Matthew Le God

Two questions... Who is Davies? Why is Ryan Dickson the current team's left back? Plus Saints didn't come 8th in 2003/04, that was in 2002/03.

It is very much rubbish, Saints had 13 sell outs from 19 home games in a season in which they came 20th, were relegated, had little investment in the team and Rupert Lowe was in charge. As I said before, imagine a successful season if an extremely poor one had 13 out of 19 games sold out!?

Rubbish, see Lighthouse's post above about a season in which Saints came 20th, with Rupert Lowe in charge and were relegated. 13 out of 19 St Mary's fixtures were sell outs that season. Imagine a successful season...!?

He is the number 9 in this match for Spurs and is referred to as Kudus.

Against 2nd tier players though.

I turn that back on you. You don't have evidence that it wouldn't be high. If you can sell 30k for 2nd and 3rd tier matches and games against smaller Premier League sides, a top tier game against some of the biggest sides in the world is far more attractive. It wouldn't be a matter of an "extra ten or few hundred" turning up if the stadium were larger than 32k. More people jump on the bandwagon in the Premier League and we already have had crowds of 30k for 2nd tier and 3rd tier games and those against lower Premier teams. I think you need to read my post again. I did not say they is no point only increasing to 38k. What I said was that if Cortese has considered a new stadium as a possibility, that shows he believes gates of much larger than 32k are possible. It would be pointless knocking down St Mary's just to build a 35k or 38k stadium. Only worth doing if it were circa 45k+. Thus even if he didn't build a new stadium, he would still have the same views for an expansion for St Mary's. I'd like you to answer post #42. I think you have said in the past you don't care about what Wolves are doing. But this is a professional sports company in the same way Cortese is running a professional sports company. Both of which have more idea than you or I.

The Kraken (and others), What evidence do you think Wolves used when they decided to go ahead with this...? Phase 1 takes capacity upto 31k Phase 2 takes capacity upto 36k Phase 3 takes capacity upto 50k Phase 1 and 2 are definitely going ahead and would have regardless of relegation last season. They believe there is a potential for phase 3 and have plans for it if required. Last season Wolves averaged 27k, they haven't had average gates of 30k+ to use as evidence since 1970. Where as Saints did as recently as 2005 and that was the last of 4 consecutive seasons of 30k+ averages and also a relegation season.

It isn't speculative at all. Try responding to them. I do have evidence, first hand experience from 2001 to 2005 when I wasn't a season ticket holder or a member. Plus the evidence of the attendances in the Premier League years of 2001 to 2005 and also attendances whilst Saints were in the 2nd and 3rd tier of English football. If a club can get 30k for a Boxing Day game against Exeter, do you not think a Boxing Day game against Spurs for example could attract a lot more? Picking up on his and your comments about a new stadium. Do you agree there would be little point in building a new stadium if it only slightly increased capacity to say 35k or 38k. The fact he has considered a stadium move suggests that he has plans for significantly larger than 32k for either the more likely St Mary's increase or indeed a new stadium. I don't think it will be a new stadium, but the fact he has mentioned it as a possible option they have looked at indicates the scale he is looking at in terms of capacities, as do his comments in the fans dinners of 45k+.

I think all they are doing is putting the seats in the upper tier, which has already been built. Largely everything else is already in place apart from a few internal things. The majority of that £50m is for the shopping centres etc outside the stadium.

Such as... - Selling 30k+ tickets in a 32k stadium whilst in the 2nd and 3rd tier for some games - Having a club record attendance of 32,152 for a Tuesday night 2nd tier game within the last few weeks - Having 4 consecutive years of averaging over 30k in a 32k stadium - Selling out in numerous games including against "lesser" Premier League teams the last time you were there

5, 6 or 7 injuries is hardly unrealistic. Numerous teams in real-life have those kinds of numbers out at the same time on occasions.

Saints sold out The Dell in the years building upto the move, Sunderland didn't always sell out Roker Park.

For games that hadn't sold out at the time you went to get tickets, of course you wouldn't have a problem. However once they had sold out and this was made public you wouldn't bother trying. Numerous games had gates of 30k+ and were classified as "sellouts", these were not sellouts on the day of the game, the sold out banner went up long in advance. It is you being "a bit dim" as the post I was responding to with that was where you suggested the club would not instantly return to the 30k averages of the past (most significantly the 2004/05 relegation season). Why just the "big Premeir League games"? Saints have had circa 30k attendances for matches against 2nd and 3rd tier teams and also numerous sell out against the "lesser" Premier League sides when last in that league. Cortese and the club already have access to more data about this than you or I from the first four years at St Mary's and more recent years in the 2nd and 3rd tiers. It is Cortese that has made public his desire and intentions to expand the stadium, so it is clearly based on the fact he believes there would be the demand to support it.

Sunderland had 10k season ticket holders when they moved to the then 42k capacity Stadium of Light, which was later expanded to 49k.

Because I and others have given our accounts of how it was back in 2001 to 2005. Many games saw attendances of between 30k to 32k and were officially classed as "sellouts". I clearly remember these as having sold out a week and sometimes much longer ahead of the game. Many games didn't have ticket sales on the day of the game. Even the relegation season of 2004/05 saw average crowds of 30k+. I think it is naive and extremely pessimistic to think the groundswell in belief in the club from the fanbase under Cortese/Liebherr compared to that of a relegation campaign under Rupert Lowe would see smaller crowds. Only a matter of weeks ago a top Championship game at St Mary's on a Tuesday night saw a crowd of 32,152 and was a sell out. There would be numerous more attractive fixtures than that should the club be promoted. More attractive matches than the West Ham 2nd tier Tuesday night game = increase in demand. Increase in demand that can't be sustained with current capacity requires a stadium expansion. Hence why Cortese has plans for such a thing.

Post a screenshot.

How do you think the club ended up with averages over 30k for all four Premier League seasons at St Mary's? It was because a lot of games sold out long in advance of the matchday. Had the stadium been bigger, more tickets could have been sold. People claim that it was easy to get a ticket back then, which is nonsence because on the numerous occasions St Mary's sold out once that had happened no-one else could get a ticket and you would stop trying . If the club is promoted it will return to 30k+ averages in a 32k stadium straight away, no need to wait and see. If a club can can 30k+ crowds for League One and Championship games in the 2nd and 3rd tier, fixtures against a large number of Premier LEague clubs could attract a lot more and make an expansion worth while. Hence why Cortese has already been talking about plans for expansions.

Are you seriously suggesting Neil Mellor is a good option for a team at the top of the Championship?

Brighton have sold out their tickets... http://www.seagulls.co.uk/page/Latest/0,,10433~2509779,00.html

This happened in June 2011... http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/scotland/13886219.stm

This must have taken a while... http://www.eurogamer.net/videos/grand-theft-auto-5-san-andreas-comparison-video

1) Adkins' managerial genius 2) Liebherr's money 3) Cortese's business nous Of course the players have a key role, but 1 - 3 have given the club what was needed to make the conditions right for the players to be winning and to bring them to the club in the first place.

I can't sleep at night because of it.

Use you Saints Player login to view the 13 minutes... http://www.ccfc.co.uk/articles/20111106/ext-highlights-coventry-city-2-soton-4_2264353_2508070/0,,10269~2508070~1,00.html Or watch just the goals, without the need to login... http://www.ccfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10269~2508075,00.html

That is what tends to happen every year as you get into the festive fixtures, plus we have two games at home that are on TV.