NEW Burnley chief executive Lee Hoos is ready to tell Clarets supporters: ‘Your club needs you’.
The American is set to next week launch a drive to boost season ticket holders for the 2012/13 campaign.
Brochures are due to go out to existing and potential season ticket holders next week, in what is Hoos’ next big project after the January transfer window.
Fresh from securing permanent deals for Manchester City loan stars Kieran Trippier and Ben Mee, he is now out to convince the people of Burnley that the future of the football club is bright.
And mindful of the Clarets’ parachute payments being halved to £8million if they fail to win promotion back to the Premier League this season, Hoos is hoping to convince fans their input will be vital to maintaining their top flight ambitions beyond this year.
“We had two years, this year and last year, at 50 per cent, and next year it goes down to 25 per cent for the next two years,” he said.
“It’s important that in order to see quality on the pitch we have to have the resources to get that quality again.
“Season tickets are the number one priority, that is the biggest single source of revenue coming in after the parachute payments.”
Hoos is encouraged by the percentage of season ticket holders per population, but he is targeting more.
“The one thing that really struck me was how many season ticket holders there are in comparison with the population. It’s an unbelievable take-up, 10,000 out of a town of 80,000 people is phenomenal. That is real loyalty. That is real dedication,” said the former Southampton and Leicester City chief executive, who was also previously on the board at Fulham for eight years.
“I’d definitely like to get more on top of that, but you can see the support. Maybe that’s the difference between the north and south, football is a religion here.
“People are really passionate about their club, they’re all dyed in the wool, and you’ve got a board that’s just as passionate as the people out there in the rest of the stadium.”
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