Sheffield Wednesday has today announced on their official website, www.swfc.co.uk that the club is to offer ticket deals to the unemployed and families with low incomes.
The Owls have seen an increase in season ticket sales this season compared with the 2008/09 campaign but did not reach their optimum targets and have been looking at ways to encourage more fans to get down to Hillsborough and back their team.
Forum discussions on various websites have raised the issue of affordability, especially in the current climate and it seems that the club have made a positive move to entice supporters to future matches by providing discount prices.
Tickets priced at £10 for the North-West corner area of the ground will be made available to any supporter who is in receipt of jobseekers allowance upon production of their pass book and photo ID. This offer will be dependant on the agreement of the safety advisory board and the police and will take into account the away following. The offer is currently in place for the Nottingham Forest, Middlesbrough and Cardiff fixtures.
The club are also offering a family ticket to those in receipt of income support/working family tax credit. These are to be made available for all future 2009/10 home matches and will usually be for the West Stand though could be moved to specific areas of the Kop when the away following dictates. The price of these family tickets is £30 for two adults and two children and all offers much be purchased from the ticket office prior to the fixture.
These deals are another step to towards the Owls forging links within the community and provide a good incentive to those who may otherwise not be able to afford to get to the games. It will also bring in revenue in opening up an area of the ground which would otherwise probably not be used for the majority of the season.