City have announced there will be no change in season-ticket prices for next season.

And fans can snap up a 12 per cent

discount if they pay before the end of April.

Season-ticket sales at Valley Parade dropped from 7,500 in Division One to just over 4,000 this season, with many fans put off from committing cash up front by the financial turmoil last summer.

At one stage, there was no guarantee that City would still be around to kick off the opening game.

But with the club now on a more stable footing on and off the field, they are hoping to boost the figure to between 5,000 and 6,000.

City are writing to those stay-away fans who did not renew their tickets after relegation as well as current season-ticket holders. Booking forms should be out within the next couple of days.

Fans have until April 29 to take advantage of the early-bird reductions.

Sales and marketing manager Katy Gration said: "Last year there wasn't a brochure or anything. But this time we are able to do a proper mail-shot and the details will land on doormats by the end of the week."

Chairman Julian Rhodes said: "The financial difficulties we were facing at this time last year had a major impact on our ability to get season-tickets on sale and it was very much a question of sorting things out at the last minute.

"It would be nice to think we can claw back some of the supporters that we lost. I feel there is certainly an optimism about next season, whatever division we may be in.

"We are still hopeful we can get into the play-offs this season and will give it our best shot. But should we fall short, I still think we will have a stronger squad next time.

"And of course we need people to buy the season-tickets to give Colin Todd the extra resources to help us achieve that."

City's largest home crowd of the season, 15,417, watched the derby win over Huddersfield - and Rhodes is appealing for another big turn-out against fifth-placed Hartlepool on Saturday.

"In reality it's a must-win game to keep our play-off hopes alive and if we can generate the same kind of atmosphere as the last home game it will make a real difference.

"A crowd like that changes the whole dramatics of the stadium and lifts the team. Despite the fact that Huddersfield had a large number of fans it was still intimidating for the opposition, which is the whole point of having home advantage."