Quinn said: 'These are uncertain times for a lot of people but one thing our fans don't want to give up is supporting their team and that's why we've made the cost of watching Sunderland a lot cheaper for everyone next season.
'We want to see families and individuals continue to enjoy football at the Stadium of Light and with savings of at least £30 on every season ticket and our brilliant under 16 price of just £19 we're giving everyone a great opportunity to show their support.
'We'd rather have more season ticket holders paying a lower price than a smaller number paying a higher price. I know more fans in the Stadium helps the team and it's also about building a bigger Club for the future.
'The Club really wants to help our fans to continue supporting the team and make it easier for new supporters to join us too, so it's a great deal for everyone.'
I applaud the club for taking such a bold move. They didn't have to reduce season ticket prices or make under-16 season tickets available at such a low cost as they were already one of the cheapest clubs to follow in the Premier League.
The Club have taken into account the economic problems that are affecting a lot of families across the U.K and something that Sunderland has not avoided.
One of the city's biggest employers, Nissan, recently announced job cuts totalling 1,200. With many smaller businesses relying on supplying the car manufacturer, it could have a devastating knock-on effect that could hit fans of the Club.
One of the first things to go during times of financial difficulty are the luxuries - holidays, a car, nights out and going to the football.
The reduction of season tickets will, hopefully, give Sunderland fans hit by the credit crunch the opportunity to continue going to games.
The introduction of a £19 season ticket for under-16's is an excellent idea and will create a greater fan base for future years. Many of the children who'll be eligible will already be season ticket holders and the prices will be a saving for their parents.
But, there'll also be a whole new generation of fans coming to the Stadium of Light next year. Many parents will see the prices as the ideal opportunity to introduce their children to the wonders, heartache, ecstasy and confusion of Sunderland AFC.
Next season's attendances should also improve due to the price cuts. This season, Sunderland's average attendance is 39,538 despite the Stadium of Light holding 49,000. In the 2000-2001 season, the Club averaged 46,790. Although Sunderland were enjoying their most-successful period in decades, attendances show that the fan base is there and Sunderland can seriously aim for crowds of 45,000 plus.
Also, a sell-out Stadium of Light crowd creates an electric atmosphere that can only help the team on the pitch and, with bigger attendances, the Club's status is enhanced and provides a greater attraction to players.
The reduction of season ticket prices and introduction of a £19 season ticket has not gone unnoticed.
Minister for Sport, Gerry Sutcliffe, said: 'This is a fantastic move from Sunderland.
'Football has, of course, got to take into account the current economic climate when drawing up ticket prices for next season and I hope other clubs now follow suit.'
It would be nice to see other clubs follow in Sunderland's footsteps and reduce season ticket prices as the cost of watching a live game of football has already started to price real fans out of the game.
With financial uncertainty and more games than ever being shown on television, Premier League clubs need to make a gesture to their fans. I hope it will be copied by other chairmen throughout the country but I wouldn't hold my breath as we have a chairman who is in touch with the fans. I'm not sure this is case with other Premier League clubs.
I hope I'm wrong and that Quinn has set the ball rolling for Premier League chairmen to reduce the price of watching a game of football.
Niall Quinn's gesture is a bold one but one I commend and I'm confident it will work.
Quinn has said: 'I’d implore any would-be season ticket-holder to bring a young supporter with them next season almost as a duty.'
For £1 a game, I couldn't agree more.
To buy a season ticket for Sunderland's 2009-2010 campaign go to:
http://www.safc.com/news/?page_id=16813
Lars Knutsen was born in Sunderland of Norwegian parents across the Wear from the SSOL back when shipbuilding not car manufacture was the city’s main industry. His first game was in 1968 and he has followed the Black Cats since then, with great memories of the 1973 FA Cup. He hopes the “yo-yo” days are over and defines supporting a team by whether the result affects your mood (but maybe not in the way portrayed in the book “Fever Pitch”!) so has been cheerful recently. He endured school in Newc**tle, has a Ph.D. in Chemistry, a Professorship at Drexel University College of Medicine in Philadelphia, and works in the Pharma industry as a consultant Medicinal Chemist.
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