Carson Yeung kicks off Birmingham City tenure with free ticket offer for under 8s next week

Oct 15 2009 by Colin Tattum, Birmingham Mail

BLUES think that the kids are all right – by offering free admission to under-eights for the visit of Steve Bruce’s Sunderland.

The October 24 game will be Carson Yeung’s first at St Andrew’s since completing his £81.5 million takeover.

The offer is for the Family Stand Paddock and stipulates one free under-eight ticket for every full playing adult or season ticket holder.

Blues’ initiative comes after they slashed prices for the Manchester City clash at St Andrew’s on November 1 from £42 to £32 for adults in the most popular areas of the ground.

Former chairman David Gold, however, has claimed that the new regime were shooting themselves in the foot with such a policy.

“Sadly the model for reducing prices doesn’t work,” he said. “In the event that you cut your prices in half you do not double your attendance.

“Often fans say if you cut your prices you will fill the stadium – it is not true.

“What I have been lobbying for through the FA, and particularly when I was in the Football League, was for prices to be cut universally, across the board, every club reducing their prices.

“You can’t do it individually and Carson will find, if he keeps doing it individually, he will get relegated. Fans will love him but he will get relegated because the model doesn’t work.”