um pahars

They weren't dirt cheap. The cheapest "normal" seats started off at £389 in February and ended up at £435 in April. What was different was how they used bands of renewal prices with time limits on them, 12 month interest free credit schemes, good marketing and communication and they kick-started the selling of tickets in February. Of course there has to be a balance between maximising revenue and maximising ticket sales and I'm not suggesting they should be piled high and sold cheap, just that we should have been more imaginitive and engaging with regards shifting them at a sensible price. Have to say that I don't buy this at all. I'm sure we'll have a nose around at what others are charging (with a pang of pride or jealousy), but very much doubt that what others are charging will have any discernible impact on what we are prepared to pay. For the core support I have no doubt that the majority would renew even if there was only a week to do it in, but as the 10,000 spare seats for most games showed last year, there is still a very large audience out there who need to be enticed back. Giving them three weeks (with some steep season ticket prices) doesn't seem to be the most aggressive sales policy.

If you're in full time employment and aged between 60 and 65 then isn't there an argument that you should pay the same whack as the rest of us who are working??? If, however, you are in that age bracket, are retired and are renewing, then isn't there some way the Club could cut you lot some slack???? Obvious to the Club if you are renewing, but is there also some way to prove you are not in employment (Pension book???). As you say would it be possible for them to honour the existing concessions???

Hello dinlo man!!!!!!! You've forgotten......... Brentford!!!! (and maybe Reading)

If, after signing Forte, someone had tweeted in relation to the signing and used the term "N*gg*r", then I would have been 100% behind NC if he considered banning him. If anything, I think it makes Norwich look even more impressive that they will not toleraste racist abuse.

I make £465 over a 40% increase which to be honest was more than I was expecting. Was last year's £328 a bargain, or is this new price a bit steep???? Looking back at the last time we played in the Championship I paid £380, so even allowing for three years inflation the current prices are a bit more. 2 weeks for renewals and only 3 weeks for new purchases just seems too short if we're trying to boost crowds and income??? Must be the shortest window in the League.

I think normal business models don't apply for the hard core who would sign up come what may, but as the reduction in attendances has shown since we fell out of the Premiership, we do have a sizeable number of supporters who need to be enticed back to SMS. I'm sure success and winning games will win some back, but we should also be doing all we can to attract those who aren't as hooked on Saints (or who have other competing options).

You have to wonder what all those other stupid clubs are doing selling their season tickets over a much longer period!!!!! How come we're the only ones who do it right by having such a short window????

But do you not think we might have been able to shift some more had we opened it up earlier and then traded off of the euphoria of promotion?? I'll happily take my hat off to Cortese and co. if they come up with some fabulous strategy over the next couple of months, but will feel somewhat disappointed if we just get an average price and a month or so to renew.

Here's some of my reasons: 1) I think season tickets underpin attendances and I prefer watching Saints in a ground that's busy with a decent atmosphere. 2) I think attendances and support could have a positive impact on what happens on the pitch (however marginal) and would prefer my team to have every advantage possible going in to home matches. 3) Decent attendances will go some way to making us self sufficient or perhaps increasing our financial muscle, which in turn might create a virtuous cycle whereby more money equates to better players, which might lead to to better performances, which means higher attendances etc etc etc 4) From a sense of personal and collective pride, I think there's something nice to be said about your club pulling in a decent crowd. 5) I also think it it's somewhat self fulfilling with decent gates creating a sense of achievement which others then want to partake in (I'm sure stories of potential sell outs make some people think they want a "bit of this"). I'm sure there are more, but does that help as a start???

Would be disappointed with 15k (didn't we have 14k this year??). Would prefer closer to your top end (although think we should be emulating Norwich!!).

Would you vote for me Dune (I'm a Socialist BTW)???

Have to say that I thought it was a really great shirt (might have something to do with no logo). That said, I'm torn between continuing with a sash and the stripes we are so famous for.

When other clubs open up their season ticket sales "early" they do so for two reasons. Firstly to provide some income over the barren summer months & improve cashflow, and secondly to provide the longest possible time to make those sales (usually by offering incentives, marketing pushes, garnering a sense of belonging etc). Whilst it could be argued that bringing in cash is not as imperative for us (given the way we are being "supported" by the Liebherr Legacy), I always thought we were still being run as a prudent business and looking to get towards being in a position where we were self sufficient. It therefore seems strange that we wouldn't want to bring cash through the door as quickly as possible. On the second one, whilst it is impossible to quantify I just can't help but think that the late announcement will have some impact on the take up. Given the euphoria and positivity following promotion we should have been trading off the back of that (and we should have had our core season ticket renewals already sorted before promotion was achieved). I take on board Trousers points about there being a point where walk ups might provide more income than season ticket sales, but I think it is a very fine balance and I think most clubs would rather have a guaranteed income than having to rely on pay on the days to bring in the bacon. Additionally, I have to say I'm not overly comfortable with that strategy, both from an emotional and an economic perspective. As others have said, season tickets are more than just a guaranteed seat at a preferential basis, for some it is a sense of belonging and an emotional attachment to their Club. One only has to look at a Club like Norwich to see how being pro-active and engaging brings in some pretty decent season ticket stats.

