Hartlepool United Supporters' Trust issue strong statement in response to club's decision to increase season ticket prices

For adults, early bird tickets have risen to £358, while the new price for concessions is £275, for under-18s it is £140 and for under-14s it's £55.

For an adult taking advantage of the early bird price, the cost per game averages out to £15.54, while for concessions it works out at £11.96.

When the early bird deal comes to an end on June 30, prices increase to £380 for adults, £292 for concessions, £150 for under-18s and £66 for under-14s.

Carers and under-fives will continue to go free, while finance options are also available.

The club justified the price rises by pointing out that improvements such as digital programmes and tickets, work on the PA system and the introduction of a more diverse range of food and drink options had all been made in the last 12 months, while the price of things like gas, electricity, staffing and policing had all risen - even so, it admitted it was a "very difficult" decision.

Off the back of a disappointing season - which was the club's first back in the National League following their relegation from League Two - sections of supporters were frustrated by the increase, which makes a Pools season ticket around £30 more expensive than at York, £28 more than at Forest Green Rovers and £15 more than at Dagenham and Redbridge.

That said, there are clubs - such as Oldham - in the same division as Pools charging more, so a lot might depend on what sort of football supporters get to see in the coming season as to whether the new prices can be considered value for money.

The Hartlepool United Supporters' Trust issued a rebuttal of the decision, citing their frustration that no one at the club attempted to consult them on the contentious issue.

In a statement, HUST said: "Ticket prices are probably the most important thing that supporters could be consulted on and yet there has been no attempt to talk to HUST about this.

"We would have argued that, given the lack of progress on the playing side, increases should be carefully and transparently justified with an explanation of where the money would be spent.

"We would have suggested that a better early bird incentive would benefit the club.

"We would have pointed out that a properly organised payment scheme might encourage some hard-pressed supporters to access season tickets, whereas being told to contact the club to ask for their approval for an individual plan is likely to put them off.

"We might even have reminded the club that previous cut price season ticket offers boosted attendances so much that matchday revenues made up for the shortfall.

"We'd certainly have tried to engage positively, as we always do, but there was no contact by the club to gauge opinion.

"Overall it's fair to say that, like most supporters, we're fearful that off the field the club is making no real progress."

"We'd certainly have tried to engage positively, as we always do, but there was no contact by the club to gauge opinion.

"Overall it's fair to say that, like most supporters, we're fearful that off the field the club is making no real progress."