Good Value in The Far Corner

There are plenty of contenders for my favourite football book of all time but there is a clear winner for the one that I have re-read more than any other.

Harry Pearson's The Far Corner is the author's story of his travels around grounds in his native North East of England during the 1993/94 season.

To me it deserves every superlative ever given to it and like many other people I've often wondered whether there would ever be a follow-up.

The Farther Corner is the answer to that and although its publication has been delayed by this year's events it will be gratefully received when I do get my hands on it.

The Northern League provided the main focus of the original book and, at a time when it was still relatively affordable and easier logistically to watch Newcastle, Sunderland and Middlesbrough, the author has since said (in an interview with Mundial) that looking back it was perhaps the lowest ebb in the fortunes of Non-League football locally.

Harry was in melancholy mood after a visit to once-mighty Willington and pondered at another point how so many clubs had shown the resilience to survive in an area continually battered by economic storms.

Survive they have, however, and thrived in many cases as people seek out a cheaper, more enjoyable matchday experience.

In common with so many clubs all across the UK there has been a big fundraising drive over the past few months and an astonishing response from supporters (of the clubs themselves and the game in general).

Having hopefully now come through the curtailment of the 2019/20 season, attention is now slowly turning towards a 2020/21 campaign that may yet look familiar in terms of its length and spectators being allowed to watch.

Season ticket offers that I have come across in the North East so far include £25 at Middlesbrough Women, £35 for an adult at the re-born Newcastle Blue Star (of the Northern Football Alliance and whose classic black-and-white kit is selling very well) and a discount of £15 for Sunderland season ticket holders from the current campaign at Seaham Red Star.

Something to Report!

Caution still abounds but clubs in England are making tentative plans for both a pre-season and a 2020/21 campaign that may yet look familiar.

The arrangements in place at present still have plenty of caveats attached but friendlies are being announced and season tickets are being put on sale.

The AcreTweed Stadium is looking in great condition!!

Who’s missing seeing the Woods in action??#UpTheWoods pic.twitter.com/B3JeCSd5z9

— Northwood Football Club (@NorthwoodFC) June 24, 2020

A word on Northwood FC of the Isthmian League who have featured on these pages previously with their tireless efforts to get more people through the turnstiles at Chestnut Avenue.

For the coming season there are season tickets on sale at just £45 for all league matches and the Woods have also linked up with Donate a Ticket to raise funds.

The Importance of Fans is Laid Bare

Two different ways of consuming Sunday evening's Merseyside derby made for an interesting contrast as I listened to Five Live out in the garden for the first half before watching the second on the television as it had been made available free-to-air.

There was no pretence to the radio commentary and with no added crowd noise it was left to John Murray and Mark Lawrenson to get across what was happening on the pitch while also painting a picture of the unique circumstances surrounding the game.

To me they did so successfully and it had the feel of Test Match Special in that the importance of the match wasn't overstated and the idea of real life continuing outside the ground was acknowledged.

In contrast the television commentary seemed lost in the midst of the piped atmosphere (I know that this option can be turned off if you have Sky itself) and I find it curious that the broadcasters have such little faith in the action on the pitch to hold the attention.

The importance of the crowd to the TV coverage has been laid bare over the past week or so, not just as a visual backdrop but also for the context it gives to the key moments that take place during the game.

Clubs have paid due lip service to the importance of their fans but will it mean anything in practice when spectators are allowed back into grounds in terms of season ticket and matchday prices and the availability of tickets to different age and social groups.

Like so many aspects of life at the moment we can only wait and see.

Club & Fans Work Together at Grimsby Town

Wembley Stadium ahead of the 2016 National League Promotion Final

I was at Wembley four years ago then Grimsby Town won back their Football League status with an exciting win against Forest Green Rovers in the National League Promotion Play-Off and saw at close hand what it meant for those connected to the club.

Similar to when Tranmere Rovers were victorious in the same game two years later it seemed to be relief rather than elation that poured out upon a return to the 92.

The glory is in the cities but the fabric of football in this country is often to be found in towns up and down the land where the local club can still be an important part of the community in which it stands.

Grimsby’s experience since the suspension of League Two action is the perfect example of that.

