Town are set to announce a new loyalty scheme in a bid to boost season ticket sales. Season ticket prices will be frozen at 2007/08 rates for the following two years, while the Blues will offer Premiership tickets at prices reduced by up to 50% if they are promoted.

All 2007/08 season ticket holders will be subject to the price freeze, but the 50% Premiership bonus — on offer for the following season should Town achieve promotion in 2007/08 or 2008/09 - applies only to 2006/07 season ticket holders renewing for the new campaign. New season ticket holders for next year would receive a 20% discount should the Blues make a return to the top flight.

Town have also extended the early bird deadline from April 13th to April 27th to give supporters time to decide whether to take up the new offer, which also applies to fans who have already renewed, debenture holders and those with five or 10-year season tickets.

Current season ticket holders, as well as those who have allowed theirs to lapse in recent seasons, will receive a letter from the club explaining the new scheme in the next few days.

The scheme is not dissimilar to proposals put the club by Ipswich Town Ist, the Supporters Trust, at a meeting with club chief executive Derek Bowden last month.

The Blues' season ticket total which stands at 16,000 for 2006/07 was widely tipped to drop significantly after a second successive year in which Town have rarely looked capable of challenging for the play-offs let alone automatic promotion.

A reduction in season ticket income would badly hit Town's budget, making player sales over the summer more likely.

Chief executive Derek Bowden explained the club's reasons for introducing the scheme: “We would be left kicking ourselves in the summer if we had not given our manager all the help we can.

“We have listened to our supporters and put into place a new scheme that we are sure will be well received.

“If we had sat tight we would have put ourselves in a position where we would be regretting our actions come the summer.”

Town originally announced their pricing structure for 2007/08 in February with season tickets going up by 4%, below the Retail Price Index but against the general trend in the game which has seen many clubs announcing price cuts for 2007/08.

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