Jump to content

Poor Showing From Saints Fans


Gemmel

Recommended Posts

Interesting comments, but in all seriousness when did it last feel like it was our club ? Probably whilst we were still at The Dell, and some time before Lowe and reverse takeovers were heard of, perhaps even before Askham foisted Branfoot on us. In which case we are going back to the days of Woodford, in the mid 1980's.

 

Honestly, the last time it felt it was my club was when there was no-one in charge and I thought it wasn't going to exist, probably at Saints Aid actually. The first 11 months under Liebherr and Cortese seemed pretty good and I was happy to buy into their vision, then from the ST announcement in the summer of 2010 it started to go rather wrong as far as fan-friendliness (in fact ANYONE friendliness) went. It would have been interesting to see how many of the policies that have been implemented would have been the smae with Markus around, though I have no doubt that he was involved in the ST 2010/11 decision-making process, which was the first really bad idea Cortese implemented.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

that's a very cryptic statement for a Sunday evening 9, I shall reflect upon it's meaning.

 

You don't have to, I'll be less cryptic, though people will probably just jump down my throat as usual.

 

Basically I have been told, by someone who is about as well-informed as any Saints fan is, that the marketing bloke left because he found Cortese impossible to work for. The implication was that he was interfering, changing things at the last minute, etc. Logically, if the's marketing guy's not there any more, and the club continues to have crap marketing then you'd have to question who was to blame.

 

Both the failure to communicate AND the failure to market the club in a way that makes fans feel involved and not dispensable money machines, as noted by St Jason, need to be addressed.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You don't have to, I'll be less cryptic, though people will probably just jump down my throat as usual.

 

Basically I have been told, by someone who is about as well-informed as any Saints fan is, that the marketing bloke left because he found Cortese impossible to work for. The implication was that he was interfering, changing things at the last minute, etc. Logically, if the's marketing guy's not there any more, and the club continues to have crap marketing then you'd have to question who was to blame.

 

Both the failure to communicate AND the failure to market the club in a way that makes fans feel involved and not dispensable money machines, as noted by St Jason, need to be addressed.

 

What he said - and actually what I said some time ago.

 

It's as plain as the nose on your face.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Honestly, the last time it felt it was my club was when there was no-one in charge and I thought it wasn't going to exist, probably at Saints Aid actually. The first 11 months under Liebherr and Cortese seemed pretty good and I was happy to buy into their vision, then from the ST announcement in the summer of 2010 it started to go rather wrong as far as fan-friendliness (in fact ANYONE friendliness) went. It would have been interesting to see how many of the policies that have been implemented would have been the smae with Markus around, though I have no doubt that he was involved in the ST 2010/11 decision-making process, which was the first really bad idea Cortese implemented.
thats how i feel and when i visited the ticket office for my season ticket which i paid online and did not have the option to be sent out and told them about how the club customer service was crap the last few years and treatment of its fanbase ,he said he has had alot of complaints was told me was only following orders from upstairs and we could take it or leave it.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have no idea what some of you weirdos expect from a football club. You need to extract your heads from your arses.

 

I think it's just an excuse to moan tbh. There is very little wrong at this football club these days, we're in a fantastic place. So you'll get these very menial debates over nothing of real importance.

 

Bring on the season, please.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This is getting silly. Fans who go week in anyway are throwing their toys out of the pram for not having enough marketing thrown at them

 

Yes and apparently we need more PR. We've won a trophy and been promoted in the last two years, our support is good and revenue is up. We really must have superb PR though - that's what football is all about.

 

I think it's just xenophobia, class envy (a la Lowe) and not having the "look at me" inside track for a lot of people; that and having nothing whatsoever to moan about on the pitch. If you can't be happy with Saints at the moment you might as well find another interest.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Terrible isn't it. Forget we've won a trophy. Forget we've won promotion. Forget we've a good team and a good manager. Forget even that we have a football club to support still after years of mismanagement, administration and a ten point deduction. A pre-season friendly tournament in the eyes of one or two people wasn't marketed properly, and a man who did do the marketing has left because it didn't work out.

