GILLINGHAM have announced a new price grading system for matches at Priestfield this season. The scheme involves seven AAA games - the most expensive - 13 AA games and three A games.

West Ham, Leeds, Leicester, Millwall, Sunderland and Wolves, and a Friday night game against QPR in front of the Sky cameras, make up the AAA fixtures.

The most expensive adult tickets for the AAA games are £30, although youngsters can buy tickets for £12.

Fans can buy matchday tickets for the A games - against Burnley, Crewe and Rotherham - for as little as £10 in certain areas of Priestfield.

A club spokesman said: "Our over-riding commercial aim - as with most other businesses - is to maximise our income, which is achieved by attracting the highest number of customers paying the best prices.

"Naturally, as the price goes up, the numbers attending are likely to reduce and the trick is to strike the right balance between attendances and prices.

"Our pricing structure for the new season was introduced after much thought and was intended to encourage as many of our regular supporters as possible to buy season tickets."

The club point out that the most expensive season tickets were available at £390, making an average cost for the 23 home matches just £16.96.

But Nigel Holland, chairman of the Gillingham Supporters' Trust, said the club's decision to grade the games was "disappointing".

He said: "There are some fans who will not be able to go to the highest-priced games and others who will say 'I can see a Premiership team for £30, why pay the same amount to watch Gillingham?'

"I know the club have discounted other games but these are the least attractive matches and we would prefer to see a more consistent pricing policy.

"The club's view may be that it's all about money but we take a supporter's view and in that sense it is totally unacceptable."