It's never too early to think about going to a game and Dover Athletic, newly promoted back to the Conference Premier, hope to showcase their club to potential new fans when they host four pre-season fixtures at Crabble including two against League One clubs in the shape of Colchester United and Gillingham.
Entry for adults to each game will be £5 with under 11's and Season Ticket Holders going free.
Chairman Jim Parmenter told his club's official website:
'With the support of the town anything is possible, but we do need the
people of Dover to get involved. We hope this gesture offers everyone a
little incentive to give it a try.'
http://www.doverathletic.com/index.php?p=news&id=2670
Up and running as a blog and on Twitter since July 2013. I hope to highlight affordable football at all levels of the game.
Friday 30 May 2014
Tuesday 27 May 2014
Affordable Prices and a Premier League Carrot at Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers have not had the best of public images in recent seasons with the club's owners and their managerial decisions roundly derided both inside and outside of Ewood Park.
But the times may be slowly changing. Gary Bowyer has proved to be a popular choice for the hotseat and in a low-key manner managed to get his side within touching distance of the play-offs last season. Owners Venkys, if not high up in the popularity stakes, have drawn praise for keeping it affordable.
Hopes are high for the new campaign that Rovers can go one better and the club, in addition to what they say are the second lowest season ticket prices in the division (after Blackpool) with the cheapest adult ST at £249 (less than £11 a game), are offering a 'Premier League pledge' which means if you by for 2014/15 and it is a promotion season then your ticket for the following campaign will be reduced by 75%.
http://www.rovers.co.uk/news/article/another-winning-rovers-deal-1571638.aspx
Affordable Football aims to bring you the special offers, reduced ticket prices and family deals that make catching a match anywhere in the country more affordable. You can tweet us @affordablefooty or email affordablefootball@yahoo.com if your club are doing something worth hearing about.
But the times may be slowly changing. Gary Bowyer has proved to be a popular choice for the hotseat and in a low-key manner managed to get his side within touching distance of the play-offs last season. Owners Venkys, if not high up in the popularity stakes, have drawn praise for keeping it affordable.
Hopes are high for the new campaign that Rovers can go one better and the club, in addition to what they say are the second lowest season ticket prices in the division (after Blackpool) with the cheapest adult ST at £249 (less than £11 a game), are offering a 'Premier League pledge' which means if you by for 2014/15 and it is a promotion season then your ticket for the following campaign will be reduced by 75%.
http://www.rovers.co.uk/news/article/another-winning-rovers-deal-1571638.aspx
Affordable Football aims to bring you the special offers, reduced ticket prices and family deals that make catching a match anywhere in the country more affordable. You can tweet us @affordablefooty or email affordablefootball@yahoo.com if your club are doing something worth hearing about.
Friday 23 May 2014
Scottish Special: Livi Extend Deal & 'No Nil Nils' at Falkirk
Livingston FC were the subject of an article here on
Affordable Football a few weeks ago when we looked at the Scottish Championship
side's decision to cut season ticket prices for the 2014/15 season and an open
and honest assessment of the reasons why from chairman Gordon McDougall.
Falkirk FC, beaten in the play-offs for a place in the Scottish Premiership recently, have pegged season ticket prices for 2014/15 and have kept in place their 'Under 12's go free' policy.
One new initiative that the Bairns have announced however is 'No Nil Nils' whereby if a game ends in a goalless draw then season ticket holders will be issued with a free ticket to bring a friend along to the next match.
Also in Scotland (just), Gretna FC host their pre-season Raydale Cup tournament on the weekend of 12/13 July with the hosts taking part alongside Stirling Albion, Annan Athletic and Workington Reds AFC. A ticket covering all four games is priced at £10 for adults and £3 for children.
Early bird season tickets are on offer at £180 for adults
(£10 a game for a season when both Rangers and Hearts will be visiting), £90
for concessions and £54 for children. The deadline has now been extended until
the end of June to allow more supporters the time to get the necessary finance
together.
