The Kraken

They were given the chance to bring their Wednesday game forwards (as Leeds did) and declined.

It isn't though. UEFA cup (and I think maybe now Champions League?) allows for the extra officials behind the goals.

I certainly hope it goes no further than goal line technology; that would completely ruin the game as it would be far too disruptive. But if a technology like this can be introduced that will instantly tell the ref if the ball has crossed the line or not, I can only see that as a good thing. And I think it would be a backwards step to try and suppress the development of that technology, just for the sake of "tradition".

I desperately hope this goal-line experimentation finds success. I just can't help but feel that the whole process will be disrupted by FIFA's grubbiness and that the best solution may be shelved in favour of whoever can stump up the thickest brown envelope.

Maybe, but this thread is about Forecast, not them. Quite telling that the OS haven't even mentioned it, when they've been quite forthcoming about Ryan Doble's loan spell at Bournemouth. Only online source I can find is this one: http://nonleague.pitchero.com/news/saints-forecast-loaned-to-bromley-6810/ EDIT: I take it back, he's on there, just doesn't appear on the regular main page news feed. http://www.saintsfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10280~2460899,00.html

I loved Glenn Loddle.

Not good enough for second-bottom side Thurrock; will he shine for 14th place Bromley? What a waste of money.

Yes, that's good logic right there. Only those who go booooooooooooooooo! understand football like you. I have much to learn; panto me up in the meanwhile.

Millwall took 49,500 to Wembley for their play-off final in 2009. And they're based in the capital. Does that mean they have the potential to be tucked up behind the big clubs if they get promotion and expand The Den?

If it was that black and white, why doesn't every ex-Saint get booed? No doubt Andrew Surman will get a good reception if/when he plays us again (and rightly so). I imagine Bale and Theo will avoid the booooooo! boys too. No doubt you'll tell me that it's the manner of his departure that particularly irked. In that case, why is Wayne Bridge still treated as a complete hero? He courted the big clubs throughout his last season with us and then, in a desperate effort to leave, put in a transfer request. Yet that doesn't seem to have bothered many (rightly so IMO, but there you go).

Personally I believe it will demonstrate to the owners that, despite prices going up so much this season, attendances also rose. And therefore that a further price rise will be equally inconsequential to attendance figures, particularly when playing against the larger sides.

That's one hell of an assumption you've made there. Ticket prices are already at £30 for our games; £32 if you pay on the day, £33 if you buy a single ticket in advance and pay the ticket tax. So we're already not far away from £35. I'd suggest you're in a dreamworld if you think they'd only go up by £2 if we get promoted. Norwich have always been lauded for having a cheap pricing structure for their season tickets and match tickets. Their most expensive tickets this season cost £45. You can bet that SFC will be doing their research on other clubs and what they can get away with charging, and looking to do the same, so I'd imagine £40 or £45 will be the benchmark for us.

Do I want promotion? Yes. Although I know that it'll mean I revert to how I used to support the team last time we were there, by going to around 4 or 5 games a season. It was up to £35 for a ticket last time we were there, that was 8 years ago, with inflation that's at least £45 a ticket now. Even if we kept prices down to around £35 or £40 it's still bloody expensive for 90 minutes of "entertainment" (some of the turgid sh*te we used to turn out on a regular basis still makes me shiver). League 1 was an experience, but not one I want to repeat. This division is great in that there are no huge favourites and any team can beat the other, and as Adkins says there are 15 or 16 teams who have genuine belief they can gain promotion. So it's the perfect division for us to be in, as opposed to one where 8th place is deemed as success. But of course as a supporter you want to win every game your team plays, so promotion is always the goal. Its a strange dichotomy.

Boooooooooooooooooooooo!

I can just see it, you getting all wound up and red in the face, going "Booooooooooooooooooo!" to an 18 year old footballer who had the temerity to leave us for pastures new. Jesus.

That's all very well, but this season we've had 3 games in the League Cup and got no attendance higher than 7,500. A simple comparison but in very recent seasons we've had: 2010/11 Bournemouth, 17,135 Bolton, 10,251 2009/10 Northampton 10,921 Birmingham 11,753 2008/09 Birmingham 11,331 2006/07 Yeovil, 20,653 So we've played some decent teams and some low ranking teams. To be around 3,000 fans down on the worst of those attendances is poor by any comparison.

Correcting his grammar

Of course I agree; I'm just pointing out the folly in analysing by simplistic stats alone. I originally thought the average attendance from this year looked great, and I maintain it looks ok. But I also now realise it really isn't that simple. Also, our League Cup attendances in comparison to previous years are shockingly poor.

By that rationale, you could look at the actual opponents and attendances from games played this season, and then compare like for like against the same opponents for games played in the Championship the last time we were there. There's not many stats so it shouldn't take long. 2005/06: Leeds, 30,173 2006/07: Leeds, 29,012 2011/12: Leeds, 25,860 2005/06: Millwall, 22,043 2011/12: Millwall, 23,333 2008/09: N Forest, 26,580 2011/12: N Forest, 24,784 2008/09: Birmingham, 18,925 2011/12: Birmingham, 22,155 Average for other years: 25,347 Average for 2011/12: 24,033 Just saying.

I think you're judging it on the whims of an average fan; we will have a standard level of die-hards (who'd go to every game) then a large number who will pick and choose games. A lot of people will simply choose to go to more games against the likes of Man U, Chelsea, Liverpool etc etc than they will the likes of Doncaster, Millwall and Preston. Although Stoke, Bolton etc aren't massive names, it's still the Premier League bandwagon and a bigger highlight by association than playing Birmingham or Leeds in this division. Then you also have the factor of the hospitality suites; these are, as anyone can see on a matchday, very very empty at the moment. Less than half of the corporate boxes are full, and the suites seem to be very empty too; this accounts for (I believe) around 2,500 fans and during our Premier League days were pretty much always sold out. I'd suggest we're up to 2,000 fans short in that department alone. And I'd very much suggest that hospitality sales are hugely increased by being in the top division; lots of the corporate customers are there for a day out rather than supporting the team, and it being a Premier League is the be all and end all. Also, nothing to do with leagues, but the current financial climate is clearly going to have an effect across the board. I maintain that an average of 25K over the season would be an excellent achievement; we're 1k short of that right now, so not very far away at all.

I'm sure they will, but that'll be 3,000. We sold 21,300 home tickets against Brum so we'd have to sell 700 more than that to top 25K. On a weekday, I can't see it.

Just reporting an issue with the forum, its a new problem that has only surfaced since the move to the new server. I don't know if this is just local to my computer, but I'm often having a problem when going in to edit a post I have previously made. The three buttons at the bottom (Edit, Go Advanced, Cancel) just seem to lock, I can press them any number of times and they do nothing. I have to navigate away from the page and back again, and the edit always works second time.

Only problem I can see is that it's a midweek game; some people may not be able to bring younger kids, and it's more difficult for the longer travellers to make the game. Also, the the corporate areas (which are massively quiet anyway) will struggle as it's not as much value as weekends (Saturday games you can get there for free boozing from midday onwards, much more difficult to do during the week). I wouldn't be surprised to see a gate under 23K actually. We really need to sort out the hospitality areas; the "normal" seats will take care of themselves if the team are performing.

My head hurts after reading that.