Saturday 31 January 2015

Update - Daggers Against Racism Day 2015

The sixth annual 'Daggers Against Racism Day' took place on Saturday afternoon at the London Borough of Barking & Dagenham Stadium where Dagenham & Redbridge hosted Cheltenham Town in an important League Two fixture.

Adult tickets purchased in advance were available from £2.50 with concessions 50p and Under-10's free but the day is always about more than just reduced price football as the Daggers take very seriously both their work against racism and their role in the local community.

Dagenham's previous home games in January attracted crowds of 1,877 and 1,892 but a season's best of 2,692 watched the Cheltenham game and a crucial three points for the home side. Hopefully a few of those extra fans will be back again before the end of the season.

Friday 30 January 2015

February’s Affordable Football

Some of the things that have been flagged up so far for the shortest month…

1st:  Yeovil Ladies host Lewes Ladies in the FA Cup and the WSL 2 side are offering free admission to their Sherborne Town home for the 2pm kick-off.
2nd: There is free football at Boreham Wood FC as Arsenal take on Crewe Alexandra in the FA Youth Cup with kick-off at 7pm and at Leigh Sports Village when Manchester United host Fulham in a Barclays Under-21 Premier League fixture.

7th:  An interesting FA Trophy tie at Torquay United when the Gulls host FC United of Manchester in the Quarter Finals (3pm). Could FCUM celebrate their 10th year and their impending move to a new stadium with an appearance at Wembley? Adult tickets start at £10 with all childrens’ tickets priced at £1.
On the same day it is ‘Kids for a Quid’ at Portsmouth as they take on Hartlepool United at Fratton Park.

13th: England’s Women play their first international of what they hope will be a successful World Cup year when they meet the USA in Milton Keynes. Tickets for the game are priced at £5 for adults, £2.50 for children and concessions and £10 for a family ticket (2 adults, 2 children).


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14th: The third of three games that Mansfield Town earmarked earlier in the season for reduced prices takes place against Northampton on Valentines Day (3pm). Adult tickets purchased in advance are just £7.

18th: Norwich City continue their popular free Under-21 initiative when the Canaries host Manchester City at Carrow Road, 7pm. Previous matches have been very popular so claim a ticket in advance to avoid queues while optional donations will go straight to fund the work of the club’s academy.

23rd: Back to Leigh Sports Village where this time it is the turn of Blackburn Rovers Under-21's to host Middlesbrough in the Premier League (7pm) with free entry once again.
25th: Chelsea take on Zenit St Petersburg in the UEFA Youth League at Aldershot (7:05pm) and it is free admission for all to this game.
 

Thursday 29 January 2015

Petrofac Training Cup Final

The Scottish Challenge Cup final takes place on Sunday 5 April (16:05pm) and will take place this year at St Johnstone's McDiarmid Park.

Although the competition (for clubs outside the top-flight including the respective winners of the Highland and Lowland Leagues) this season contained big names in the shape of Hearts, Hibernian and Rangers, it is Livingston and Alloa Athletic who will meet in Perth for the right to lift the trophy.

And, to try and ensure as big a crowd as possible, the SPFL and sponsors Petrofac Training, are looking to give the day a real community feel and get as many supporters of other clubs involved as well.

That means ticket prices of £15 for adults and £5 concessions and free admission for under-12's in addition to a free Fan Zone and lots of pre-match and half-time entertainment.

SPFL chief executive Neil Doncaster said: “We’re confident that this will be a real community football final, which will be enjoyed by supporters of both teams and indeed all football fans. Working with Petrofac Training Services we’re delighted to be making a real occasion of the day and hope that McDiarmid Park will bear witness to a large crowd on what is Easter Sunday.”

http://spfl.co.uk/news/article/petrofac-training-cup-final-venue-announced/

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 28 January 2015

Norwich City Continue Free Under-21 Football Initiative

One of the most popular offers of the season to date has been Norwich City's hosting of their high-profile Under-21 fixtures at Carrow Road with 7pm kick-offs and free admission, a combination designed to get families through the gates and enjoy good quality football in an authentic atmosphere.

