Sheffield Wednesday has today announced via their official website, www.swfc.co.uk that the first deadline for buying season tickets at the best discount rate has once again been extended.
The original February deadline was put back to March 8th but now the best prices will be available until Friday 9th April.
In addition to allowing supporters more time to make the commitment the club have also offered a further incentive for future seasons. Any supporter that purchases a season ticket for the 2010/11 season ahead of the new April deadline will be eligible for a season ticket at the same price for the 2011/12, 2012/13 and 2013/14 seasons as long as they renew in the same area of the ground prior to the 1st price deadline for each season.
This is the first time that the Owls have put next seasons season tickets on sale and introduced price deadlines during the early part of a current season an the move has been met with a mixed response. Over 5,000 tickets for the next campaign are reported to have been sold to date but this is down considerably on the numbers that traditionally renew before the first deadline, which has usually come around towards the end of June. It is understandable that a number of supporters have been slow to adjust from what they have become accustomed to, particularly as we continue to be in the midst of economic unrest and the club have suffered a very disappointing season on the field. However, the decision to try and sell the bulk of season tickets for the next campaign before the end of the current season is one which more and more clubs are adopting. This move can help the club to get a clear assessment of their finances for the season ahead at an early stage, which can enable them to act quickly in the transfer market as soon as the window opens at the end of the season and when players become available as their contracts come to an end.
Another major factor that has understandably held some Wednesday fans back from committing early to next season has been the uncertainty regarding which division the Owls will be competing in next season. With nine fixtures to come between now and the rescheduled first deadline hopefully the players can pull their socks up, give a clearer picture of whether Wednesday will be playing in the Championship in 2010/11 and give those fans that have not yet renewed some much needed encouragement and a valid reason to commit their support for them for next season.