NEWCASTLE Jets will kick off the new season in front of a record number of club members this week.
Demand for memberships has soared, pushing sales beyond the 4,000 mark and could well reach a total of over 5,000 before the teams Hyundai A-League, Round 1 clash against Central Coast Mariners this Friday, 15 August.
This late surge in numbers comes on the back of the Jets recent community events during their week-long camp in Port Macquarie, and their public appearances in Newcastle.
In the past week the entire Jets squad has met fans in an autograph session at Westfield Kotara on Thursday, 7 August, and then backed up the following evening at the Pre-Season fan day at Adamstown Oval.
The fan day was a huge success, as more than 2,000 supporters packed into the ground to meet last seasons Champions and take advantage of the rides and amusements on offer.
The team then launched the 2008/09 season at Wallsend Winter Fair in front of thousands on Sunday, 10 August.
The Bombers dancing squad began proceedings with a high-energy routine that warmed up the crowd.
Players were applauded onto the stage one-by-one and then led to the throngs of fans who lined the street for autographs and photos of their favourite players.
Newcastle Jets CEO John Tsatsimas believes the success of these appearances has been a catalyst in attracting the record number of club members.
The response to our current season memberships has been terrific since they were put on sale some months ago, but it has been the recent rush of demand that has really taken our breath away, Tsatsimas said today.
This season we are proud to say that we have a record number of club members who have come on board for what looks to be another amazing year.
We believe that our supporters are the true heart and soul of the club and certainly their efforts will be an inspiration to the team once again.
From our point of view we feel that we have the greatest supporters of any Hyundai A-League club and we look forward to seeing all of our loyal fans and members this Friday night.
