Season-ticket sales up

Season-ticket sales have broken through the £400,000 barrier for the first time since Athletic were playing in the Premiership. Chief executive Alan Hardy expects the figure to be nearer £450,000 when the 20-per-cent discount offer runs out. Hardy is delighted with the response from fans but is quick to point out that the VAT man will soon be knocking on the Boundary Park door for his £60,000 share. The figure equates to around 2,500 seats, compared to 2,300 last season.


Mr Hardy said, “The supporters have done a tremendous job. We did about
£10,000 of business on Wednesday and we expect to do more of the same over the next couple of days. There is a sense of optimism among fans after just missing out on the play-offs and they have responded by buying season tickets. They have also seen three players sign for the club and they can expect one or two more before the start of the season.”


The extra money will also go some way to easing the shortfall following the collapse of ITV Digital. Athletic were set to receive in the region of £800,000 over the next two years from the TV deal.