No longer prepared to pay for rubbish?

[Master Bates]

One man's rubbish is another man's treasure.

[Ponty]

There's probably no benefit to the club fiscally to double the crowd by halving ticket prices, even if it did have that effect - which I doubt, as the extra costs to police/steward 15,000 more people would largely offset any revenue gained from beer/pies.

[SaintDonkey]

For the football purist this is a great time to be watching Southampton, I honestly believe we are playing the most attractive football than I can remember since the '80s (Le Tiss's genius aside - but that was one man rather than a team).

 

Unfortunately for many fans it's not about the football, it's about the results. That's not an attitude I can criticise because ultimately it's the results that count. Would crowds increase if we were top of the table playing hoofball rather than the bottom playing football? Yes I think they would, but I wish they would come anyway.

[Loyal Saint]

I doubt they'll give a sh1t.

 

They clearly don't. Too busy thinking up more reasons to turn their back on the club and bore the rest of us with constant whining and negativity in the process

[Guest Hacienda]

They clearly don't. Too busy thinking up more reasons to turn their back on the club and bore the rest of us with constant whining and negativity in the process

 

Where as many happy clappys have their heads in the sand and bore us with their constant whining about how things are OK and how they are supa duper fans.

 

We will get what on Saturday? 18,000? The rest? Finding better things so spend their hard earned on and many of them, I fear, maybe lost forever.

[Loyal Saint]

Where as many happy clappys have their heads in the sand and bore us with their constant whining about how things are OK and how they are supa duper fans.

 

We will get what on Saturday? 18,000? The rest? Finding better things so spend their hard earned on and many of them, I fear, maybe lost forever.

 

Can't think of anyone I know who goes regulalry with 'their heads in the sand'. Simple fact is if we all adopted the same attitude the club would no longer exist. Hearing all the excuses for not going as though they deserve some ****ing prize does start to wind you up after a while.

 

I'll continue being 'happy clappy', if that's what the new term for support is

[VectisSaint]

that's fine, as long as those who no longer go acknowledge that they are just not as loyal as the 14k hardcore who still turn up, as opposed to bringing out the same old excuses for non-attendance. One thing is for sure, you enjoy the 'good times' more having gone through the bad.

 

So, I'm not as "loyal", because I choose not to spend my Saturdays getting well and truly ****ed off watching us lose again at home. Too right I'm not loyal, but it doesn't make me any less a supporter, I've supported Saints since 1966 and spent years being loyal, these days I have further to travel (though no ferry thankfully) and make a choice not to go because it is frankly not the enjoyable experience it once was, doesn't mean that I don't still get very upset and fed up listening on the radio/internet and getting ****ed off by local Pompey supporters giving me stick.

 

Simple message to Saints, are you listening Rupert Lowe? Start winning games at home and the crowds will return. Continue the way that you are, whether playing kids or Dads Army, playing pretty football or route one and supporters will continue to stay away, and the number of stay aways will increase. Football is part of the entertainment industry these days. I admire the idea of playing neat attractive football, and spent years watching a feast of exciting football with Channon, Davies, Paine and Sydenham (and latterly Tiss) but first things first, winning is all (at home).

[aintforever]

I have to admit, if I didn't have a season ticket I couldn't see myself forking out £25 or whatever for a ticket to go last night.

 

I don't think it's just the poor results or the fact that were watching kids, it's more the fact that it appears we are being force-fed a Lowe experiment that makes it so off putting.

 

If it was a chairman we trusted, and a manager we respected putting the same team out fans would be more inclined to be loyal IMO.

[70's Mike]

So, I'm not as "loyal", because I choose not to spend my Saturdays getting well and truly ****ed off watching us lose again at home. Too right I'm not loyal, but it doesn't make me any less a supporter, I've supported Saints since 1966 and spent years being loyal, these days I have further to travel (though no ferry thankfully) and make a choice not to go because it is frankly not the enjoyable experience it once was, doesn't mean that I don't still get very upset and fed up listening on the radio/internet and getting ****ed off by local Pompey supporters giving me stick.

 

Simple message to Saints, are you listening Rupert Lowe? Start winning games at home and the crowds will return. Continue the way that you are, whether playing kids or Dads Army, playing pretty football or route one and supporters will continue to stay away, and the number of stay aways will increase. Football is part of the entertainment industry these days. I admire the idea of playing neat attractive football, and spent years watching a feast of exciting football with Channon, Davies, Paine and Sydenham (and latterly Tiss) but first things first, winning is all (at home).

