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How many, Uhmm, 'Returning Fans' have you come across?


Secret Site Agent

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Glory suporters are scum, they should be dragged out into the street and executed in front of their families. by glory suppoerter I mean people who intentionally support someone good just to boast and rub real fan's noses in it.

 

Fact is though, for many people going to football is no different to going to the cinema or theatre - it's just a day out. They might have zero interest in watching Saints in the championship or league one but might be interested in Saints v Man U. There's nothing wrong with that, they are still Saints fans.

 

I dont think he actually said that but I will leave other readers to judge!

 

He did.See posts 59 & 60 where he says he knows "sh!t loads" of people like that.

Edited by Turkish
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If you want to get pedantic about about it he said "for many people" and I actually agree with him here there are a lot of people who will have an interest in going to Saints Manu who may support Saints on the day without actually being committed fans who would probably have little interest in going to Saints v Rochdale.

 

It was actually you who made the satement "exactly the same" in post 59

 

His response in post 60 could equally and most likely apply to his original post as to your corrupted version of it!

 

see posts 66 and 67 where he denies supporting your statement of "exactly the same"

Edited by Saint Without a Halo
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If you want to get pedantic about about it he said "for many people" and I actually agree with him here there are a lot of people who will have an interest in going to Saints Manu who may support Saints on the day without actually being committed fans who would probably have little interest in going to Saints v Rochdale.

 

It was actually you who made the satement "exactly the same" in post 59

 

His response in post 60 could equally and most likely apply to his original post as to your corrupted version of it!

 

No difference - exactly the same. Surely they mean the same thing, no?

 

And at the end of the day, football is just a day out, he continues. Its no different to the theatre. So why go to Saints?

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No difference - exactly the same. Surely they mean the same thing, no?

 

And at the end of the day, football is just a day out, he continues. Its no different to the theatre. So why go to Saints?

 

The theatre was used as an illustrative example of some people going to Saints Manu without being committed fans, for what could be termed a one off day of entertainment. I think you will find that he clarifies that he never said going to the Theatre is "exactly the same " as going to football in posts 67 and 69

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The theatre was used as an illustrative example of some people going to Saints Manu without being committed fans, for what could be termed a one off day of entertainment. I think you will find that he clarifies that he never said going to the Theatre is "exactly the same " as going to football in posts 67 and 69

 

Correct. When pushed on the point the view seemed to change from football being "no different" to the theatre that in actual fact this isn't the case as there are some difference. For example although they might be more interested in seeing Saints v Man U than Saints v Rochdale "they are still Saints fans" (post 51) so actually one of the key difference to a day out at football being different" to a day at the theatre is that they wold chose to spend their spare £40 seeing Saints because they are Saints fans, albeit not regular or committed ones, rather than just wanting to see a game of football, or a show.

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Correct. When pushed on the point the view seemed to change from football being "no different" to the theatre that in actual fact this isn't the case as there are some difference. For example although they might be more interested in seeing Saints v Man U than Saints v Rochdale "they are still Saints fans" (post 51) so actually one of the key difference to a day out at football being different" to a day at the theatre is that they wold chose to spend their spare £40 seeing Saints because they are Saints fans, albeit not regular or committed ones, rather than just wanting to see a game of football, or a show.

 

I agree there are some similarities and some key differences between going to the Theatre and going to Football. There also some people who will watch Saints Manu because they are Saints fans whatever their level of commitment and there are a few others who will have little alligence to either side but may go out of curiosity to see what football is all about or just for a days entertainment. In all cases my view is we should encourage anyone wanting to watch Saints for whatever their initial reasons as they may find, like a lot of us that they subsequently get hooked!

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I agree there are some similarities and some key differences between going to the Theatre and going to Football. There also some people who will watch Saints Manu because they are Saints fans whatever their level of commitment and there are a few others who will have little alligence to either side but may go out of curiosity to see what football is all about or just for a days entertainment. In all cases my view is we should encourage anyone wanting to watch Saints for whatever their initial reasons as they may find, like a lot of us that they subsequently get hooked!

