Prices have been slashed under United's new ticketing scheme - designed to win back favour with the local community after two seasons of embarrassingly low attendances - with $5 children's tickets and the re-opening of the eastern stand the two major changes.

Whilst the southern stand will remain closed until there is a need for the extra seating, the notorious 'crowd cap' of 5,000 - brought in by billionaire owner Clive Palmer in the club's first season to cut rental costs - is all but dead.

Importantly, that means Gold Coast, the A-League and their television partners will be spared the indignity of using completely barren stands across from the broadcast side as their backdrop, with general admission tickets for that category priced at just $20.

With a new television deal being negotiated and the signings of Harry Kewell and Brett Emerton giving the competition overall a much-needed boost, it couldn't come at a better time.

But it could mean a whole lot more for the players themselves, who Thwaite says are craving the atmosphere brought on by big crowds.

Back in January, Palmer offered fans free entry for United's clash with Newcastle at Skilled Park - ostensibly to help raise funds for Queensland's flood relief campaign - and the team responded to the record crowd of 14,783 with a classy 5-1 win.

"If we were playing with (that sort of support) week in, week out, who knows what we could have done in the last two years," Thwaite said.

"The players have been pushing for this for a while. When we did walk out and there's nobody in the stands we lose a bit of energy.

"When we came out against Newcastle we saw the stands full and of course, we were always going to win."

Thwaite, who confirmed he is on track to play in his side's opening game against Wellington Phoenix at home on October 9, was full of praise for what he described as a 'sensational initiative' by the club.

He was particularly pleased by the low-cost tickets on offer to kids, comparing United's desire to drag more parents and families through the turnstiles as similar to the way fast food giant McDonald's operates.

"You look at McDonalds and they've got cheap food, they get the kids in and it's a great franchise," he said.

"I think we can get between 5,000 and 10,000. It's something we can achieve and if we're playing good football and using local players that we're breeding from the youth team it's all going to come together well.

"If we keep to our focus of keeping the kids at the game and working with the local communities like we are, we'll get the crowds back where they should be."