A lower league football club almost doubled its supporter numbers after asking fans to pay what they saw fit for tickets.

Entry to today's Albion Rovers v Montrose game in Coatbridge could be gained for a minimum of £1 with management saying the scheme would ease the burden on fans who may have spent a lot of money over Christmas.

The club said official attendance at the match, which Albion Rovers won 1-0, was 718, up from an average crowd of around 370.

The Scottish League Two club was following the example of English teams Brentford and Mansfield Town who boosted attendances through a 'pay what you can' scheme.

Although fans were able to watch the match for £1, the club said it hoped people would pay what they believe the football is worth. An adult ticket usually costs £10.

Speaking before the game, chairman John Devlin said: "January is always a time where household budgets are stretched and the club recognises that some supporters may struggle to find spare cash to attend games at this time.

"'Pay What You Can' provides fans with the opportunity to simply pay what they can afford with a minimum £1 entry.

"We hope that with this pricing initiative supporters who would maybe struggle to afford to attend the game will now be able to do so.

"And, those who are in a position to pay a bit more to bolster the club finances will choose to do so."

Chief executive Frank Meade said: "People have had a difficult period over Christmas, so this gives them a chance to come to a game and not be under pressure to find a lot of money for it.

"What we are interested in is people come along, enter into the spirit of the occasion and they enjoy their day with us. Maybe this will encourage them to come back."