TOWN boss Mark Cooper thinks his players will be lifted by the sight of a Stratton Bank full of young Swindon fans.

As reported in the Advertiser on Tuesday, TrustSTFC’s hugely successful initiative to bring a new generation of Town fans into the County Ground with a free admission offer has seen nearly 3,500 tickets snapped up.

Those tickets, made available through the Trust’s schools partnership, will be allocated mostly in the Stratton Bank and the Don Rogers Stand, ensuring all four sides of the stadium are full for Saturday’s game with Fleetwood.

The only other fixture this season where there has been fans in every stand was the 1-0 win over Bristol City when the travelling fans filled the often-empty Stratton Bank.

Cooper thought that the heightened atmosphere that day contributed to his team’s focused and driven performance as they claimed the derby spoils.

Though 3,500 children and parents might not offer the same level of derby-fuelled passion as baying City fans, the Town boss is hoping that having all sides of the stadium contributing noise will boost his side.

“It becomes a proper atmosphere then doesn’t it? With all sides full, it certainly lifts us,” Cooper said.

“We’ve shown when the atmosphere’s good we have a bit more of an edge about us. If you get that atmosphere, I know the players respond to it. We’ve shown that this season.”

The benefit of the ticket offer goes beyond more than just Saturday’s game though. It is a chance for the club to capture a whole new generation of fans, something Cooper is acutely aware of.

“It’s an opportunity for us to get a few spectators that have not been before to really enjoy what we’re doing and hopefully, they come back, bring their friends, bring their friends’ dads,” he added.

“If we can get another 500 people through the gate every week, that certainly helps.”