StuRomseySaint

If it was anything other than a 1976 replica FA Cup kit then they are stupid. Very stupid.

Liebherr and Cortese do not want, and will not allow the club to live outside it's means. Which is good in the way, when they get bored, they can sell and someone else comes in. P*mpey lived way beyond their means ( wages at 90% of turnover at one point ) , they were always going to go bust without cash donation from their owner... which never happened. I think people need to now stop thinking of us a one of the wealthiest clubs in the land. Our owner is, but it is quite clear that the club is being run as a business, and to turn a profit, which means we won't be spending money left, right and centre. Which of course is a good thing for the long-term sustainability, but people need to get out of their heads that we are going to be the new Chelsea/Man City, because I just don't believe that's in the owners minds.

Not to mention that it's actually cheaper to pay on the day! That one piece of marketing suggests that David Luker was kept completely out of the loop when the plan was set up. I for one won't bother getting a ticket until the day, it's cheaper than me booking it online and I know I will be able to get a seat in the Itchen North. And I have the main advantage of being able to look out the window when I wake up and if it's p!ssing down, go back to bed, as well as other reasons not to go like hangover/money/better things to do. It won't work, I am absolutely certain of that. Cortese's saving grace is that crowds will be similar next season, only because we will most likely be more succesful, definately NOT because of the new ticketing structure.

The fact they have let down and ignored their customers, customers which are a million worlds different from banking customers of industrial commercial clients, and they are not providing what their customers need if they have recieved near over 100 complaints either directly or through the Echo. So in summary, they ARE ignoring their customers and letting them down and they ARE NOT providing what a large number of SFC customers need, so what was the point of your post?

I am actually meeting him for a pint today, to discuss my non-liking of the Trust and stuff I have posted on here with regards to the Trust. As I said, my opinions don't change just because I am sat behind a computer, pity the same can't be said about most of the posters on here.

£10 to help for heroes bet with you that we have less season ticket holders this year than we did last year?

No, I didn't. Day 17 in the Big Complaint House - I have been mugged off again after being promised yesterday morning that I would have a response by close of business yesterday. I can only think I have asked the club some very difficult questions that they are finding it hard to think of a reasonable reply.

The club don't seem to be shouting from the hilltops how many season tickets they have sold so far, like they have done in previous seasons. :-)

I should have worded that better, I wasn't using that as a reason for his romantic notion. Gerry Adams has KILLED dozens of soldiers and innocent civilians with his own hands, he has ordered many many more HUNDREDS of murders / punishment shootings. Even now, his close family in West Belfast are still involved in paramilitary activity. I think the saying 'romantic notion' is not the most appropriate in this case. I know the definition of romantic notion is not how it sounds, but romance is a word that I would not associate with a murdering scum like Adams.

A good post. I posted on another thread that every Championship club had installment plans, whether they be through Zebra Finance, Premium Credit or ran internally at the club. I do not believe the problem with defaulters is an issue. If this was the case then it would be fair to say that every club in the country nearly, would not use them. The difference between us and other clubs is that this season we can pretty much guarantee success. We are red hot favourites to win the league and certainly it would be a massive surprise if we didn't come in the top 6. With success comes crowds. Cortese will have picked up on the fact we had a couple of 30k crowds last season, and probably believes we would have regular 30k crowds every game if we were top. Me, you and everyone else know that this is complete rubbish and that's not how it works. The last 3 or 4 home games of the season the crowds will rise, but Dagenham and Redbridge on a cold November night? 30,000? Half that and then maybe take off some more. I would estimate between 13 and 15k at the most. Crowds may be slightly up come the end of next season, and so they should be, but with sensible ticketing, they should have been significantly higher and Cortese would have been alot closer to his dream of seeing 30,000 average gates. As for the Championship, the installment plan and half season tickets will be back for that, you can guarantee that... because the club cannot guarantee success so they need to get people to commit in advance.

Gerry Adams notion is anything but romantic. He spat at me once for taking cover in his Mums garden ( Lower Falls, West Belfast ) ... it's ok though, I pointed the ariel of the White Sifter* at her TV the next night and blew it up. Pah hahaha * A device which neutralises certain remote explosives.

Yes, although I am sure that no Saints fans will have been threatened with law suits. If they do want to take me to court for stating facts, then so be it, let them have their day. My promised response today never turned up... well here's hoping for a 23:15 statement on the OS eh?

Someone posted to the contrary that if anything, season tickets are more in use on the continent. I can't be @rsed to find it, but someone posted links. If Big Brother is sh!t when I watch it on +1 at 10pm I might find the link.

Nick, one more thing before I finish. It's got nothing to do with moving the Northam as the Chapel is still a family centre and season tickets being sold in there. The club are not going to lose any sleep if they only get 5,000 renewals - that's exactly what they want. If they were actually bothered about how many people bought a season ticket, don't you think they might have conducted a bit of advertising and marketing? Maybe sent out renewal notices? Maybe even put a link on the homepage on their website? Released a couple of news stories about it? Do you think he would have given a 30 day window to renew if he wanted lotsof season ticket holders? Or do you think that Cortese is a smart football businessman and thinks he will sell more season tickets if he doesn't conduct any advertising and/or send out renewal packs? Anyway. That's all folks.

