Past, Present and Future

 

This was as close as I got to visiting Bootham Crescent, former home of York City FC, and it will have to go down as one of the grounds I wish had been to.

I was pleased to see, when looking at this history of the ground, that, as it is developed for housing, the new street names would commemorate York City heroes, such as Keith Walwyn, while a section of the centre circle and stand will also mark where such memories lie.

It's good to see the Minstermen back in the Football League, on the up and well represented by replica shirts around the city when I had a couple of days there in the summer.

International football, with some stars of the future hopefully on display, comes to the LNER Community Stadium on Monday 12 October as England's U23 Women take on Norway at 7.30pm with tickets priced at £5 for adults, £3 for concessions and £1 for under 16's.

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.

New Beginnings

Writing about football at lower-league and grassroots level for a number of years means that you often see clubs come and go, rise and fall.

In August 2015 there was free admission for all at Throstle Nest as Farsley Celtic celebrated being able to re-take that name, after five years as Farsley AFC, formed in 2010 when the original club folded.

But the club ran into difficulties again, culminating in liquidation in December 2025 and the forming of a phoenix club, FC Farsley, who will enter the pyramid at Step 7 this coming season (the Yorkshire Amateur Football League), a lowly start but with games being played back at Throstle Nest (pitch problems in 2024/25 led to some 'home' matches being played as far away as Buxton) it means football is back in the village.

In a bid to rebuild connections with the local community, admission throughout the 26/27 campaign will be on a 'Pay What You Feel' basis and you may even see shareholder Adebayo Akinfenwa at a game!

A Saturday at Church

Founded in 1906, Penistone Church FC celebrate both their past and the role of the South Yorkshire town in the development of the game with a superb history section on their website.

Plans are afoot to mark next year's 120th anniversary but, before then the club are trying to get 1,000 spectators through the turnstiles for the NCEL Premier Division game at home to Golcar United on Saturday 18th October.

The fixture is 'pay what you want' admission and there is plenty going on both before and after, with junior matches, entertainment and market stalls.

Penistone Station is served by hourly trains from Sheffield.

Slow and Steady

You don't hear a great deal about Harrogate Town in the footballing media, possibly because slow and steady progress isn't sexy. 

No big-name players taking their first steps in management, no new owners promising a revolution, no internet votes on which players should be bought and sold.

Just the day-to-day battle of keeping the team competitive in League Two, improving facilities for players and supporters and growing a fanbase with genuine engagement.

With Simon Weaver having been in charge on the playing side since 2009 and his father, Irving, having been chairman since 2011, stability is the watchword in North Yorkshire and although there hasn't yet been a top-half finish since promotion in 2020, many more illustrious names have slipped through the trapdoor into the National League.

A good BBC article from November 2024 sheds more light on the father/son dynamic while, off the field, the new Fan Engagement Plan shows the progress that has been made in that area.

The midweek match against Barrow on Tuesday 19th August is part of a Tenner Tuesdays initiative with tickets £10 for adults, £5 for concessions and £1 for U18's.

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.

Back to Life

Some great photos on Sunday (check out The Dribbling Code on X) of a Montagu Cup match that was played at Millmoor, formerly home of Rotherham United FC, not too far from the Millers' current New York Stadium, and a ground that has been risen from the dead in the past year after investment by Ken Booth jnr, son of ex-RUFC chairman Ken.

It is incredible to see the place come alive again, not only for the action on the pitch and the boost it has given those local teams who have so far played on it, but for some of the reminders of yesteryear, the towering floodlight pylons being just one example.

And, in a real twist, a famous club will be playing at the famous old ground this season as Doncaster Rovers Belles have opted to make it their home for the upcoming campaign.

That speaks to some of the difficulties that the Belles, pioneers of the women's game in England, have had over the past few seasons but the club are determined that their future, hopefully back in Doncaster with Millmoor a temporary home, is a bright one.

Town on Track

The milestones keep on coming for Wombwell Town FC having won promotion to Step 5 of the non-league game last season (the NCEL Premier Division) and recently hosting their first ever FA Cup tie as Horbury Town were beaten in an Extra-Preliminary Round replay to set up the visit of Parkgate this coming Saturday (August 16th).

An excellent club website shows the progress that has been made since formation in 2018, both on and off the pitch where the Recreation Ground, nestled inside a go-kart track which makes for some great aerial photographs, is being developed into a genuine community hub that hosts regular events such as a free coffee morning and weekly wellness walk.

The Parkgate game kicks off at 3pm (two trains an hour from both Sheffield and Barnsley stop at Wombwell) and admission is just £5 for adults, £3 for concessions and free for Under-16's.

Electric Avenue

Bradford City have featured many times on these pages over the years, their season ticket initiatives having built a strong fanbase at Valley Parade that has been able to withstand some disappointing seasons as they battle to get out of League Two.

