Brussels Saint

It's this Turkish, it's things like this that they gain. 29 pages of interest, discussion in the playground, pubs homes etc. Saints front of mind, even if you are pro or anti, you are discussing it. Front of mind, is where any business wants to keep it's customers especially when this is typically a time when the basic product (football) has nothing to offer.

3.25 million suggests we are not too hard up then! For me thats too much for that player anyway, but good to know however we can compete in that market. I wonder what 3.25m would buy you if we were looking overseas? Better than Sharp I wager ............. though think Delgado cost 3.25m ;-)

Also I think we should stop moaning about what we pay for the Forum and demanding perfect performance or actions based on our complaints. Lets remember this is not a profit making business, its run by volunteers and as such we should not be getting in such a state, as if we are demanding something from our gas company etc.

Aaaaahhhhhhh...........these Swiss Pine trees are great for removing clag!

Is the Dell cafe Bar actually run by the club? I always thought it was a sort of Franchise affair. Dont remember seeing anything about it on the OS, but might be wrong.

Relegated - Coventry, Peterborough & Palace. Lay-offs - Saints, Forest, Blackpool, Ipswich Top 2 - Leicester & West Ham Pompey - 17th Reading - 10th Brighton - 15th

Speculation on the Burnley board that he's on about 20k/week. Transfer fee of around 1m, means about 5.2m over the 4years. Gulp! Still better than 4m, 10 years ago on Rory Delap in one transfer fee!

Jack Cork is class. Great signing.

I reckon the managers "name" is a factor, St. Marco, but probably only a small one. I think it would also only influence maybe prem stars willing to take a drop to the champ, but I'm not sure thats the type of player we are after anyway.

I agree, it was like people saying "no thanks" to Wes Brown!

Mark Hughes goal that went in, hit the backboard advertising, bounced out again and was not given. It was 2m over the line for christs sake!

If we spend say 2-4 million, but only towards the end of Aug, would you say that would be classed as us having ambition?

I thought this had already been decided. The reason the club does not want to especially encourage season ticket sales is that it thinks it can make more cash from walk ups. The club believes it is maximising revenue opportunities and can work this way as we don’t have cash flow problems. You can argue whether it’s the correct business decision or not, but I'm pretty certain they will have looked at this in depth, taken advice etc. before coming up with the plan.

Thank god for that, normal service is resumed!!!! ;-) Where have you been Alps we hardly ever see you on here anymore? To be honest though, I'm just starting to get a bit concerned too. I love the fact there are no rumours/ITK posters anymore (does give confidence about the professionalism of the club), but I expected something by now. Will wait for a couple of weeks into July though before actually thinking there is an issue.

This forum is not dying! You only have to visit any of the other Saints forums to witness much worse than this. The only problem is there is no news.......nothing....for weeks.......... its unsurprising there are so few threads and those that are started may be somewhat "questionable"! I've been so bored I even managed to get all the way through one of David in Swedens threads and actually quite enjoyed it! I also don't think there is too much issue with the mods, or get why the big deal the thread was moved to the muppet show. You can still comment and read it. I miss Deppo a bit, but bizarrely I do miss Alps even more (though Dalek currently seems to have taken over his forum job role at the moment)

Can't be bothered to read through all this, but I suspect a sustainable achievable ambition for our club would be to regularly sell 36k (if in the Prem & Stadium could take it). I base this on nothing more than good old fashioned gut feeling and common sense. This would enable us to have good cup runs, safe mid/top end prem finishes and a European flirt every year. That would do me nicely until the day I die. Talk of the CL is nuts unless genuinely the Liebherrs would finance it and a) I don't think they are that dumb and b) I would not want to do it that way (sustainable club being the golden aim) Expanding St. Marys by 4k would be ridiculously expensive no doubt, but at least its achievable for a club our size. With fair play regulations being the order of the day in football at the moment, this is the way to invest.

This! I was just about top post exactly the same point. Thanks Panda you saved me the effort!

My girlfriends Dad wanted a son, and got 2 daughters, so of course he would take her to the football when she was young as no other option and she grew up loving it. We go together to the Saints sometimes when I'm back in Britian. If she had her way she would come every time, but to be honest, I quite like going on my own as then I can be a bit more sweary. Good thing is she never complains when I'm watching on TV or spending countless hours reading about the Saints online.

Essentially Alps is right in his basic point. We will be better prepared if all business we want to do is done early rather than late. My point is that the club will also know this and its not that they can't be bothered, lack the funds or focus. The key is "business we want to do". I would rather us wait for the right signing even if its in Aug, than just sign those we can do early. Every club and chairman know its better to do it early, but things they don't control prevent this. Look at even the big clubs with all their resources signing players on deadline day after the season has started. I'm sure they never plan to do it that way. Personally I don't think our usual rubbish start relates to when we sign players (maybe only a minor influence), but other factors. The biggest of these of course is that we are the Saints, its the way its done, it's been like that for years, fate controls this, accept it, embrace it, its who we are!

Genuine question Alps, if we do leave it to the last minute year after year, why do you think it is? Club can't be bothered, everyones on holidays, people don't know how to run the club? Surely they must know, its not good to do this, they just need to read your comments on here every season! But each year same story, don't you think there might be a reason why its done this way?

Pretty much agree with those thoughts 100%

Coventry away. We'll win 1-0. Ostenstad will score. Dune, I was at that game! Wouild definitely accept it again.

Anyone been on to the Ugly Inside yet, I'm sure its in meltdown over there? I can't face it as I'm in quite a good mood! Think its a fairly decent proposal, though some groups have had a bigger impact than others and thats a shame. I guess though, there would always be winners and losers, the club whatever they do is never going to be that popular when asking fans to part with 100s of pounds. I'm just jealous in reality, at least you guys can easily choose a Season Ticket or not.

Your point is undoubtedly valid concerning risk, but its clear the club has made a decision to not overtly push new season ticket Sales and go for the one-offs. I'm certain all options have been considered and thats the one they feel will generate them the most cash. I think the club is right if we have another successful season as then the ground will fill regardless (remember the missing 10000 are out there). If we are not winning however, it will have been the wrong choice. NC will probably know this and as such will be planning to have a successful season................lets hope that means what we think it should mean......

Exactly the point I was making earlier. I bet you go a lot if we are winning, playing great football and challenging at the top. If things are not going well, I'm certain your CD collection will be on the increase.