 

It wasn't like that for most people I know. It was passed down through generations. For me, like most i Know it was a case of Going with my dad and brother, then just my brother, then my mates. As a little boy walking down towards the milton road end, the smell of fags and bovril, going thought the turnstiles and my first view of the pitch, standing behind the goal, seeing my hero Stve Moran score right in front of me. That's what got me hooked. Not because I had a spare £40, tossed a coin between football and the theatre and went along to see Saints v Man United because I had a few hours to fill on a Saturday afternoon.

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Maybe we should limit entry to those fans who attended regulalry during the Branfoot days and the league 1 days only. How long will we able to stay in the pemiere with that type of blinkered thinking and what sort of success will the club achieve. Lets remember we got saved and promoted because a benefactor (Marcus who would have probably have been defined by some as a new plastic fan) put a lot of investment into the club and in the process actually got hooked on it. Without this do we really believe we would have got to where we are with only our hard core of anywhere between 15 to 20k of fans.

 

Rather than chiding people for not being "uber supporters" we should put aside these ridiculous jealousies and focus on encouraging and supporting anyone with even a cursory interest in watching and supporting saints as that is how clubs grow.

 

New fans plastic or not, local or from across the globe (many of whom may never get the chance of watching us live) will all help to ensure we are on TV more often and they will also buy the shirts and the memrobilia, all of that helps as grow enables us to afford better players in the market place and ultimately improves our chances of success.

 

Also the next time we drop from grace it will ensure a greater number of fans will be so hooked thay cannot let go!

 

I recollect the way some of our new Japanese fans were chided on this forum as being plastic new fans when they came to watch Tadanari Lee. What the hell was the point of being so inhospitable to them, they paid their money and bought their shirts and should have been welcomed as part of a growing and hopefully more successful Saints family.

 

Really crowd income is nothing compared to the TV money plenty of teams have survived in the PL on less crowds than us. 2000 extra JCLs really isn't going to make much difference to our income. Espeically considering quite a few saints fans I know are nowing saying they're being priced out of going regularly now we're in the PL.

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He did.See posts 59 & 60 where he says he knows "sh!t loads" of people like that.

 

Geeze, you really are either thick, on a wind up, or 12 years old.

 

Is it really impossible to understand that not every person at SMS is not a die hard SFC fan but just someone who likes watching football for a day out? A mate of mine is an Arsenal fan but as had a season ticket for years because he wants to watch footie every other week. Another mate is a Sheff utd fan but always takes in a couple of games a season.

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Really crowd income is nothing compared to the TV money plenty of teams have survived in the PL on less crowds than us. 2000 extra JCLs really isn't going to make much difference to our income. Espeically considering quite a few saints fans I know are nowing saying they're being priced out of going regularly now we're in the PL.

 

See my previous posts on TV money and merchandising and in fact what i say further in the post you have quoted above. We need to encourage as many fans as we can as we will certainly feature more on TV with a larger and wider fan base.

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Geeze, you really are either thick, on a wind up, or 12 years old.

 

Is it really impossible to understand that not every person at SMS is not a die hard SFC fan but just someone who likes watching football for a day out? A mate of mine is an Arsenal fan but as had a season ticket for years because he wants to watch footie every other week. Another mate is a Sheff utd fan but always takes in a couple of games a season.

 

So you know 2. Hardly "sh!t loads" is it. Why don't they go to the theatre instead? According to you earlier today it was no different to going to football.

 

And of course it's not impossible to understand. They'll be an extra 10,000 a week next season that couldn't afford it, couldn't get time off work or had family parties every Saturday when we were in league one.

Edited by Turkish
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It wasn't like that for most people I know. It was passed down through generations. For me, like most i Know it was a case of Going with my dad and brother, then just my brother, then my mates. As a little boy walking down towards the milton road end, the smell of fags and bovril, going thought the turnstiles and my first view of the pitch, standing behind the goal, seeing my hero Stve Moran score right in front of me. That's what got me hooked. Not because I had a spare £40, tossed a coin between football and the theatre and went along to see Saints v Man United because I had a few hours to fill on a Saturday afternoon.

 

Yes we were lucky to be taken at a young age, I too went to my first match in 1971 (now 41 years ago) with my grandfather who lived in Shirley! That is not the point. However if we defined the only real fans as being those with a family history of support and/or years of dedication and discouraged the potential new and the curious then I would hazard an informed guess that our crowds would be less than half the current size and our chances of meaningful growth and success going forward would be neglibible to zero.

