Mellon believes strong season ticket sales will help bring in players

Dundee United boss Micky Mellon hopes season ticket sales enable him to “shop in a different talent pool” next season.

With the loan signings of Luke Bolton and Marc McNulty and permanent captures of Florent Hoti, Ryan Edwards and Jeando Fuchs, Mellon was unable to strengthen as much as he’d have liked in his first campaign at Tannadice.

Covid-19 tightening the club’s pursestrings has played a major part in that, with fans unable to attend matches on United’s welcome return to the Premiership.

However, with the club putting its season books on sale for the new term already, as they aim for a return of supporters, the Tangerines boss is hopeful the uptake can allow him to strengthen his squad.

“The recruitment is always determined by budgets,” he said.

“The more season tickets we sell and the more people we get at games it means there is more money going into the club.

“It helps you when it comes to signing players and can help to increase your budget. It could even help to see you shop in a different talent pool, where you can go and get a different level of player.

“It is huge because we all want the strongest and most powerful Dundee United we can get.”

Although he is not privy to the financial ins and out at United, Mellon knows how tough it’s been for the club, especially owner Mark Ogren, without supporters in attendance this season.

He added: “Every football club is a business and we, as a staff and players understood that and that was why we agreed to take wage cuts.

“We understood how big a part the fans coming through the turnstiles play.

“The owner has had to completely support the club because there were no fans coming in or secondary spending at the games, with programmes, food and drinks.

“That is a massive part of it.

“I am sure the owner would be able to say better than me but I am not daft and I know how important it is that we can get as many fans through the turnstiles as we can.

“When you are in the football industry the more fans you get through the gates the better it is for the team. Without the fans it is a huge loss.”

Beyond the money, Mellon says he and his team are missing the atmosphere and passion brought by the Terrors support, home and away, week in and week out.

He hopes he can count on their in-person backing for the first time as United boss sooner rather than later.

Mellon said: “The game misses so much without fans. The games are not the same.

“There are moments where the supporters change games and the environment and we have really missed that this season.

“There are times when it has been pretty flat because things haven’t been changed by the fans and the atmosphere created in the stands.

“To get the fans back in the ground would be massive, especially at Tannadice where they create such a great atmosphere.

“We are definitely looking to get them back safely and as soon as possible because they are such a big part of Dundee United and football itself.

“We are all looking forward to that day where the fans come through those gates for the first time.

“I can’t wait to see what the atmosphere is like when everything is released and fans can support their football clubs at games again.”

Micky Mellon has had to cope with a tight transfer budget during the pandemic.