 

Get a bloody grip. These are the most exciting times we've had since 2003. I don't know about you but I'm going to enjoy it. Marketing, ****ing hell...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

oh dear i see the nothing wrong at the club monkeys and boneheads are talking among their selves while the likes of certain fan pay for a season ticket last year get handed back his money saints trust chairman Nick Illingsworth has been “discriminated against and victimised” by the club, the Independent Football Ombudsman has found.

 

The ruling comes after the supporters’ chief complained about being refused the right to buy a season ticket for the current campaign at St Mary’s.

 

Illingsworth approached the IFO in a bid to gain an explanation for last summer’s decision and also earn his reinstatement as a season ticket holder.

 

The ombudsman investigated, considering evidence from both sides, and upheld the complaint, concluding that Illingsworth had been “singled out for special treatment” by the club.

good customer service not and this is just one example.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Terrible isn't it. Forget we've won a trophy. Forget we've won promotion. Forget we've a good team and a good manager. Forget even that we have a football club to support still after years of mismanagement, administration and a ten point deduction. A pre-season friendly tournament in the eyes of one or two people wasn't marketed properly, and a man who did do the marketing has left because it didn't work out.

 

Get a bloody grip. These are the most exciting times we've had since 2003. I don't know about you but I'm going to enjoy it. Marketing, ****ing hell...

 

 

 

Spot on. A successful football club is self marketing. It just needs bean counters to set prices and punters to either pay or not.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

oh dear i see the nothing wrong at the club monkeys and boneheads are talking among their selves while the likes of certain fan pay for a season ticket last year get handed back his money saints trust chairman Nick Illingsworth has been “discriminated against and victimised” by the club, the Independent Football Ombudsman has found.

 

The ruling comes after the supporters’ chief complained about being refused the right to buy a season ticket for the current campaign at St Mary’s.

 

Illingsworth approached the IFO in a bid to gain an explanation for last summer’s decision and also earn his reinstatement as a season ticket holder.

 

The ombudsman investigated, considering evidence from both sides, and upheld the complaint, concluding that Illingsworth had been “singled out for special treatment” by the club.

good customer service not and this is just one example.

 

There isn't anything wrong at the club that's worth talking about.

 

Enjoy it, because if you can't - you'll never enjoy supporting saints.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Very much +1

 

Ironic isn't it, Illingsworth always wanted special treatment, when he got it, it wasn't good enough...!

 

You've hit on the point there....the people that are ''against'' the club at the moment are those who have had their access and special treatment removed.

 

It's no longer a family club to them because of that. Now we're a professionally run brand. (with a very successful football team that some people seem to forget)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes and apparently we need more PR. We've won a trophy and been promoted in the last two years, our support is good and revenue is up. We really must have superb PR though - that's what football is all about.

 

I think it's just xenophobia, class envy (a la Lowe) and not having the "look at me" inside track for a lot of people; that and having nothing whatsoever to moan about on the pitch. If you can't be happy with Saints at the moment you might as well find another interest.

 

Nutshell

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'd understand if not condone a marketing strategy that sought to get as much of our money as possible. Annoying yes, maybe treating us badly, but maximising profit. But that doesn't seem so obvious from what we've seen does it. It's more bizarre than that. Timing of shirts, ticket info, season ticket pricing and timing, general poor communications. I'm not blaming anyone specific as I don't know, and I can't see any evil agenda, or indeed any agenda, because it's just plain odd.

 

I'd love to hear the thinking behind the strategy and various decisions taking. Not saying I'd disagree with the logic, I just can't think what it would be.

 

 

 

The timing of pricing and shirts all comes back to sponsorship. Any delay cementing the deal would hold things up.

 

In any event, does the delay really matter? We can get season tickets and shirts in good time for the Season start so I really can't see the problem.

 

I also don't get the lack of information point. We know about fixtures, prices, beer, tickets, shirts etc. All the info was shared on the os. I don't see the problem.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

just spent 2 months Post-Rent-And-Post-Everything-else earnings on my ST. FFS

 

Don't ***** at me that only 8,000 turned up for a pre-season game....

 

...And I won't ***** about the genuinely crap attendance on Tuesday night games when we loyals do make the effort.

 

****s sake. If more people got so wound up about attendance during the season then we loyal fans who turn out day-in, day-out to support our lads - many of us coming from many miles away - wouldn't be so lonely in the dark Tuesday nights of league one.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've rarely gone to preseasons for 20 odd years - aint going to change a habit of a lifetime now.