 

in those days we had a Walker, O'Neil and McGarth not forgetting Hollywood.

 

People keep on about the good football but in WGS SPEAK"IT IS SHOWBOAT FOOTBALL" lots of square passing which has no end product.

It may be pleasant on the eye but crowds will return to watch a winning team not because they look good

[NickG]

Where as many happy clappys have their heads in the sand and bore us with their constant whining about how things are OK and how they are supa duper fans.

 

We will get what on Saturday? 18,000? The rest? Finding better things so spend their hard earned on and many of them, I fear, maybe lost forever.

 

win and every one will come back.

[NickG]

glad I went -watching Lallana performance was worth the money on its own.

 

If people want to watch winning team they will do and come back when results improve.

[Guest Hacienda]

win and every one will come back.

 

Not this time they won't I fear. Far too many have had enough, especially at the current prices and with the current set up.

 

I'll be interested to see if the usual suspects are at Rotherham and Donny.

[saint boggy]

So, I'm not as "loyal", because I choose not to spend my Saturdays getting well and truly ****ed off watching us lose again at home. Too right I'm not loyal, but it doesn't make me any less a supporter, I've supported Saints since 1966 and spent years being loyal, these days I have further to travel (though no ferry thankfully) and make a choice not to go because it is frankly not the enjoyable experience it once was, doesn't mean that I don't still get very upset and fed up listening on the radio/internet and getting ****ed off by local Pompey supporters giving me stick.

 

Simple message to Saints, are you listening Rupert Lowe? Start winning games at home and the crowds will return. Continue the way that you are, whether playing kids or Dads Army, playing pretty football or route one and supporters will continue to stay away, and the number of stay aways will increase. Football is part of the entertainment industry these days. I admire the idea of playing neat attractive football, and spent years watching a feast of exciting football with Channon, Davies, Paine and Sydenham (and latterly Tiss) but first things first, winning is all (at home).

so, would YOU start coming back to SMS if we started winning games???

[Thedelldays]

so, would YOU start coming back to SMS if we started winning games???

that tends to be the idea with football:rolleyes:

[NickG]

Not this time they won't I fear. Far too many have had enough, especially at the current prices and with the current set up.

 

I'll be interested to see if the usual suspects are at Rotherham and Donny.

 

not two or three games but a longer term improvement. Some go whatever, some go when football is good, others if winning, others only in premiership -each to their own.

[rocknrollman no2]

To be fair,if it wasnt for the social side of things like seeing friends,drinking lots of beer etc,then i doubt i would go so much.I used to look forward to getting up on a weekend knowing i was going to a game,but now it seems like to much of an effort.

When before the match,we would be talking about the team and general football things while having a beer,now most of us want to stay in the pub,rather than go out and see us lose again.

The only thing that spoils a footy day is the football.

[NickG]

looked forward to games this season a lot more than last for some reason -maybe expectations lowered and football improved.

 

Particularly enjoying Lallana's play.

[Totton Red]

looked forward to games this season a lot more than last for some reason -maybe expectations lowered and football improved.

 

Particularly enjoying Lallana's play.

 

Totally a Top Deck response!

[saintjinksie]

Lowest attendance ever last night of 14,916! and a dreadful atmosphere according to the echo, with fans barely cheering even when we scored. I know it's midweek but by any standard it's a poor turnout . What in your opinion is the prime reason for this?

 

less money about, not as many STHs this year, mid week game, in the bottom three, dont look like scoring many. Need i go on. It will end up just us hardened season ticket holders going.

[Pat from Poole]

win and every one will come back.

 

 

I think you're wrong.

 

I've had a season ticket for the last 16 years, but like a number of friends, I've stopped going this season. A lot of people just can't be arsed anymore, and once they find other things to do on a Saturday, they generally don't come back that often.

 

Winning a few games in this League means diddly squat to most people.

[Professor]

I am just thinking back over many years;

15,000 fans in the Dell would have created a hell of a lot more atmosphere.

SMS, although modern and pretty, will NEVER have that kind of atmosphere, whether it's full or half empty. Such is "progress".

Absolutely true. Staying at The Dell was probably not an option, although Lowe always said that the move to the SMS was only viable if the club retained its Prem status, which it did at the time that it mattered, but we are now playing second tier football in a first tier stadium and until the club is in the top six of the CCC, which will certainly not be this season, the gates will not recover.