10,405 watched the game against Tottenham Hotspur in October and attendances for the matches with Liverpool and Manchester United fell just short of that Premier League Under-21 record while the recent fixture against Borussia Moenchengladbach was also well populated.

And the Canaries are doing it again for the visit of Manchester City on Wednesday 18 February with fans advised to get a ticket in advance to avoid queues. An optional donation will go straight to the club's academy.

http://www.canaries.co.uk/news/article/norwich-city-manchester-city-under-21s-free-tickets-2232953.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.

Tuesday 27 January 2015

Manchester United - An Easy Target On Tickets?

Manchester United's goalless draw against Cambridge United in the FA Cup on Friday evening means a replay at Old Trafford next week and another exciting night for U's supporters to enjoy.

The Telegraph were quick to call for the Red Devils to offer reduced prices for the replay after similar offers at Manchester City for the Middlesbrough clash.

I've written before that Affordable Football is in the business of highlighting special offers and reduced prices at all levels of the game so this is slightly out of my normal remit but if Manchester United don't have to reduce prices in order to get a decent crowd through the gate or make money (I realise the two don't necessarily go together in this case as adult season ticket holders are charged for FA Cup tickets whether they go or not) then it comes down purely to a goodwill gesture.

But even then, Cambridge would have to agree to reduced prices and as their 9,000 allocation is likely to be snapped up straight away then the U's know there is more money to be made from the status quo.

Prices have not been increased and, with the weekend departure of City and Chelsea from the cup and a favourable 5th Round draw, this is actually a pretty big game for the hosts and so those who do attend will be watching a full-strength side going all out to win.



Monday 26 January 2015

FA Women's Super League Fixtures Announced

The Women's Super League has featured quite extensively on these pages since Affordable Football started and the fixtures for the 2015 have been announced today.

FA WSL 1 opening round matches take place from Wednesday 25 March, while FA WSL 2 kicks off the week before on Wednesday 18 March.

Individual ticket prices rarely rise above £6 for adults but the real value is in season tickets.

Reigning champions Liverpool, for example, charge £30 for adults, £15 for children and concessions and £60 for a family of 2 adults and 2 children which covers admission to all WSL home matches, home FA Cup matches and home Continential Cup fixtures.

The official FA WSL website has good links to each individual club as well as an excellent fixtures page with ticket details for all matches.

Before then, the next round of the Women's FA Cup takes place this weekend and Yeovil Town Ladies of WSL2 are offering free admission to their game against Lewes Ladies at Sherborne on Sunday

Sunday 25 January 2015

Reminder - Adult Tickets From £2.50 at Dagenham & Redbridge on Saturday

In addition to battling to maintain their Football League status against a backdrop of fierce local competition for support and one of the lowest budgets available to a League Two club, Dagenham & Redbridge FC continue to perform sterling work in their local community.

Nothing highlights this more than their Daggers Against Racism Day which celebrates its 6th year in 2015 and which manifests itself most publicly in a bid to get a healthy crowd through the gates of the London Borough of Barking & Dagenham Stadium for the visit of Cheltenham Town on Saturday 31 January (kick-off 3pm).

Terrace prices are £2.50 adults and 50p concessions when purchased in advance with under-10's free with a paying adult and as the club website explains: 'The match will focus on encouraging both Daggers and Cheltenham fans to ‘sign up against racism’ and back the positive work of the club within the local community.'


http://www.daggers.co.uk/news/article/dagenham-and-redbridge-daggers-against-racism-day-2015-2172578.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 24 January 2015

Saturday Update - Hamilton Accies

Scottish football saw two excellent initiatives on Saturday afternoon at Hamilton Accies and Clyde FC.

In the top-flight, Accies marked 10 years of service from departing manager Alex Neil and assistant Frankie McAvoy by making the game against Inverness Caley Thistle just 10 pence to get in.

