Frank's cousin

Fair point - in a way though Global brand success would be the perfect solution for them really - you eliminate all the things these fans traditionally moan about eg. Crap players, no trophies, relegation worries, poor form, poor results... and give them the 'brand' , foriegn fans etc - perfect all round really, genius really.

... Calm down dear, you seem awfully stressed by this.. it is all hyperthical discussion, so why get so ound up by it? This started because I asked a simple question: If NC is remotely serious (lets assume he is and this is not just BS/WUM) he must have considered how to fill it..yes? Do you believe that w ecould fill a 42-48k stadium every fortnight at £35-£45 a ticket - a price point that many on here have said disenfranchise the 'traditional' fan? Yes or NO? I dont think we could - therefore, either NC think swe could if we had EU football, or he is considering other ways to ensure demand - I was merely 'asking' whether a German model (and its ALL BL clubs not just bayern) would possibly be part of such a solution? Yes or no? You, say NO, not possible - so how we going to fill it then? (if it was ever built?)

LOL .. fricken sad - I really cant believe some of you. Stop supporting if we become successful? Jeez. Whoi gives a flying feck if the club attracts MORE fans of whatever type - you still support in your way - can only assume there is aworry someone else might think you are JCLs... heaven forbid - sorry but if a load of kids and folk from anywhere begin supporting saints on the back of success so what? Its not WHY you start supporting that is important - but that you stick with it. Do you think the St Mary's fans back in the 1890s would have bene worried about the club growing to compete at the highest level.. Its a global game and the thought of our provincial club knowcking at the door of the global elite, no matter how far fetched should be something to be proud of....hyperthetically

Despite your bait being only really there to wind up on this, please dont twist things to suit your purpose - Nn one has ever said feck the dads and kids - merely that the current system is happy to let dads, kids teens etc be replaced by thsoe who can afford the current prices - and evolotion of the demographic....right or wrong is not the current debate. If you dont understand this, then you aint the powerful intellect I had you down for.... The PREM price and wage hike over the last 25 years IS exactly why it cost £20 to watch 2 football. That is where we are at. ONLY a radical rethink, approach akin to the BundesLiga model will EVER address the pricing out of football of a certain demographic (as some are keen to point out, the working class) and that is something that goes beyond Saints. This COMPLETELY seperate question is about whether there is anything that could ensure we filled a bigger ground - My take is that we would need cheaper tickets to make that happen as you would need to tap into the youth and kids market as a wel as reengage those that have stopped going due to affordibilty. I am not saying it will happen, merely that without addressing the affordibilty issue, no amount of success will fill 48k a fortnight. You know as well as I do Turks that this was the whole point of that 'thrilling/mind numbing' WUM debate the last time thsi issue was unsuccessfully discussed - the question as to whether capacity allows for differnt pricing models. The thing that is just so pathetic on here at times, is that the WUMs want it both ways - complaining like moaning granies that football is pricig out what is in their opinion the 'traditional' fan (a transient thing anyway), yet belittle any suggestion that a revamp of pricing culture would be needed to adress this... lose the fricken will to live discussing this...

Two sepearte issues turks - so Yes and No - last week was NOT about pricing, but about whether certain demographics had a given right to attend, who were currently being priced out of the game - my point as you well know is that no demographic owns football and the fan type will evolve based on all the factors that influence attendance - if there is no rethink in pricing policy. If there is a shift in policy and a rethink on this, then I like most would welcome this as it makes it affordable for a LARGER demographic and as I see it teh only way we would ever fill 42k regulary is by ensuring a WIDER demographic CAN attend and that comes down to pricing.

OK I am not suggesting it would be done - by how come the Bundesliga can do it? In addition, we may see some 'encouragement' from Government on this unless the league act, especially with pressure for the FSF etc... Just a thought - Like I said, without some sort of complete re think on ticketing prices we will see a further decline in attendances which is not a backdrop for stadium expansion - There needs to be a new model of somet sort else we simply wont fill it no matter how many people would LIKE to come given our 'predicted' success

Not saying they will... but asking the question on how they intend to price it all up to ensure the right balance with supply and demand - These models work elsewhere, but whether they would work here feck knows, but pretending we would ever fill 42k regularly at £35+ a ticket is unrealistic no matter how good we 'become'. Yes there would be plenty of addotional kids and folk WANTING to come, but its simply unaffordable for Dad, 2 kids on a week by week basis.

I think 48k rather than 58k was the limit based on the original design/foundations etc - so suspect the tour guide was getting a little carried away. Forgetting the bating and pis ss take for a second and/or how realistic all NCs plans are or not, Fundementally there would be no expansion plan without a serious consideration as to how it could be filled - I know I have been mocked for even suggesting that pricing would need to be consideration, but I simply cannot see how we would ever regularly get 42 k, let alone 48 with the current pricing model in football. NC must have considered this - surely? I really do not believe that without some sort of more 'European/German' model combined with European football we would ever have that sort of demand. More accessible pricing for kids, U16s, OAPs and the 'noisy terrace, possibly with standing' at a £12 a game + existing revenue levels + success at levels we have not seen before and we may get there. The question then is - how would it be funded? Again NC must have thought of this if there is serious consideration for such a plan - and that would need to be on top any regular investment needed to maintain the playing success... so unless he does have access to a Trust/fund from Marcus, it would be incredibly rsky and possible stupid to go down a loan route... Like most fans its an exiting prospect, but at this stage we dont know anthing about it apart form a few artists impressions and a slightly misinformed tour guide...

