Football: That was the weekend that was - Clubs greedy? Don't put your shirt on it

IN THE commercial age rising prices for match tickets and club merchandise have been a major cause of fans' complaints.

This is all in the cause, the leading clubs explain, of meeting the massive wage bills necessary to compete at the highest level, an argument which would suggest that any club aiming for the top would want to squeeze every penny from their faithful.

This does not, however, apply to Huddersfield Town, despite the search of manager Peter Jackson for new players who might reinforce his club's attempt to reach the Premiership. In the coming weeks, the Terriers will be giving away more than 7,000 replica shirts, worth more than pounds 200,000.

The club, which sponsors a Newspapers in Education scheme in conjunction with the local Examiner newspaper, hopes the gesture to pupils at some 230 schools will bring more of them to the McAlpine Stadium to cheer on Jackson's promotion bid.

Each pupil who receives one will also benefit from a cut-price offer for the home match against Swindon on Easter Monday. "The hope is that all the lucky recipients will turn up wearing their shirts," the club's public relations manager, Dale Tempest, said.

"We would like to build a relationship with the children in our area so that when they talk about football they talk about Huddersfield Town with passion and pride."