Colchester United season-ticket sales are on the up.

And U’s general manager Tim Waddington believes the club can attract bigger attendances at the Weston Homes Community Stadium, next season.

Season-ticket sales at Colchester are currently up by eight per cent this summer, with the new League One campaign six weeks away.

The U’s finished last season with a flourish, culminating in them avoiding relegation in memorable fashion with a 1-0 final-day win over Preston North End.

Colchester’s home crowd averaged 3,886 in the league last term and Waddington feels there is potential to improve on that again, next season.

Waddington said: “Our season-ticket sales are really strong so far and we’re ahead of where we finished last year.

“It’ll be the best we’ve had for about five years by the time we get to the start of the season which is promising and I think it shows that our strategy is working.

“We’ve actually seen a steady growth, over the last three years.

“I think the end that we had to last season has left people with a feeling of success.

“The Preston game was a bit of a David versus Goliath situation and I think it reminded people of what we are as a club.

“I think we can go for an increase in attendances, next season.

“One statistic is that 66 per cent of clubs saw a decrease in attendances last year and we weren’t one of them and that reinforces our position and policies as a club.

“I think it’s also about what we do around the game, at the stadium.”

Colchester have attracted some new season-ticket holders, over recent weeks.

But while he acknowledges that trend is encouraging, Waddington believes that keeping the club’s die-hard fans happy is also vital.

“Ten per cent of the people who have committed are new and it’s great that they’ve come on board,” he added.

“It’s also important that we keep our existing season-ticket holders.

“It’s inevitable that you will lose some and that happens at most clubs, every year.

“We know that we don’t have a divine right to keep them.

“But the figures we have are promising and we’re pleased so far.”

For all of the latest Colchester United news, see the Daily Gazette.