Mr McDougall has also issued an updated statement in
which he says prices will be held for the 2015/16 season as well while for
those who cannot find the money needed in a lump sum a £10 lucky dip Home
Ticket scheme has also been launched to extend the principle of attending
matches for £10.Falkirk FC, beaten in the play-offs for a place in the Scottish Premiership recently, have pegged season ticket prices for 2014/15 and have kept in place their 'Under 12's go free' policy.
One new initiative that the Bairns have announced however is 'No Nil Nils' whereby if a game ends in a goalless draw then season ticket holders will be issued with a free ticket to bring a friend along to the next match.
Also in Scotland (just), Gretna FC host their pre-season Raydale Cup tournament on the weekend of 12/13 July with the hosts taking part alongside Stirling Albion, Annan Athletic and Workington Reds AFC. A ticket covering all four games is priced at £10 for adults and £3 for children.
Affordable Football aims to bring you the special offers,
reduced ticket prices and family deals that make catching a match anywhere in
the country more affordable. You can tweet us @affordablefooty or email
affordablefootball@yahoo.com if your club are doing something worth hearing
about.
Wednesday 21 May 2014
Season Ticket Update: Hartlepool & Dagenham and Redbridge
Two League Two clubs whose season ticket offers we highlighted here on Affordable Football earlier in the month were Hartlepool United and Dagenham and Redbridge.
Both clubs are working hard to get more people buying season tickets with an adult terrace ticket available for the Daggers at £179 which works out at £7.78 a game. The early bird offer ends on May 30. Faced with falling home attendances and intense competition in their patch of the country the club issued a statement early in April in which they made clear the reasons for cutting prices and set a target of 1,000+ season ticket sales by the end of May.
Hartlepool's 'Follow Your Hart' campaign sees season tickets on sale for £180 for adults if purchased before 8 July. Last Wednesday (May 14) the club reported a strong start to sales as they look to build on the success of two price-cutting initiatives towards the end of last season which saw excellent attendances.
Further details are on the official club websites of the two clubs.
Both clubs are working hard to get more people buying season tickets with an adult terrace ticket available for the Daggers at £179 which works out at £7.78 a game. The early bird offer ends on May 30. Faced with falling home attendances and intense competition in their patch of the country the club issued a statement early in April in which they made clear the reasons for cutting prices and set a target of 1,000+ season ticket sales by the end of May.
Hartlepool's 'Follow Your Hart' campaign sees season tickets on sale for £180 for adults if purchased before 8 July. Last Wednesday (May 14) the club reported a strong start to sales as they look to build on the success of two price-cutting initiatives towards the end of last season which saw excellent attendances.
Further details are on the official club websites of the two clubs.
Affordable Football aims to bring you the special offers,
reduced ticket prices and family deals that make catching a match anywhere in
the country more affordable. You can tweet us @affordablefooty or email
affordablefootball@yahoo.com if your club are doing something worth hearing
about.
Monday 19 May 2014
Burnley Lose Goodwill After Retainer Row
Burnley FC’s promotion to the Premier League was
celebrated to the full in the town itself but also brought a quiet smile to
supporters of other clubs like myself as the famous old club defied the odds to
stay at the top of the Championship throughout the entire campaign despite a
relatively small squad and budget.
"The idea that came back to us was that we should try and do a two-year season ticket deal. We looked at ways of trying to implement that but it became really complicated because of people changing age categories in the second year.
The overriding feeling, after the anger has subsided, seems to be one of sadness that a club with such a bank of goodwill has used it up on what seems to be a relatively small number of seats and against the backdrop of a big increase in income for next season.
http://nonaynever.net/
It seemed to be a good match of honest, hardworking
players and manager together with a loyal, local fanbase and a board of
directors cut from the same cloth.
But a week or so of good news has been swiftly outweighed
by a torrent of bad press following an announcement about season ticket prices
for 2014/15. 12,000+ tickets had already been sold before an early-bird
deadline of the end of March and after promotion was secured prices were then
increased by up to 50%.
Price rises were perhaps to be expected in line with the
Clarets’ new status (although the club is of course in line for a TV windfall
estimated at) but a new word in the sale of season tickets has also entered the
dictionary with the ‘retainer’, a £100 fee that is paid now but taken off the
cost of next season’s ticket with the reasoning behind it perhaps best left to
chief executive Lee Hoos.