[AwaySaint1]

Many reasons

+ Cost of everything is going up £20-£30 to watch a game is a bit excessive

+ An unknown team that was largely our reserve team last year

+ Unknown manager

+ Poor peforming team

+ Lowe return

 

But i think the main one is simply

+ People have lost interest in Southampton. Maybe the way the fans have been treated over the past few seasons has finally caught up with them.

 

Thats my reasons.

[St Landrew]

I am just thinking back over many years;

15,000 fans in the Dell would have created a hell of a lot more atmosphere.

SMS, although modern and pretty, will NEVER have that kind of atmosphere, whether it's full or half empty. Such is "progress".

 

Yeah, but you're forgetting that The Dell used to have a 30,000 standing capacity. I was in the 30,044 crowd watching Saints v Man Utd. A midweek match too. In those days, Saints had a so-called core support of about 20-23,000+ fans.

 

Personally, I don't believe there is such a thing as a core support, unless you are talking about a base crowd that would turn up at the gates every week even if Saints were a team of amateurs. Basically, with every relegation, or slip in ambition and place, the support will get less and less, and people will turn to something else to do.

 

St Marys could well have the same atmosphere as The Dell used to have. It just needs the club to be in a position where 32,683 people are being royaly entertained by some excellent Saints winning football in the Premiership every week.

 

And never, say never.

[The9]

Some of this stuff makes me laugh.

 

Most of the time we're playing more attacking, exciting and entertaining football than I've seen for years, with a bunch of young players - in terms of the on-field product the whole team is a work in progress to be watched and seen grow (or shrink), and it couldn't be more interesting for actual football fans (or even "just" Saints fans who don't care about other teams).

 

However for some reason we seem to have turned about half of the sell-out Prem crowd into a bunch of gloryhunting results chasers with a massive swathe of temporary big-game attendees. Weird that about 30000 people wanted to see us beat Sheff Utd last season but only half of them want to know what happened next.

 

Of course a lot of people are skint due to the financial climate and can't afford to go, and midweek games are always tricky for some with work commitments, but equally, plenty of them will be conveniently hiding behind the Lowe Excuse, just as they did when we went down - and didn't come back when he left. Frankly I don't believe a single one of them, there are plenty of other, LEGITIMATE reasons not to be going, so grow a set and tell the truth, eh ? "I can't be bothered" is alright, just try and work out why not.

 

Unfortunately for Saints, we seem to have a lot of floaters who are steered purely by results, and results aren't quite there at the moment, though we've been competitive in every game. A few wins should hopefully see the crowd pick up.

 

However, even with fewer people, the support last night was excellent in places. Admittedly it was dire in others ("Swing Lowe" starting midmatch for about 5 seconds with us 2-1 down wasn't shaping up to be a highlight), but the 15 minute long "Red Army" not long after was far more useful to the kids and just about saved it for me. And trust me, people were going as nuts as ever when we scored.

 

It's strange to me that people are using the supposed weakness of the on-field performances - which they're not even getting to see - to justify not going. I know someone who went last night for the first time in a while and completely loved the whole thing like before, despite the drop in status since the last time they went. And when did we EVER score a goal like the one at QPR ???

 

There's a lot going for the club on the pitch, and you want to be there now for the next time when you hear "where were you when you were sh1t", right ?

[The9]

To be fair,if it wasnt for the social side of things like seeing friends,drinking lots of beer etc,then i doubt i would go so much.I used to look forward to getting up on a weekend knowing i was going to a game,but now it seems like to much of an effort.

When before the match,we would be talking about the team and general football things while having a beer,now most of us want to stay in the pub,rather than go out and see us lose again.

The only thing that spoils a footy day is the football.

 

I used to meet up with a crowd of anywhere up to about 20 people in the pub before games when I was travelling down from South Wales to watch matches before I moved here, and when I was trying to think of someone to text to meet up with before the Blackpool game I literally couldn't think of 2 people I knew would be going.

 

It's got to the point now where I'm chuffed if I see one person I know !

 

Having said that, the football's probably more positive than anything Strachan or any of the previous 10 years' managers before him put on the pitch, so I'm enjoying that loads. Shame Lloyd James hasn't sussed that Dyer's not going to reach the same balls as Holmes yet though, and he looked lost without the 40 yard outlet once he'd hit a few over Dyer's head. Kelvin at least stopped kicking goal kicks at Dyer after half an hour too..!

