MarkSFC

If Harding was really that good he would have been snapped up by a Championship club last summer.he isn't going to improve very much but because of his age Dickson could improve more. Let's see in two years!!

Ian Harte

Dickson is a good signing because he's a few years younger than Harding and is is cheap gamble as he may have the potential to go all the way. Harding definitely won't go all the way, probably not even to the Championship as first choice. As for the team of the season I think you are spot on although I have a feeling we may well get a top striker to put pressure on L & B ( hopefully Austin!!). I'm sure the RB we sign will be great too and the CM will certainly be better than Hammond!! I reckon the other signing will be an experienced CB so after all that we could possibly have the best in every single position!!!

The "fans" of a football club have an emotional attachment which for some runs deeper than others. The level of emotional attachment linked to you general disposition and intelect is a reasonable indication of what you expect "back" from the club. Whatever an individual expects and feels is ok by me but sometimes an element of realism coupled with the manner you express yourself needs to occur. Then you have the "businessmen" of the club. Hopefully (and in our case we are lucky) those "businessmen/women" who run your club are experienced, professional, and have a background of success. Another trait you get from these people is the ability to be unemotional when making the tough decisions concerning strategy and planning. This means that some fans will not be able to logically understand the actions of the club leaders when it effects them emotionally. This is life. Cortese comes from a very non customer focussed world and as such that has benefited us hugely so far. Sure he could do more but would you prefer the opposite scenario where the CEO etc, is very communicative and fan friendly but makes bad business decision after another??!! Given time I'm sure ML and NC and co will satisfy both ends of the spectrum!!

I understand, and as much as your hypothetical scenario could well become the truth so could a thousand others. If it was to occur then it would still not be the end of the world. In order for ML to make a profit Saints will have to be very succesful for a number of years, well the amount of profit that would make a difference to a billionaire! I'm not a "happy clapper" by any means and can definitely see all view points but I don't understand why after all the sh*te we've had over the last 5 years some people always look at the worst case scenario?!! It's your right of course!!

What if.....and this is just hypothetical.....what if Cortese saw an opportunity to raise his profile ( legitematly so ) which is why he put SFC forward to ML. What if ML actually got excited by the prospect of having the modern day rich mans accessory.what if they both realised how special the club is and what a hell of an opportunity it was not just to make a little bit of money in the long term, but actually an exciting challenge that woul actually create huge personal satisfaction but also make hundreds of thousands of people very happy?!! God forbid anyone in this world should not be primarily motivated by money. Remember though it's only hyperthetical!!!0

Paying In three amounts before 6th Aug, now there's an idea....it wouldn't and shouldn't have been at ££328 price. I refer you back to my OP!!!

It's not pedantic it's fact. You claimed in an earlier post that I am hiding behind my pc, which Im not, but aren't you doing the same? You promote your opinion continuously and moan at people like Nick I (rightly or wrongly) but won't put you head above the parapit. At least you did put forward a suggestion to the club. That's the only good thing you've done which sets you apart from the other serial moaners!!

wrong, your gas and electric bills ( and water) are not credit because 1) you are not credit checked before purchase and 2) you pay for what you use after using it because you and the company do nit know what you are going to use. A ST on an instalment plan is the sane as something like a gym membership. As the lack of instalment plan matters so much to you why don't you go proper public via the echo and tv, really get your point across. After all I'm sure the majority of fans who would like an instalment plan don't read this site. And by doing this you can begin your journey to new "face and voice of the fans" as I think you would fit in to the O'Callaghan,McMillan,Illingsworth mode very well. Good luck

Go and watch the cheaper supposedly better option then? There are also a few league 1 and plenty of Championship more expensive. Dare I even suggest that maybe the ground rent and policing costs affect ST prices?

Fantastic post well done. How many hours did it take you to come up that?

I'm not the one hiding behind his pc. You are unbelievably niaive. I actually hope that the instalment plan never returns so that people like you never get aST again. St Marys would be a better place without you. And if you think "flexing my financial muscle" is why I have posted this thread and said what I have then you couldn't be further from the truth. Why if that's all I wanted to do would I have taken the time and initiative to put forward "a compromise solution" to the club??

Patronising and condesending in one post, congratulations, you must feel very smug. You do lack the ability to add to the debate through facts or even just opinion using rationale. Keep throwing your vacumous posts..... one day maybe you will contribute something worthwhile.

