In a statement on their club website on Friday morning St. Johnstone announced that they would allocate more away tickets for games against Rangers and Celtic.
The new plan results in the away fans being given both the Ormond Stand and the North Stand, like before, and now getting the full East Stand instead of a part of the Main Stand. This places all Saints fans in the Main Stand which has a capacity of over 3,000, which is plenty of room considering there was only 1,451 home fans in attendance to see their side fall to a 4-0 defeat to Rangers earlier this campaign.
The announcement came with mixed responses. Some criticised the club for "selling out" to the old firm. Others praised it for being a smart business decision. I think I am going to have to agree with the latter. Saints fans would just never turn up in enough numbers to justify keeping two stands open, even with the bring a friend for a tenner deal that was offered to season ticket holders. The attendance numbers were dropping, even having under 1,000 home supporters at the Betfred League Cup game against Celtic last season. The extra ticket sales will be a big boost to the Perth club as it could allow them to bring in around £150,000 in extra tickets sold, which is a similar amount to their losses from last season.
This move could be a huge financial coup for the club, and help build on the most successful decade in their history. But only time will tell.
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