Great ticket deal for Boro fans

While this week has seen season ticket price rises at Spurs and Liverpool (“an insult” say Spirit of Shankly) receiving unfavourable comparison to much more affordable season tickets offered at Barcelona and Bayern Munich, it’s not all bad news for fans.

As reported yesterday by Gazette Live, Middlesbrough have announced an eighth successive year of price freezes on their season tickets. While that on its own would be reason enough for congratulation, they’ve gone the extra mile in creating an offer that’s enticing to supporters. Any fan renewing by late April will be able to take advantage of a free pint at every match. Yes, that’s right, a free pint.

The promotion actually offers a range of drinks, including beer, wine, soft drinks and hot drinks, that fans can take advantage of at each and every home fixture. The price freeze will also apply regardless of whether Middlesbrough gain promotion to the Premier League, and there’s the option to secure the same price for the following two seasons as well.

Chairman Steve Gibson says, “We’re trying to ensure that coming to support the Boro remains affordable, while bringing in the money we need to strengthen the playing squad and make the team competitive.”

However it’s not just good news for any lager-swilling Middlesbrough devotee – in the new Family Zone a child under-11 can gain free entry with any adult holding a season card, and a second child can have a season card for only £20.

For a long time we’ve been saying that clubs need to be more creative with their ticketing deals and do more to encourage fans, particularly youngsters, to attend matches by making them more affordable. Offering a free drink and free season tickets to under-11s is a relatively low-cost way for Boro to achieve that aim, so hats off to them for showing what can be done when you think a little bit creatively.

Thanks to Action Images for the image used in this blog.