Dean Hoyle has been hailed by fans after handing back £1 million to supporters.

The Huddersfield Town chairman has slashed season ticket prices for next season in a bid to woo back absent fans.

Cut-price season cards will be available for the first 10,000 fans to sign up in a ground-breaking move which other clubs are likely to watch closely.

Mr Hoyle believes many clubs have got it wrong with ever-increasing ticket prices and half-empty stands.

With £2 million of extra TV money coming into the club next year Mr Hoyle has been radical in how it’s spent.

Football writer Doug Thomson reacts to the season card offer

Video Loading

Season cards this term were between £295 and £560 but adults will now pay just £179 in all stands, just £7.80 per game. Under 8s pay just £23 and youngsters aged eight to 17 pay £69.

Mr Hoyle said: “We have made this offer to the first 10,000 fans and that will cost us £1 million.

“It’s been made possible because of the £2 million in extra coming to clubs next season.

“We could have spent it on players but at Huddersfield we want to be smarter than that. Just because you have another £1 million doesn’t mean you could go out and sign a player you couldn’t sign last year. All it does is get swallowed up on wages.

“Football has to realise that we’re in the entertainment business and we have to re-engage with fans.

“Twenty or 25 years ago there was nothing much else to do on a Saturday afternoon. Now you can do anything you want and football has to compete with cinemas and shopping to get bums on seats.”

Huddersfield Town chairman Dean Hoyle is seeking a new chief executive
Huddersfield Town chairman Dean Hoyle is seeking a new chief executive

Mr Hoyle said ticket prices were always going up while seats were left empty.

“Players and fans both want fuller stadiums and there has to be a different way.”

Mr Hoyle made another radical decision in appointing untried German coach David Wagner and has been rewarded with an exciting brand of football that has impressed fans, win or lose.

That feel-good factor has allowed Mr Hoyle to make the extraordinary offer to fans but giving money back doesn’t mean team strengthening will be hit.

Mr Hoyle said after £8 million in player sales last summer the club still had cash to invest in the squad.

He said head coach Wagner decided the players available in January didn’t represent value and transfer funds would roll over into the close season.

Mr Hoyle said spending big on a player didn’t guarantee success.

READ MORE: Relive all the action from Huddersfield's biggest post-war demonstration #HandsoffHRI

READ MORE: 5,000 residents deliver strong message to health bosses at rally

“It doesn’t matter whether you spent £2m, £3m or £5m on a player it sometimes doesn’t work out,” he said.

“Stan Ternent once said to me if I bring in five players and three do all right I’ll be doing well and he’s not far wrong.

“People have asked me if you spend the extra £2m on a player wouldn’t that bring the fans back through the turnstiles.

“It might do if that player was successful but there are no guarantees.”

Bob Pepper, former secretary of Huddersfield Town Supporters’ Association and a national fans’ representative, said he had already made the Football Supporters’ Federation aware of Mr Hoyle’s initiative and wanted to spread the word.

“The club has used £1m to help the fans and this should put the Premier League clubs to shame given the amount of money they are awash with,” he said.

“This is another of Dean Hoyle’s calculated risks – he did the same in appointing Wagner – but it will take a massive increase in take up for the numbers to work.

Dean Hoyle on David Wagner's impact

Video Loading

“Dean has gone for Bundesliga football at Bundesliga prices and we have a revolution on the field and off it.”

Fans on the Examiner’s Facebook page backed new prices – and there was jealousy from rivals Leeds.

Melanie Yehya wrote: “I will be getting one for sure. At that price it would be silly not to!”

Steve Turfrey said: “It’s worth me travelling from Staffordshire on the train at that price. I have a Railcard so that’s sorted and it would work out cheaper than taking my kids to Burton Albion!”

Leeds fan Luke Harris was envious and wrote: “As a Leeds fan seeing this is amazing! What Dean Hoyle is doing should be a start for other clubs.

“I only wish Leeds did something like this instead of charging us ridiculous prices.”