Those in charge of the club have the unenviable (even before the coronavirus outbreak) task of trying to run a steady financial ship, put a competitive team onto the field, make ticket prices affordable enough to keep the loyal fanbase coming along to matches and reach out into the local community to try and attract the next generation of supporters.

A good working relationship with the hardcore support is vital, therefore, and the Town hierarchy have been very quick to praise the role of fans in raising funds over the past couple of months.

The Mariners Trust has been to the fore, promoting share ownership as a means both of generating funds and giving a feeling of genuine involvement in the club. 

There is also a crowdfunder in place while many fans have also opted not to take a refund for the unplayed matches on their 2019/20 season tickets.

Your amazing support continues.
Shares. £40200
Crowdfunder £ 11723
Ebay/Others. £ 2066
Total Fundraising £53989

ST replies so far are 810 of which 680 have donated back to club, worth £33k.

— MarinersTrust (@MarinersTrust) June 18, 2020

A Small (Contactless) Price to Pay?

One of the pleasures at watching football the further down the pyramid you go is that many of the traditional accompaniments to the game are still in place.

One of these is the old-fashioned turnstile with 'crooked piles of coins ready to be issued with an accompanying grunt for those fans paying with a note' as Daniel Gray writes so beautifully in Black Boots & Football Pinks.

It's not always as grand as a turnstile, of course, sometimes there's just a table and a friendly face ready to take a fiver or give change for ten.

But on the path back to watching football in the flesh then presumably more and more clubs will follow the trend that has been set over the past few months and embrace the world of contactless payments.

I recently completed a survey, devised by Ian Nockolds of the Toolstation Western League podcast which asks people connected to (or supporters of) football at Steps 5 and 6 of the pyramid in England to give their preferences for what they would be prepared to put up with in order to attend matches.

This is ahead of an FA meeting with leagues at those levels on 19 June in which the way forward will hopefully become a little clearer.

Contactless payments was on the list and although for me it is a small pleasure to hand over my money it will be a small price to pay to pass through the turnstiles once again.

Retro Action at Hitchin Town

The Canaries of Hitchin Town are a club I have written about a few times on the blog over the years especially during the battle to save their historic Top Field ground.

In existence since 1928, Hitchin have also moved with the times, offering online tickets for example.

I've always liked the regular updates from club secretary (and treasurer) Roy Izzard, on the official website, as they give a clear account of events both on and off the field and lots of detail, for instance on how the 'Pay What You Want' matches tried previously have compared to normal attendances and gate income.

With no date as yet as to whether and when the 2020/21 season will begin, Hitchin are looking to keep things ticking over during the 'normal' close season period and are showing a series of classic matches over the coming weeks.

The first game is a clash with Enfield Town from 1993 which will be screened from 7pm on Tuesday 16 June with tickets available at £5 and £2.

Local newspaper The Comet also seems to enjoy a good relationship with the club and reported recently on a financial boost given to the Canaries by their Top Field landlords.

Scottish Success Story Heads South

One of the most positive things to have come out of the suspension of football has been both the speed at which clubs have been able to come up with fundraising ideas and the strength of the response they have received from supporters.

Taking that a step further has been the Donate a Ticket platform, to enable clubs in Scotland to raise much-needed revenue, which has now made its way into the National Leagues in England.

I asked Ruaridh Kilgour, the founder of Donate a Ticket, how it came into being.

'The idea initially came about when thinking of a way to help my club, Raith Rovers. 

'I wanted a fundraising page that allowed supporters to rationalise a donation and also give clubs a narrative to ask supporters to donate their hard-earned money. 

'By using Donate a TIcket, it brings back a little bit of excitement and competition between clubs and supporters that we're all sorely missing. 

'The Scottish Cup virtual fundraising tournament, in particular, has been a great success and some clubs have even raised more from their virtual ties than they would from an average home gate.'

With no word as yet as to when football will resume the platform has widened its scope from the original idea of replacing matchday revenue from those games which were lost to the suspension.

Well over £100,000 has been raised to date and it is no exaggeration to say that the money will have been the difference between some clubs going out of business and living to fight another day.

The idea has now crossed the border with Woking and Eastbourne Borough amongst the clubs to have signed up, Woking supporters raising £500 already at the time of writing.