If my ST cost me £1200 then I would certainly hope that there would be an instalment plan. The fact is it's less than a third of that and hugely affordable. I think you need to fully understand my OP as you clearly miss the point. It just suits you by all accounts to pay for most things "on instalments" and therefore if someone dares to change that you cry. Tough luck. Out of interest, and at risk of actually repeating myself, fir the months you "paid instalments" what did you go without to pay for them? And in the months you didn't have to pay instalments what did you do with the money? In regard the council tax question, if the council decided to withdraw monthly payments it would effect tens of thousands of people rather than a few hundred Saints fans in this case. And because you do not seem to have understood the OP, you still do have the option to pay in instalments for your tickets on a match by match basis.

I don't think you do though, do you?

That's right I'm drowning in logic.

Unlike you I won't bother repeating myself.....I refer you to all my posts on this thread.

If you expected the instalment plan this season and probably starting in may or June then where is your budgeted money? If you saved your "instalment" in the months when a payment was not due you would now be in a position to pay outright for your ST. If you choose to spend your £70 a month in something else then that's your choice and your fault if you know don't have £328 for a new ST. Blaming the club for your inability to save a measly £328 this year when for 6 months you could afford £70 for your ST is pathetic. Your reference to the council tax us slightly flawed as everyone HAS to pay that. You don't have to buy a ST if you can't afford it. I want to go to Australia for 6 weeks in Nov/Dec but unless I can pay in instalments for my flights and hotels and Ashes tickets I doubt I"ll be going. Or I could put it on a new interest free credit card and pay it off that way...... I await your infantile condemnation of my logic as getting personal rather than intellectually debating points is your chav way (anti-social bully).

LOL! Could have put money on you biting!! If I'm retarded god help the majority! By the way, it's called budgeting...something that steroetypically a "chav" probably doesn't manage. I wish Leibherr would sack Cortese and employ you because I reckon you would be a great Chairman for SFC.......or was that just a retarded comment?!!!

The choice is always yours to make regarding purchasing a season ticket or not. Equally it is the clubs choice on how they price and market their product. IF the club had announced in March/April that the instalment plan would not have be available for 2010/11 would that really have stopped you all moaning? Of course not. Maybe if all those who paid by that method last season had "put aside" the equivalent monthly installment from Jan (or whenever the plan finished) then maybe you wouldn't be in the position you feel you are in. The only people I feel sorry for are those with 2 or 3 kids in the family who all go. Everyone else, get real and shut the **** up you chavs.