 

If the club want to do something in Markus honour and his contribution to the club, do it during the proper season when the stakes and significance are much more real and fitting.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'd understand if not condone a marketing strategy that sought to get as much of our money as possible. Annoying yes, maybe treating us badly, but maximising profit. But that doesn't seem so obvious from what we've seen does it. It's more bizarre than that. Timing of shirts, ticket info, season ticket pricing and timing, general poor communications. I'm not blaming anyone specific as I don't know, and I can't see any evil agenda, or indeed any agenda, because it's just plain odd.

 

I'd love to hear the thinking behind the strategy and various decisions taking. Not saying I'd disagree with the logic, I just can't think what it would be.

 

Very close to where I'm coming from.

 

There just seem to be a number of poor decisions (to me anyway) being made that seem out of step with what we probably should be doing (the season ticket system being the strangest) and like you think they are actually missing at trick in drumming up business and tempting supporters to part with their money (particularly the more "casual" supporter).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So basically. Football is one big rip off. The ticket tax is peeing everyone off.. People want to part with their money via SFC and complain at the prices...

 

YET..!!!

we don't like it when the club is not actively, aggressively trying to take said money off us and every single opportunity

 

Half baked brains are football fans. Love it

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've rarely gone to preseasons for 20 odd years - aint going to change a habit of a lifetime now.

 

If the club want to do something in Markus honour and his contribution to the club, do it during the proper season when the stakes and significance are much more real and fitting.

 

Yes as doing tributes at a skate games always works well

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Terrible isn't it. Forget we've won a trophy. Forget we've won promotion. Forget we've a good team and a good manager. Forget even that we have a football club to support still after years of mismanagement, administration and a ten point deduction. A pre-season friendly tournament in the eyes of one or two people wasn't marketed properly, and a man who did do the marketing has left because it didn't work out.

 

Get a bloody grip. These are the most exciting times we've had since 2003. I don't know about you but I'm going to enjoy it. Marketing, ****ing hell...

 

Overall I am happy with the way the club is being run. However, although I'm personally not too bothered by any "marketing" or lack of it, it certainly shouldn't be the case that fans can't criticise the club or the way its run, just because we've had a touch of success on the pitch. Being happy with one's football club is a lot more than simply success on the pitch - you ask a lot of long standing Man Utd or Chelsea fans for example that have became very disenfranchised with what their clubs have now become, the way they are made to feel like nothing more than cash-cows and that their club no longer belongs to them. We're obviously still a long way off that ourselves, but I do hope that the price of success on the pitch doesn't manifest itself in the treatment of fans seen at many other successful clubs.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Overall I am happy with the way the club is being run. However, although I'm personally not too bothered by any "marketing" or lack of it, it certainly shouldn't be the case that fans can't criticise the club or the way its run, just because we've had a touch of success on the pitch. Being happy with one's football club is a lot more than simply success on the pitch - you ask a lot of long standing Man Utd or Chelsea fans for example that have became very disenfranchised with what their clubs have now become, the way they are made to feel like nothing more than cash-cows and that their club no longer belongs to them. We're obviously still a long way off that ourselves, but I do hope that the price of success on the pitch doesn't manifest itself in the treatment of fans seen at many other successful clubs.

 

Good post, I'm not unhappy about anything at the club on a personal level at the moment. However the idea that all saints fans must be happy about everything that happens at the club and we must never be unhappy again becuase " we almost lost our club 2 years ago" strikes me as strange.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So basically. Football is one big rip off. The ticket tax is peeing everyone off.. People want to part with their money via SFC and complain at the prices...

 

YET..!!!

we don't like it when the club is not actively, aggressively trying to take said money off us and every single opportunity

 

Half baked brains are football fans. Love it

 

That's not really what people are saying though is it!! You'd make a good columnist for the Daily Mail the way you embellish and ratchet up issues.

 

Love it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Pre-season friendlies are OK if you like that sort of thing - I've even been to Luton for one in the past and enjoyed the friendly atmosphere and relaxed approach. If people want to critice the turnout - I guess they need to blame the club for the timing and the clubs selected. There will always be a cost associated with such a tournament - and after being promised a "top" Premiership side - the club didn't deliver and settled for some German outfit instead. If a trophy is to mean something then it has to be played for with gusto - unfortunately pre-season friendlies are not the option.