"We had 5,030 fans who bought season tickets when we
were in the Premier League who we haven't seen since. They turned up for one
year. "The idea that came back to us was that we should try and do a two-year season ticket deal. We looked at ways of trying to implement that but it became really complicated because of people changing age categories in the second year.
"We said we'll look around at what other teams are
charging in the Premier League and charge that price, but then if someone
renews, we'll knock £100 off the price of the renewed season ticket. We thought
that wasn't a bad idea.
"What we're saying is stick with us and we'll knock
£100 off the following year."
A hastily cobbled together update on the official club
website, after the original announcement created a lot of bad feeling and
publicity, tried to explain the policy in more detail and rebranded the
retainer as a ‘voucher’ but still a voucher that you must pay for now and which
will then be taken off your next season ticket.
Leaving aside the now obligatory ‘Twitter Storm’ there has
been some fantastic writing on this subject of some of the Burnley supporters’
website with informed and impassioned articles on both Clarets Mad and No Nay
Never in the past few days. The overriding feeling, after the anger has subsided, seems to be one of sadness that a club with such a bank of goodwill has used it up on what seems to be a relatively small number of seats and against the backdrop of a big increase in income for next season.
http://nonaynever.net/
Thursday 15 May 2014
International Football at Walsall and Burton Albion
Burton Albion's proximity to the St George's Park complex means the Pirelli Stadium gets to host a number of interesting fixtures outside of the Brewers' usual games and three international matches will take place there before the end of the month as the Elite qualifying round for the UEFA U-19 European Championship takes place.
Ukraine take on Scotland on Saturday 24 May at 7:30pm, England and Scotland on 26 May at 7:30 pm and England play Ukraine on 29 May at 3pm. Tickets for all of the games are priced at £3 for adults and £1 for seniors/under-16's.
The remaining fixtures take place at Walsall's Bescot Stadium with England v Montenegro on 24 May at 3pm, Montenegro v Ukraine on 26 May at 3pm and then Montengero v Scotland on 29 May at 3pm. Saddlers' season ticket holders can claim free entry to these games.
Visit the official club websites of Burton Albion and Walsall for more info.
Affordable Football aims to bring you the special offers, reduced ticket prices and family deals that make catching a match anywhere in the country more affordable. You can tweet us @affordablefooty or email affordablefootball@yahoo.com if your club are doing something worth hearing about.
Ukraine take on Scotland on Saturday 24 May at 7:30pm, England and Scotland on 26 May at 7:30 pm and England play Ukraine on 29 May at 3pm. Tickets for all of the games are priced at £3 for adults and £1 for seniors/under-16's.
The remaining fixtures take place at Walsall's Bescot Stadium with England v Montenegro on 24 May at 3pm, Montenegro v Ukraine on 26 May at 3pm and then Montengero v Scotland on 29 May at 3pm. Saddlers' season ticket holders can claim free entry to these games.
Visit the official club websites of Burton Albion and Walsall for more info.
Affordable Football aims to bring you the special offers, reduced ticket prices and family deals that make catching a match anywhere in the country more affordable. You can tweet us @affordablefooty or email affordablefootball@yahoo.com if your club are doing something worth hearing about.
Monday 12 May 2014
Season Ticket Update: Bradford & Notts County
An update on two of the League One clubs whose season ticket initiatives we have highlighted here on Affordable Football.
Bradford City have been ahead of the game in many ways in offering season tickets at consistently low prices over the past few years and have done so again for 2014/15 with over 3,500 sold to date.
The cost has been frozen for the third consecutive season and prices are clear and straightforward at £199 for adults, £149 for concessions and £99 for juniors if purchased before the end of May. For adults that means League One football at less than £9 a game.
Notts County, meanwhile, have introduced The Bench for next season as a means of making supporters feel more involved at Meadow Lane when they buy a season ticket (prices of which have been reduced to a four-year low).
