OXFORD United have sold almost 500 more season tickets than they managed in the last campaign.

The latest figure the club supplied yesterday was 3,407, which includes lounges and box holders.

It means a 16 per cent rise on the 2014-15 season, when United sold 2,926 season tickets.

The figures come after the club took the decision to reduce prices in all areas in a bid to reconnect with supporters.

It was a gamble, but Kevin Smith, director of business operations at the U’s, is thrilled with the response, which has ensured they have more than covered the money lost by lowering rates.

He said: “About two weeks ago we surpassed last year’s revenue figure.

“There’s always a risk in reducing price, but we hoped it would encourage people who hadn’t come last season or didn’t have a season ticket.

“Just under 600 people who didn’t have a season ticket last year have joined.”

Although the lower prices were always likely to attract some sort of increase across the board, Smith believes the scale of the jump is evidence of an optimistic mood around United.

He said: “It’s hard to measure goodwill and a feelgood factor, but when people make a commitment – and season tickets are the biggest commitment the club asks for – it’s just brilliant to see that sort of increase.

“We’re fully aware there are people who can’t commit to a season ticket for whatever reason, but the fact that so many people have made a decision this year, who didn’t last year, has got to be a positive.”

Although the Sky Bet League Two season begins tomorrow, past experience suggests the total figure will continue to grow for the rest of August.

And if all goes well they will hit Darryl Eales’s target.

Smith said: “The chairman would like us to get to 3,500, that’s his magic number.

“We still sell season tickets into the first three weeks of the season because people are on holiday, or it can depend on how you start.

“I would like to think we will get to 3,500.”

One area United were keen to direct their focus was on the youngest supporters.

Last season they had just 76 season ticket holders aged under 18.

This year the U’s put together an #OX4Life package for under 13s, which included a home shirt, and 220 have been sold.