The move caught the attention of many north of the border and social media was busy all afternoon with people praising the club and tales of more money being paid at the turnstiles than just the necessary admission fee.

5,089 came through the gate with a healthy Inverness contingent making the journey just days after their own 'Pay What You Want' match against St Johnstone.

To offer a comparison, the first meeting of the two sides this season at New Douglas Park in August, drew a crowd of 1,622.

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 January 2015

Stoke City: Affordable Football from the World's 30th Richest Club

Good times indeed to be a Stoke City supporter as the Potteries club prove that you can punch your weight in the Premier League and attract high-quality players from home and abroad while still maintaining strong links with your fanbase and keeping admission prices realistic and affordable.

I've written before about how Stoke, with a clear sense of what people in the local area can and cannot afford, have frozen season ticket prices since 2007 with the slight dip in sales in the summer of 2013 having been more than made up for ahead of the 2014/15 campaign.

They also introduced free travel to all away games.

This week saw City named as the world's 30th richest club and an interesting piece in the Stoke Sentinel saw chief executive Tony Scholes explain how that status can still fit in with keeping football affordable.

http://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/Stoke-City-football-cheap-make-big-signings-says/story-25909190-detail/story.html

Reminder - Greater Manchester Football

I wrote prior to the start of the season about an agreement between Oldham Athletic, Rochdale and Bury which allowed season ticket holders at the respective clubs to watch one of the other teams in action for just £5 when their own side was either away from home or not playing.

Tomorrow represents a decent opportuity for fans of Oldham (away to Gillingham) or Rochdale (playing Stoke in the cup on Monday night) to get down to Gigg Lane for Bury's home game against Carlisle United with their season ticket book to gain reduced price admission.

Thursday 22 January 2015

Free Football With a Twist at Hull City

Hull City supporters will be able to watch the Tigers' under-21 side in action for free at the KC Stadium when they host their Mansfield Town counterparts at 2:50pm on Saturday 31 January.

The twist (and the reason for the unusual kick-off time) is that this match takes place straight after the televised Hull City first-team fixture against Newcastle United, thereby allowing anyone who watches that match to make it two games in one day.

It should also ensure that a good crowd watches the younger players in action, even if only 10% of supporters stay back to watch.

Admission for those who just want to watch the under-21 game is also an option, with a specific gate being opened at 2:40 to accomodate this.

Academy manager Tony Pennock told the official club website: "To have the opportunity to play on the first-team pitch at the KC is obviously a big thing for everyone involved and will be vitally important for the players’ development."

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Fans that stay to watch the under-21s game will also be able to claim a free hot drink from selected concessions inside the ground.


Saturday 31 is shaping up to be a good day, with reduced prices in effect for Hartlepool United's home game against Plymouth Argyle and the annual 'Daggers Against Racism' day at Dagenham & Redbridge with terrace ticket prices from 50p.

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 January 2015

Inverness Caley Thistle Pleased With 'Pay What You Want'

The first 'Pay What You Want' fixture in the Scottish top-flight took place on Tuesday night as 3,161 watched Inverness Caledonian Thistle defeat St Johnstone to keep up their recent good form.

And the Caley Jags were pleased with the response to their initiative, as outlined in an article on the Inverness Courier website today.

Thistle supporters travelling to Hamilton Academicals on Saturday, meanwhile, will pay only 10 pence entry (as will Accies fans) as the hosts pay tribute to former boss Alex Neil and his assistant Frankie McAvoy as they team up at Norwich City.

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.

Affordable Football on Twitter

@affordablefooty is our Twitter address, where I try and tweet about all of the ticket offers that I come across whereas here on the blog page I try and go into a bit more detail about those deals that really catch the eye.