Not really when I have provided FACTS 100000 times that there is NO COSTS TO THE CLUB in having an installment plan. Once again we are going round in circles because some of you complete retards can't read simple English. The club is deploying tactics deliberately designed to prevent fans from qualifying for a discounted prices and forcing them to have to pay the full, premium, most expensive in League 1 and one of the most expensive in Championship prices. Every other football club in England that have the deman, gives them the option to pay on intallments, some cover the cost themselves, some pass the costs on to customers. But ALL do it. We have the worst fan communication in the country, the club are closing routes of communication almost daily. As recently as a couple of hours ago they have withdrawn the Official Saints Facebook page, for no apparant reason other than awkward ( but polite ) questions to the club about what is happening. The Supporters Charter has been ripped up and disregarded. Their policy of dealing with complaints has been thrown out of the window. And the most important thing of all... the club are LIEING to Saints fans when justifying their actions ( and if you are reading this Mr Cortese, feel free to put me into the same law suit pile as the others, there is no law against stating FACTS ) . I will stop posting until I have got the reply from the club, post it up then not comment on it at all. One thing I would say though, is count the actual usernames who keep cropping up giving the impression that the majority are happy with the way things are being communicated with the club, no doubt trolling, I am sure the number of complaints recieved ( which I believe between the Echo and Saints official site is well into 3 figures ) shows the general feeling towards how fans have been treated.

Didn't you say that you either a) Made other arrangements or b) Are not really bothered so you will PAYG You are a tedious little trolling c*nt. Back on ignore you go. Every single thread about season tickets etc you come on and try and shout down anyone who thinks they have been dealt a harsh hand by the club. You obviously don't, but what is it with your martyr position with regards to SFC, you have made other arrangements or whatever... f*ck off on another thread and start talking about the new season then.

It might not have taken you long to work out what to do. The point is that it's clear as crystal that they don't want season ticket holders next season, personally I think that is wrong of the club, it shows contempt towards the fans and it will come back to bite them in the balls. I definately don't think that attendances will be comparible if we are in a similar league position to last year. We had 13,000 STH's on -10 with a very short renewal window with little or no expectation to get promoted. I would be almost certain that we would add at least 4,000 new season ticket holders to that... and would have almost 100% retention of existing season ticket holders. I certainly hadn't met one person last season towards the end who wasn't going to renew, but plenty of people who were 'coming back' so to speak. The story is alot different now, none of the people I know who were going to buy a new season ticket are now, and lots of people are not renewing now. Obviously that's just my/my friends opinion, but I will be almost certain that there will be a significantly less amount of STH's next season... and that is a massive shame.

What point are you trying to make? I sent the club 3 emails, of which I am expecting a response today. I am not sulking, nor am I throwing any teddies out... I have collated information and complained in the most constructive way possible, not just having a moan but offering viable solutions. The club have so far taken 16 days to respond, which is yet another disregard to their very own Supporters Charter which they published only 6 months ago. This particular issue might not affect you, but I have no doubt there will be many more things that come from the club over the next few months which show exactly how they feel about the supporters which pay the wages. Rest assured I will be keeping an eye on your posts if/when the club do something to get your back up that does affect you.

I don't like a season ticket because I think it is a status symbol. I have a season ticket because I am a lazy arse and can't be bothered to get tickets for individual games, also because my group of mates all had season tickets, there is around 20 of us, all mates who sit in the same area of the Northam, this is only possible because of season tickets, that number has been more than halved because of the lack of installment plan. Lastly it's because I want priority to away games. What are my top 3 away games which I would like to do this season? Bournemouth Brentford Brighton. Because I have been forced out of being able to get my season ticket this season, what are my chances of qualifying for a ticket for these games? Absolutely zero. It's not the status, it's not kudos or anything else, it's qualifying for away games and potential Wembley tickets etc. As it happens, I will now do most, if not all away games and do a couple of big home games. Away games are a much better day than home ones and there is absolutely no motive for me to do lots of home games. Then again... I am sure Cortese has that one covered by the time memberships come out.

There is paramilitary activity almost every day over there. Vigilante attacts, punishment shootings, sectarian murders, protection rackets etc etc... however Blairs Labour put a ban on it being reported. There definately is not peace in Ulster yet, whatever the government might try and tell you.

Spot on. I use the installment plan and always have relied on it, because it's the way I budget my money. My 2 sons birthdays are in March, I budget to spend 6 months from April paying for my season ticket, and the following 6 months I spend on their birthdays. Doesn't make me a pikey... people budget in different ways, the installment plan fitted in perfectly for me. 6 months saving for football, 6 months saving for the kids birthdays. Apparantly though if I rely on an installment plan it means I am not budgeting my money and too poor for a season ticket. On a last note, the club are slowly closing the doors on any form of communication with Saints fans, I note the facebook page has now been pulled, as have the links to it on the OS. This is just the start...

My f*cking god. We even have people giving out family planning advice on this forum as well. You also completely missed the point that he was (quite rightly) expecting to be able to afford a 6 month payment plan and had budgeted his money for this. And before the " you should never assume " cr@p you will no doubt respond with... We have had an installment plan for the last 8 or so years, the club did not tell us any different and it is NORMAL practice around the country to have an installment plan. Every single Championship club has one apart from Doncaster. Every single Premier League team with demand has one. Many many League 1 teams with smaller support than ours have one. Everyone who was relying on an installment plan is fully justified in expecting one.

Brighton, Brentford and Bournemouth won't reach 'Members' sale, all others should though.

I don't think I have once said that I think the tickets are too expensive ( although I have stated the match tickets and season tickets are not only one of/the most expensive tickets in the league, and well in the top half of the Championship, even more expensive than a large number of Premiership clubs ) , I have no problem with the cost, which is acceptable. The issue is the way the club is deliberately trying to make the purchasing of season tickets as restrictive and awkward as possible to ensure minimal takeup... that is wrong in my opinion, shows a complete lack of care for the customer and infact shows a contempt for the customer. I have no problem paying for success. What I do have a problem with is being treated like a complete mug by the club. If the club is not taken to task with regards to this then it will only get worse. Like you, I couldn't give a toss about the new kit, beers, pies or any other crap like that, but I do take issue with the club exploiting and ripping off fans.