Burnley poised to offer free season tickets
Following a Premier League club in England is an expensive hobby but Burnley could buck the trend next season by handing out 7,000 free season tickets.
Should the club win their playoff against Sheffield United on Monday, everyone who bought a season ticket for the current campaign before August 8 last year will pay nothing to watch their team take on the likes of Manchester United and Chelsea.
The idea, a brainchild of chairman Barry Kilby, could cost £2m but with promotion to the top flight estimated to be worth in excess of £50m, it seems everybody will be happy if Burnley get over the final hurdle.
Kilby said it would be a reward for the fans who have stuck by the club through troubled times and who are on the verge of seeing them back among the elite after a 33-year absence.
"All of these people have stood with us through thick and thin, it would just be a case of sharing our success with them," Kilby told the Daily Telegraph.
"In terms of Premier League money it's not that big. I would certainly trade it for getting into the Premier League."
The club's generosity also extends to Monday's big match at Wembley with every fan on the convoy of more than 40 coaches heading for London receiving free pies from the club's sponsor.
Burnley will be one of the cheapest grounds to watch Premier League football next season if they go up, with adult season ticket prices starting at around £315 and young children going free.
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Chelsea's cheapest adult deal is £520, a similar price to Manchester United's cheapest option.
However, the chairman's free season ticket pledge will not continue indefinitely and there will be no free season tickets for the 2010-11 season.
"The board does not intend to continue the pledge," the club's website said. "The board believes these funds would be better implemented strengthening the first team squad."