Tweets this week include family ticket offers at Torquay United and Tranmere Rovers, free football at Yeovil Ladies and details of a 'Pay What You Want' game at Scarborough Athletic.

https://twitter.com/AffordableFooty

Tuesday 20 January 2015

Love Is In The Air At Coventry City

The Ricoh Arena is not the most romantic of locations, especially when there are less than 8,000 people inside it watching Coventry City lose heavily to Swindon on a wet January evening, but the Sky Blues are looking to spread the love for the Valentines Day clash with Bradford City.

Supporters buying a ticket will get the equivalent or lower priced ticket for free – so an adult purchasing a ticket can get another adult ticket or concession ticket for free.

The offer does not apply to junior tickets.

Coventry's return to the Ricoh in September generated an outpouring of emotion among City fans after their exile to Northampton and a well-timed £10 ticket offer ensured a sell-out for the first game back against Gillingham.

Attendances were always going to fall from that point but the continuing unpopularity of the Sky Blues' owners and another below-par season on the pitch have seen them fall as low as 7,098 for the Swindon game (with 504 of them being away supporters).

That is despite the best efforts of some very hard-working marketing people at the club who offered £10 tickets for the game against Fleetwood before Christmas and repeated a popular 'Football for a Fiver' offer for the Johnstone Paints Trophy matches with Exeter City and Plymouth Argyle.

Monday 19 January 2015

Affordable Scottish Football: Inverness Caley Thistle, Clyde FC & Hamilton Accies

What a week for Affordable Football in Scotland, starting with Inverness Caledonian Thistle's home game against St Johnstone on Tuesday night (7:45pm).

The Caley Jags are enjoying an excellent season under the management of John Hughes and currently lie in 4th place in the Premier League table. The hard battle to attract more supporters through the turnstiles goes on, however, and the club have made plenty of headlines over the past few weeks after announcing that the Saints clash will be the first time that 'Pay What You Want' will be trialled in the Scottish top-flight.

Just a few days later, Inverness make the trip to New Douglas Park to face Hamilton Academical (Saturday 24th, 3pm) in a game that marks a farewell for assistant manager Frankie McAvoy as he prepares to link up with former boss Alex Neil at Norwich City.

And, in honour of the service given by the two men over a decade, the Accies are charging just 10 pence admission for both home and away fans.

Vice chairman Ronnie McDonald said: "We look forward to welcoming all our loyal supporters, and perhaps some new ones, to send Frankie, and Alex, off with the acclaim they deserve."

http://www.acciesfc.co.uk/index.php/news/339-the-perfect-10s

The initiatives from both clubs deserve support at a time when the Scottish game is engaging in a heated debate about its future direction.

And, below the Premier League, Clyde FC are also having a 'Pay What You Can' day for their home fixture against Arbroath on Saturday (24th, 3pm).

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 18 January 2015

Free Under-21 Football as Manchester United take on Liverpool

The English game's biggest rivalry resumes at Under-21 level on Monday 26 January when Manchester United and Liverpool meet in the Barclays U-21 Premier League.

United are the host team for the game but the location, Leigh Sports Village, is handily placed for anyone in Liverpool wishing to attend.
Free tickets are available by completing details on the LSV website. United host Fulham, Chelsea and Everton in February and supporters can also register for these games while Blackburn Rovers under-21's also use the stadium frequently for their home matches, their next match is against Middlesbrough on February 23 and again entry is free.

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.

Notts County: Get Back on The Bench For Next Season

One season ticket initiative that featured quite a bit on these pages over the summer was Notts County's 'The Bench' with its attempts to make buying a season ticket more than just a straightforward transaction between a buyer and a seller.

As well as reducing prices to their lowest level since 2010, the Magpies involved those fans buying a season ticket with plenty of extras such as a copy of the Matchday Magazine at each home game and an exclusive pre-match email from manager Shaun Derry.
The club were understandably proud to be recognised at the recent Football Business Awards and are now looking for feedback to make The Bench even better for next season.

