SOCCER fan Brenda Castle has ruled bosses at the Reebok Stadium offside after they refused to give her a season ticket at a pensioner's rate.

Although the 60-year-old can draw her state pension and use an OAP's bus pass, Bolton Wanderers say she is still too young for a pensioner's season ticket.

The Whites have fallen in line with a host of Premiership clubs which have raised the lower age limit for women pensioners' tickets to 65.

They had been warned by the FA that they risk being sued for discriminating against men who reach the state pension age at 65.

Mrs Castle, of Bradford Street, Farnworth, said: "It's ridiculous that everyone apart from the club says I'm a pensioner."

Other clubs have also moved their prices to meet the guidelines, but Mrs Castle said clubs should look after older fans.

"I've been a supporter for 30 years but I've only had a season ticket for the last five. I was looking forward to getting the reduced rate which is £99 cheaper," she said.

"If they don't want to discriminate against men, I don't understand why they can't bring the age down to 60 for all their older fans.

"I'm lucky that I can afford it, but there's probably a lot of women of my age who can't. The club needs to sort its whole ticket policy out after what happened with the Carling Cup Final, and then at the Inter Milan friendly game last month. They owe it to the fans."

Kath Brown, chairman of the Bolton Wanderers Supporters Association, who will turn 60 later this year, said: "This is something that has come up time and again with our members.

"The club isn't obliged to give any concessions, but it would be good relations to make it cheaper for anybody over 60."

An FA Premiership spokesman said: "The advice was issued to clubs around two years ago.

"In the first instance, they were advised that pensionable ages should be the same and that it would be legally advisable to make it 65.

"It is up to clubs to interpret that in whichever way they liked, but most seem to have taken the advice."