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So you know 2. Hardly "sh!t loads" is it. Why don't they go to the theatre instead? According to you earlier today it was no different to going to football.

 

And of course it's not impossible to understand. They'll be an extra 10,000 a week next season that couldn't afford it, couldn't get time off work or had family parties every Saturday when we were in league one.

 

And your point is? should we stop them? make them feel 2nd class citizens? tell them we are better than them? or welcome them and hope some will stay on?

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I have to say I am starting to take offence at certain plastics on the periphery of our circle suddenly being tagged by their equally plastic friends in FB pics of St Mary's as if it's their spiritual home, when I know for a fact they've spent the best part of the last 7 years sodding off to the New Forest picking flowers on Saturday afternoons.

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And your point is? should we stop them? make them feel 2nd class citizens? tell them we are better than them? or welcome them and hope some will stay on?

 

I'm in favour of treating them like second class citizens. They're going to get bantered to death in August if they pitch up as if they've been coming all along.

 

"Know the way to the stadium?"

"Haven't you got a wedding to go to?", etc.

 

They've already proven they're only in it for the Prem games so what difference does it make how people treat them ? If we get relegated they'll leave, if we don't they might stick around. I have no problem at all with people who've never had an ST and have decided to come for the first time. It's just the ones who sodded off, found something "better" to do, and now we're good enough for them to invest some time in Saints again. Well, having seen all that, they're not good enough for me and there will be hilarity at their expense.

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See my previous posts on TV money and merchandising and in fact what i say further in the post you have quoted above. We need to encourage as many fans as we can as we will certainly feature more on TV with a larger and wider fan base.

 

We will appear on tv when we're playing one of the big boys other than we will be the 30 second slot at the end of MOTD were not going to suddenly devolop 100 of thousands of asian fans demanding we are shown on telly every week. A few thousand extra JCL/plastics isn't going to make us a more attractive Pl side. Will be seen in the same light as the likes of Wigan, Bolton, Blackburn, Norwich, QPR and Fulham...Cannon fodder for the big boys.

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We will appear on tv when we're playing one of the big boys other than we will be the 30 second slot at the end of MOTD were not going to suddenly devolop 100 of thousands of asian fans demanding we are shown on telly every week. A few thousand extra JCL/plastics isn't going to make us a more attractive Pl side. Will be seen in the same light as the likes of Wigan, Bolton, Blackburn, Norwich, QPR and Fulham...Cannon fodder for the big boys.

 

Every match is available for broadcast and some countries show them all simultaneously - there's no need for loads of people to demand we're on, we'll already be on in a lot of places. The "big boys" (especially the Europa League ones) will be more likely to be on Sundays, Sat lunchtime/evenings and Monday nights more often, leaving only 4 or 5 Saturday afternoon fixtures to choose from, with all being on somewhere and being watched by someone. Much better chance than of being one of the two Championship matches streaming.

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  • 3 weeks later...
I have to say I am starting to take offence at certain plastics on the periphery of our circle suddenly being tagged by their equally plastic friends in FB pics of St Mary's as if it's their spiritual home, when I know for a fact they've spent the best part of the last 7 years sodding off to the New Forest picking flowers on Saturday afternoons.

 

Hah! Know exactly who you mean, sad cases.

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I don't get it. League One was awesome.

 

Well I have to say I grew up with Saints always being in the top flight, and during that time I really didn't spend any real time looking at the lower divisions at all. To me then Division 3 was dross and not worthy of attention. I was gutted when we were relegated , doubly so when we went down again. I never in my dreams thought I'd actually enjoy my football more then than I had done for years and years. The unmitigated joy of starting a match being favourites and scoring freely.

Enjoyed meeting and talking to other fans more as well.

Although we are back where we belong now I will have infinitely more respect for the lower divisions than I did. The last 3 years have been magic , I may be alone, but I'm actually a little nervous about the coming season.

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I've got reasonable home fan credentials, having been to games every season since 94. I have had a season ticket for all but two of those seasons. This time around we are moving to get back in the family section, as taking 5 of us is pretty expensive otherwise. I am sure people with season tickets where we are going to sit in block 20 will look at us and think "oh yeah, where were you in league one".

