Window Cleaner

True, it would seem to me that a lot of the regular posters on this forum are comfortably off and don't appreciate just how hard the economic downturn is biting those less fortunate. You've only to read all the articles on falling house prices,estate agents selling 4 houses a month and suchlike.The average UK citizen won't give up on his annual holiday to Tossa del Mar (or whatever) and his week-end break in Dubai so football gets the chop.

But we'd just beaten Birmingham at home in the league cup,don't think the result against Birmingham affects the figure in any way,if ity did we'd have got more. We are,what, 3500 down on season tickets this year for a start. The results of last season affect season ticket sales.Buoyed by our play off place in 2006/7 we sold more STs, then there's the politics which have some slight effect.None of you will believe me but money is becoming tighter and tighter in the average UK home ,your average non ST fan just can't go to 2 home games in a week.If they went to Birmingham in the Carling they probably didn't go to Blackpool in the League if they had to pay again. Think of it this way,did you go on holiday this year to the Euro zone? How much more did that cost you over last year, if you spent say 500£ last year that would become 600 this year. So what do you do? yep you cut out a few football games especially if they're on TV at an awkward time. Having few beers in a pub with your mates would probably cost you no more than the pre-match beers you'd have before the game anyway. Economics is the key to the downturn, not ignoring politics of course but that's not a major cause. Money is.

Students all, won't be back on their free wireless networks for at least another couple of weeks.Perhaps a few have given up posting whilst Lowe and Wilde are in charge.

So what does that prove then?. We've got a nice ground and a bunch of fickle supporters that are only interested in the glitz and glamour of "stars" and the premiership.We should have stayed at the Dell, Southampton doesn't need a 32000 capacity ground as we only have 15000 real supporters, the rest are just students and occasionals. in fact there are some figures that are quite informative here. Take Coventry. First home match 22607,they won, second home match 17994 ,they lost. So a sudden drop of nearly 5000, why? who knows, perhaps it's because they played Newcastle in the Carling midweek and people just can't afford to go to 2 matches in a week any more.I mean there shouldn't be any staying away at Coventry because of politics should there Nor manager sacking ,nor lack of investment (warf warf). Yet their two home games have different attendances of nearly 5K.It's about MONEY.

people are staying away because they have no money or have better things to do with what they have, it's straight up and down.Not enough local support, people travelling from all over the place,now that petrol and diesel have gone up they don't attend. It's really simple. The "credit crunch" is biting, that's all.

Cross Jake Thompson off of the list anyway.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac probably. They've lent trillions to people who can't possibly pay it back for houses, a few more millions for a football club would be a drop in the ocean.

would you care to rephrase that question MulletMan?. Sounds as if you're asking if you're the only retard unless Burley is one as well;

Well I hope we've already got all the money and that they can't send back under the sale of goods act as not fit for the usage.

I looked her up, far too complex for me,perhaps she could buy him Saints as well. Irish is she ? Sounds like something out a Roddy Doyle novel.

Probably, mums will do anything to send the kids back to school with the latest trends in fashion nowadays.

delayed trade.Definitely not Beckham, I remember posh telling the wife on the phone last week that they were skint and the kids needed new shoes;

Nope, Posh wouldn't lend him the money.

Bit of excitement today (well for a monday) Someone bought 50000 shares at 27p, Let the speculation roll, first big(gish) trade for ages;

Read the trading statement again. Extract the salient facts and come and argue with me again. It doesn't say player trading profit of 12 million ,it say disposal of players amounting to 12 million (unless I can't read properly,although it depends how you read it) Trading loss 13 million before player trading, gross loss 8 million. We might have sold players for 12 million (Jones,Baird,Pele,Best Compensation plus add on for Theo) but we also bought players for a fair whack, Th figures would indicate that player trading profits reduce the loss from 13 million to 8 million.

Probably not actually. Their emoluments are absolutely zero when compared to those of the playing staff. Players get paid 12 months a year whether they play 23,26 or 30 games. Those who cost a lot in "appearance fees" aren't actually appearing. We make money out of the Carling,not shedloads but every extra game counts, till you get an away tie at the Emirates or Stamford Bridge, then you make a lot.Nothing can be so ignominious than a first round exit in front of 4000 fans like last year. Other great thing about the Carling is that in brings in total money, season tickets don't count.,

Anyway if you look at it closely our gate receipts for this season are probabably (so far) superior to those of last season. We have a 45% share of an extra 14K on the Carling cup alone, plus ther 3rd round to come,although it's true that the away tie at Rotherham won't bring much more than say another 45% of 8K or so; Having THREE home friendlies (although 1 was for Claus) probably taxed the purses and piggy banks of the faithful and the home games that followed probably suffered a bit. As for the 12 million plus on player trading I'm still waiting for confirmation on that,I think that if you do the maths you'll find that it was far far nearer 7.5 million (hint:Bale left on the 25th of May 2007)

Ah those would be the results that aren't published yet, just a brief trading statement that there would be a 5 million pre-tax loss on 14 million turnover. Are you all absolutely sure that we made 12 million on player trading last year or is that just a bit of fag packet calculation.?? When you speak of gate receipts being down this season have you taken into account the additional home friendly and the extra Carling Cup revenues? Just checking to see if I can make myself as miserable as you seem to be.

right; They could leave open the possibility of clubs not involved in anyway with Internationals playing League Cup, Cup or catch up matches. They'd get far better crowds in than on Tuesday or Wednesday nights.

Not just a publicity stunt organised by Power FM then. Ever thought how pat it is that Dyer turns up at the pump in the first 25 people. Must have been quite a few applicants, but he's there in the 25 firstcomers. Must have been tipped off ehh. Does he actually live near the pump in question? Anyone count exactly how many people got the free petrol, 25 or 26?

Any one of the 347 billionaires who ring up every day to see if anything's happening apparently. One got tired of waiting and bought Man City instead. He rang up the day after and said it was only because he was in a bad mood that day and he's still open to offers from us.

No but seriously though, some of the stories doing the rounds about what might happen when the LHC cranks up are laughable. The aliens who watch over us turning up on Wednesday morning to save us from our own folly is my favourite.

Well I don't know Nick, Alpine knows the team are crap-even though he's never seen them, he also knows the business plan is flawed,probably hasn't seen it either, must be a real Ouijah board buff,a medium, clairvoyant.