Athletic on tickets alert

ATHLETIC are making every effort to ensure Leeds United fans don't buy tickets in home areas for next month's Coca-Cola League One clash at Boundary Park.

Despite allocating Leeds the whole of the 4,600-capacity Leesfield Developments Rochdale Road stand, Athletic have been alerted that visitors might try to infiltrate the home areas.

Athletic fan Stephen Shaw claims some Leeds fans refuse to pay £30 to join their club’s membership scheme which entitles them to buy tickets for away games.

He said: "They will, therefore, have to buy tickets in sections reserved for Athletic supporters, thus defeating the object of keeping rival fans apart."

Athletic chief executive Alan Hardy is aware of the problem, pointing out that the club had stopped internet and telephone sales.

All tickets for home areas must be bought at Boundary Park with proof of residence required.

Mr Hardy said: "We sold all our tickets for the game at Stockport and some of our fans bought tickets in the home end which caused problems.

"We will strictly monitor whom we will sell tickets to for the Leeds game.”

Mr Hardy said that many clubs, especially those with large away followings, operate membership schemes which helps with the administration and distribution of tickets.

Leeds have 30,000 members, although season-ticket holders qualify for free membership.

Leeds, whose fans can also buy away season tickets, provide 85 per cent of their away allocation to season-ticket holders and 15 per cent to members.

With so few tickets available for members, it is not uncommon for Leeds fans to be found in home sections of away grounds.

The visit of Leeds is a high-risk category C match, with high-profile policing costing Athletic at least £14,000.

That is in contrast to Saturday's home game against Swindon at which there were no police.

When there is little risk of trouble, police allow games at Boundary Park to be controlled by the club's stewards.

Indeed, 12 of this season's 23 home league games will have no police presence inside the ground, although there are officers on stand-by in the event of trouble flaring.

Athletic anticipate their bill for policing games this season will be £60,000 with the visits of Leeds, Huddersfield, Leicester and Stockport accounting for most of that figure.

Mr Hardy said police costs for the current campaign will show a 40-per-cent rise on last season due to changes in which the charges are formulated.

But he stressed Athletic have an "excellent" working relationship with the local police force.