Pompey struggle to sell Checkatrade Trophy tickets

POMPEY sold 37 seats on the first day of ticket sales for the Checkatrade Trophy clash with Reading under-23s.

The Frogmore Road ticket office today opened at 10am to deal with requests from season ticket holders and shareholders for the Tuesday, October 4 fixture.

By the end of the day, 37 had been purchased by Blues followers, who will be housed in the South stand for the match.

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Chief executive Mark Catlin had already anticipated a low turnabout for the Royals clash in the much-criticised competition.

As a result, yesterday it was decided the Fratton End and North stand would not be opened, although away supporters continue to be housed in the Milton end.

Meanwhile, SOS Pompey have been urging fans to register their protest against the unpopular Checkatrade Trophy.

As it stands, Fratton Park’s lowest post-war attendance for a competitive match was in August 1993, when 2,318 attended an Anglo-Italian Cup match with Bristol City.

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Even at this early stage, it appears that club record will be threatened as the competition struggles to capture the public’s interest.

In addition to current sales of 37 tickets to the Fratton faithful, an allocation of 100 have been distributed to Reading.

Furthermore, sponsors Checkatrade have been handed 60 complimentary seats for the fixture.

Tickets are priced at £7 for adults and £1 for juniors and will go on general sale to Pompey fans on Tuesday, September 13.

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Clubs across the country have experienced poor crowds for the revamped competition, which is undergoing a year-long trial.

The Yeovil attendance of 1,534 was the ninth-lowest in Pompey’s post-war history.