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Owls looking to entice fans back to Hillsborough
SHEFFIELD Wednesday have moved to halt falling attendances by announcing a series of price cuts for forthcoming games at Hillsborough.
Just over 16,000 supporters attended the weekend defeat to Coventry City – the club's lowest gate for a league game in six years.
The Owls have now slashed ticket prices in an attempt to help stop the rot and manager Brian Laws, whose side have won just once in the last seven games, is delighted by the news.
"The morale of our supporters is pretty low and we needed to give something back," said Laws yesterday. "This offers light at the end of the tunnel.
"I won't use falling gates as an excuse for our results but bigger gates do get the best out of players," he added.
"Our supporters needed help financially and these are positive moves designed to encourage people back."
Adult supporters who normally pay between 23-28 for a ticket will pay just 10 for a ticket to the forthcoming game with Charlton Athletic.
Children will be allowed into games against Norwich City and Blackpool for just 1, as long as they are accompanied by a full paying adult, and a family ticket for the visit of Reading in March will cost just 25, representing a saving of up to 63 in some areas of the stadium.
Season ticket holders and members, meanwhile, will also be able to take advantage of a 'friends for a fiver' promotion at the game against Crystal Palace.
The Owls announced a trading profit for the second consecutive year yesterday but are still crippled by a debt in excess of 24m and desperately in need of new investment.
Laws fully understands the financial situation at Hillsborough but fears the cash shortage makes it virtually impossible to challenge for a return to the Premier League.
"We all know what we have got to work with at this club and we get on with it the best we can," he said. "Being prudent with the money is obviously the main objective because we have to cut our losses as quickly as possible.
"It is pleasing to see the (financial) results but we still want to compete at the top end of the table and, unfortunately, the gap between ourselves and the clubs at the top is so vast that you couldn't build a bridge across it.
"We have got a massive debt that has to be paid off somehow. We don't have a benefactor who is going to write it all off so it has been done internally.
"Sometimes clubs have to go through these situations. The good thing is we don't have to sell a player at this present time and that gives us great hope.
"To make a profit in football, in the current climate, is almost impossible so you have to give credit to the people running this football club."
The Owls visit Blackpool tonight knowing that another defeat would push the club closer to the Championship relegation zone.
Laws accepts that improved results are also vital in tempting supporters back to Hillsborough.
"Supporters will be encouraged by good football and, if we don't produce that on a regular basis, the gates will still be affected," he said.
"There is an element of pricing but there is also an element of the football as well and we need to improve that."
Laws is banking on the return to form and fitness of striker Francis Jeffers to help inspire the club's revival over the next few weeks.
Jeffers has been eased back into action slowly after a nightmare time with injuries following his 750,000 arrival two summers ago.
Although substituted with cramp in the final minutes of Saturday's defeat to Coventry, the one-time England international, 27, is set to start back-to-back games for the first time in 14 months tonight at Bloomfield Road.
"Once Franny gets his first goal of the season, there will be no stopping him," predicted Laws. "Composure in front of goal has been lacking recently and we now need to lean on players with experience even more than anyone else.
"He has seen it, done it, and worn the T-shirt. All strikers have lean spells but quality eventually shines through and they turn it around.
"Franny was as sharp as I have seen him play against Coventry and there is still more to come."
The Owls will be boosted by the return of midfielder Steve Watson tonight, but defenders Tommy Spurr and Peter Gilbert and winger Wade Small are still ruled out. Winger Etienne Esajas is doubtful.
Last six games: Blackpool DLWLLL, Owls LLDWLL.
Last time: Blackpool 2 Owls 1, Championship, April 19, 2008.
Referee: C Boyeson (East Yorkshire).
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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