According to South Today the other night, about 10% of season tickets holders (of which they said there were 1300) last year paid in instalments. In its self thats quite a few people and likely to be lower income people and families. I wholeheartedly agree that the club have to some degree let these people down. The benefit to any fan is three things mainly; Convenience, "your seat", and cost. Anyone who wants this can do so at any point upto August 6th 2010. If however you are currently not able to fork out either the £328 fee (I'll use stand seats for reference) by 30th June OR £391 by 6th August then you will have to pay in other ways. On the basis of early renewal prices and subsequent renewal / new prices, it seems logical that any installment plan should carry a subsidy. If not, this actually penalises anyone who pays up front. If we carry the difference of £63 from early renewal to normal, any instalment plan should carry a levy of £63. If you added a %age levy for instalments it would be more expensive. Therfore, the instalment option prices would now become; Early Renewal - £391 Renewal/New - £454 The equivalent price per match is £14.26 (£328) ; £17 (£391); £19.74 (£454). IF an instalment option was available and lets assume its spread over 6 payments with the first one upfront the plans would look something like this; £391 (£328 on instal) Upfront payment by 30th June - £91 5 x payments on 1st Aug/Sep/Oct/Nov/Dec - £60 Total required by 6th Aug (cut off date for STs) is £151 from 3 monthly pay packets. You will notice that I have actually said first instalment would be Aug 1st. In reality it could easily have been 1st July as if you renewed today, your first payment would be the following month July!! This would mean an outlay of £211 from 3 pay packets. Therefore inessence anyone who takes out an instalment option would be paying an extra £63 to "spread pay" on either £177 or worse still £117!! For a renewal or a new ST it would be something like this; £454 (£391 on instal.) Upfront payment by 6th Aug - £104 5 x payments on 1st Sep/Oct/Nov/Dec/Jan - £70 In this example if you renewed or bought new right at the last minute you would be paying £63 to "spread-pay" on £350. However, prior to Augusts payment you would have 2 months pay to put towards your ticket. So if you bought your new ST today you would effectively be paying £63 to "spread-pay" £210. So, back to reality without instalment options,per ticket, most people would have to find "extra money" of either £117 or £177 between now and either 30th June or 6th Aug. Maybe not that out of the question? If though come 7th Aug you are without ST but still wish to attend every game the price per ticket is £22. You quite rightly though lose the benefit of Convenience, "your seat", and cost. Paying on a match-by-match basis equates to a levy of £5.74 compared to outright purchase of a £391 ST - or if in the example of instalments, a levy of £2.74 against the spread payment of £454. This is all very fair indeed. Then there is the "booking fee". Well there is a way around this too. Sometime before the first game of the season you pay a visit to SMS and purchase a ticket(s) for the first match and also as many future games as you can both afford and are on sale at the time. You then "top yourself up" with matchday ticket at your convenience when you are able to get to SMS even if it is only on a matchday. If you have to purchase your first ticket either in person on the day of the match, or via phone/web, then so be it. Purchasing you tickets match by match in this way means that your total spend for the season will be £506 (max £509) which equates to £22 per game, a "levy" of £2.26 per game/£51.98 in total (compared to a £391 ticket on instalment) or in reality £5 per game/£115 in total. So despite the understandable dismay at what is clearly an error of judgement, there are ways around this and to be blunt, its is very fair indeed. Some may have read my post earlier in the week with a solution I put foraward to David Luker.... http://www.saintsweb.co.uk/forum/showpost.php?p=745335&postcount=215 I/we wait and see if this is rolled out. If it is, it is effectively a halfway house option that will save you money per game (£1.13 - £26 total) AND GUARANTEE YOUR SEAT...AND give you flexibility on the games you attend! We will see what happens over the coming days with regard communication from the club but I would urge everyone to look at and digest these options. This season is quite possibly going to be the best one for many many years and I for one do not want to miss any if I can at all help it...do you??? Remember if as expected we are leading the league after even only half a dozen games, attendances will go above 25K and getting a seat you want will get harder and harder!!

I think it's fair to say that Pardew has done a great job in his transfer dealings so far and I see no reason for that to change! I'm sure that by kick-off of the first game we will be very pleased with the 5-6 additions I reckon he'll sign!! I would love to see Charlie Austin signed and Bailey would be excellent! Dickson, Calderon, Antonio and Paddy McCartney would be good IMHO!!

Pardew has already gone on record saying he wants someone in case Lambert is not available!! I know you're not in England but please keep up!! You sound like the Echo!! Just kidding!

Just received this from David Luker regarding my earlier suggestion Dear Mark Thank you for your suggestion. I will pass this on Regards David David Luker Head of Supporter Services Southampton Football Club -----Original Message----- From: Mark Sent: 02 June 2010 11:16 To: David Luker Subject: Season Tickets Mr Luker In light of the decision by the club not to offer fans the option of paying for season tickets in instalments, may I offer you a compromise? In order to appease what seems to being a growing disdain over this ( I do not actually count myself in that group though) I feel this plan may work. What if fans can "reserve their seat" by paying an upfront fee of say £20. This then entitle the fan to purchase matchday tickets at £20 BUT only in bundles of 3 matches, and subject to the same £3 surcharge (per purchase not per ticket) if purchased online or via telephone. If each bundle of 3 matches is purchased in person then no fee is charged. The other caveat to this scheme should be that if the fan has not purchased "their seat" 3 days before any game then the club reserves the right to sell it. I hope you take this on board and consider how such a scheme will be great for PR (and also for sales!) I look forward to hearing from you. Kind regards Mark

There is no need for any finance house to be involved because in essence the club would not need to "borrow" ST monies for anyone who was to pay on installments. The only expense I can envisage is the administration of processing payments manually and chasing any defaulters. As this is clearly a bit of a disaster on the clubs behalf maybe they can offer a compromise plan. E.G. An upfront fee of say £20 "reserves" your seat. You then can buy your matchday ticket at say £20 BUT only in bundles of 3 games. If by say 3 days before "x" game you havnt bought "your seat" the club reserves the right to sell it for that game.