Guess there is just three questions that need to be answered to keep this nice and simple: 1. How many would go most weeks if the ticket price average was a lot lower (and what price level would that be) versus the £35 average price today? 2. Would that level of revenue be enough to justify/sustain the investment level? 3. What level of success would be necessary to attract that number regularly in the first place? simple!

BUt this is the problem - we ASSUME this is the case because of the implications of the stuff Matt and others go on about in public - with no presentation of the other side of the story. Be honest you do NOT know this as fact, but are basing it on the stuff matty and others have said, not on any personal experience with NC. I have no idea whether NC is decent, miserable or a complete &*&&*, because i have never met him or discussed anything with him, so I can not make assumptions on his character - certainly not from only ever hearing one side of the story. I can only judge by the outcome and when he spoke 1 on 1 with Punch in PRIVATE the situation was resolved and the clud have benefitted. My only conclusion from this can be Cortese IS someone who will bury the hatchet and move on. If Matt and Cortese can resolve this, then its great for the club, but Matt will need to avoid sn iggering with Stelling and his 'mates' on Sky in some sort of victory fashion if it is - that would just be immature and wate what should be seen as a positive step. Fans WANT the club to acknowledge the past and for our heroes to be part of the future as well - but it wont happen if they see it as some sort of RIGHT to be able to make very personal insults in public when egged on by 'jokers' like Stelling and Merson.

I suspect the best way to stop Cortese being a ***t is to go see him in private and talk it out like mature blokes - admit failings on both sides and resolve the issue - public exposure is only going to put folks backs up...

There are similarities between Lowe and Cirtese for sure, but just as some of the criticism of Lowe was purely down to how folk felt about him, rather than what he actuallly did, most still do not think he is as 'evil' as a few are suggesting... I disagree that some are scared - its quite simple that on the whol,e MOST would agree with what he is trying to do/achieve and the results overall suggest it is working, even if some are not totally happy with the apparent METHODs he uses, or all his decision making processes, when placed into context of the overall progress, most are willing to accept that it will come with some isues. We tend to be far more forgiving of the means when the end result is positive. And to be honest, it is pretty sad and naive if there is an expectation amongst fans, that a club chairman, with ambition and business background, in a game that is all about big buisiness is somehow meant to deliver the success we crave/demand yet please everybody all the time. Ultimately, how many like him or not is frankly irrelevent - most just want him to get on with his job and judge the success in his role by the success on the pitch. That is the Only fair way of doing so, because unless we all individually have time with him to get to know him, his thinking, his decision making process, then any opinion on personality will be based on rumour, gossip and hearsay and the stories told by others - from one side only. Think that is the reason why some criticised Matt of late - if his critique of Cortese was down to the way the club was not progressing, or hideous results, i would say fair enough, like any fan he should voice his concern - and opinion on the Adkins decision from a footballing perspective would also be welcomed, BUT his criticism is about personal issues he has and the petty spat which is of no relevence to anyone else - all it does is paint a one sided s h itty picture which the media love... Matty having a problem with Cortese is his business and no one can tell him to sort it (we should welcome the fact they will sit down together whether in 1 day or 4 weeks), so why the need for the constant ****ing about in the media?

Hahahahhaaah - before NA was sacked, how many points did most expect from Everton, Man U and away at Wigan? Seriously - some see to now be rewriting history and think NNA would ahve gotten us 6 or 7 points.... Jeez.Seems prrtty darn clear to most that we are playing BETTER than before. NA built seriously good foundations and did a fricken brilliant job. MP seems to be building on that - we survive and BOTH will deserve credit. We go down and BOTH will be accountable - MP can not gain us points we lost in the first 22 games.... Under NA we lost at HOME to Wigan remember?

Can only assume soem of you worriers are youngsters - we had this annually throughout the 90s virtually, always a buttock clenching run in... if we get through it this year, I can see it being less of of a problem next season.

Wel that is always the case in admin - Markus 'saints' for £0, the price being the cost of agreed settlemenst with creditors... in excess of the the value of the teh remaining assets - he got a bargain as he staplewood land is worth a few bob. The BEST pompey can hope for is a final payoff of debt around 10-12 mil (8mil for the football creditors, the £500k to non-secured (this is the criminal figure), 4.75 to Chinney and whatever else thay owe to PFK - not sur how much of their last PP they will have left . this is what is not clear - did they use any of the penultimate 4mil to pay of any footballing debt or is that 8mil still outstanding? in effect part of the chinney debt may be funded by teh council, but will still be debt, so the question remains how much cash they have from the gullable members and HNWIs - cant see them starting their tenure owing less than 5 mil somehow... in L2, on -10....

