More than 17,000 tickets have been sold for Saturday’s game against Aston Villa at Portman Road, caretaker-boss Bryan Klug’s first home match in charge, with the Blues running a Kids for a Quid promotion for fans aged under 19.

All under-19s will be admitted for just a pound, although all under-13s will have to be accompanied by a paying adult. Tickets are on sale at Planet Blue and via ITFC Direct.

Villa, fourth in the Championship table and still chasing an automatic promotion place, have sold out their 2,000 seat allocation.

As ever, the FanZone will be open from midday, when the Elena Baltacha Tennis Foundation, Suffolk Cricket and a Panini 2018 World Cup sticker shop swap will be amongst the attractions, and then again after the game until 6pm.

Boots2Africa will be hosting another of their preloved football boot donation events from 1pm.

Photo: Action Images

12th_Man added 12:23 - Apr 17 Still be low attendance
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frankietheman12 added 12:28 - Apr 17 Does that figure include season ticket holders?
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trueblue1970 added 12:28 - Apr 17 Me & mates going we said we would return once MM had gone !
18

CavendishBlue added 12:31 - Apr 17 The attendence can't include season tickets as everyone is counted in through electronic gates and has been since they were installed 5 years ago.
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Cakeman added 12:34 - Apr 17 Will only beat maximum of 16999 then as I am a season ticket holder but won't be there.
0

MathieandMarshall added 12:35 - Apr 17 Cavendish Blue - the attendance is based on 'tickets sold' so they do include all season ticket holders in that figure regardless of if they attend or not. This is why there is always the drama when they announce 13k each week this season when everyone can see that in reality there are nearer 9k in the ground. The club obviously know the real figure based on the barcode scanning but this is kept in house.

13

Incublue added 12:48 - Apr 17 Headline should be "Mick McCarthy departure boosts crowd for Villa match" I'll be coming back regularly now. Let's hope crowds continue to increase.
19

Mark added 12:53 - Apr 17 Let's all get down there to support Bryan and the lads. It should be a good game and a chance to stop a big club getting automatically promoted. COYB!
22

shortmarine1969 added 12:57 - Apr 17 Well not a sell out by any means , but a uplift of a few thousand at least from the 10 / 11 k that were reported / announced at 13k or so going to games. Just full on support required - he has gone and this is a time when BK can try younger lads out , but that carries a risk so the support must back them team whatever over this period. And despite the N/F result our play was better.

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cat added 12:59 - Apr 17 Cannot make Saturdays game, but good to see attendances are on the up. Just purchased my ST for next season, great price with the discount and also nice to receive a letter from M.E (kind of) in recognising and taking responsibility for his mistakes on last year's pricing.
6

BullardsMagicMullet added 13:01 - Apr 17 Will somebody ask Suffolk cricket why they select players from Essex clubs?
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BlueySwede added 13:03 - Apr 17 Will be there with my fellow swedish friends from ITFCSweden. Let´s hope for a good game and a decent crowd. Some "fans" on here are negative beyond belief..
14

marshallmania added 13:04 - Apr 17 Let everyone go for a quid! What's the worse that can happen?
0

shortmarine1969 added 13:11 - Apr 17 The club could loose best part a half a mil in income .!!..that would happen. Nice idea in principal but not realistic.
3

1RWR added 13:23 - Apr 17 If the club said £5 on the gate, that would boost the crowd. I'm a ST holder & it wouldn't offend me before anyone grizzles "I paid my season ticket blah blah blah". Bet they won't try it, be nice tho!
9

adeblueboy added 13:24 - Apr 17 It is still the same style and same old faces I'm afraid, this will put the kids off. Wait until next season, things will be different, manager and Dozzell, Huws, Adeyemi, Bishop, and Garner to name a few, trust me, hopefully!!
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muccletonjoe added 13:26 - Apr 17 A lot of town fans feeling the need to go this week to support Bryan and the young lads.
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brendenward35 added 13:58 - Apr 17 Let's hope crowd is positive and keep off the players backs, Villa not where they are because they are crap. Future manager might be there watching
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TheTrueBlue1878 added 14:20 - Apr 17 Fair play to ITFC for this, didn't have to do this and picked a big club against aswell makes it a more attractive opposition.
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runningout added 14:35 - Apr 17 3 points a gimmee if we're up for it
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trncbluearmy added 15:03 - Apr 17 there coming back, there coming back!!
4

TR11BLU added 15:07 - Apr 17 Who cares who is counted or not. Lets get behind the lads, its a new beginning and hopefully at least some of those understandably driven away will return and in good voice. Onwards and upwards to a Blue Heaven :-)
15

Northstandveteran added 16:09 - Apr 17 In my opinion the club are making an effort to mend the damage that has occured between themselves and the fans these last few years. And think this is another positive move by them. I understand in some fans opinions there is still much to do for that to happen. However, the majority of the posts on here point to positivity around the whole club in general. Just waiting to find out who the new manager is.................please be Steijn

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Currie10 added 16:37 - Apr 17 So 17000 + the 2000 Villa fans, or taking the Villa fans into equation 17000?
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Gcon added 16:52 - Apr 17 All those coming for the first time in a while - remember to dust off your rose tinted spectacles and bring them along. PS. Klug, isn't he the bloke who painted the turnstiles a while back?...
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