Shaun Harvey’s return to the Wrexham boardroom has gone down well with the supporters.

The former EFL chief executive, who replaced Michael Williamson as interim CEO last week, was given a standing ovation by the Mold Road Stand before Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Wolves. Rob Mac and Ryan Reynolds said Harvey would help keep “the broader Wrexham community roaring us on.”

How Wrexham’s ticket policy works

To buy a ticket for a home game at the Racecourse, fans need a paid Dragon Membership, which costs between £15 and £50 a year, with a standard adult membership at £35. Even then, a ticket isn’t guaranteed. Membership only buys entry into a ballot, and according to Football Ground Guide, only around 22% of ballot entries were successful last season.

In other words, many fans are paying for roughly a one-in-five chance of seeing their team play at home.

Away games are no easier. This season, 70% of away tickets go to season ticket holders and 30% to members, and none go on general sale.

It has left fans really frustrated. In a poll run by fan account Spirit of ‘78 on X, 95% of more than 450 voters said unsold tickets should go on general sale once members had their chance.

How Wrexham’s ticketing system compares with other Championship clubs

Membership schemes are common in the Championship, but among the clubs we checked, they work very differently from Wrexham’s.

At Swansea City, a £35 Jack Army membership gives fans priority, and any remaining tickets go on general sale afterwards. Sheffield United fans don’t need a membership to buy tickets on general sale, and West Ham supporters only need a free online account. At Wolves, members get first access and a discount, before tickets usually go on general sale.

In those cases, membership is a fast track. At Wrexham, it’s an entry fee.

To be fair to the club, this is partly a problem of success. Demand for tickets is enormous, and the Racecourse holds only around 10,700 while the new £69.1million Kop is being built. Wrexham have also scrapped booking fees for home league tickets this season, and 100 tickets per game are reserved for members who have missed out in previous ballots and are yet to attend a match.

What Shaun Harvey can do to Wrexham’s ticket policy

The Kop should help when it opens, adding 7,750 seats, with the club talking about eventually taking the Racecourse’s capacity to 18,000. That raises obvious questions for Shaun Harvey.

Will tickets go back on general sale once the Kop is open? And until then, could unsuccessful members get something back, whether that’s a discount on future memberships or priority in the next ballot?

Harvey played a big part in winning over Wrexham fans in the early days of the takeover. Before Rob and Ryan formally took charge, he spoke to locals about what made the club tick, to help shape the new owners’ first 100 days.

The owners say their most important task is “to make the Wrexham community proud.” Making it easier for that community to actually get through the turnstiles would be a good place to start.