...and a staudium that would now cost 60mil + to build, and a 25 mil training facility... there were assets -Pompey have feck all of any value so a pound is about all it is worth...

You really think it has potential for a long running series? The conspiracy is there I tell ya...and its a serious business.

Thanks for clarifying, 7 mil did seem a tad high do ABC numbers... and I guese there are 4 million or so for whom a quick glance at page 3 on the way to work whilst sat in the white van listening to Talk Sport is enough to staify their lust for daily news ) not that I would dare to sterotype or anything! :-)

The Don and MLT ... Part 2 Having sent butler Les to the offie to procure a bottle of 'Malibu' and some Coke, The Don takes his seat behind the large Walnut desk. MLT is sat on the opposite side, his chair apearing supiciousy low, so that his head is only just above the height of the desk. The Don Leans back spping his fine wine and breaks wind loudly Don Cortese: What is it you english say with your strange facination for 'Bottom' jokes - Better out than in? ha this is so funny! Matty: Uhm... Don Cortese: So, lets get down to business. We seem to be getting somewhere - You did well getting that to sser Stelling to pick up on the issue again last week - he seems to like doing our work for us. Matty: Yes he is a bit of a gullable tw at is Jeff. Don Cortese: And you are sure he and the other morons, dont suspect a thing? Matty: Nah, they are all too stupid - (Laughs) Don Cortese: Yes you told me they would fall for it - and its working out nicely. The only problem is the fans. Matty: That's what I wanted to talk to you about Nic... I am getting some stick now from some, they dont think i should be 'making mischief' - Its not great for my reputation. Don Cortese: I see, I understand Matthew, I do, but you know how important it is that we keep up this charade dont you? Matty: Of course, Francis and I are fully behind the plan, its.. its genius, we said that at the start, but dont you worry about the fans are saying about you? Don Cortese: Me? Well, there are times when it is quite hurtful, but as I said at the start, we knew it would not be pleasent. I can live with it. Les arrrives back with a Malibu and coke Matty: Thanks Les Don Cortese: You Know Matthew, you were undoudtely the greatest footballing talent this club has ever seen... had you not had such a succession of fools as England managers, you would have been a World star - and maybe had eaten a few less pies... BUT how on earth you can drink that pi ss is beyond me MLT: Each to their own Nic, each to their own. So are we ready to initiate phase two? Don Cortese: Yes ... I think we are ready - you understand the consequences? MLT: Yes, I spoke with Laurie and Francis again yesterday - they know there may be some calatural damage. Don Cortese: Indeed. BUt teh club will be even mor indebted to you all, you know that dont you? MLT: That's why we agreed Nic - the club is bigger than all of us Don Cortese: Indeed. Ok Make it happen. ....... to be continued (or maybe not)

Way I see it is that we are obviously NOT a top top side... we have some qaulity, but its a young side that is improving. BUT to our credit we are TRYING to play like one. Sure we do not have the quality in all areas to avoid stupid erors, and it will not work a fluidly as sides with better players, but much rather watch this than a direct style of old. Sadly the cash of he prem has mad too many in football see survival as the be and end all irrespective of how its achieved... as a result the national side suffers as the top sides have limited opportiunity for young English players and the rst try and play a style tahyt is in most parts outdated... Glad we TRY and play the game in this way. when we iron out the mistakes we WILL give someone a pasting - could well be Man City!

Maybe go something like this: Don Cortese: Come in ...Matthew, please... sit down. Can I get you anything to drink, a fine Barolo maybe, I have it especially imported from a small vineyard - an eceptional vintage as well. MLT: Thanks, but have you got any malibu ...it will all go down hill from there....

Wind up or not.... we scored two goals away from home in the Prem today, one of which was quite superb. I'll live with that. The defensive error cost us teh points, not our goal scoring ability.

Agree onJRod Think Ramirez will come good - ajusting to this faster pace attacking game is going to take time for him and he has done better at home so far - Schneiderlein may not always get teh plaudits but I am more worried about him hbeing poached by the big boys than Shaw - Spider is becoming emence and must easy be worth 15 mil now... look at what he does Shaw - I hope he sees that playing week in week out for the next couple of seasons or so with us is teh way to go - at teend of that he will be worth 20Mil +

Sorry disagree... we have definitely shifted a gear and in style under MP... we are playing higher up, pressing and seem to have more energy second half - scored two away from home and were unlucky here not to come away with 3 points - its exiting attcking play and I for one am not frustrated with teh way we play - yes the result is disapointing but come on we have seen a real desire and hunger added and a quickening of the pace - Jrod starting to show what he is capable of, and yes this YOUNG side is still guilty of errors, but I aint complaining about the direction MP is taking us. Nige needs credit for teh foundations, but this IS a step forward IMO.

As pedicted... some seriously odd opinin here... like the manager is responsible for that one stupid error at the end.... FFS....