That all changed on Saturday with a dramatic late winner against Fleetwood securing promotion and joyous scenes from a 20,000+ crowd.

There's a nice piece on the BBC football website about the promotion and its context, as Bradford celebrates its year as UK City of Culture but also marks the 40th anniversary of the tragic fire at Valley Parade.

A message of congratulations also came from Bradford (Park Avenue) AFC and there are good things going on at the Horsfall Stadium as BPA look to mount a promotion challenge from the Northern Premier League's Division One East in 2025/26.

Season ticket prices, if purchased before 30 June, have been reduced to just £75 for adults with further concessionary discounts also available.

Updated 06 June: BPA have announced a free admission pre-season friendly against Guiseley on Monday 21st July.

Hampden Road and the Road to Hampden

Hampden Road - the venue, in Mexborough, South Yorkshire, for the Montagu Cup final, the oldest football final still played at its original venue.

It's an 11am start on Easter Monday, 21 April, for AFP Pewter Pot and Westville with admission £3 and free for under-11's.

The Road to Hampden - the Women's Scottish Cup is at the semi-final stage with a Hampden Park double-header on Saturday 26 April (Glasgow City v Motherwell) and Sunday 27th (Rangers v Aberdeen).

Tickets for each game are priced at £10/£5.

A Long and Winding Road

Saturday's Championship fixtures were the reverse games from the opening weekend, giving an opportunity to reflect on how much can change in the space of a season, in football but also in life when you stop and think about it.

I followed Coventry City's opening day defeat at Stoke, not worrying too much about it given that Mark Robins' side had started the previous two seasons in a similar vein before reaching the play-offs in one and the FA Cup semi-finals in another.

Yet this Saturday, Robins was in the away dugout at the CBS Arena watching his Stoke side fail to move away from the relegation zone while Frank Lampard celebrated another late victory for the Sky Blues to keep them in the top six.

And on the Sunday of the opening weekend, as supporters of Sheffield Wednesday and Plymouth Argyle enjoyed some beers in the Sheffield sunshine, I saw Wayne Rooney and his players leave their hotel to head for Hillsborough...

There is all to play for still at the top, in the play-off race and at the bottom and clubs are looking for home fans to make a difference.

Sheffield United host Coventry on Friday 28th and, with the game moved for live television coverage, have reduced prices to a maximum price of £20 while Hull City host Luton Town at lunchtime the next day and have cut ticket prices to a maximum of £15.

A Doncaster Date

With England's senior women set for a Bramall Lane fixture against Switzerland on Tuesday 3rd December, it is good to see another South Yorkshire date scheduled for the night before as the under-23's take on Sweden at the Eco-Power Stadium in Doncaster, especially given the significant role that the town has played in the development of the women's game.

Tickets for a 7pm kick-off are available now, priced at £5 for adults, £3 for concessions and £1 for under-14's.

Pre-season: I Do Like To Be Beside The Seaside

And I do like the town of Bridlington as well.

The Northern Premier League club are gearing up for the 2024/25 season, their first under new ownership, with free admission to all of their home friendlies.

These are currently scheduled for Saturday 6th July against Scarborough Athletic, Saturday 20th against Hallam FC and Tuesday 23rd against Beverley Town. 

Millers Night

 

The New York Stadium, around 45 minutes or so before kick-off in Wednesday evening's EFL Championship game between Rotherham United and Coventry City.

10,553 were in attendance,including 2,174 travelling supporters but it was they who went home disappointed as the Sky Blues struggled to make anything meaningful out of their 66% share of the ball and conceded the all-important first goal of the game to Lee Peltier's flicked header from a corner shortly after half-time.

Pushing for an equaliser, Coventry allowed the hosts more and more opportunities on the break and the Millers wrapped up three important points with a second goal late on to end the night in good spirits and looking forward to a local derby at Hillsborough on Sunday lunchtime that Rotherham will go into with a strong belief that they can make it two wins on the spin.

For City, heightened expectations after last season's run to the play-off final and a summer transfer spree funded by the sales of Gus Hamer and Viktor Gyokeres hasn't quite matched up to the reality so far as Mark Robins tries to achieve what may yet prove an impossible task - another year of finishing in a higher position than the one before.

I paid £25 for my ticket and £8 for my son who is 12 and I think that's more than fair at this level of the game.

Rotherham are a club with local owners, a club that works well in the local community and one that offers a simple pricing structure for their home league matches with advance adult tickets for non-platinum games costing £25 or £27 and platinum matches priced at £27 and £29.

Gate receipts will remain an important part of their turnover as they try and battle against the financial odds themselves and secure another season in the second-tier of English football.

The Montagu Cup

Time is slightly against me this week but a quick word for the final of this long-running competition, which takes place at 11am on Easter Monday.

