Carlisle set to offer VAT Deal to Supporters

Carlisle United are to consider cutting all admission prices by £5 at a one-off chosen league fixture later this season as the club's way of handing on savings to fans from the government's reduction in VAT. And that game could be the one against Hereford United on a Tuesday night in early February.

As reported earlier this week on Bulls News, admission prices include VAT and in theory the dropping in the VAT rate next month should mean as reduction in admission prices if the drop is passed on. However as Carlisle's managing director, John Nixon, says to drop prices by around 30pence would only cause problems at the turnstiles. And there is another problem - how to recompense season ticket holders.

Carlisle may introduce a one-off £5 reduction at a forthcoming League game. £5 is roughly equivalent to the drop in VAT averaged out over their remaining home games.

"The reduction in VAT is taking football clubs into unchartered territory as far as changing admission prices are concerned. No one I have spoken to so far at any club has really known how to react to it. It is a real dilemma, which hopefully the Football League will have something to say about," said Nixon.

"My own view is that we should make a reduction of £5 on all admission prices for one particular game. From our point of view we might consider this for the game against Hereford on Tuesday February 3. We are at home to Colchester on the previous Saturday and we know it is not easy for fans to afford two home games in four days, especially in the current economic climate."

Whilst Nixon doesn't make it clear how season ticket holders may be treated the club could simply give them £5 at the turnstiles the evening of the Hereford game.

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