alehouseboys

Well, 1966 and 1978. Massive Saints followings at both games, probably 75% of the gate in '78, the last in a memorable run-in that saw thousands of Saints fans descend on Luton and that Friday night game at Fulham in particular. Also a fun day at Orient in the cup a few years later when Cas Pennant and his ICF turned up on the away terrace (tho' an hour before kick-off when no-one was in there then!) - bit like Spurs making a (brief) late show at the '78 game. 'appy days.

Was kinda hoping for 'Orient away' last game of season - good memories from years gone by...

Hopefully many will but I still get this niggling doubt that some are gonna think "it's League One, 32k capacity, we aint gonna need one". They'll say they'll go but when it comes to a cold, wet Wednesday night, it's "only" whoever and having to queue, it'll be a case of "I'll go next time". The biggest move any new owners make is the pricing. Personally I'd offer a fantastic deal on a two year season ticket, hooking people in, particularly as we're likely to start on -10 and probably still be in this division next season. Some go on about how Norwich have sold 18k STs, admirable, but they got it right the moment they were relegated from the Prem with us. While we continued to charge Prem prices they offered ST holders renewals for £300 and kept them sweet with cheap 'Early Birds' ever since. That's how to keep and reward your fans.

...and this http://www.pinnacleproperty.net/pressrelease.htm ...and in a good ol' Le Tiss stylee, these fellas deserve a...

But...at the Dell the away section couldn't be moved. The Dell held 15,000 - 1700 for aways - if the visitors only bought a couple of hundred the remaining seats were left unsold as one set of turnstiles/toilets serviced that entire area. Unlike at fartton where you move the barrier according to how many away fans and put on sale the remainder to home fans - which you then struggle to sell hence all those blue seats with a sprinkling of blue shirts on them. We've got 2 skates at work, one lives a 5 minute walk from fartton but always has an excuse why he can't go, the other is an "impulse fan" as he's recently moved down here for the job and has no trouble getting tickets last minute. Facts. Straight.

Agree, nice piece TT, strikes a chord with all of us of a certain age. Shades of the much-missed 'Soul Cellar' thread - not sure ol' Sundance/19 will agree tho' (not that he'd really know anything about it). Bouncing up-and-down on the terraces...ah, 'appy days!

...or an alternative opinion Mr Chorley.

A gloating camel-fiddler...not a pretty sight

..blah, blah, blah... You probably got "16k" (in a 36k capacity) the day you were promoted from Div 4, big deal. When you were promoted to the top flight in the 80s the blue-few were boasting how they'd fill fartton's 30k every game. You averaged 17k. And when you were in our position a few years back in the fizzy (and you didn't get relegated or go bust) you were getting 5-6k home crowds regularly (not to mention less than half that for cup games). It was some time after your billionaire arrived and £ms pumped in before you got into double figures. The only time you filled little ol' fartton regularly was the year you were promoted and had signed the likes of Sheringham, Merson, Berger, Stone, etc. The skates have just had the best 5 or 6 years of their lives, promotion, big-name players, winning the cup, getting in to Europe, THREE billionaires, whilst your rivals have been through the ringer, relegated and gone bust, but still empty blue seats are everywhere most home games at fartton. That's the trouble with you newby-glory-hunting-skates, ya don't know yer history.

That should do it! One day this city will realise it's little gem it's had all along, that great big river flowing through the middle of it. Eventually it will get developed for recreational use and become a massive asset and focal point for this city...but then again............

...and the two top left are a couple of oirish poofters...Patrick Fitzgerald and Gerald Fitzpatrick...

I'd go with a cracking deal for a 2 year season ticket, get fans hooked in, a big trick missed when we were relegated from the Prem. We need to entice a lot of fans into coming back regularly, many will feel they wont need a ST and pay match-by-match but will end up "giving this one a miss" too often.

'kin 'ell...so it is true what they're saying about Michael Jackson!

...and if it were just to cover the salaries and as Leon Crouch has very kindly seen to that, why would that still be necessary or is that why Jackson/Green are carrying out due dilligence without the deposit?

Thank you Mr Crouch

Going to the wire then. Nice hair tho.

Wow...if 80% of your "classmates were Leeds fans" then we can only assume you lived in Yorkshire? ...'kin 'ell would never have imagined you talking like Arthur Scargill!

...but...realistically...would the next lot really be any different?

I particularly liked this bit...then some of ya then starting talking 'vodka cokes', 'banana daquoris' and the like...aint gonna happen is it...

20,000ish 'away' fans (15k skates, 5k+ away 'aways') arriving in Southampton every other week, some gnarly locals waiting for 'em, yeah, I can just see So'ton OB allowing that to happen...........

Tragic news, condolences to all. RIP

Was he not paid that for 'hosting a radio show' - his job?

...if the game is 'cancelled'... I'm all for this match, tho' the money raised is to play the players wages through the summer months which will ruffle some, it's ultimately to keep the club afloat as they have to pay them or face the consequences from the FL. I'll pay my £20, go and see a few old faces/heroes, then probably slope off back to the pub by half time, bored to tears from watching the 'football'! Then there's 'Saints Aid' many are also forking out for.

...well we had 30,000-ish for a midweek friendly against (I think) Bayern Munich and Le Tiss' Testimonial but... £20 is steep, £50 for a family, for a game that will be lucky to last 90 minutes with some out on the pitch! Added to the recent damning Echo article about the players, that's probably done more damage to this game than anything - and the popular belief/apathy that we will be bought out, our battle-weary/cash-strapped fans are probably reasoning 'enough is enough'. The club also states that money raised will go into a separate 'Save our Saints' account 'IF' the club needs the money to stay afloat, what happens to it if we are bought out by then and it is not needed?