Thanks to a huge effort behind the scenes, we have now secured the necessary safety and medical provisions required for the fixture, enabling a crowd of over 5,000. This has been achieved through close collaboration with our partners at EMFRS, NWAS and GMP, and we would like to place on record our sincere thanks for their support.
As a result, we’re delighted to confirm that pay on the gate will now be available for Friday’s match. However, please continue to purchase tickets in advance where possible and arrive early to help with the logistics of a potentially larger than average crowd.
We also want to provide some context around the earlier all-ticket decision. Since we returned to Gigg Lane, we have achieved a crowd of 5000+ just four times (the return game v Glossop, the Boxing Day fixtures v Ramsbottom and Clitheroe, and the final game of last season). This season, we have hosted just one fixture with a crowd exceeding 4,000 (Boxing Day attendance 5,337). Achieving a crowd of 5000 is a 47% increase to our average crowd that we haven’t seen in the run in to the final game of the season in previous seasons.
However, the results over the last week materially impacted the likelihood of achieving a larger crowd for this Friday’s fixture.
Matches of this scale require extensive planning, specialist resources and, crucially, significant lead-in time to ensure everything is delivered safely and effectively.
There is also a substantial financial consideration. Securing these additional services across a full season of home league fixtures would cost the club in excess of £95,000. As such, these arrangements must be carefully managed and are not always possible at short notice. A number of factors must be carefully balanced, including demand, operational planning, safety requirements and overall sustainability, to ensure we continue to act in the best long-term interests of the club.
We would like to thank our staff, who have worked tirelessly to make this possible, as well as our supporters and members for your patience, understanding and continued backing.
Now, let’s pack out Gigg Lane with a crowd of over 5,000, get right behind the lads and create an atmosphere worthy of the occasion as we head into what promises to be a huge Good Friday and an exciting Easter weekend of football.
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