Loyal fans ‘should have come first’

TWO Athletic season ticket holders felt like “afterthoughts” when the club slashed prices for five home matches.

It will cost just £15 for home supporters to attend the ‘Golden Ticket’ games against Colchester on Tuesday, Scunthorpe (March 6), Yeovil (March 10), Bournemouth (March 24) and Leyton Orient (March 27).

While infrequent visitors to Boundary Park will revel in the deal, season-ticket holders like Peter Harrington and Kevyn Gibbons, who have already splashed their cash on the campaign’s remaining fixtures, are waiting to hear what the club intends to do for them.

Athletic officials are discussing ways to appease their hard core following but, whatever form that takes, Peter and Kevyn believe they should have been consulted first.

The pair, joined by fellow fan Philip Taylor, put across a range of views to chairman Simon Corney in a two-hour meeting.

Peter (48) said: “I am always in favour of increasing the attendance at Boundary Park, which is what this idea is geared towards, but it is a short-term quick fix at best.

“I can understand where they are coming from because the last thing anyone connected with this club wants is a serious dip in form resulting in relegation. We all have the same goal.

“However, when the club released the statement about the Golden Tickets, as season ticket holders Kevyn and I felt like afterthoughts.”

Kevyn added: “They should have sorted us out first. We know they are talking about it and trying to decide how to compensate us, but we cannot understand why that issue was not addressed first.”

The launch has left Peter wondering whether to renew the season ticket he has proudly possessed for more than a quarter of a century.

He continued: “The decision will have to be made some time in April and for the first time it is not going to be an automatic decision from me.

“I am going to have to think long and hard because this is not the first time a scheme has started late on in the season.

“I am going to wait and see what the club has to say to people like me in the coming weeks and go from there.”