A pre-match row over ticket prices at Saturday’s fixture between Accrington Stanley and Wrexham has seen home chairman Andy Holt brand the visitors “stupid” for making “mis-timed statements”.
The League Two clash will be watched by a sell-out crowd, including 2,600 fans from north Wales.
These travelling supporters are being housed in both the open terrace behind one goal and the Eric Whalley Stand that runs the full length of one touchline. Most visiting clubs occupy just one area of the stadium. The move to open up both the terrace and seating area will have brought increased costs for Accrington, both in terms of policing and stewarding.
Adult prices for home and away supporters were set at £25, a £5 increase on the normal matchday admission prices at the Wham Stadium.
Wrexham’s reaction came via their official X (formerly Twitter) account at 11am, when the club pledged to reduce ticket prices by the same amount for the return fixture in May.
The post read: “In response to Accrington Stanley’s decision to increase the matchday price by £5 from that previously charged at Wham Stadium for league games this season, we have decided to reduce the price of matchday tickets by £5 for the return game at the SToK Cae Ras on 02/03/2023.”
This brought a furious response from Holt via X. He wrote: “When costs are already high @Wrexham_AFC the last thing football needs is stupid mistimed statements.
“It’s surprising how stupid given a former CEO of @EFL is employed by you. Let’s have a great day for all fans safely, whatever the outcome on the pitch. Welcome to @ASFCofficial.”
Shaun Harvey, Wrexham’s special advisor to the board, was chief executive of the EFL for six years before leaving at the end of the 2018-19 season.
Holt, who recently put the Lancashire club up for sale, moved to explain the move when questioned by supporters of the club owned by Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.
In response to one fan praising Wrexham’s decision to reduce ticket prices for next March’s meeting at the SToK Cae Ras, Holt wrote: “If there was only a couple of hundred of you today I’d be happy to do the same.
“Unfortunately costs are very high for this game. Big policing bills and stewarding big stewarding costs.”
Replying to another critic, Holt pledged to charge £20 next season if the two clubs meet. But he added: “The allocation will be lower but the max we can give without all the extra costs. Easy sorted.”
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(Photo: Matthew Ashton – AMA/Getty Images)
