After the distraction of the FA Cup, it's back to the bread and butter of our promotion push when we lock horns with local rivals Huddersfield Town tomorrow lunchtime hoping to make it 10 Championship wins on the bounce.
While Daniel Farke's boys look to do the business on the field, the club have been busy behind the scenes with the announcement of increased season ticket prices for next season.
Season ticket price rises are never welcomed, particularly during times of continued widespread economic pressure.
Some fans will face larger increases than others as the club starts to level out season ticket legacy pricing, which aims to ensure that, in the future, no season ticket holder is paying more than the one sat next to them.
The club's consideration that increases are based on 2022/23 prices, rather than pre-rebate 2023/24 prices, is welcomed, alongside new options for payment plans over the season. While we're disappointed to see some fans have rises of 12 per cent, we do acknowledge the club is still trying to respect the loyalty of the longest-standing season ticket holders, allowing them to pay the lowest amount for a match ticket over the next few seasons.
The club have actively engaged with a variety of different fan groups ahead of today’s announcement which is a step in the right direction - and we acknowledge that some, not all, of the feedback was taken on board. Last year they failed to do this before announcing price increases so the club should be applauded for taking views on board at an early stage.
We put a comprehensive list of our members’ points to the club via the Supporters’ Advisory Board and in our meetings with club representatives. While we are pleased they listened to our members’ requests for ways to spread the cost of renewing their tickets over six or 10 months, we were disappointed they have not taken the opportunity to address some of the inconsistencies in concession pricing, particularly for those who remain in full-time education.
We challenged the club on why, during a period of cost-of-living challenges, they feel the need to put up season ticket prices at all. The club say the cost of staging matches at Elland Road is also going up so increases will go towards covering that additional match day outlay.
The club now plan to look at memberships for the 24/25 season. Again they are looking for input from supporters before taking any decisions on cost and membership packages. We plan to share a survey with our own members in the coming days so please keep an eye out for it landing in your inboxes.