A good example of how that is working in practice is on the official club website with lapsed season ticket holder Steve Saunders invited behind the scenes when buying his ticket.
http://www.bradfordcityfc.co.uk/news/article/20-days-left-1483487.aspx
http://www.nottscountyfc.co.uk/news/article/the-great-escape-persuaded-me-to-buy-my-first-season-ticket-since-1978.79-season-1544837.aspx
Affordable Football aims to bring you the special offers, reduced ticket prices and family deals that make catching a match anywhere in the country more affordable. You can tweet us @affordablefooty or email affordablefootball@yahoo.com if your club are doing something worth hearing about.
Bradford City have been ahead of the game in many ways in offering season tickets at consistently low prices over the past few years and have done so again for 2014/15 with over 3,500 sold to date.
The cost has been frozen for the third consecutive season and prices are clear and straightforward at £199 for adults, £149 for concessions and £99 for juniors if purchased before the end of May. For adults that means League One football at less than £9 a game.
Notts County, meanwhile, have introduced The Bench for next season as a means of making supporters feel more involved at Meadow Lane when they buy a season ticket (prices of which have been reduced to a four-year low).
A good example of how that is working in practice is on the official club website with lapsed season ticket holder Steve Saunders invited behind the scenes when buying his ticket.
http://www.bradfordcityfc.co.uk/news/article/20-days-left-1483487.aspx
http://www.nottscountyfc.co.uk/news/article/the-great-escape-persuaded-me-to-buy-my-first-season-ticket-since-1978.79-season-1544837.aspx
Affordable Football aims to bring you the special offers, reduced ticket prices and family deals that make catching a match anywhere in the country more affordable. You can tweet us @affordablefooty or email affordablefootball@yahoo.com if your club are doing something worth hearing about.
Saturday 10 May 2014
Good Luck to Albion Rovers
Gaining plenty of attention north of the border, Albion Rovers' season tickets went on sale this week with chairman John Devlin admitting that the innovative 'Pay What You Can' scheme has a risk element to it.
Much of the coverage of the offer has focused on the fact that season tickets can be purchased for 'as little as £10' but of course the club are hoping that the initiative is taken in the spirit that it is intended with donations much closer to the cost of last season's tickets at £140, especially from existing ticket holders.
Mr Devlin has also been quoted as saying: "I’m of the opinion that Scottish football is over-priced at this level and we are trying to redress that now."
That seems to me to be a key point. What Albion are doing could help to break the assumption that prices must always stay the same or increase as the years go by and the link that seems to suggest that if a ticket for the top division is priced at £30 then you can charge £15 two divisions below even if the 'product' is not really worth that.
Rovers' squad are part-time so the comparison is perhaps more with the levels below the Conference in England but as a means of getting people back into the habit of attending matches, creating an atmosphere (Albion hope to bring back some closed terracing into use) and having a knock-on effect on sales of food, drink and programems they deserve to succeed.
Much of the coverage of the offer has focused on the fact that season tickets can be purchased for 'as little as £10' but of course the club are hoping that the initiative is taken in the spirit that it is intended with donations much closer to the cost of last season's tickets at £140, especially from existing ticket holders.
Mr Devlin has also been quoted as saying: "I’m of the opinion that Scottish football is over-priced at this level and we are trying to redress that now."
That seems to me to be a key point. What Albion are doing could help to break the assumption that prices must always stay the same or increase as the years go by and the link that seems to suggest that if a ticket for the top division is priced at £30 then you can charge £15 two divisions below even if the 'product' is not really worth that.
Rovers' squad are part-time so the comparison is perhaps more with the levels below the Conference in England but as a means of getting people back into the habit of attending matches, creating an atmosphere (Albion hope to bring back some closed terracing into use) and having a knock-on effect on sales of food, drink and programems they deserve to succeed.
Affordable Football aims to bring you the special offers,
reduced ticket prices and family deals that make catching a match anywhere in
the country more affordable. You can tweet us @affordablefooty or email
affordablefootball@yahoo.com if your club are doing something worth hearing
about.
Thursday 8 May 2014
Here Comes The Summer!
The seamless transition from one season to the next has begun already with pre-season friendlies already being announced for the (hopefully) long, hot summer days.
