Welcome Back...

To more spectators at games in Scotland, the previous limit of 500 having been lifted as from Monday.

The Scottish Football Fixtures site is a great resource for finding a game north of the border.

To Non-League Day which returns on 26th March this year, celebrating semi-professional and grassroots football.

Keep an eye on the twitter page for details of special offers at matches up and down the country.

And to Dagenham & Redbridge FC's 'Daggers Celebrate Diversity Day' after the successful 2019/20 fixture.

Tickets for the game against Halifax Town on Saturday 29th January are available from just 50p for concessions and U16's and £2.50 for adults.

Market Forces

A quick mention for the pride of North Shropshire, Market Drayton FC of the Northern Premier League where their January sale means admission to the game against Newcastle Town on Monday evening is priced at just £5 for adults, £3 concessions and £1 for U16's.

When The Shrew Is Away is a great twitter site for finding a game to go to at all levels within the Shropshire area.

Magic of the Cup

A really enjoyable day of FA Cup action on Saturday, topped by Cambridge United's win at Newcastle, where reduced prices drew a big crowd that added to the sense of occasion.

This season's Women's FA Cup is at the 4th Round stage and there's a good chance to catch a match in the lovely setting of the City Ground as Nottingham Forest Women aim to cause an upset against Manchester City.

The game has been scheduled for a 1pm kick-off on Saturday 29th January with tickets priced at £5 adults, £3 concessions and £1 for under 18's.

Plymouth Argyle Women host Charlton Athletic at Home Park on Sunday 30th where tickets are priced at a maximum of £8.

The Cobbydalers v The Vikings

Northern Counties East League (NCEL) action this coming Saturday sees Silsden AFC host Goole AFC and admission to The Office Interiors Stadium is on a 'pay what you want basis'.

Goole offered a similar scheme over the festive period and, in line with very healthy crowds throughout the non-league game, were rewarded with a record league attendance of 478.

The excellent site Outside The 92 has a full report on that game which can be viewed here, while the official NCEL website is a great source of fixture information amongst lots of other things.

Record Breakers

It was good to see so many people out and about at matches on Sunday and Monday with many non-league clubs reporting record crowds, helped by the postponement of so many games in the Premier League and EFL.

I'll keep updating on twitter over the next few days and wish a happy new year to everyone.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to everyone who reads the blog or follows on twitter after another rollercoaster year for football clubs up and down the country.

From matches played behind closed doors, to no games at all, to the slow return to normality and back, potentially it seems, to more uncertainty in the weeks ahead.

That will clearly be the case in Wales, where strict new restrictions come into force on Boxing Day while clubs lower down the Scottish pyramid may benefit from the limits that have been imposed on those higher up.

In England, in the absence of information to the contrary, plans are being put in place for fixtures over the festive season and two clubs close to me here in Sheffield are good examples of how football and the local community can be linked.

Stocksbridge Park Steels host Sheffield FC on the 27th and are also collecting for local Food Banks while Dronfield Town are throwing open the doors of the H E Barnes Stadium the following day for the visit of Parkgate.

There are also a number of clubs offering reduced price admission to those supporters of EFL clubs left without a game on Boxing Day due to Covid issues or because their team are away, both in the case of Tavistock AFC where Exeter City and Plymouth Argyle season ticket holders can pay just a fiver on Boxing Day.

One More Game...

Before Christmas, or even longer perhaps given talk of 'curcuit-breakers' and the like.

There's still quite a few matches scheduled for this week which I will try and publicise on twitter.

Redditch United and Stourport Swifts meet in a Worcestershire Senior Cup quarter-final on Thursday evening and the two clubs have agreed free admission to the tie.