Thursday 15 January 2015

Show of Support for Hereford United Fans

The recent FA Cup coverage on the BBC and BT Sport, with the inevitable replays of that goal from Ronnie Radford, will have been especially poignant for Hereford United supporters in the wake of their club's demise.

For most, of course, the Bulls had existed in name only since the summer and there was some relief that the decision to wind up the club meant plans for Hereford FC, owned and run by fans and playing at Edgar Street, could begin in earnest.

The Hereford United Supporters Trust has full details of those plans but, in the meantime, those Bulls' fans looking for their football fix for the remainder of this season have been offered discounted entry to the UK's first supporter-owned club, Enfield Town.

Anyone with a HUST membership card or wearing a Hereford shirt or scarf can get into the remaining league fixtures at the QE2 stadium for £5.

http://www.enfieldtownfootballclub.co.uk/news/enfield-towns-show-of-support-to-hereford-united-supporters-1360385.html

HUST also report that Merthyr Town and Cinderford Town have made similar offers while Gloucester City will donate £5 to the Supporters Trust for every paying adult who goes to this game and shows their HUST membership card.

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.



'Pay What You Can' at Clyde FC

Clyde FC are hoping to attract supporters new and old to their home game against Arbroath on Saturday 24 January with a 'Pay What You Can' offer (minimum £1).

Club Director Bobby Gracey told the Bully Wee website: "At this time of year, money can be tight for everyone. Accordingly, the board felt that this would be a great offer for the start of 2015, by making it as easy as possible to attend our game against Arbroath."

http://www.clydefc.co.uk/news/2015/01/14/4822/

And a quick reminder that, four days earlier (Tuesday 21 January), 'Pay What You Can' hits Scotland's top-flight for Inverness Caley Thistle's home game with St Johnstone.


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 14 January 2015

Update: Brentford & Norwich City

Brentford ran a 'Pay What You Want' scheme for the third season running when they hosted Rotherham United last weekend and, as well as raising money for Sport Relief, the Bees believe that they will again reap some longer term benefits from the near-11,000 attendance.

Chief executive Mark Devlin told the official club website: "The home areas of the stadium were once again packed almost to full capacity and we know that the scheme introduced more potential new supporters to the Club.


"We can already identify more than 100 Season Ticket Holders who've become hooked on The Bees after being introduced through the initiative."

Norwich City continued their highly successful policy of hosting high-profile under-21 fixtures at Carrow Road and allowing free entry to all supporters when they entertained Manchester United last Friday night.

A crowd of 9,682 for the game means that around 30,000 people have taken advantage of the offer over three fixtures.

Crucially, those figures will include a large number of families with children able to watch a competitive match, under the lights and at a good time (7pm kick-off), keeping the Canaries firmly at the forefront of their local community.

Monday 12 January 2015

'Pay What You Can' at Inverness Makes Headlines (Not All Positive)

Inverness Caledonian Thistle bring 'Pay What You Can' football to the top-flight of Scottish football when they host St Johnstone next Tuesday and the initiative is being watched closely by other clubs with the future of the game north of the border having been a hot topic for discussion in recent months.

Chairman Kenny Cameron has said: "We feel it is certainly worth trying and if it is successful we would certainly look at doing it again and then the carry-over from that would be a full review of our pricing structures for next season."

That follows the lead, albeit at a lower level, of Albion Rovers who followed up their 'Pay What You Can' day last season with the introduction of season tickets on a similar basis. That has led to an increase in gates at Cliftonhill while forging stronger links between the club and its local community.

Partick Thistle and Hamilton officials told the Daily Record last week that they were monitoring the Inverness scheme with interest with a view to doing something similar themselves but, to give the opposite point of view, Gordon Waddell in the same newspaper is pretty scathing about the governing bodies of the Scottish game and the vested interests of the clubs themselves.


http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/gordon-waddell-pay-what-you-4957913

And, perhaps it is easier to do something like 'Pay What You Want' from a positive of relative strength as Brentford did at the weekend but, as part of an overall package (and Inverness have run a number of offers in recent weeks for various fixtures) it has to be a good thing.

