Latics: We had to act - Corney

FACE TO FACE: Simon Corney exchanges views with, from the left, season-ticket holders Kevyn Gibbons, Philip Taylor and Peter Harrington.

ATHLETIC chairman Simon Corney has revealed plummeting attendances at Boundary Park are having a negative impact on the mentality of the players.

Corney decided to take a financial hit in a bid to attract more people to home matches, unveiling a £15 ‘Golden Ticket’ for home clashes with Colchester, Scunthorpe, Yeovil, Bournemouth and Leyton Orient.

A flat atmosphere in the 2-1 win over Walsall — watched by just 2,583, 101 of whom were travelling fans — convinced the exasperated chairman that action had to be taken.

He said: “It has got to the point now where our players resent the fact they are running out in front of so few supporters.

“Against Walsall we had virtually no paying customers, because the vast majority were made up of season ticket holders.

“We had to do something. I know those with season tickets will not be happy at the price cut and we are working on ways to appease them.

“If prices had stayed the same and we lost the next two or three home games, the attendance would probably drop to 1,500.

“We need more fans at home matches to give us a lift. I know some chairmen who are perfectly comfortable at the prospect of being relegated.

“I am the opposite. I will do everything I can to avoid it and I am very confident we will do just that.

“I get no pleasure or financial gain from reducing prices but we talked about it for a long time and decided to go for it.”

Corney feels the image of the modern game makes it almost impossible to attract a new generation of fans to clubs outside the Barclays Premier League.

He added: “Kids are not going to go into school and tell their classmates they support Oldham Athletic, or any team in this division.

“They would be laughed at. It has to be United, City or one of the other big guns.

“Children do not want to come along to Boundary Park on a cold Tuesday night even if we are their local team. With hundreds of television channels and the Internet, it is harder than ever to get youngsters interested in our club.”