 

And while I'm here, can we have Jake Thomson back please ? He's been our best right sided player this season from the first half in Cardiff as far as I can tell.

[LostBoys]

Anyone can support a club that is 7th in the Premiership and in the Cup Final. This is the time that the Club needs its real supporters. I loathe and detest Lowe and Co and I am very unhappy with what is going on but I am not prepared to abandon the Club and they need my money.

 

I think every poster should state how many games they have been to this season as they criticise the Club it would put some comments into perspective. If you choose not to go and have lost interest for whatever reason then please do not post.

[saint boggy]

that tends to be the idea with football:rolleyes:

i wasn't talking to YOU!!!!

[It's There]

I can't go I to any matches atm ....but I want to! Money and family commitments! When I can I will, and I really want to THIS season because I saw several dross matches last....I want to be entertained, and by the sounds of it, Saints are doing just that.

[saintwarwick]

I think you're wrong.

 

I've had a season ticket for the last 16 years, but like a number of friends, I've stopped going this season. A lot of people just can't be arsed anymore, and once they find other things to do on a Saturday, they generally don't come back that often.

 

Winning a few games in this League means diddly squat to most people.

 

Each to their own I suppose but for those last 16 years, 13 were spent in the top flight of football including many years of relegation struggle yet we still managed to sell out. If we get back to the top flight of football they will be back no question.

[Thedelldays]

Each to their own I suppose but for those last 16 years, 13 were spent in the top flight of football including many years of relegation struggle yet we still managed to sell out. If we get back to the top flight of football they will be back no question.

I dont know if that is a little dig but that is how football works..

 

the higher/better you are the bigger the crowds...the more crap you are the lower the crowds....of course there is the very odd exception to the rule...

 

hence why we get more supporters than say, crewe or barnet or bradford...and the likes of boro, west ham etc get more....

[Oz]

Lowest attendance ever last night of 14,916! and a dreadful atmosphere according to the echo, with fans barely cheering even when we scored. I know it's midweek but by any standard it's a poor turnout . What in your opinion is the prime reason for this?

 

mr. lowe

[saintwarwick]

I think you're wrong.

 

I've had a season ticket for the last 16 years, but like a number of friends, I've stopped going this season. A lot of people just can't be arsed anymore, and once they find other things to do on a Saturday, they generally don't come back that often.

 

Winning a few games in this League means diddly squat to most people.

 

Each to their own I suppose but for those last 16 years, 13 were spent in the top flight of football including many years of relegation struggle yet we still managed to sell out. If we get back to the top flight of football they will be back no question.

 

I dont know if that is a little dig but that is how football works..

 

the higher/better you are the bigger the crowds...the more crap you are the lower the crowds....of course there is the very odd exception to the rule...

 

hence why we get more supporters than say, crewe or barnet or bradford...and the likes of boro, west ham etc get more....

 

Can't see how this is a little dig when all I assumed was about support for our club, something that cannot be denied and that supporters will return 'on mass' if and when we return to the premiership.

[Thedelldays]

Can't see how this is a little dig when all I assumed was about support for our club, something that cannot be denied and that supporters will return 'on mass' if and when we return to the premiership.

of course they will..and the crowds will get smaller should we get relegated..again, with the odd exception to the rule

[eelpie]

WTF! I was merely stating the game as the echo had reported not my personal opinion. Do you attack everyone who gives information on how the press sees things? chill the hell out :mad:

 

It is not me that needs to chill out. I enjoyed a very entertaining, nail-biting match on Wednesday. It's the guys who don't go to matches because we are having a bad spell, and get worked up over poor attendances and believe the press that are missing out.

[eelpie]

Anyone can support a club that is 7th in the Premiership and in the Cup Final. This is the time that the Club needs its real supporters. I loathe and detest Lowe and Co and I am very unhappy with what is going on but I am not prepared to abandon the Club and they need my money.

 

I think every poster should state how many games they have been to this season as they criticise the Club it would put some comments into perspective. If you choose not to go and have lost interest for whatever reason then please do not post.

 

Good points.

[Guest Hacienda]

Anyone can support a club that is 7th in the Premiership and in the Cup Final. This is the time that the Club needs its real supporters. I loathe and detest Lowe and Co and I am very unhappy with what is going on but I am not prepared to abandon the Club and they need my money.

 

I think every poster should state how many games they have been to this season as they criticise the Club it would put some comments into perspective. If you choose not to go and have lost interest for whatever reason then please do not post.