Dearne & District take on Dog Daisy United at the Fireparts Stadium in Mexborough with admission costing £3 adults, £2 concessions and free for accompanied primary school age children.

The Montagu Cup website has a wealth of information on the history of the tournament.

England Back In Town

 

Some pictures from England Under-17's match against Armenia in March last year.

International football is back at the New York Stadium on Saturday 25th March, kick-off 2pm, when England face Iceland in the UEFA U19 EURO elite round.

Tickets are on sale, priced £5 adults and £2.50 for those over 60 and under 22.

Bargain At The Briggers

2022 has been a special year for Worsbrough Bridge Athletic FC as they celebrate 100 years in existence.

Currently playing in the Northern Counties East League Division One, The Briggers have survived many ups and down over the years, from floods to stadium disputes, but are looking ahead with confidence to a future as a vital part of the local community.

Their commitment to keeping it affordable is shown by this recent tweet.

🗣️ 𝗔𝗡𝗡𝗢𝗨𝗡𝗖𝗘𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗧

As a key part of the community & with the cost of living affecting us all & Christmas creeping up, The Briggers want to give something back.

So on Saturday 17 December v @Retford_FC it will be PAY WHAT YOU CAN AFFORD at the @Pinto_Property Stadium. pic.twitter.com/6uos8TMTBI

— Worsbrough Bridge AFC (@WorsbroughBFC) November 27, 2022

Ring Out The Belles

Ahead of Fulham Women's return to Craven Cottage a few weeks ago, the excellent HammyEnd blog wrote about why it was such an important occasion , especially given the rich history of the club in their previous guise when they were one of the early trailblazers for women's football and the long path back from when Fulham Ladies were dissolved in 2010.

Would we have been in a position to celebrate England's Wembley success at the Euros this summer without clubs such as Fulham and Doncaster Belles and the opportunities they strived to provide at a time when so many avenues remained closed?

Now known as Doncaster Rovers Belles, the six times FA Cup winners have had to rebuild themselves after being squeezed out of the top divisions of the game in recent seasons and now looking to gain promotion into the third tier of the women's football pyramid.

Chief executive Russ Green told the official club website recently: “The Belles were pioneering, incredibly successful across the decades and we are all incredibly proud to be a part of such a historic club. While more recent times have been difficult, we are back on strong foundations and determined to regain our place among the elite in this country."

The Belles will play Lincoln City Women at the Eco-Power Stadium on Sunday 11 December with all school children across the city offered the chance to watch the game for free when accompanied by a paying adult.

General tickets are priced at £5 adults and £1 for under-17's with reductions for Doncaster Rovers and Doncaster Rugby League FC season ticket holders.

Hull City Positivity

I've written many pieces on this blog over the years about a positive feeling among supporters when new owners come in to their club and start on the front foot with better communications and well-received decisions over the cost of watching football.

It doesn't always last of course and some of those I've written about are now long gone but I think it is always worth highlighting when good things are happening, as they seem to be at Hull City this summer under the ownership of Acun Ilicali.

I first noticed it when I saw that prices for this week's pre-season fixture against Leicester City had been priced at just £5 for adults and £2.50 for concessions, just a friendly of course but an attractive one and an evening out for a family of four at £15 is not to be sniffed at.

With 12,000 memberships sold, the club have also announced their matchday ticket prices for 2022/23.

The stadium has been split into three zones with tickets for behind either goal priced at £20 adults, £13.50 seniors, £10 for 16-22 year-olds, £7 for 11-15 year-olds and £3 for those younger than that.

Quoted on the official club website, Chief Commercial Officer Joe Clutterbrook said: “Everything happening at the club at the moment is focusing on one thing, bringing the buzz and excitement back to a Hull City matchday.

“These matchday ticket prices are another example of that, we want as many people as possible to be able to attend our matches and we are hopeful this pricing structure will allow that to happen."

A quick look at the various messageboards and comments to the local media seem to give both the ticket prices, and the general feeling around the club at the moment, the thumbs-up.

Who Gives You Extra?

I do like clubs who at least try and give their season ticket holders a sense of ownership, something a little bit extra when they have made a real financial commitment for the upcoming campaign.

It doesn't have to be much but it can foster a bit of goodwill that takes buying a season ticket beyond just being a straightforward financial transaction, increasingly one that happens online rather than down at the ground.

Something like the upcoming open day at Barnsley FC fits the bill...three different Reds sides will be in action on Saturday 16 July, culminating in the first team on the main Oakwell pitch at 5:30pm, the opposition yet to be confirmed but with admission free for 2022/23 season ticket holders.

Add in a funfair, Fan and Kids Zones and more and it should help give everyone a bit of a lift heading into the League One campaign after relegation last time around.