When did you go all Alanis Morrissette???? Maybe the plan is that as we speed towards the season everything becomes inverted and we'll end up being paid to go and watch. Cortese will just have hitch up a line to Harbour House and get the flux capacitor charged up. Back to The Future (1977) and £10.00 season tickets

Would have thought we have a decent chance of pulling this one off. I know he enjoyed his time down here (even though he was a part of the Total Football debacle) and given his London connections, a short trip down the M3 must be tempting!!!! That said, like most things nowadays I imagine it might come down to ££££££'s. However, as someone else has mentioned, I'm not overly sure I'd play him alongside Schneiderlin in the middle of the park (just that I would prefer an older "clogger" in there with him!!!).

Que????? Bally must have made something around 200 appearances and only ever played in midfield. Surely some mistake!!!!!!!!!!1

I know where your tongue is stuck Turkish LOL!!!!! And having taken that on board I have to say that my thoughts here is not how quickly can I part with my money (which as you say goes against the norm), but instead perhaps thinking what this delay will have on season ticket take ups and the related knock ons in terms of attendances and revenue generated (although there's also a dash of intrigue and anticipation as to what the prices will be). I certainly want to see my Club play in the biggest attendances possible and I just can't help but think that this delay might have an impact on that. I'm sure blazing football and a winning start will attract the punters, but also feel that season tickets underpin attendances and we should be doing all we can to attract people to part with their money. The Club may spring something sensational on us, but I can't help but think that we should have been trading off the euphoria of promotion and giving people every chance to get regular bums on seats.

In a way comparing the figures is meaningless anyway as neither faced the same test. That said, I think you can get an idea of whether someone might be half decent (or an absolutely dinny). As for Pearson's arrival, I think you and a few others have hit the nail on the head in that the context of the time has to be taken in to account. It's meaningless to state where we were when we arrived, without referring to the shambles he inherited. The days prior to Burley going and then the D & G show were very dark days and with someone highlighting the rag tag bunch of players we had, the injury crisis and the general malaise around the place just took me back to how bad a situation it was (I can also remember the initial stories of how bad things were on the money front). NickG hasn't got his facts right with regards 3 wins in previous 13 league games (we only managed 2). Pearson popped up mid February and in recent games we had managed one win at home to Scunny in mid January with the previous win to that being back in early December. We were on a downward fall big time.

Presuming that includes his Championship figures.

Although I wouldn't say Adkins scraped 2nd place (in the end it was quite comfortable and given the start he inherited, he did well), I do think you have a good point. Adkins' success is lauded on here, as begrudgingly is Poyets, and Pearson emulated them both. If Adkins can emulate Pearson next season and get us in the play offs then I would be very happy.

LMFAO you bedwetter. Where has anyone suggested he was making the ultimate self sacrifice and where are those getting misty eyed??? Some, including his brother, have just pointed out that he was getting paid for doing a gig at SMS (in much the same way as those before and after him have got paid-even Rofey got a bit extra for doing his half time stint at The Dell) and you then string it in to a risible rant. The turning down gigs bit was solely as a justification for him being paid, but personally I think if anyone does a bona fide job for the Club then they deserve to be recompensed. I just hope Stewart Dennis has got thick skin, as I'm sure he'll be next in your firing line.

Global warming might help us on the climate front. Maybe we should go the opposite way to the rest of the world and look to increase our carbon footprint.

I don't think anyone would have an issue over trying to emulate the Ajax model (or even the Barcelona model), but with Lowe I think it went further. He truly believed that he was different to the footballing establishment, that he could teach them all a trick or two and it was his ego that drove him on (the money wasn't that bad either). We definitely had a choice and the most obvious choice was with regards the manager. There wouldn't be much between two Dutch guys on the cheap and Pearson (certainly Pulis and Forecast would have funded it!!!). I have never suggested that money wasn't tight, but even the little but we had was spent unwisely. Get a decent manager in would have been my first shout (and then I wouldn't have gone and speculated on a French teenager - however much he cost - as that was not our priority. Pearson proved himself the season after that he could work with youngsters (his team at Leicester was predominantly a very young side - I remember one game he had something like 11 out of 15 players under 20 playing for him). It was a false economy that cost us even more when you consider the revenue lost through falling attendances. Lowe's return, coupled with **** poor results saw attendances diminish quickly (I reckon our ave attendance was about 16,000 before those last few games). Close to 100,000 less punters through the door (£2million in revenue???). That extra money would have been nice!!!! No one was suggesting spending loads on experienced players, instead they were asking why we hadn't gone with an experienced manager, with good contacts who had enjoyed a modicum of success? He did indeed make that judgement, one which in hindsight looks to have been found severely wanting. Poortvliet was an unmitigated disaster and the whole set up was as much to blame. The interviews and snippets that came out after show that the season was a complete sham. I've never held Pearson up to be the next Mourinho, but he did enough at the back end of the previous season to be given a shout. He certainly had the support of the fanbase and when we dispensed with him he quickly went on to show us what we might have been missing as we traded places come the following May. Of course there were brief moments of sunshine, but just as when Wigley was appointed, I just could not see it working!!! And no one will ever be able to say with any degree of certainty what might have happened had we gone with Pearson over Poortvliet (that's the beauty of football, with us all having our own opinions), but I know which one I would have appointed!!!!

Are you suggesting that Adkins is similar to the guy who made the role of Penguin his own??? And that down at Staplewood we should have a chicken coup and get Lambert and co chasing after them??? I believe

I believe I can touch the sky (then again didn't Icarus think the same??).