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 January 2015

Blue Kit and Reduced FA Cup Prices at Cardiff City!

Optimism seemed in short supply at Cardiff City as recently as the beginning of January with the club struggling in the Championship and playing in red kit of front of just  4,194 fans against Colchester United in the FA Cup, the lowest ever attendance at the Cardiff City Stadium.

With the mask of the Premier League now gone, the division between club and fans has perhaps been more evident, prompting owner Vincent Tan to set up a consultative meeting between club officials and a cross-section of supporters and subsequently agreeing a return to traditional colours with immediate effect.

Hopefully the move back to blue will help heal some of the wounds that have opened up over the past couple of seasons and a crowd of 22,515 against Fulham on Saturday created a terrific atmosphere.


The club have reduced prices for the 4th Round FA Cup tie against Reading which takes place on Saturday 24 January.

Season ticket holders and advance purchasers can buy tickets for the game at £10 adults (concessions £8, under-16's £5) while matchday prices are £12, £10 and £5.


http://www.cardiffcityfc.co.uk/news/article/reading-cup-ticket-prices-2191470.aspx

Thursday 8 January 2015

Hartlepool United Repeat Cut-Price Ticket Offer

Having kicked off their ownership of Hartlepool United FC by offering reduced price tickets for the festive games against Oxford United and Morecambe, TMH 2014 are offering further discounts for the January fixtures against Cheltenham Town and Plymouth Argyle.
The club were pleased with the 4,000+ gates they attracted over Christmas and have announced that the two matches (Cheltenham this Saturday and Plymouth on 31 January) will be priced at £13 each for adults and £7 for concessions with a joint ticket covering both games costing £20 for adults and £10 for concessions.

Chairman Peter Harris told the official club website: “We have said all along that the fans can play a huge role in our fight for survival in League Two and we are going to need them more than ever in the second half of the season."


http://www.hartlepoolunited.co.uk/news/article/hartlepool-cut-ticket-prices-for-games-against-cheltenham-and-plymouth-2185959.aspx

Get Down to Ochilview This Saturday and Next

The Ochilview home of Stenhousemuir and tenants East Stirlingshire is the place to be for affordable football over the next two Saturdays with both clubs having ticket offers in place for their respective games.

The Warriors, as Stenhousemuir are known, host Greenock Morton this Saturday (10th) and both home and away supporters can benefit from a Parent and Child Offer which allows entry for just £10 to parents, grandparents or guardians who bring along a child aged 16 or under.

One week later and it is the turn of East Stirlingshire to try and boost numbers through the gate with their match against Annan Athletic designated as 'Shire for a Fiver' day. This does exactly as it says on the tin with adult entry £5. Concession admission has been reduced to just £2.


http://www.stenhousemuirfc.com/news/2015/01/08/1147/
http://www.eaststirlingshirefc.com/2015/01/05/shire-for-a-fiver-day-2/

Tuesday 6 January 2015

Same Again as Ipswich Host Saints in FA Cup

Following the success of Sunday's FA Cup tie at St Mary's, which attracted a crowd of over 31,000, Ipswich Town will charge the same prices when Southampton come to Portman Road for the replay on Wednesday January 14.

Adults will be charged £10, concessions £5 and under-16's £3 and, although the midweek date means Saints won't be able to match the 5,500 travelling fans who came to the South Coast, a healthy crowd should be in attendance.

What was interesting was the way the first tie caught the imagination thanks to the two clubs working well together to reduce prices to the minimum and increase the allocation for Ipswich fans. That in turn seemed to have a knock-on effect on the number of home supporters going to the game and, who knows, on the strength of the teams sent out by their respective managers.


http://www.itfc.co.uk/news/article/town-v-southampton-2183007.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.


Free Entry to Old Trafford Next Week

Manchester United host Hull City in the FA Youth Cup at Old Trafford on Tuesday 13 January at 7pm and the Reds are offering free entry for the game, a great opportunity for youngsters and families to watch a match at the famous old stadium, under the lights and for free.

