showcase As Women's Game Awaits Another Shake-Up

Women's Football enjoyed the perfect showcase on Saturday afternoon as over 45,000 people came to Wembley to watch Chelsea defeat Arsenal in the FA Cup Final and keep alive hopes of a domestic double after a fine season in which they also reached the semi-finals of the Champions League.

Sensible pricing of £15 for Adults, £5 for Concessions and free for children, publicised well in advance, made for an excellent crowd and an occasion worthy of prime-time BBC coverage.

It's back to the bread and butter of the league now for the two teams with Chelsea hoping to edge past a Manchester City side who currently lead the table on goal difference only with four games remaining.

And then it will be all change again in the Women's game as the new league structure is put into place for the 2018/19 season.

FA WSL1 will be for full-time clubs only with WSL2 renamed as the Championship and the Women's Premier League North and South becoming the FA Women's National League.

The make-up of the leagues is yet to be finalised with nine vacancies remaining in the top two leagues and a number of clubs having applied for licences.

One of the places in the Championship will be allocated to the winner of the play-off between the WPL Northern and Southern champions (provided they wish to apply and that a licence is granted).

That game will take place at Bramall Lane in Sheffield on Sunday 27 May with entrance priced at £5 Adults, £2.50 Concessions and Kids for a Quid with the remaining licence allocations announced subsequently.

Also of interest this coming weekend is another free admission WSL2 game at London Bees where the home side take on Sheffield in a 4pm kick-off on Saturday afternoon.

2018 Women's FA Cup Final

Arsenal and Chelsea will contest the 2018 Women's FA Cup Final after their respective triumphs against Everton and Manchester City on Sunday afternoon.

I find it strange that the semi-finals are not played at neutral venues. Home advantage perhaps counts for less in women's football but it still means an imbalance in support for the two teams involved.

There will be no such problems at Wembley on Saturday 5th May (kick-off 5.30pm) and the presence of two London clubs could see last season's record crowd of over 35,000.

Tickets are priced at £15 Adults, £5 Concessions (OAP's and Students) and once again are free for kids.

Non-League Finals Day

Monday saw the draw for the semi-finals of both the FA Vase and FA Trophy take place at Wembley with the national stadium now just a two-legged tie away for clubs in both competitions.

The Northern League will be represented by either Marske United or Stockton Town in the Vase final and the winners of that semi-final will meet either Thatcham Town or 1874 Northwich.

Stockport County supporters may deserve a day out at Wembley more than most but the Hatters must get past Brackley Town in a quarter-final replay while Wealdstone would have a short journey to the Arch if they emerged victorious from a semi-final.

The other tie is an either/or as Bromley or Spennymoor Town will take on Leyton Orient or Gateshead.

Both the FA Vase and FA Trophy finals will take place on the same day, for the third succesive year, at Wembley on Sunday 20 May 2018 and tickets for the double-header are available now, priced at £25 for Adults, £10 for Concessions and £1 for Under-16's.

Tottenham Price It Right With Rochdale Next To Feel The Benefit

A genuinely exciting FA Cup tie at Spotland on Sunday afternoon ended up with the right result as Rochdale scored in stoppage time to earn a 2-2 draw against Tottenham Hotspur minutes after Harry Kane’s late penalty looked to have secured Spurs a spot in the quarter-finals.

It means another game for Spurs that they probably would rather not have but the unique circumstances of their season-long tenancy at Wembley make it a different scenario than if they were playing at White Hart Lane.

As they did for their replay against Newport County in the previous round, Tottenham have priced tickets for the game, scheduled for Wednesday 28th at 7.45pm, at just £10 for Adults and £5 for Under 18's and Over 65's in Wembley Level 1 and have a family ticket available at just £20 for Two Adults and Two Juniors.

That allows for plenty of people to take in a game (just under 39,000 were at the Newport replay), the chance to watch some big-name players and say they have been to Wembley for a very affordable price.

It suits Spurs to do so, of course, as they have an eye on next season and an enlarged capacity White Hart Lane which they will want to fill on as many occasions as possible, so reaching out to a wider community is the sensible thing to do.

But the club have shown a positive attitude to pricing cup-ties throughout both the current campaign and in last season’s Europa League when they played at Wembley as well and, as with Newport recently, it has a great knock-on effect for Rochdale.

There has been some (presumably manufactured) controversy about the potential for Spurs to have an FA Cup semi-final at their 'home' ground  but I think there's something satisfying about the national stadium providing a financial boost to one of the game's most resilient clubs.

National League Promotion Final

The 2018 National League Promotion Final will take place at Wembley Stadium on Saturday 12 May.

With the winners of the league having already secured their place in the EFL, a change to the format this season means those teams finishing between 2nd and 7th will then be battling it out to join them.

That battle ends at Wembley and, as I can testify having been to the last two finals, it will be a hard-fought occasion.

Supporters of the victorious club will be happy and their opposite numbers downcast (particularly as there has been some disquiet about the ticket prices charged for the two finalists).

Neutrals, however, can enjoy the day in some style for just £20 Adults, £10 Seniors and free for Under 16’s if they take advantage of the Early Bird ticket offer which runs until the end of February.

Last season these seats were excellent ones at Level 2 and provided a perfect viewpoint to watch the drama unfold.

Non-League Finals Day

Dreams of Wembley are now tantalisingly real for those clubs who negotiated the Third Round of the FA Vase last weekend.

The Fourth Round fixtures, from Newport in the Isle of Wight to Newcastle Benfield, will take place on the first weekend of 2018 and there are a number of interesting stories to watch out for, such as whether record-breaking goalkeeper Paul Bastock can reach the final with Wisbech Town.

Both the FA Vase and FA Trophy finals will take place on the same day, for the third succesive year, at Wembley on Sunday 20 May 2018 and tickets for the double-header are available now, priced at £25 for Adults, £10 for Concessions and £1 for Under-16's.

The First Round Proper of the FA Trophy takes place this coming Saturday with National League clubs entering the fray.

Wrexham have reduced prices for the visit of Harrogate Town (£10, £5 and £1 for Over 80/Under 18) while terrace tickets just up the road at Chester are £8, £5 and £2 as they host AFC Fylde.