Going for broke to secure survival (From Worcester News)

Worcester City go for broke with £100 season ticket deal

11:00am Wednesday 20th March 2013 in Sport By Steve Carley - Midlands Sports Journalist of the Year 2013, @stevecarleyWN

Going for broke to secure survival

IN offering season tickets for £100, Worcester City have essentially gone for broke.

To give themselves any sort of chance of survival away from St George’s Lane, they had to do something bold — and this is it.

Simply hoping that the same circa 700 fans will simply flock to Kidderminster Harriers with them next season would have been wishful thinking, certainly after recent results.

They will inevitably lose supporters in exile, down to the fact some people either can’t or won’t travel to Aggborough.

So by offering an incentive they hope to keep as many of their supporters as possible, while also attempting to offset the resulting financial shortfall of lower attendances.

Yes, getting 1,500 people to buy one is hugely ambitious but City have to aim big if they are going to generate the sort of money they need to survive at Kidderminster. Otherwise, there’s no point in them doing it.

In other words, what have they got to lose?

This isn’t just about putting bums on seats. This is about giving the club a chance to remain at its current level, in the short-term at least.

The club are hoping that their regular supporters will see the £100 offer as a bargain and, to the casual fan, an opportunity to save on matchday admission prices across the season.

Others may also see it as a chance to back the club without ever setting foot inside Aggborough. Businesses could buy a few to share round.

Having also done a deal with a local bus firm to get fans to games, the club cannot do much more.

They deserve credit for at least trying to make the most of the situation while they still can.

Now it’s over to the fans.

• While the club should be praised for that approach, recycling the original programme from December 29 for Monday’s match against Gainsborough Trinity — and still charging £2.50 for it — was a pretty poor show.

The fixture, also the last floodlit game at the Lane, had been rearranged for weeks so surely they could have cashed in with a commemorative edition?