Swans Head For Record?

It's been a busy week at White Rock Stadium with fans pouring into the ground to reserve their seats for the first season inside the ground.

Promotion, the FAW Premier Cup and the goodbye to the Vetch has really got football fever going in Swansea and it is believed that at the moment season tickets are exceeding expectations in their sales.

Most of the seats now around the halfway line on the East Side of the stadium have now been sold to season ticket holders and many more inside that section of the ground now proudly display a sold sticker.

Add to that the sale of the Premier Seats inside the West Stand and the subsequent purchase of seats within that and the family areas of the ground, it is believed that the club are almost guaranteed a minimum crowd already in excess of 7,500 already - more than double the number of season ticket holders they had this past season.

That number also means that tickets for any away all-ticket games are likely to get no further than sale to season ticket holders only with hardly any club being able to offer accommodation for more than that number of travelling fans. It could also mean that more games are made all-ticket for travelling fans due to the demand which will be high, more so if the Swans have a successful start to the season.

And with almost 12 weeks until the season starts, there is no reason to discount the fact that the club could exceed 10,000 season ticket holders even with the fact that there has been no early bird discount giving a massive boost to the club financially of somewhere between 2 and 3 million pounds if that figure is achieved.

Only four clubs in League One managed a five figure average attendance last season - of which one Hull have been promoted and another - Sheffield Wednesday - still harbour ambitions to follow them. With these season ticket sales it means that the Swans are almost guaranteed to be one of the best supported sides in the division and, although that means nothing in terms of league points, it does make you wonder how it can affect us results wise to be backed by such a big following every other week.

LEAGUE ONE ATTENDANCE TABLE 2004/5

I have no idea what the record is for the club for season ticket sales but the figures banded about at the moment are a massive reward for a club that less than four years ago almost ceased to exist and just two years ago dallied with relegation to the Conference. And what it does mean for is a cracking atmosphere with big crowds backing the Swans for their return to league one.

Meanwhile, another of the Swans opponents for next season were confirmed tonight when Brentford became the first team to drop out of the play off race when they lost 2-1 at Griffin Park to Sheffield Wednesday, and were beaten 3-1 on aggregate. The Owls now go on to face either Tranmere or Hartlepool in the play off final on May 29th for a place in the Championship. Hartlepool won the first leg 2-0.

But no matter who the Swans will be facing next season from the remaining teams vying for one of the three to be confirmed places in the division, the fans are most definitely voting with their feet and their money. It could be another good year?

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