We'll look to keep up to speed with any attractive looking fixtures (it was interesting last year the disparity in prices for pre-season games) and also with how season ticket sales are going at some of the clubs we have highlighted over the past few weeks from Albion Rovers, where 'Pay What You Can' tickets go on sale today, through League Two where Dagenham & Redbridge and Hartlepool are offering deals that work out under £8 a game to the top-flight.
The Women's game at the top level, meanwhile, continues throughout the summer with the WSL offering great value, high-quality action and the FA Cup reaching its final stages (semi-finals this Sunday at Alfreton and Woking with adult tickets priced at just £4).
We'll look to keep up to speed with any attractive looking fixtures (it was interesting last year the disparity in prices for pre-season games) and also with how season ticket sales are going at some of the clubs we have highlighted over the past few weeks from Albion Rovers, where 'Pay What You Can' tickets go on sale today, through League Two where Dagenham & Redbridge and Hartlepool are offering deals that work out under £8 a game to the top-flight.
The Women's game at the top level, meanwhile, continues throughout the summer with the WSL offering great value, high-quality action and the FA Cup reaching its final stages (semi-finals this Sunday at Alfreton and Woking with adult tickets priced at just £4).
Affordable Football aims to bring you the special offers,
reduced ticket prices and family deals that make catching a match anywhere in
the country more affordable. You can tweet us @affordablefooty or email
affordablefootball@yahoo.com if your club are doing something worth hearing
about.
Sunday 4 May 2014
Under £8 a Match at Hartlepool too!
I
wrote a week or so ago that Dagenham & Redbridge were looking to increase
season ticket numbers with an early-bird offer which worked out at just £7.78
for every match of a 23-game League Two campaign.
In a similar vein, Hartlepool United are offering adult season tickets from as low as £180 (£7.83 per game) for 2014/15 with further discounts for Students, Senior Citizens, Under-19's and Under-13's. To qualify for the early bird discount tickets must be purchased before 4pm on Tuesday 8 July.
Chief Executive Russ Green told the official club website: “As ever, in order for these prices to work financially we need as many people as possible to get behind the Club and come along and join us for 2014/15.
"I would like to think that there have been enough signs of encouragement on the pitch this season to entice people to join us next year and the more support we get the better chance we’ll have of success."
The 'Follow Your Hart' offer comes on the back of two recent 'Pack the Park' offers where tickets were reduced to £5 for the games against Morecambe and Exeter City and crowds of over 4,700 were attracted (against a season average of 3,723).
In a similar vein, Hartlepool United are offering adult season tickets from as low as £180 (£7.83 per game) for 2014/15 with further discounts for Students, Senior Citizens, Under-19's and Under-13's. To qualify for the early bird discount tickets must be purchased before 4pm on Tuesday 8 July.
Chief Executive Russ Green told the official club website: “As ever, in order for these prices to work financially we need as many people as possible to get behind the Club and come along and join us for 2014/15.
"I would like to think that there have been enough signs of encouragement on the pitch this season to entice people to join us next year and the more support we get the better chance we’ll have of success."
The 'Follow Your Hart' offer comes on the back of two recent 'Pack the Park' offers where tickets were reduced to £5 for the games against Morecambe and Exeter City and crowds of over 4,700 were attracted (against a season average of 3,723).
Saturday 3 May 2014
Livingston Cut Prices and Make Plea to Fans
A full, open and honest appraisal of poor attendances at Livingston FC this season has been published on the official club website by chairman Gordon McDougall as he announces next year's season ticket prices.
As the club look forward to welcoming the likes of Rangers and Hearts to the Energy Assets Arena in 2014/15, Mr McDougall thanks loyal fans for sticking with the club, especially 'the 350 season ticket holders who paid up despite last season's ill judged price increase'.
Full marks for honesty but as the statement makes clear it is a two-way street if Livingston are to maintain professional football in the second tier of the Scottish game and reducing prices (to £200 for adults, £100 for full-time students/concessions and £60 for under-16's with a 10% Early Bird reduction if purchased in May) simply has to be rewarded with an increase in numbers coming through the gate.
