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From Accrington Observer:
ACCRINGTON Stanley boss John Coleman has warned that the Reds will struggle to survive as a league club unless their crowds improve.
Stanley have four home games next month and the club are desperate for the town to come out and support them after just 1800 turned up for their League Two opener at home against Darlington on Saturday.
"We need more fans for the club to survive," said Coleman, whose side travel to one of the promotion favourites Lincoln tomorrow. "We can’t compete and survive on low crowds.
"You can do it at UniBond and Conference level but you can’t do it as a League club - it costs a lot more just for the general running of the club, and that’s off-the-field things and not the playing side.
"We need people through the turnstiles or else everyone’s jobs at the club are under threat.
"We can’t have a repeat of 1962 but it could happen if the fans don’t come.
"It has been said before but we really need a big push for the town to get behind us.
"If they want to have a football club in the town, they need to support us."
Chairman Eric Whalley is equally frustrated after financing Stanley’s return to the Football League following their resignation in 1962.
"We have the cheapest tickets in this league but for Bradford City," said the chairman, who took over the club in 1995.
"But we have had our lowest season tickets sales since we were in the UniBond League - just 115 adult season tickets sold and 117 concessions. I don’t want to criticise anyone but we do need more fans if we are to survive.
"It is just so frustrating because it has taken a long time to get in the league - and we want to stay here.
"If they don’t want to come then we might as well shut-up shop."
When the Reds played Leicester in the Carling Cup last week there were 1,200 Foxes fans - and the crowd was 2,029. Last Saturday, after a good start to the season, Stanley still had one of the lowest crowds in League Two.
See also: Accrington boss issues cash plea - BBC
