Mansfield Town manager Adam Murray believes the ‘kids for a quid’ offer this Saturday is the perfect opportunity to welcome the next batch of young Stags fans into One Call Stadium.
The club has seen a rise in attendances since the introduction of the offer for the previous three home games and the manager wants even more young people to watch the Stags in action against Morecambe on Saturday (3pm).
Children aged 7 to 17 can buy tickets for just £1 from our ticket office in advance of the game or on matchday. Kids aged under seven can enter the game for FREE, when accompanied by a paying adult.
“We need to start looking at the next generation," said Murray.
"I think we’ve got some really loyal fans here who have been coming for years and years. We need to now start looking at the next generation and providing a future for the football club.
"I think we’ve got some really loyal fans here who have been coming for years and years. We need to now start looking at the next generation and providing a future for the football club.
“That’s the way I’m looking at it, from the football side and putting a structure in place where the club will ultimately produce its own [players].
“Like I keep saying, it [the club] will be competitive at its level and above, continuously. I think for the club to do that, and to grow, we need that next generation of fan-base because that’s the only way the football club is going to grow.
“The deals that have been on have been great and it’s up to us now to give the fans something to shout about and we’ll be looking to do that on Saturday.”
In other news, The Football League announced earlier this week that midfielder Chris Clements has been nominated for the Sky Bet League Two Player of the Month award after scoring three goals in January and Murray says he’s flourished after being allowed to roam further up the pitch.
“A big part of this season has been about setting a brand about Mansfield Town. [We want] people to look at us and say: ‘this is how they do it and this is the way they play.’ Now the next step is about being effective and I feel that Chris has been superb for us.
“He finished the season strong last year and he’s had a bit of a ‘bitty’ season where he got suspended then he got injured and it’s took him a little bit of time [to recapture his form].
“[In the] last few games he’s been immense again and I think it’s about putting him in positions where he can create and affect things," Murray said.
“He’s scoring goals now, which we knew he had in him. With Jammer (Jamie McGuire) in the team, it gives him the license to get further up the pitch and create problems.
“[If] you look at some of his runs from midfield, there can’t be many as good as he makes in the league so he’s fully deserved of the nomination and I hope he wins it.”
Looking ahead to Saturday’s match against Morecambe, which will be the second time his side have faced the Shrimps in the space of two weeks, Murray wants to record a positive result ahead of two tough away trips next week against high-flying Oxford United and Plymouth Argyle.
“After Saturday, we’re back on the road for two big trips so we’ve got to make sure our preparation’s right.
“We want another win [on] Saturday. There’s no pressure on us to do anything. We’re way above what were expected to do and that gives us a good feeling because it makes you want to go on and do more.”
You can watch Murray’s news conference, in full, on Stags Player later.
