WEYMOUTH chairman Ian Ridley has urged fans to buy their season tickets early to help the club pay pressing debts of around £40,000.

Following extensive board meetings at the Wessex Stadium throughout the week the Terras have slashed admission prices by around 20 per cent for next season.

The club is also offering a special deal to watch games for less than £8 a time if fans sign up for season tickets in the next fortnight.

The cost of an adult standing will be £165 for the 21-game league season if supporters purchase their ticket before Friday, May 15. It will then rise to £185 until May 29, and £210 thereafter.

Seating season tickets will be £196 until May 15, £220 until May 29 and £250 after that.

Terras’ chairman Ian Ridley said: “It is not so much an early bird offer as up with the lark.

“The board of directors are working hard to keep the club trading and thankfully things are looking a lot more promising as we plot a way through our debts and rebuild the club.

“But to be honest, we still need to get money into the club very quickly. As a priority, we have to pay off the players who left the club in February and with a couple of other pressing debts, that totals nearly £40,000.

“If our fans invest in their tickets now, they will get a fantastic deal and the knowledge that they are helping to keep the club going over the summer.”

The standard entry fee for an adult will be £11 – down from £14 last season – with transfer to seats £2.

Over-60s will pay £7, down from £9, and under-16s will get a reduction from £5 to £4. A family ticket for two adults and two children will be £24.

The prices reflect the club’s relegation from the Blue Square Premier to Conference South, as well as the current economic climate, according to Ridley.

He added: “We are aware both of the level of football we will be playing and the financial strains on people currently. That is why we have been sensitive with prices and are offering what we hope will be good value for money.

“Once we have sorted out some financial issues, we hope to be very competitive in Conference South and we hope to make some announcements very soon that will make these season ticket prices look even more attractive.”

n To see the full list of ticket prices go to the club’s website at theterras.co.uk