WIVENHOE Town are hoping that a generous new ticket offer will help boost their crowds - and provide a tonic in the cost of living crisis.

The Dragons are offering a free child and adult season-ticket to all children under 14 for their league games at the E&L Property Services Stadium, in the forthcoming season.

The Thurlow Nunn League first division north outfit have provided free entry for under-14s for many seasons but accompanying parents or guardians would usually have to pay the standard entry fee.

 

Now they accompanying adults will get in for free too and Wivenhoe chairman Mo Osman is hoping the initiative will help attract more people to their home games.

He said: "With the cost of living and everything going up, it's important to have people still coming to the club and having that experience of non-league football and football in general.

"For some parents, going to watch a higher-league team is going to be beyond them now.

"When the cutbacks are made, that's where they're probably going to start.

Gazette:

"Also, some children possibly don't want to travel a long way to watch a team.

"We're on the doorstep of a lot of children so just that experience of raw, old-fashioned football gives people an opportunity to come and have a look and it doesn't cost them anything to do that.

"So hopefully, it'll entice a few people to come over and have a look and those young children will be the future of the club.”

Wivenhoe have 20 home league games this season at the E&L Property Services Stadium this season and the child and adult ticket will be valid for every one of them.

An adult season ticket would usually be £90 for new members, with individual games £7 each for adults.

Gazette:

The digital season ticket, which will be accessible on phones, works out as £140 saved for parents who watch every single Dragons home league game and bring their child along.

Osman said: "We're not saying support us instead of Colchester United or other teams.

"But if it's not affordable to watch Colchester United or a Premier League team, you can still support those teams but sometimes it's a lot of money to buy a shirt or a match ticket and even if those clubs do offers, things like the food and the programme cost quite a lot of money.

"So even though you may be paying for a slightly higher league or on paper, a better quality of viewing, football's football.

Gazette:

"Where you've got VAR in the Premier League, there's none of that in non-league football.

"You can enjoy good old-fashioned football where you've got that connection.

"When you spend time watching these players who go to work every day like the children's parents do, there's that more realistic connection with them.

"The idea here is that if you can't afford to go and watch these teams, then it doesn't cost you anything to come and watch Wivenhoe and hopefully that'll entice people to get out and do a bit as well.

"To be given the opportunity to come for free for the whole season is something we'd like to offer and hopefully, we'll get a lot of children take it up and hopefully, it'll bump our gates up a bit, which is good commercially for us anyway.

"We want to get everybody involved and come along and support the team.

Gazette:

"We're not saying you've got to stop supporting Man United, Tottenham, Arsenal or Colchester United - by all means, support those clubs but if it's not financially viable to go and watch those teams, then our door is always open to come and watch a game at Wivenhoe.”

Wivenhoe, who boast ten youth teams and run football courses at the club, kick off the new season on July 29.

The Dragons have appointed Kieron Shelley as their new first-team boss, with Lionel Toms and Ollie Leroux as his assistants.

Osman added: "We've managed to retain some of the players, from last season.

"Kieron's been working to attract some new players and it's quite an exciting time.”

To apply for a free Wivenhoe Town season ticket, visit the club’s website here