Ian Baraclough hopes to provide fans with a “value for money” result after the Irish FA came under fire for ticket prices for tonight’s qualifier.
Association chiefs have been forced to defend their pricing strategy with the cheapest available tickets yesterday coming in at £57 per adult.
Around 16,000 fans are expected for tonight’s game, the largest home attendance in almost two years, and Baraclough is hoping to put “smiles on faces” with a big result.
Asked about the ongoing debate over ticket prices, he said: “It’s a difficult time for football clubs and national associations as well as individuals. We totally understand that.
“To get back to some sort of normality with 16,000 fans is magnificent. To have that support is unbelievable and we never take that support for granted.
“Hopefully we can give them value for money and they go away with a smile on their face.”
Skipper Steven Davis says having fans back at Windsor in large numbers for the first time since a 0-0 draw with the Netherlands in November 2019 is a “massive benefit” to the team.
He added: “We’ve seen previously the impact they can have.”
