Debate over price rise

Tickets for Gillingham’s FA Cup game against Cardiff City go on general sale next Thursday. Season ticket holders have until that time to make their purchase for the third round tie, which takes place on Saturday, January 5. The Gills are selling adult tickets for £25 and that will increase by another £2 from Monday, December 31. Senior tickets cost £22, students £12 and under-18s £10. The pricing has triggered debate among fans, with some critical over the cost. Leslie Rudland, from Lordswood, was one of those and said: “Even though Cardiff are not one of the big teams, I thought we could still attract a large home attendance. “With a large crowd the atmosphere would have helped the players and hopefully the extra support would mean a win and progress to the next round, earning more prize money.” But she was dismayed at the price hike, up £3 from a normal adult match ticket. Mrs Rudland added: “With a reduced ticket price he (Gills chairman Paul Scally) might have filled the ground but with the price increase I think he will be lucky to get 6,000 paying customers. A real shame as this could have been a great Gills occasion.” Sales are understood to have been going well this week but the ticket cost provoked debate on social media. Gills fan Christian Hillam offered a different opinion, however, saying: “Are any of those Gillingham fans complaining about the ticket prices for the Cardiff game also imploring the club to somehow find the money to offer (Tom) Eaves a new deal?” Gillingham will only take a share of the gate receipts, divided between themselves, Cardiff and the FA, and must also factor in policing costs. The Gills do currently have a ticket offer in place for their festive fixtures, starting this weekend. Adults can watch the home games against Wycombe (on Saturday), Portsmouth (December 26) and Doncaster (December 29) for £54, a saving of £12 if bought individually. There are also savings to be made for concessions. Contact the club for more details.