The aim is to try and turn 900 regular fans into 1800 and complement the work being done by the club and other parties such as Supporters Direct Scotland.
http://www.livingstonfc.co.uk/news/news_20140429_1.php
Staying in Scotland, Albion Rovers will put their 'Pay What You Can' season tickets on sale from Thursday 8th May at Cliftonhill Stadium.
Affordable Football aims to bring you the special offers, reduced ticket prices and family deals that make catching a match anywhere in the country more affordable. You can tweet us @affordablefooty or email affordablefootball@yahoo.com if your club are doing something worth hearing about.
As the club look forward to welcoming the likes of Rangers and Hearts to the Energy Assets Arena in 2014/15, Mr McDougall thanks loyal fans for sticking with the club, especially 'the 350 season ticket holders who paid up despite last season's ill judged price increase'.
Full marks for honesty but as the statement makes clear it is a two-way street if Livingston are to maintain professional football in the second tier of the Scottish game and reducing prices (to £200 for adults, £100 for full-time students/concessions and £60 for under-16's with a 10% Early Bird reduction if purchased in May) simply has to be rewarded with an increase in numbers coming through the gate.
The aim is to try and turn 900 regular fans into 1800 and complement the work being done by the club and other parties such as Supporters Direct Scotland.
http://www.livingstonfc.co.uk/news/news_20140429_1.php
Staying in Scotland, Albion Rovers will put their 'Pay What You Can' season tickets on sale from Thursday 8th May at Cliftonhill Stadium.
Affordable Football aims to bring you the special offers, reduced ticket prices and family deals that make catching a match anywhere in the country more affordable. You can tweet us @affordablefooty or email affordablefootball@yahoo.com if your club are doing something worth hearing about.
Thursday 1 May 2014
8 Days, 4 Big Cup Games
Next week provides plenty of opportunity to watch some important Women's cup games across three different competitions at Football League and Conference venues.
The action starts on Sunday 4 May when Burton Albion are the hosts for the FA Women's Premier League (FAWPL) Cup Final between Cardiff City and Sheffield Ladies FC. Tickets are priced at £5 for adults and £2.50 for children and concessions and a £10 family ticket is also available (two adults and two children). The game kicks off at 2.30pm.
England's Senior Women continue their march towards the 2015 World Cup on Thursday 8 May when they play Ukraine at Shrewsbury. Kick-off is at 7:30pm, adult tickets are £5, concessions £2.50 with a £10 family ticket also available.
Sunday 11 May is the semi-final stage of the FA Women's Cup Semi-Finals with Chelsea taking on either Birmingham City or Arsenal at Woking FC's Kingfield Stadium. Notts County play Everton in the other game at the Impact Arena home of Alfreton FC.
Both games kick off at 2pm and tickets for both are priced at £4 for adults and £1 for concessions.
Affordable Football aims to bring you the special offers, reduced ticket prices and family deals that make catching a match anywhere in the country more affordable. You can tweet us @affordablefooty or email affordablefootball@yahoo.com if your club are doing something worth hearing about.
The action starts on Sunday 4 May when Burton Albion are the hosts for the FA Women's Premier League (FAWPL) Cup Final between Cardiff City and Sheffield Ladies FC. Tickets are priced at £5 for adults and £2.50 for children and concessions and a £10 family ticket is also available (two adults and two children). The game kicks off at 2.30pm.
England's Senior Women continue their march towards the 2015 World Cup on Thursday 8 May when they play Ukraine at Shrewsbury. Kick-off is at 7:30pm, adult tickets are £5, concessions £2.50 with a £10 family ticket also available.
Sunday 11 May is the semi-final stage of the FA Women's Cup Semi-Finals with Chelsea taking on either Birmingham City or Arsenal at Woking FC's Kingfield Stadium. Notts County play Everton in the other game at the Impact Arena home of Alfreton FC.
Both games kick off at 2pm and tickets for both are priced at £4 for adults and £1 for concessions.
Affordable Football aims to bring you the special offers, reduced ticket prices and family deals that make catching a match anywhere in the country more affordable. You can tweet us @affordablefooty or email affordablefootball@yahoo.com if your club are doing something worth hearing about.
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