Middlesbrough's 'money back' half season ticket IS unique - but only because nobody else is daft enough to do it

By Brian McNally

Published 14:05 04/12/09

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Middlesbrough's wealthy chairman Steve Gibson didn't make his millions by giving money away.

And it's a fair bet before marketing his club's new half-season cards offering a novel money-back guarantee if Boro win their first four Championship games after Christmas, he will have carefully studied the laws of probability.

The gimmicky promotion aimed at enticing fans to take a gamble on a £219 adult half-season cards in the lead up to Christmas, promises that if Boro take 12 points from matches against Scunthorpe, Barnsley, Swansea and Sheffield United their cash will be refunded and they will see 12 games for free.

But it won't have taken the astute Mr Gibson long to reach the same conclusion as me that all the cash raised will almost certainly remain safely in Boro's bank account.

Boro's last league win was back on October 20 under Gareth Southgate when they beat Derby County 2-0 at the Riverside. Before that night was out, Southgate was sacked with Boro just one point off the promotion places.

With successor Gordon Strachan failing to win any of his four games in charge and taking just two points out of a possible 12 in the process, the chances of Boro suddenly winning four-in-a-row are remote to say the least.

The local evening paper tried to talk up the offer by describing it as the chance to watch "a promotion campaign for free."

Judging by the hostile from response from readers not even the most optimistic Boro fans are anticipating a promotion charge with the team now 11 points off the automatic places.

In fact they are now actually closer to the relegation places with just 10 points separating Boro from third bottom.

Boro claim their idea is unique and it probably is because I don't think anyone else would be daft enough to dream it up.

But they have completely misjudged the mood of their existing season ticket holders. Many are seething at a scheme that gives what they see as fairweather fans the chance- no matter how tiny it may be- to watch the club for nothing when they forked out a large lump sum before the start of the season.

Alienating your customer base makes no commercial sense whatsoever- even if the reward being offered to potential new buyers is largely illusory.

It is an own goal that could hit hard when Boro try to get season ticket holders to renew next summer.

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