Chief executive Linton Brown has defended Barnsley's controversial new ticket prices which will see pay-on-the-day fans charged £38 for some games next season.

The Reds have faced some criticism from fans for bringing back the category pricing structure with games designated A* to D based on the opposition. A* games, expected to include derbies with Leeds United and Sheffield Wednesday, will cost £38 for a ticket on the day and £36 if the ticket is bought in advance.

The prices go down to £23 for category D, cheaper than last season, with discounts on all tickets for fans under 22 and over 65. The Reds are also looking into a six-game package deal. Brown told the Chronicle: "It is Championship football and this model allows us to compete at that level.

"We are a business and we have got to try to be a sustainable football club.  We are trying to make tickets affordable for all our fans. "I represent the fans and I am trying to get them the best possible deal.

"We do listen to the fans and we will never take them for granted.  We want as many fans as possible to buy season passes because it means everything to us to be able to see what we've got financially.

"We have frozen season ticket prices for next season and the season after that. Our match ticket will still be one of the cheapest in the division.  It's £36 if you buy in advance, some of the away trips which will be a lot more than that.

"The D category is cheaper than we charged in League One last season and C is the same as we charged in League One. I will be speaking to other clubs throughout the season and we will release the categories every two months."

The Reds have confirmed the categories for their home games in the first two months of the season. The first home game against Derby will be B, followed by C games against QPR and Rotherham, a D fixture against Reading and then the first A game for the visit of newly-relegated Aston Villa.