2021/22 Admission Prices

All of the supporters who have attended some of our recent home games will know that we have unfortunately had to make a small increase to the admission fees to watch Cefn Albion. The new prices for the 2021/22 season are:

• Adult £4
• Child & Concessions £2

We want to make it very clear that the decision to adjust the prices was an extremely tough one to make but it's something that had to be done in order to ensure that we remain sustainable whilst competing in the Ardal Northern (East) league (the third tier of Welsh football) and playing our games at the Rock.

Without the backing of the local community and those who support the football club on a weekly basis, our football would cease to exist, therefore we felt the right thing to do would be to provide enough context so people can understand our position. We feel that being transparent will hopefully mean that people continue to support the Albion and new supporters will be encouraged to get behind our community football club. On top of all of the usual financial overheads associated with running a grassroots football club e.g. ground rent, kit washing and paying to enter all the various competitions etc. below details some additional costs that we want to highlight.

Ardal Nothern League Expenses

As a result of the new FAW restructure the first team are now competing in the Ardal Northern East League which will see them have to travel over 500 miles throughout the course of the season. With fixtures as far as Aberystwyth the club has had to budget for coach travel so that the players and management do not have to cover the travel expenses themselves. For league fixtures alone, we have estimated several fixtures that will require a coach costing in the region of £300-£400 per journey. Our estimated travel costs exclude cup competitions and with our first team having already travelled up to Holyhead in the Welsh Cup round 1 (which required a coach) it's important that we added some contingency, especially if the club experiences a good cup run.

All clubs competing at tier 3 must produce a minimum eight-page programme that includes all league sponsor adverts as provided by the General Secretary. As a result, we have had to finance someone to produce the programme and cover all the associated printing costs. Our aim is to make the programme available digitally via a QR code and have some hard copies on the day. This can total up to £70 depending on how many we need to print.

In previous seasons, especially during the height of the referee shortage we have been so used to having only one match official, the referee. However, in the new Ardal Northern Tier 3, we can expect three officials for every home game and we as the home team are expected to cover the costs for each. This is at least £100 which will rise depending on the 45p per mile fee each official has to travel to get to the Rock.

Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Coronavirus (COVID-19) has wreaked havoc globally but and has thrown up challenges that no one has ever had to deal with before. It has been an extremely stressful time for everyone which includes our small but hard working committee who have spent many hours reading through literature and attending meetings to ensure we are in a position to host matches safely and within the guidelines that everyone concerned is happy with. In order to keep people safe, the government and the various related associations have introduced ever-changing (based on alert levels) extensive return to play protocols that all football clubs have to conform to. Hosting matches inside a stadium is vastly different to park football and there is a lot more to consider and adhere to. 

Despite being a Tier 3 Football club, as we host fixtures at Tier 1 licenced venue there is a requirement for us to further finance a COVID Compliance Officer/Ground Safety Manager and pay for a minimum of 6 people to attend Stewarding course to become level 2 certified. We aim to acquire and qualify at least 10 voluntary Stewards so that we have a larger pool of people who can assist on matchdays, this will remove the dependency on the same set of people. These are additional costs that are not included in the ground rental fee agreement.

As much as we would love to invite supporters into games for free and have larger crowds enjoying being part of local football, the stark reality is that the finances associated with the grassroots level of football we find ourselves ultimately means that we, unfortunately, have to charge spectators the prices that we have set. This is so that we remain sustainable. Our priority is ensuring that Cefn Albion exists for the local community for many years to come and it provides a good platform for those who choose to represent us.

Season Tickets

The season we are placing a real emphasis on season ticket sales which will save all regular attending supporters money over the course of the season. The season ticket will cover all league and any cup matches that are hosted at home, whether that be at the Rock or elsewhere in the case of fixture clashes between Cefn Albion and Cefn Druids and their EDS. Season ticket prices are are follows:

• Adult - £35
• Children & Concessions - £20

Excluding any home cup ties, in the Ardal Northern League alone there are 15 home matches alone so an Adult attending all games could save £25 by purchasing a season ticket. We appreciate that many supporters attend as a family and if you are buying multiple adult and child tickets it could become costly. If this is the case then please contact the club and we are happy to strike a deal that will ensure everyone benefits. We want to help you as much as possible and we need our 12th person in the ground getting behind the team on matchdays. Please get in touch with the club if you have any questions.

We hope that the information we have shared helps people understand where we are as a football club and without going into too much detail gives some context behind some of the decisions that we have made. Please respect any of our volunteers e.g. people collecting gate receipts, despite them being on the front line any decisions that have been made have been done collectively and in the best interest of the football club.

We thank you for your understanding and more importantly your continued support! Without our supporters, CAFC would not be where we are today! Please contact the club if you have any questions, suggestions or would like to get involved in volunteering, new faces are always welcome!

#UPTHEALBION
#TOGETHER
#COMMUNITYCLUB