 

I wish I was as supa dupa as you. You're the bestest.

[Guest Hacienda]

Each to their own I suppose but for those last 16 years, 13 were spent in the top flight of football including many years of relegation struggle yet we still managed to sell out. If we get back to the top flight of football they will be back no question.

 

I'm not so sure that they will.

[WestSaint]

I cannot see us getting back to the premiership, not with a team full of loanee's and inexperienced youngsters with a few injury stricken pro's that are able to play 15 games a season for us.

 

Ok so lets assume we don't get relegated this season - what will be different next season. We will have the same manager, same players perhaps without one or two of the better ones who may have beeen sold off, Lowe will be in charge so no investment and the gates will have not improved.

 

So either we get lucky or there is investment from outside. I cannot see a lot of positive hope at the momemt

[yorkie]

I've e-mailed Andrew Forrest (a Billionaire Australian with a passion for soccer and £20-billion in the bank).

 

Perhaps he will now invest and be our saviour!

[JohnnyFartPants]

Anyone can support a club that is 7th in the Premiership and in the Cup Final. This is the time that the Club needs its real supporters. I loathe and detest Lowe and Co and I am very unhappy with what is going on but I am not prepared to abandon the Club and they need my money.

 

I think every poster should state how many games they have been to this season as they criticise the Club it would put some comments into perspective. If you choose not to go and have lost interest for whatever reason then please do not post.

 

I can't agree with your logic. Football is a business. Business men run the club. As with any business, you make your legacy on your success. Everyone, let alone "anyone" will support a club that is 7th in the Premiership or in a cup final. That is a sign of the "business" being run properly. If any business is run badly or the product is rubbish, it's customer base will fall away.

 

Look at the type of people who have stood loyal for generations to a certain make of car. I know a bloke that has replaced his BMW every two years for another one for about 20 years. If they suddenly stop making the cars they currently produce and stick the BMW badge on something resembling a pale blue invalid mobile would he be considered in the same vein? I think he would probably sit back and wait until the company realised it's error and provided him with the product he wished to spend his money on.

[JohnnyFartPants]

I've e-mailed Andrew Forrest (a Billionaire Australian with a passion for soccer and £20-billion in the bank).

 

Perhaps he will now invest and be our saviour!

 

I would say it is odds on he will. :confused:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Christ on a bloody bike.

[Long Shot]

Yeah, but you're forgetting that The Dell used to have a 30,000 standing capacity. I was in the 30,044 crowd watching Saints v Man Utd. A midweek match too. In those days, Saints had a so-called core support of about 20-23,000+ fans.

 

Personally, I don't believe there is such a thing as a core support, unless you are talking about a base crowd that would turn up at the gates every week even if Saints were a team of amateurs. Basically, with every relegation, or slip in ambition and place, the support will get less and less, and people will turn to something else to do.

 

St Marys could well have the same atmosphere as The Dell used to have. It just needs the club to be in a position where 32,683 people are being royaly entertained by some excellent Saints winning football in the Premiership every week.

 

And never, say never.

 

 

It was 31,044 actually

[ottery st mary]

I've e-mailed Andrew Forrest (a Billionaire Australian with a passion for soccer and £20-billion in the bank).

 

Perhaps he will now invest and be our saviour!

 

As far as his love, if any towards Southampton, goes, a lot will depend on wether he sailed from the docks willingly with fond memories or was deported to Aus for some minor offence.

 

As far as his money is concerned he will be gratefully received but will someone let go of their little toy.

[beancounter saint]

It's pretty obvious to me that the vast majority of the people who have deserted over the last few seasons have done so because the idea of Championship football doesn't appeal as much as Premiership football for whatever reason. This is a perfectly legitimate reason to stop coming but it is interesting how many seem to want to dress it up as something else.

 

Given that if we were still in the Premiership ticket prices would probably be around 50% above what they are now, but the attendances would undoubtedly be much higher makes the money excuse laughable in my opinion.

[NickG]

I'm not so sure that they will.

 

I am, 100% sure -Lowe as chairman or Wilde or Crouch or Chicco -if we do well the crowds will return and we will sell out.

[JohnnyFartPants]

It's pretty obvious to me that the vast majority of the people who have deserted over the last few seasons have done so because the idea of Championship football doesn't appeal as much as Premiership football for whatever reason. This is a perfectly legitimate reason to stop coming but it is interesting how many seem to want to dress it up as something else.

