Cats to announce small rise in season-card prices for next season
Steve Davison has said that Sunderland are to announce a modest increase in season card prices for the 2021/22 campaign.
Sunderland's Chief Operating Officer, appointed earlier this year, told the club's official podcast that supporters will be able to purchase cards from the beginning of next week.
Davison said that the new regime will look to bring prices more in line with the Championship average over a three-year period, provided the Black Cats return to that division.
This will mean a 10% increase for most supporters ahead of next season. Davison added that this would still be the lowest price the club has offered for a Championship campaign.
"We thought long and hard about when to go on sale," Davison said.
"There was a lot to think about, probably more so than any other season.
"There's the obvious footballing uncertainty over what league we're going to be in next season, we've also got the uncertainty as to how many people we'll be allowed to have in stadiums.
"We wanted to wait until the government roadmap was announced.
"Season cards are going to go on sale on Monday. Everyone will need to take action around actually renewing their season card.
"We did take a look a fresh look at it and we've got a view that over a three-year period we ought to be approaching something around average Championship pricing, assuming we are in that division," he added.
"That's what we'll be aiming for over three years.
"Broadly what that will mean a 10% increase for next season.
"When you compare that to other clubs, that will be the eighth highest price in League One, and the 17th in the Championship.
"So it will be well below the average and it would also be the lowest price we've had in the Championship, lower even than the Roy Keane season for example."
Supporters who opted to renew their cards ahead of the current campaign were offered the option of a streaming pass for home games, or a future refund.
The club's revenue streams have been significantly affected by the ongoing impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and Davison said that would need to managed moving forward.