Kilmarnock suffered no loss in income as a result of cutting Celtic and Rangers' ticket allocations at Rugby Park, it has been revealed.
Over four years ago, on the final day of the 2018/19 season, the Ayrshire side took the decision to reduce Rangers' allocation to just one stand rather than two.
Killie have stuck to their guns since instead opting to prioritise their own fans' experience rather than allowing for both the Chadwick and Moffat stands to be filled by travelling supporters of either club.
Many pundits and fans speculated that this would result in a loss of income for Killie, with the allocation dropping from around 9,000 Celtic and Rangers fans to 4,500.
However, the club insists this is far from the case, with the exact opposite proving to be true.
Phyliss McLeish, Managing Director of the club, has outlined the club's five-year plan in a document widely available online.
Discussing Killie's ambitions for that period, as well as reflecting on last season, the successful businesswoman highlighted that Killie have grown their supporter base on a week-to-week basis, which has accounted for any potential shortfall in funds.
It reads: "The decision taken to prioritise our own family support by cutting a second away stand for Old Firm games has been successful and we are very proud of the outcome.
"We have since witnessed an improved atmosphere for players, fans, and townspeople in relation to these games. Meanwhile, the potential loss of income has not materialised, with an increasing number of families coming back each week.
"The family fanzone behind the stand is also becoming increasingly popular and we have plans for this to evolve further in the coming months.
"With the assistance of our Director Billy Bowie and the Killie Trust, we installed two safe standing areas for young supporters; one in the East Stand and one in the Moffat. A disabled ramp in the Moffat Stand has also been introduced to enhance our disabled supporters’ matchday experience."
Last year, Kilmarnock achieved 5,000 season ticket holders for the first time since the 1990s. They're well on course to at least match that feat this term.
And McLeish has outlined the club's aim to then build upon that supporter base, which now has a younger demographic than it did five years ago, towards 6,000 season tickets and then eventually 8,000 in the future.
The report states: "Season ticket uptake has doubled in the past five years to hit the 5,000 mark for the first time since the late 90s.
"To satisfy anticipated demand, a new ticketing system (TicketCo) was introduced in 2018. Despite initial teething problems, we now have a bespoke and modern system which fulfils the large majority of supporter needs.
"In line with these growing demands, ticket office renovation and increased staffing has allowed us to evolve the online ticketing system which is now regularly used by 92% of supporters.
"A major shift of supporter demographics breeds positivity for the future. The Under-21 bracket is our fastest growing category, having experienced a 210% season ticket increase from this group. Adults and Under-21s now form the largest portion of season ticket holders, which contrasts positioning five years ago when the majority of our fanbase was aged 65 and over.
"To achieve a positive shift in demographics, the club worked hard to modernise its brand image after the 150th anniversary season. Meanwhile, a refreshed social media output has helped to grow the club’s online audience to more than 114,000 across owned platforms. We now reach a staggering 94% of users across the Ayrshire district.
"The Killie Community plays an important role in our outreach. Alongside engaging more than 8000 prospective supporters in schools across Ayrshire this year, the team has also hosted 2110 matchday experiences which have allowed many youngsters to attend Rugby Park for the first time.
"Hit the next gradual season ticket increase target of 6000, while working towards capturing up to 8000 prospective Season Ticket holders."