If they really wanted to capitalise on the promotion - the tournament should have been held the week after the end of the season - the turnout then would have been much greater - but even footballers need a rest!

I didn't go Saturday - I didn't fancy getting in after midnight again for a friendly. There was the issue of fuel to get to SMS -as it is a 500-mile round trip, and I have a wedding to attend this weekend in Kent...I know how difficult it is to balance enthusiasm and loyalty with a sensible approach with everything that has to account for our incomes.

Looking forward to the new season (thanks to Markus) with slightly bigger crowds to last. I do wish other fans would stop picking on the other 50,000 who went to Wembley to have a day out, or the other 32,000 at the last game of the season for not going - but you don't stop loving Markus for what he did by not going on Saturday...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You don't have to, I'll be less cryptic, though people will probably just jump down my throat as usual.

 

Basically I have been told, by someone who is about as well-informed as any Saints fan is, that the marketing bloke left because he found Cortese impossible to work for. The implication was that he was interfering, changing things at the last minute, etc. Logically, if the's marketing guy's not there any more, and the club continues to have crap marketing then you'd have to question who was to blame.

 

Both the failure to communicate AND the failure to market the club in a way that makes fans feel involved and not dispensable money machines, as noted by St Jason, need to be addressed.

 

you get told a lot dont you!

why are you so full of ****?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

To be fair to The9 I have heard similar. The words used to me to describe Cortese were "control freak", although it was stressed that he keeps out of the football side.

 

Whether that's true I don't know.

 

It may also be that some people are more sensitive about firm leadership and hands on management than others.

 

Personally, i couldn't give a monkeys if it's true. I am just pleased that we are being run effectively and with authority after years of mismanagement.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

To be fair to The9 I have heard similar. The words used to me to describe Cortese were "control freak", although it was stressed that he keeps out of the football side.

 

Whether that's true I don't know.

 

It may also be that some people are more sensitive about firm leadership and hands on management than others.

 

Personally, i couldn't give a monkeys if it's true. I am just pleased that we are being run effectively and with authority after years of mismanagement.

 

He's just a very passionate and driven man. Name me a director or a boss that is loved by all of their employees? He's going to rub people up the wrong way (that's the nature of his position) but he's getting the results, you cannot deny that.

 

So I'm happy and I'd think the majority of the support base is happy.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Control FreaK? Dont know the man but the business needs someone with drive and a vision and he will be in charge until it fails or he hands the reins on to someone else.

 

I dont have a problem going along with someone who has demonstrated he has what it takes to make the club more successful than it was when he arrived.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Looking at it in advance, there were some things I liked about Saturday's tournament. I liked the intriguing nature of the tournament and I was impressed with the quality of the opposition we attracted (and presumably paid for). I knew I wouldn't be able to attend as I was away this weekend, so I didn't even bother looking at the ticket prices, so didn't really have an opinion on that. On the negative side, perhaps there was too much time between games, perhaps the tournament started too late, perhaps people didn't like the emotional blackmail thrown their way by the club, perhaps some don't like the fact that this trophy appears to have replaced the Ted Bates one.

 

Clearly 8,000 felt the positives outweighed any negatives. It'll be interesting to see whether the club focus on the however-many-thousand who might have turned up had some of those negatives not been present.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Im a season ticket holder, i went and i thought overall it was good! There was decent football on display inc afew fantastic goals. We were there for just under 4 hours and for the entrance fee i dont think anyone can't argue about it being too much. There was a fair wait between the first and second match, but with the food, drink and entertainment on offer, its up to the individual if they want to make the most of it all between the matches. I did think it started an hour later than i should, but overall i was worth the cash, and i think it was a shame more people didn't make the effort.

 

Moreover, the away kit looks really nice and i might even pre-order a shirt!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That's not really what people are saying though is it!! You'd make a good columnist for the Daily Mail the way you embellish and ratchet up issues.

 

Love it.