The official MUFC website asks for fans to register by texting YOUTH to 60777 although this may be just to give an idea of numbers. Hull's official website states 'Admission to the game is free for all supporters via neutral turnstiles N41, N43 and N46. No tickets are required for this fixture.'

United's under-21 side often play their fixtures at Leigh Sports Village and this venue is also offering free football next week when Blackburn Rovers host Aston Villa in a Premier League U-21 fixture on Monday 12 at 7pm for fans who enter their details at the LSV website.

http://www.leighsportsvillage.co.uk/rovers/


Sunday 4 January 2015

First Game of 2015


This picture was taken at the Church Lane home of New Mills AFC on Saturday when the Millers gained a crucial three points in their battle to move away from the depths of the Northern Premier League First Division North by beating Farsley AFC with a stoppage time winner.

Easily accessible from Sheffield and Manchester by train, the friendly club is well worth a visit and operates a successful 'All Kids for a Quid' scheme.

http://www.pitchero.com/clubs/newmillsafc/


Saturday 3 January 2015

More Free Football at Norwich City

The Canaries are continuing their successful initiative of playing high-profile under-21 fixtures at Carrow Road and offering free admission when Manchester United visit Norfolk on Friday 9 January for a 7pm kick-off.

Matches against Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool earlier this season attracted a combined crowd of over 19,000 and those who did attend have seen two well-contested games.

Tickets for the Manchester United game are completely free although a donation of as little as £1 to the club's Academy would be greatly appreciated.


http://www.canaries.co.uk/news/article/free-tickets-norwich-city-manchester-united-2172838.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 2 January 2015

'Pay What You Can' Is Back at Albion Rovers and Brentford

Having made headlines throughout the UK with their 'Pay What You Can' match against Montrose last season and the subsequent selling of season tickets on a similar basis, Albion Rovers are repeating the matchday initiative for this Saturday's game against Annan Athletic (3rd January, 3pm).

2014 was a good year off the field at Cliftonhill with attendances increasing and the club working hard to increase its profile in the local community.

A minimum of price of £2 is in operation for a game that Albion will want to win as they challenge Arbroath at the top of Scottish Division Two

Flying high in the Championship they may be but that has not stopped Brentford Football Club continuing the 'Pay What You Can' initiative that have proved successful over the past two seasons in attracting new fans to the club and rewarding regular supporters as well.

Advance match tickets for the game against Rotherham United at Griffin Park on Saturday 10 January are available at a minimum of £5 for all categories and home areas of the ground.

When over £10 is paid for a ticket then a donation will be made to Sport Relief with the charity continuing to benefit from an excellent initiative from the Bees who were the first to try it in the English professional game.

http://albionroversfc.com/?p=5485

http://www.brentfordfc.co.uk/news/article/rotherham-pwyc-ticket-information-10.01.15-2074946.aspx

Thursday 1 January 2015

Football For 50p at Dagenham & Redbridge

In addition to battling to maintain their Football League status against a backdrop of fierce local competition for support and one of the lowest budgets available to a League Two club, Dagenham & Redbridge FC continue to perform sterling work in their local community.

Nothing highlights this more than their Daggers Against Racism Day which celebrates its 6th year in 2015 and which manifests itself most publicly in a bid to get a healthy crowd through the gates of the London Borough of Barking & Dagenham Stadium for the visit of Cheltenham Town on Saturday 31 January (kick-off 3pm).

Terrace prices are £2.50 adults and 50p concessions when purchased in advance with under-10's free with a paying adult and as the club website explains: 'The match will focus on encouraging both Daggers and Cheltenham fans to ‘sign up against racism’ and back the positive work of the club within the local community.'


http://www.daggers.co.uk/news/article/dagenham-and-redbridge-daggers-against-racism-day-2015-2172578.aspx?

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