 

On the other hand, some fans are better than others. The club needs die hard supporters, not even just to make up some numbers in the bad times, but to give the whole thing a proper club feel and a bit of soul. For some the club is dominant in there lives. IMHO those people have every right to look down their nose at the returning plastic and particularly corporate hoards. It is not even as though most of the newcomers will notice the inference or care that much.

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Yes I've returned to the board to catch up and I see it's gone slightly off track.

 

It's not the plastics or the JCL, it's those that have come out of the woodwork he claim they have ALWAYS been following the team, when you knwo full well they have'nt and want to air brush out history, where you know full well that they weren't around during the wildeness days, but they claim they were.

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I see this from both sides. My nippers are well chuffed we are in the PL. We live in Shropshire & they dont see too many Saints fans or shirts on an average week. Now we are in the PL they get to mock Wolves fans who have been going on at them about being small time for a few years. At least these lads went to watch Wolves live.

They know how to put down the glory supporters of ManUre etc as they have never been to a game in their lives. Now they want to tell everyone St Mary's is full every week & we are a bigger club than Wolves, Stoke, Blues, Baggies etc so all the comeback fans help them laud it a bit after following Saints in L1 & The Champ.

That said I have enjoyed L1 & The Champ as much if not even more than the PL. Sure the players are better (& so are theyre ego's) in the PL, but we have had a great time. Oldham, Exeter & even losing at Carlisle or Walsall was brilliant & we would have not missed any of it for the world.

I am no super fan or want accolades. I just think I will remember the last 3 seasons more than about 15 in the PL.

I came back to Saints. When Lowe was incharge I only went to away games. You can criticise me as much as you want, but that man was a disgrace. As soon as we went into L1 I got another Season Ticket having let mine go after we left The Dell. Saints needed me then so I made sure I gave back for all that they had given me.

Now football is about lads, dads & grandads spending time together watching footie, talking crap & generally being silly. TBH I dont care what league its in....................

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When we were in the Nou Camp last weekend my nipper was wearing his Saints shirt and a woman and teenage lad came up to us and said that they were also Saints fans from Salisbury.

 

My 10yo nipper asked if they were season ticket holders and they said they would be from July. He then asked if they had gone to games over the last few years, which they hadn't.

 

"Your not proper fans then" said the lad and walked off. I beamed with pride.

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I see this from both sides. My nippers are well chuffed we are in the PL. We live in Shropshire & they dont see too many Saints fans or shirts on an average week. Now we are in the PL they get to mock Wolves fans who have been going on at them about being small time for a few years. At least these lads went to watch Wolves live.

They know how to put down the glory supporters of ManUre etc as they have never been to a game in their lives. Now they want to tell everyone St Mary's is full every week & we are a bigger club than Wolves, Stoke, Blues, Baggies etc so all the comeback fans help them laud it a bit after following Saints in L1 & The Champ.

That said I have enjoyed L1 & The Champ as much if not even more than the PL. Sure the players are better (& so are theyre ego's) in the PL, but we have had a great time. Oldham, Exeter & even losing at Carlisle or Walsall was brilliant & we would have not missed any of it for the world.

I am no super fan or want accolades. I just think I will remember the last 3 seasons more than about 15 in the PL.

I came back to Saints. When Lowe was incharge I only went to away games. You can criticise me as much as you want, but that man was a disgrace. As soon as we went into L1 I got another Season Ticket having let mine go after we left The Dell. Saints needed me then so I made sure I gave back for all that they had given me.

Now football is about lads, dads & grandads spending time together watching footie, talking crap & generally being silly. TBH I dont care what league its in....................

 

Well said that man! Now answer my text message!

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My mate at uni claims to be a Man Utd, Fulham, Southampton, Stevenage, England and USA fan. The only one of those teams he doesn't have a shirt for is Stevenage, but he does have a scarf.

 

I think it's mental.

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Yes I've returned to the board to catch up and I see it's gone slightly off track.

 

It's not the plastics or the JCL, it's those that have come out of the woodwork he claim they have ALWAYS been following the team, when you knwo full well they have'nt and want to air brush out history, where you know full well that they weren't around during the wildeness days, but they claim they were.

 

Yeah, it's them primarily, I don't resent anyone choosing not to invest in the club in League One, just don't pretend you did.

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