 

Shut up you *****. This place was better when you got the hump about something pointless and did one for a year

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Looking at it in advance, there were some things I liked about Saturday's tournament. I liked the intriguing nature of the tournament and I was impressed with the quality of the opposition we attracted (and presumably paid for). I knew I wouldn't be able to attend as I was away this weekend, so I didn't even bother looking at the ticket prices, so didn't really have an opinion on that. On the negative side, perhaps there was too much time between games, perhaps the tournament started too late, perhaps people didn't like the emotional blackmail thrown their way by the club, perhaps some don't like the fact that this trophy appears to have replaced the Ted Bates one.

 

Clearly 8,000 felt the positives outweighed any negatives. It'll be interesting to see whether the club focus on the however-many-thousand who might have turned up had some of those negatives not been present.

good post echo reckons only 5,000 at the game but their was decent opposition fairly priced and a funfair- so was a good day to take the kids out .so i hope the club look at the lessons why they have pi ssed of some sections of our fanbase.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Terrible isn't it. Forget we've won a trophy. Forget we've won promotion. Forget we've a good team and a good manager. Forget even that we have a football club to support still after years of mismanagement, administration and a ten point deduction. A pre-season friendly tournament in the eyes of one or two people wasn't marketed properly, and a man who did do the marketing has left because it didn't work out.

 

Get a bloody grip. These are the most exciting times we've had since 2003. I don't know about you but I'm going to enjoy it. Marketing, ****ing hell...

 

This.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The club is "our club" now more than it ever has been since I started going (89/90).

 

P'raps I should qualify what I meant, if indeed it's my comment you refer to.

 

I think now more than ever, the "club" is a product that we the customer buy into. There used to be discussion about things on occasion, but these days it's "this is what's on offer, take or leave", and in that respect, they seem to want to extract every little bit they can.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The club is "our club" now more than it ever has been since I started going (89/90).

 

Not saying your wrong but I'd like to know your reasoning on that one. As far as I can tell the only way the club would be "our club" is if we had an Exeter style supportesr take over (not saying I want that if this place is anything to go by it would be a disaster).

 

The club is still owned by rich people who are going to do what they like. If anything the new lot have even less accountability as there are now no share holders. I really don't see much difference between our new owners and old ones other than the new ones actually have some money to back up their talk while the last lot didn't.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Cortese is making lots of mistakes it has to be said.

 

Were it not for the Liebherrs money he'd be more unpopular than Lowe, but because we have some financial clout behind us he seems imune to any criticism on here from Delldays and his troop.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Cortese is making lots of mistakes it has to be said.

 

Were it not for the Liebherrs money he'd be more unpopular than Lowe, but because we have some financial clout behind us he seems imune to any criticism on here from Delldays and his troop.

 

Name the mistakes he's made recently?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Name the mistakes he's made recently?

 

Parking at the stadium.

 

The ticket tax.

 

Overpricing the showpiece pre season friendly.

 

Banning photographers.

 

These are just a few bad decisions he's made off the top of my head.

 

And the continued ban on NI owning a ST is quite pathetic. He's made his point but now it just looks petty.

Edited by dune
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Parking at the stadium.

 

The ticket tax.

 

Overpricing the showpiece pre season friendly.

 

Banning photographers.

 

These are just a few bad decisions he's made off the top of my head.

 

Parking at the stadium is harsh, but makes sense. He's a business man and you have to exploit all the ways you can to generate money. I know people that used to park at St Mary's and walk into town for the afternoon, and it makes sense to me that this shouldn't be allowed to happen anymore....

 

Ticket tax? i guess you mean the £3 booking fee? It's pretty much in-line with every event, concerts etc. I don't see a massive issue with this.

 

It wasn't overpriced...I don't get people saying that at all. £16 for 3 45min games, a free fair for the family etc. That fair wouldn't have been cheap to organize and hire for the day, so they're not just going to give it away. £16 is a snip for what was offered IMO.

 

The last point was a long long long time ago, and it was reversed as ti was admitted it was a mistake. Fair play to him, see no issue with that now.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

And the continued ban on NI owning a ST is quite pathetic. He's made his point but now it just looks petty.

 

This isn't exactly true. Yes, the club banned Nick from having an ST last year, and that was a stupid and unneccessary decision.

 

This season, even Nick himself doesn't know if he can have an ST or not. He hasn't tried to buy one, and apparently won't until the club come forward and let him know that he can officially have one. The club haven't done this, but nor have they said they won't let him have one. Until he actually tries to by a season ticket then no-one knows if there is indeed a continued ban.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...