The $5 kid’s ticket also extends to all other categories around Skilled Park to make the game more accessible for Gold Coast youngsters who want to watch their local team.

“It’s apparent and there is evidence wherever you look that the Gold Coast region is still suffering from the effects of the financial crisis and there are families who are doing it tough,” said Gold Coast United CEO Clive Mensink.

“The entertainment dollar is harder to find and we wanted to provide an opportunity for everyone to come along and support their local team in the Hyundai A-League.

“We have a fantastic group of players this year and we are confident of another successful season. We want as many people as possible to be able to watch the team, and of course the players will benefit by having more support behind them at Skilled Park.

“The $5 children’s ticket is representative of our increased links with the grassroots of football on the Gold Coast and is great value. It provides an opportunity for all young football fans to come and watch their local heroes, along with helping us to establish a broader fan base for the future."

“Naturally, we want to encourage as many people as possible to support this initiative, support their club and support the game."

United skipper Michael Thwaite said he was thrilled with the ticketing initiative and looked forward to the football community throwing their support behind the team from day one of the new season.

“The Gold Coast community can help the team get off to a great start against Wellington Phoenix if they get behind us in numbers by taking advantage of these new ticket prices,” he said.

“The new season is coming up fast, we have a lot of new faces in the squad and it would be fantastic to see a lot of new faces in the crowd as well.

“Our fans have always been brilliant and for anyone who has not been to a match before this is a great incentive to start coming along to Skilled Park and enjoying some terrific football action."