Thetownend.com

Bradford City fans WILL be able to watch the cheapest football in the country next season.

Chairman Julian Rhodes today decided to push ahead with his promise to slash season-ticket prices after more than 7,000 fans backed the Telegraph & Argus campaign.

Supporters will have to pay only £138 for 2007/2008 season tickets - the lowest prices in the professional game in Britain.

Mr Rhodes said: "The future of Bradford City really is in the hands of the supporters and I believe this is the best way to get fans onside to help us rebuild the club again.

"I do genuinely want people who can't otherwise afford to come to be able to watch professional football now."

Under the new prices, supporters will have to pay the equivalent of only £6 per match - or see 16 games for free when compared with the current £20 match-day admission.
advertisement

When Mr Rhodes launched the cheap-ticket scheme he was hoping that 10,000 adult fans would pledge their backing. But given City's desperate league position - they could be relegated to the bottom division tomorrow - he believes the current figure of 7,000 is a strong enough show of support to launch his bold idea.

"I'm trusting everybody who has pledged will buy a season ticket and I've no reason to feel that won't be the case," he added.

"It's a slight gamble but I do think we will get more floating voters when the word gets round about this great offer.

"It has been a very difficult season and considering we haven't won at home this year to get to 7,000 is pretty good.

"The main thing that can turn round the fortunes of Bradford is to help fill the stadium on a match day. Anybody there last Saturday against Leyton Orient would have to say that we were really unlucky to lose.

"But if we can generate that kind of atmosphere every home game you would like to think we would win a lot more often than this season and that's what it's all about.

"People want a successful side and they can really play their part in achieving that. The player wage-bill we set will depend largely on how many people actually buy tickets."

Staff at the Intersonic Stadium were today being briefed about the scheme and how it will be implemented. A separate deal will be put to 25-year season-ticket holders, youngsters aged 11 to 16 will be half-price and under-11s can still watch for free.

Rhodes said: "The season tickets won't be on sale just yet but everything should happen in the next few weeks. The application forms have to be processed and then we will be in business.

"At a time when everyone is talking about cutting the cost of watching football, we have gone ahead and done it. We are leading the way and I am confident our supporters will respond in their numbers.

"As I keep stressing, the club's future depends so much on the backing from the fans."

You don't have to have pledged already to take advantage of the new season ticket prices, which are still available to anyone who wants them.

Fair play to Bradford!

Absolutely fucking brilliant.

it's about time they realised how stupid prices have become. I wish them nothing but success (unless it's against us of course).

they might get relegated to league 2 tomorrow... amazing that it was only 2001 when they were in the premiership.

fair play to them, they don't half sound desperate for support though

We might have been the first club to make the drop right down the leagues, but they will have done it in record time.

Although If Franchise count themselves as having won the FA Cup, surely they should share our "decline from Premiership to League 2" record with us?

About time someone had the balls to cut ticket prices.

Let's hope other clubs start to follow suit.

£138 is a fucking bargain, cheaper than the TE I believe?

sigh.

The sooner we see widespread price cuts in ticket costs, the better. Sadly it's unlikely as everything seems to be spiralling higher and higher...

The only problem is if we lowered our prices, we still wouldn't get 7,000 season ticket sales and would struggle to pay wages/bill etc.

All points back to extra revenue from the new stadium I suppose!

I would be fairly confident of over 5000 people taking up such an offer at STFC.  They did reduce season tickets a few years back when they launched the nice new meaty on the day prices and I think we sold around 4000 season tickets off the back of that.  Consider this is a much publicised offer (months), so if it was repeated by us we'd need the same sort of run-up to the actual sales.  I've never purchased a season ticket for many reasons but I;d go for one at that price because I could still miss a game or move seats when I fancied without feeling ripped off for the pleasure.

Charlton are offering anyone who buys a season ticket the promise that if they do get relegated but then promoted straight back, the fans will get the 2nd season (the one they;d be back in the Prem) for free.

Fair play. That is the real deal. Not 2 or 3 quid. But a genuine bargain for their hardcore supporters.

That is absolutely quality and at a time when they must be hurting financially.

Wish them every success attendance wise for next season.

Cant help but think that is financial suicide. They'll have a smaller wage budget than accrington next season if not enough people take up the offer.