 

Given that if we were still in the Premiership ticket prices would probably be around 50% above what they are now, but the attendances would undoubtedly be much higher makes the money excuse laughable in my opinion.

 

I think the credit crunch is also having an effect but here on the internet everyone is super loaded and not being affected at all.

[derry]

Some of this stuff makes me laugh.

 

Most of the time we're playing more attacking, exciting and entertaining football than I've seen for years, with a bunch of young players - in terms of the on-field product the whole team is a work in progress to be watched and seen grow (or shrink), and it couldn't be more interesting for actual football fans (or even "just" Saints fans who don't care about other teams).

 

However for some reason we seem to have turned about half of the sell-out Prem crowd into a bunch of gloryhunting results chasers with a massive swathe of temporary big-game attendees. Weird that about 30000 people wanted to see us beat Sheff Utd last season but only half of them want to know what happened next.

 

Of course a lot of people are skint due to the financial climate and can't afford to go, and midweek games are always tricky for some with work commitments, but equally, plenty of them will be conveniently hiding behind the Lowe Excuse, just as they did when we went down - and didn't come back when he left. Frankly I don't believe a single one of them, there are plenty of other, LEGITIMATE reasons not to be going, so grow a set and tell the truth, eh ? "I can't be bothered" is alright, just try and work out why not.

 

Unfortunately for Saints, we seem to have a lot of floaters who are steered purely by results, and results aren't quite there at the moment, though we've been competitive in every game. A few wins should hopefully see the crowd pick up.

 

However, even with fewer people, the support last night was excellent in places. Admittedly it was dire in others ("Swing Lowe" starting midmatch for about 5 seconds with us 2-1 down wasn't shaping up to be a highlight), but the 15 minute long "Red Army" not long after was far more useful to the kids and just about saved it for me. And trust me, people were going as nuts as ever when we scored.

 

It's strange to me that people are using the supposed weakness of the on-field performances - which they're not even getting to see - to justify not going. I know someone who went last night for the first time in a while and completely loved the whole thing like before, despite the drop in status since the last time they went. And when did we EVER score a goal like the one at QPR ???

 

There's a lot going for the club on the pitch, and you want to be there now for the next time when you hear "where were you when you were sh1t", right ?

 

Good summing up for me.

[Calvin]

I will still pay for this rubbish. But I am getting tired of wasting money time and time again to see us lose, when you have a look at the table! It goes to show how much the club is falling.

You can say that the young players will turn things around but they wont. The young players needs to play with the older and more experienced players to guide them, inspire and work with them. I believe this combination would work best.

The young players do have talent but they have no support. You need the support of the experienced players!

 

I want Saints to stay up in the league. I would hate the club to fall further more. I love exciting football but when you lose every game, what is there to celebrate.. you go home complaining or get a slightly disappointing feeling. You can say that exciting football is everything but it aint.

 

I wont be attending the game this Saturday due to work.

Edited 19 September, 2008 by Calvin

[Redbul]

It's pretty obvious to me that the vast majority of the people who have deserted over the last few seasons have done so because the idea of Championship football doesn't appeal as much as Premiership football for whatever reason. This is a perfectly legitimate reason to stop coming but it is interesting how many seem to want to dress it up as something else.

 

I'm sure many of the people that have stopped going were those that jumped on the Euro '96 bandwagon and were expecting to see the spactacle of top flight football every week.

For me, I find Championship football exciting and entertaining; it's great going along to a match knowing that you'll be watching some honest, proper football between 2 fairly evenly matched teams, not, as was the case with many games in the Prem, turning up to watch us get rubbished by Man Ure, Arsenal, Liverpool or Chelsea. Admittedly we did have success against them (6-3 against Man Ure in '96, the fantastic last league match against Arsenal at the Dell and MLT's fairytale winning goal etc. etc.) but you could fairly easily predict the outcome of most matches in the Prem.

[VectisSaint]

so, would YOU start coming back to SMS if we started winning games???

Thats not really the issue, I will probably go to as many games this season, possibly more, than last season. I don't go regularly, but i won't make excuses for that. The point I have is that I like to go with some other people, and maybe they are not ingrained supporters like me, but they will come with me if the team is doing well. Its ****ing difficult to motivate these floating supporters to come along at present because they don't see much prospect of an enjoyable day out. And its difficult for me to motivate them because I am not enjoying it much myself. But as I've been hooked by saints for 40+ years I will continue to go when I can, but more likely I'll be a "Billy No Mates" which does not help the club coffers.