Town have frozen season ticket prices for 2010/11 at the same level as this year. The Blues are again offering an eight-month interest free payment scheme and the Premiership Cashback offer is included for supporters who renew before the April 10th early bird deadline.
An adult seat in the lower tiers of the Sir Bobby Robson or South stands will cost £368 before the early bird deadline for current season ticket holders, £392 to non-season ticket holders prior to the deadline and £465 to any purchasers after April 10th.
The Premiership Cashback offer would see all fans renewing before the early bird deadline receive a 50% rebate on the cost of their 2010/11 season ticket if the Blues reach the Premier League during that season.
The eight-month interest free direct debit scheme with payments made between May and December was introduced last season and was adopted by 60% of the club’s 15,950 season ticket holders during 2009/10. The total number of season ticket holders was 600 up on the previous season.
Chief executive Simon Clegg says Town remain determined to return to the top flight: "The club remains absolutely committed to winning promotion to the Premier League at the earliest opportunity; an aspiration that I know is shared by all our loyal supporters.
"We are extending our Premiership Cashback for another season and I hope that we will be able to reward the commitment of season ticket holders by rebating 50% of 2010/11 season ticket revenue, about £2.5 million, when we achieve our goal.”
Clegg says season ticket pricing is just one aspect of managing the club’s overall finances: "In the context of looking at these prices I have a responsibility to this club, to the fans and to the owner to ensure that we are managing this club in a responsible fashion.
"You’ve got to get that balance right. That’s the big dilemma in football, the balance between investing to drive and race for the dream, but also managing the situation in a responsible manner financially.”
Clegg says that despite Town making a £10 million loss last season, there is no culture of waste at Portman Road: "I can assure you that every penny counts at this club. There are no excesses, there is no extravagance at this club. I’m not sure we’d even be building an office like this if I was moving into a shell of an office in April last year.
"We’re very, very careful with our money. Marcus Evans is careful with his money. I have a responsibility to ensure that his money that I’m spending here over and above the money we generate is spent in a careful and focused way.”
The chief executive says it’s sad to see Portsmouth enter administration but hopes their situation serves as a warning to other sides: "It’s never good to see clubs go into administration like Portsmouth have today, it’s another sad day for football.
"But in some respects, looking in the longer term, it may be that this may make a couple of people sit up and realise that the current situation is not sustainable indefinitely.
"Clubs have a fiscal responsibility to manage themselves appropriately and no one would ever forgive me if I took this club into the position it was in not so many years ago.”
Clegg admits that on the field this season has been very much below par: "We’re disappointed within ourselves, within the playing staff, within the manager and within the management structure in terms of what we’ve achieved so far.
"But we’ve still got the best part of a third of the season ahead of us. We recognise that it’s very tight and three points against Bristol City will be extremely helpful in terms of further moving us up the table.
"It’s always been a long-term goal. It’s never been about promotion this particular season, it’s been about putting in the building blocks which will take us back to the promised land at the earliest opportunity and I think we’ve made quite a lot of progress since the beginning of the season.”
The club have made no changes to the concessions offered this season or to the Silver and Gold Clubs, while matchday prices have not yet been set and are still under consideration. Season ticket packs will be sent out on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of next week.
Full details of season ticket pricing is on the club site here.