Nottingham Post

Reedtz brothers: This’ll be special

- By OLIVER KING oliver.king@reachplc.com

NOTTS County owners Christoffe­r and Alexander Reedtz are looking forward to hosting “a special occasion” with a Meadow Lane full house against Yeovil Town on Saturday.

It was confirmed on Tuesday afternoon that the Magpies’ “football for a fiver” promotion had sold out four days earlier than anticipate­d, with 16,000 expected in attendance for the National League fixture.

The club have held successful promotiona­l fixtures before but this season has seen ticket sales escalate to a new level.

Since its introducti­on last season, the incentive broke the record attendance in English football’s fifth tier on its first attempt, when 12,843 watched Notts’ 2-0 win over Solihull Moors.

The Reedtz brothers explained the reasoning behind the incentive, highlighti­ng the importance of making the fixture a great occasion not only for supporters but players as well.

“We wanted to host a special occasion where we can have an extra high number of people attending to create a fantastic atmosphere,” said Christoffe­r.

“Hopefully, we can attract people who don’t attend matches on a regular basis.

“It will be a great occasion for the team as well to get three really important points but I think it’s just to make it a special day for

LUKE Williams says his Notts County side is geared up to put on a really good performanc­e this weekend when it takes on Yeovil Town in the National League.

The Magpies will be backed by over 16,000 fans inside Meadow Lane this Saturday after selling out their football for a fiver fixture.

The atmosphere inside Meadow Lane has been considered as a 12th man this season.

And the Notts boss feels the atmosphere on a match-day would strike fear into any opposition.

“To come to Meadow Lane when the team perform with energy and aggression, the fans recognise that and they are incredible and I would dread to be the opposition team when we are united like that,” said Williams.

“If we can bring more people and more volume from the stands, it becomes a wonderful thing and we are hoping we are able to excite some new fans.

“That’s the aim – we are all geared up to try and put on a really good performanc­e on the day.”

This season’s football for a fiver initiative was slightly different to previous ones as the Magpies allowed fans to donate a ticket to the club’s charitable arm, the Notts County Foundation, who in turn gift them to the many local people and families they work in partnershi­p with.

During these times of financial uncertaint­y, Williams described the incentive as incredible and hopes the pricing of the tickets will entice fans to watch his side on a regular basis for a much more reasonable fee.

“It’s incredible, it’s a brilliant initiative and I think it’s been taken up very well,” said Williams.

“But that is the type of thing I feel football is becoming. Particular­ly at the top level, it’s becoming very expensive and becoming more elite, there is nothing wrong with that.

“The standard of players in the top level is incredible and if you want the top players, they cost a lot of money and you need to keep competing at that level, so you have to raise the ticket prices.

“We understand that these individual factors cost money but I think also there is an opportunit­y to go and watch live football at a good level for a reasonable fee.

“Hopefully, we can entice people to have an enjoyable match-day experience for less of a fee.”

With the National League fixture expected to be watched in front of a record attendance for English football’s fifth tier, Williams added a message to those who may not attend regularly, believing the quality of football may be a surprise.

“The level of football may be a surprise to fans who have not seen a National League game for a number of years,” he said.

“The standard is going up all the time and I think at home we have had some very good performanc­es and we are looking for people to come and really feel excited by the team and feel connected to the players.”

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 ?? ?? Notts County boss Luke Williams thinks some people will be pleasantly surprised by the standard of football at Meadow Lane
Notts County boss Luke Williams thinks some people will be pleasantly surprised by the standard of football at Meadow Lane

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