The Hornets have announced a change to their season ticket sales policy for new applicants, meaning only season ticket holders and those with a minimum of 20 home matches against their Fan ID can purchase during tomorrow's (Friday’s) initial sales period.

Around 11,400 Watford supporters have already secured their seat for the Premier League by renewing and the club had been set to open sales to new applicants with a buying history against their Fan ID in the past three years today.

However, there are more than 40,000 Golden Boys fans who would have been eligible to apply for a season ticket under the previous criteria so just over 24 hours later the club altered their sales policy.

Now only those who have a season ticket or a minimum of 20 home matches to their Fan ID will be able to apply for a season ticket between 10am and 1pm today.

Those parameters will afford approximately 3,300 fans the chance to buy a season ticket for the 2015/16 campaign.

The Watford Observer asked the club a series of questions on the matter. For example the club were asked why they had changed the criteria so soon after it was set, whether they had anticipated the high volume of supporters eligible within the initial criteria and the justification for the price increase when comparing their two initial renewal figures with how much those applying for a season ticket today have to pay.

Head of supporter communication and sales Richard Walker said: “We will always take whatever actions we deem appropriate to ensure fans who have supported the club most regularly enjoy priority sales opportunities.

“We believe our pricing structure is extremely competitive and further is set to reward loyalty on a consistent and ongoing basis.

“We have always planned to leave a healthy number of match tickets for sale at Vicarage Road because we are aware that not all Watford fans are in the position to commit to a season ticket.”

The club would not state whether they expected to sell the remaining 3,300 tickets before sales temporarily cease at 1pm, before potentially resuming at 2.30pm.

If there are seats still available, sales would then widen to include all supporters with a purchase history against their Fan ID from the summer of 2012, which would account for around 37,000 people.

It would then extend to those with a history back to 2007 and then 2002 – although it appears highly unlikely there will be any left by that point.

The third phase of prices sees an adult season ticket in the Rookery and Lower Graham Taylor Stand priced at £505. A seat in the same areas would have cost £385 if renewed before April 6 or £403 if purchased during the second phase of sales, which began a day later, but even at the new price it still works out at £26.58 per match.

An adult season ticket in the Sir Elton John Stand is £565, previously £430 during the Earlybird period and £454 in phase two.

Seats in the Upper Graham Taylor Stand will now cost £650, having originally been priced at £498 and £522 respectively.

And it will cost £445 for an adult season ticket in the Vicarage Road Stand, compared to £385 at first and latterly £403.

Watford have also confirmed regular visitors to Vicarage Road with ‘a strong buying history’ will receive priority next season when purchasing individual tickets, with Premier League rules stating at least five per cent of available tickets be set aside for non-season ticket holders.

The Golden Boys’ Vicarage Road Stadium can hold 20,400 fans when seats covered to separate home and away supporters and those below pitch level are omitted.

The complimentary ticket allocation is understood to be around 1,000, while away fans make up around 2,250.