St Johnstone's head of football operations Gus MacPherson admits supporter backlash to ticketing decisions for a recent cup game against Rangers was an "eye-opener".
The Perth club were heavily criticised by their own fans after they decided to hand over three of McDiarmid Park's four stands to the visitors for the match.
Ticket pricing of £30 for adults and £20 for concessions also added to frustrations, which ultimately resulted in a home support boycott, with only 350 supporters snapping up tickets.
MacPherson admits mistakes were made, but he now hopes a working relationship between the club and supporters can blossom to improve football decisions in the future.
He told Saints TV: "That was an eye-opener for myself. The passion that was shown by supporters through events building up to the cup tie and on the day.
"I think it is fair to say that everyone in the football department and upper management realise mistakes were made and said so.
"In future we take that on the chin and we learn from it. We also appreciate the importance of the fans.
"During lockdown we didn't have fans in the stadiums but now we have them back, we have to listen to them and make sure we are understanding of them.
"I have seen the supporters and the passion they bring in the short time that I have been here. The game that I won't forget is the Friday night at Easter Road.
"The atmosphere that night was fantastic and that is what we have to remember, how important they are. We don't patronise them, we listen to them.
"They also have to see from our side of it there are hard decisions that have to be made. But if you have a good transparent relationship then it is a workable relationship. I look forward to doing that in the future."
MacPherson also updated concerned fans with some key squad members out of contract in the summer.
He continued: "The obvious thing that fans want to know about is players out of contract.
"What we have said internally is to make sure we know exactly where we are playing and where we are going to be at.
"I think we have 15 or 16 players under contract for next season. So it is not as if there is major surgery required.
"It is making sure that everyone knows where we are at, at the moment. We have have tentative talks with players along the way, but these things take time and I am sure as soon as there is news we will let the fans know.
"Rest assured that recruitment, retaining players is always a factor. It is on-going. That is the topic every week, every other day.
"The football department target the players they would like to try and bring to the club, retaining players it is an on-going process that takes place all the time.
"We are doing that and we are trying to get the squad as strong as possible and rest assured we will make good offers to players, the best we possibly can when we are building a squad."
Both Ange Postecoglou and Michael Beale have publically criticised St Johnstone's pitch recently and MacPherson admits the state of the surface is far from ideal.
He added: "There are a lot of stadiums in the Scottish Premiership that are struggling with the playing surface.
"Ours is difficult at the moment but we predicted it because the rainfall and adverse weather conditions that we have had throughout the last three months.
"We knew it would take its toll around about this time and we did cancel a couple of games because we knew that it was going to come.
"The intensity of the games were going to have an adverse reaction. It is something that we have to manage in the summer.
"There will be and there already is plans in place to make corrections. It has not had the maintenance programme that it should have had.
"Because of European games, the play-offs last year, it has not had the time to recover. That obviously has an effect.
"It is a joint thing, there is no individual who we look at and think that has to be better. It really is just the way the pitch is at the moment."
